Category: Fun Ways to Organize

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Fun Ways to Organize

How I am Staying on top of my Schedule

Hey hey friends! Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had an enjoyable and fun Labor Day weekend. Although, I was at school, I did have a fun weekend with friends, and it was a great way to say goodbye to summer. Although, school started back last week for me, I’m still trying to find a good routine. Last week was all about getting adjusted to a new schedule, classes, work time and organizing all the appointments. This week is weird since we had off yesterday and tonight I’m going to a concert with friends. I’m trying my best to soak up every moment at school this semester.

I know I’m late to the game, but I am finally on the band wagon with using the calendar on my phone and laptop….I know I know, it’s a long time coming. Before I get started on how and why I am using this system now, I want to give a little bit of background on how I stay organized. 

A few years back, I did a post about staying organized with school. You can read about it here.

Let me break it down for how I stay on top of things, I have a feeling this may change once I graduate from college, but for now this is what works. 

  1. Big Desk Calendar
My desk calendar

I love to see everything laid out in front of my on my desk. I have everything color coded. Certain colors for classes, Green for school things (tutoring, dinners, meetings), Blue for Work (staff meetings, when things are due), Red for when I work, and then purple for anything else that comes up. I like seeing the month as a whole and this helps me plan better when I have new things to put on the calendar. I got this planner from the Simplified Collection by Emily Ley at Target. I put everything on this calendar- it’s basically my master one-school, work, home, family, friends. It all goes here. 

  • Small Planner

This comes in great for assignments and school work. I got this planner from Staples with the At a Glance collaboration with Simplified by Emily Ley (do you see a pattern here?!- You better believe I am getting the 2020 Simplified Planner when they Launch tomorrow!)

This has the week layout. Every day is split in two columns (The My Day and To Do). In the My Day is where I put any meetings, events, test dates or things to remember. In the To Do is where I list all my homework assignments.

What my weekly spread looks like

This is the first year that I used the monthly calendar too. Although, I love my desk calendar I was scheduling things without looking. I only write the important things in the month section like tutoring, meetings, scheduled events just so I have a reference. This planner is mostly used for school things-homework, exams, meetings for school and work things for school. 

The month of September as a whole in the month section of calendar
  • iCalendar 

This past summer, I started to use the calendar app on my phone and laptop to keep track of work things and events happening with family and friends. Since I wasn’t in school I wasn’t using a planner and since I spent most every day on my laptop it made sense to have my calendar in front of me, now I am loving it. It’s so easy to use and I LOVE how you can sync your phone and laptop calendars to be the same. I am also able to customize when I put things on the calendar and color coordinate them too. Also, the best part, by using iCalendar it keeps all my blog posts in order and I can schedule things better too.

For this calendar its divided by four topics: school (blue), blog (purple), personal (yellow) and important (red).

My four categories of what I put on the calendar

For school I only put important meetings, appointment and work commitments( no homework, no tests, no when my classes are), for blog I put down what posts are being published when, personal is activities and things with friends and family, and important are basically when the big things are due like credit card statements. This calendar is the big picture stuff, I refer to this when I am planning an event or meeting to see if I have conflicts and I always have it with me, unlike my desk calendar and planner which aren’t always on me. 

The whole month at a glance

Is it necessary to have all of these? Probably not, but it’s what works best for me. I am a super organized person, so I like to do all this and keep myself on top of everything. I am thinking once I graduate about ditching the desk calendar and just keeping a planner and using the calendar on my phone. Thoughts from any recent graduates about what works best for you? After I graduate, I want to focus on simplifying my life more and I know once I am done with school a lot of these activities will be done too, so for now I am enjoying my life with my three color coordinated calendars!

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

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Fun Ways to Organize

Simplicity Challenge 2019

Hello All and Happy Tuesday and an even Happier February.

I love the month of February! Not only is January over…it’s such a long month, but I love Valentine’s Day and all the red, white, and pink that goes along with it. Not to mention the chocolate and just the good feelings that come along with it.  It’s the perfect month in the middle of a long winter.

