I love giving and getting greeting cards in the mail. Valentine’s day is one occasion where I send hand-made cards. I recommend that those who receive them, display and enjoy them for 2 to 3 weeks. Then toss them. For those of us who want to preserve the cards, do so digitally. Take a photo of the cards, up-load them to the cloud, and revisit them every February 14th. This can be done with all sentimental cards.
Schedule 2 hours for a paper purge after your taxes have been completed with the goal of cleaning out and shredding old, outdated, and obsolete information. Archive the previous years’ tax and financial files, and keep current active files separate from the archived ones.
Discard paper daily. Knowing what paper can be automatically shredded or recycled will motivate you to get rid of paper that has been accumulating. Use the list below as your personal paper discard list.
My family is large, and I send over 100 greeting cards a year. If we include the Christmas cards I send each year, the number is close to 200. That’s a lot of greeting cards to organize, and a lot of time spent sending cards. I know, but I like doing it. It allows me to keep in touch, and let my siblings and extended family know I’m thinking of them.
Here is how I’ve streamlined the process. First of all, to keep the greeting cards organized, I have them in a container that allows me to store two rows of cards vertically. The container has no lid, and has a designated spot in my closet in my office. The cards are sorted into categories based on type of occasion, event, or holiday, for example anniversary, birthday, Christmas. Each category is labeled, and stored alphabetically. For example, the anniversary cards are in front of the birthday cards which are in front of the Christmas cards. All this helps me easily flip through the cards to find the one I’ll send.
Second of all, to keep track of what to send when, I have all the special occasions listed on a calendar that I update every year in January. Once my calendar is all set I follow theses steps. At the end of each the month, I pull together all the cards that I want to send in the next month. I address and sign the cards, with my husbands help, so they are ready to go when the time comes. I hold the addressed card in an outgoing mail slot on my desk. At the beginning of each week I pick out the cards that need to be mailed, and put them in my weekly tickler file. I then mail them at the appropriate time. I know this is a detailed process, but it is what helps me remember each and every card and occasion. Maybe this is a process you can use and adapt for yourself.
Here are a few additional guidelines that I follow:
I’ve also tried Send Out Cards, an on line greeting card service. They actual mail the card for you, and email you reminders when it’s time to send.
©December 2016 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All Rights Reserved
While having lunch with a friend, she proclaimed “piles happen”. I readily agreed, and shared that the best way to combat piles is to store paper vertically, not horizontally. For example, instead of setting the mail down on the counter, and letting it pile up, sort it into a divided vertical container. Another example is to put newspapers, magazines, catalogs, and in a container that holds them upright.
Janine Cavanaugh, CPO
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