This post brought to you by Fellowes Brands. The content and opinions expressed below are that of While He Was Napping.
Hey! How are ya? I’m glad you’re here today!
Is the weather starting to warm up in your neck of the woods? Mother Nature can’t seem to figure out what she’s doing in so many places right now. But we’re not gonna let that fickle sunshine mess with our mission, right?
We’re on a declutter mission and spring cleaning is in full swing! Right! Right? Wrong?
In my house, it’s DEAD WRONG. Between being out of town and then sick, I’m just trying to keep up with the laundry and dishes and get rid of the germs! But I am trying to work in some spring cleaning too.
I’ve been working in my bedroom lately. That’s the catch-all room for us. Company’s coming? Quick! throw all the stuff on the counters into this box and put it in mom’s room! There are boxes full of
- piles of mail
- school papers
- papers from church
- things my husband brings home from work
- all the other counter clutter
There’s a lot of paper clutter that gathers in the kitchen and gets dropped in my room. I have the intention of going through it later… but the boxes pile higher and I just can’t seem to get through it.
Well, I finally did it!! MY ROOM IS CLEAN!
I know, I sound like an 10-year-old girl trying to convince mom to let her go out and play with her friends. But cleaning my room is still a pretty big accomplishment for me sometimes. So, now I’ve got a system that will help keep the paper clutter out of my room and where it belongs.
How I’ve Organized Our Paper Clutter to Keep it From Taking Over
- Mail is sorted when it comes through the door. Junk mail is trashed. Bills are put into our “needs attention” paper tray. And anything that needs to be filed goes into the bottom paper tray. Then I file it when I get the chance, usually once a week.
- I started a file box for each member of our family and that’s where I keep all the school papers, papers from church they want to keep and any paper mementos (graduation programs, certificates, or other important papers) or things like cards. These file boxes stack and store in a corner of my closet.
- Important papers – anything for insurance, retirement, or other long term investments – go into our file box where we put the mail that has been filed. I just added a few more folders to accommodate those things as well.
Other counter clutter is cleared off each night and the owners of said clutter are expected to take care of it. The biggest offender of that one is… my husband and I’m a super close second. Our island is the catch all and it makes the rest of the kitchen feel even messier than it is. Simply clearing clutter off the counters each night had helped us keep our kitchen cleaner over all. It’s a win-win!
The Right Tools Make a Difference
The best way I’ve found to keep the junk paper clutter down is to shred it as it comes into our house. Take care of it before it becomes a problem. I love our Fellowes 79Ci shredder! It’s got a patented 100% Jam Proof System that eliminates paper jams and powers through tough jobs. I don’t even have to open most of the junk mail to shred it and get it off my to-do list. The Heavy-duty Cross-Cut blades that can handle up to 16 sheets of paper, as well as staples, paper clips, credit cards, and CDs.
I really love the 20 minute run time, which allows me to get rid of all the clutter all at once. It’s a one-and-done deal. But, my favorite feature is the patented SafeSense® Technology, which automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening. I don’t have to worry that my kids are going to get hurt. Of course, you should still take safety precautions and children shouldn’t operate the shredder, but I love the extra safety feature.
With an Energy Savings System that maximizes shredder energy efficiency 100% of the time – both in use and out of use it’s okay to leave it on in standby and your power bill won’t skyrocket. The SilentShred™ Technology means I can shred papers during the most productive time of my day: Nap time.
You can find the 79Ci at Amazon and Office Superstores. Suggested retail is $239.99 and it’s totally worth knowing my family’s identity is safe when we shred with our Fellowes 79Ci shredder.
Check out this awesome infographic on organizing your space and increasing your productivity!