For those of you who follow me on instagram, you may have noticed for the month of January, I participated in the Simplicity Challenge through Emily Ley’s company, Simplified. I love everything Emily Ley does from her books, to planners, and simplified ways. If you aren’t familiar with her already, check her out here.For the past few years she has done a simplicity challenge for the new year and this year I knew I wanted to participate in it. 

Every day for the month of January she will assign a task around your home that takes 15 minutes or less to accomplish, it can be anything from cleaning out your car, making a grocery list of easy meals, taking a trash bag and getting rid of stuff through your house, and setting goals for the new year. You can see the full list of challenges on Emily Ley’s Instagram page here.I posted myself doing the challenges every day and saved them to my highlights reel on instagram.Not only did this old me accountable for doing the challenge but it also showed you all how easy the tasks can be. Here are a few examples of my favorite tasks. 

I loved starting the challenge by going through my room and getting rid of all the clutter
My car can always get so cluttered so I loved being able to get it cleaned out
I use my notes app all the time and I loved that I was able to get it organized with all the important things
With the new year just beginning I took the time to clean my camera roll and save my photos and delete random ones
It felt so good to organize my purse and get it all prepped for a new semester and replenish things that were out
I cleaned out my emailed and unsubscribed from a bunch of stores that I don’t shop at. Nothing better than an updated inbox
Last but not least, I made sure to set some time aside for myself. We all need self care in order to take care of others

These are just a few examples of my favorite tasks. I was so happy I was able to accomplish the challenge, if you didn’t get around to it, no worries. You can always start now. It doesn’t have to be at the beginning of the month or even the year. This challenge really helped get me in the right mind set for the new year. This year I want to be more intentional and only focus on the important things and this challenge really helped declutter my home and my mind. There are some tasks that I know I am going to continue to incorporate in my life every day especially when it comes to lists and organizing and there are others that I know were helpful in the moment, but I may not continue to use them in my life.

Have you tried the simplicity challenge?

What ways do you want to get simplified for the upcoming year?

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Fun Ways to Organize

What’s on My Phone?

Hi Guys!

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had restful weekends! My weekend was pretty busy between homework, work, and the semester full underway, it was hectic to say the least. I am looking forward to this coming weekend as it will be filled with activities, family, and some R&R!

On today’s agenda, I wanted to share how I organize my phone and some of my favorite apps on my phone that make my life easier and more efficient. Now, as 20 year old, I do use social media a lot on my phone both for my blog and for my own personal use. However, I am just going to focus on apps, that make my life easier and more organized. This post is not sponsored or an advertisement, I’m just sharing what apps work best in my life and how I keep my phone organized.

What’s on my iPhone?

On the first screen, I keep most of my apps in their original place. I don’t like to move my apps around too much because I like to keep it simple and not complicated. My phone, safari, mail, music, messages, and notes are all near each other so I can access them easily.

First screen

On my second screen are the more speciality apps.

Second Screen

My first row are my apps for social media which include Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and the E News app where I get all the scoop from Hollywood. I use these every day even multiple times a day.

The second row are apps that I use that are clustered based on use. (minus pinterest- another form of social media but I ran out of room on the first row). My first cluster is for school. Outlook is great for collecting my school emails, GroupMe is so helpful for group messages, Schoology keeps all my assignments in one place, Cam Scanner is great for copying notes, and Remind is a great Reminder app.

School Apps

My second cluster is for work which include Linkedin, Facebook, and Messenger all used for work purposes not fun.

Work Apps

The last cluster is all the other apps that I don’t use all the time including Contacts, Stocks, Files, Compass, any other apps that I don’t use all the time.

Extra Apps

The third row includes my personal apps which include my online banking app, my Fitbit that tracks everything on my Fitbit, my Countdown app for important days, and Sprinkle of Jesus, a great app full of inspiration.

My last row includes three clusters.

The first for entertainment; which include Amazon Music and Video, Netflix, Pandora, and Podcasts, they are tucked away so I’m not distracted.

Entertainment Apps

My second cluster  has my favorite shopping and food apps which include Apple Wallet, Amazon Prime, and Panera Bread and Chipotle, my favorite eateries.

Food and Shopping Apps

Lastly, photos and videos which includes Layout, VSCO, Followers, and Repost all important for blogging.

Photos and Video Apps

Now onto my favorite apps.

–       Notes

Everyone with a smart phone has some kind of notes app and it is so helpful. I use my notes every day. I keep To-Do lists, Reminders, Movies that I want to watch, and Books I want to read, Passwords, and anything else I need to be accessible at all times. I use my notes all the time and it is so helpful to have it be synced with laptop and ipad to I have all my notes with me on any device. Notes keeps me on top of anything that gets thrown my way through the day.

–       GroupMe

This is one of my most used apps. It is an app just for group messages. It is so helpful to keep all my group messages in one area and not mixed in with all my other personal messages. For my job at school, we use GroupMe to communicate fast and efficiently. GroupMe is also super helpful when it comes to group projects, work meetings, or just friends making plans.  This app is free and can be found in the app store. Overall, GroupMe has made my life at school much more organized

–       Sprinkle of Jesus

Not an organizational tool but this app sends you positive reminders and mantras throughout the day. Whenever, I need a pick me up, Sprinkle of Jesus is always there. Some of the quotes hit close to home. They also have great content too. This is free and found in the app store.

Whew, that’s a look into my phone and what apps Im totally hooked on. Also, I keep my background fairly simple so I’m not distracted with a busy background. What apps are you hooked on and what tips do you have when it comes to organizing your phone?

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Fashion Fun Ways to Organize

Outfit Planning

Hi guys!

Happy Tuesday.!!!

Boy, September is flying by. It started out super slow but now as I am making my way through the semester, time is going so fast. This semester has been the busiest by far for me. Between working a few jobs, classes, being involved, and hanging out with friends, I am always looking for ways to be more organized and save time to be more efficient. One thing that I have started to do this year is outfit prep. Fashion lovers out there will lover the double fashion post this week.

Laying out my clothes for the gym and for a new day the night before saves time and stress

From grades K-12, I always wore a uniform to school, so I never had to worry about what I was going to wear every day until I came to college. My first two years of college, I would just choose an outfit each morning but I often be rushed with figuring out an outfit with accessories.

A real peak into my closet at school. It’s much more organized than my closet at home, probably because I only have a quarter of the clothes I own here. Hahaha

This year, I decided to not only lay out my clothes the night before (like I did for many years in the past) but also plan out what I am going to wear for the full week. On Sunday’s I look at the weather for the week and choose outfits for the whole week along with shoes, accessories, and jackets. I had plenty of time on Sunday to plan my outfits  and then hang them all up. The night before I just grab the outfit and lay it out for the next morning. I am not as rushed in the mornings getting ready now that I have this system in place. It is not only a time saver but it allows me to really think about what I want to wear each day.

One of my outfits I chose for wearing this week

Now, whether you have this time or not, even just by laying out your outfit the night before saves time in the morning. On Sunday it takes less than a half hour to plan all my outfits for the week.

Another outfit I chose for this week…you may see it coming soon

What time saving tactics do you include in your week?

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Fabulous living Fun Ways to Organize Travel

Weekend Away Essentials

Last week, I blogged about my weekend trip to Chicago! I love to travel, and I try to take any opportunity available to me to travel whether it’s near or far. Throughout, my weekend away I made mental notes of things I want to remember when it comes to future traveling, especially for a college student on a budget. Here are my must haves for weekend adventures:

  • Don’t over-pack. Yes, it may seem tempting to pack several cute outfits and figure out what to wear when you get there, but that’s not the answer. Pack simple and efficient. For example, for my trip I packed one pair of jeans, a few different tops to alternate, an outfit to wear at night, and two pairs of shoes, as well as comfortable clothes for traveling. I wanted to make sure I had the essentials and things to mix and match for the weekend. Although, I didn’t look the cutest in all my photos wearing my north face, jeans, and sneakers, I was very comfortable walking several miles each day. I also packed pretty simple when it came to luggage. I had a duffel bag, small tote, and cross-body. The small tote came in very handy for the souvenirs I bought while I was away.

All packed! Simple but efficient

  • Plan accordingly for traveling. We drove down to Chicago over night on a bus, so I made sure I was comfortable for the long bus ride, therefore I made sure I brought a blanket and pillow for the bus. This came in extremely useful when I was able to sleep a few hours driving down. The same goes for flying, planes are notorious for being chilly, be sure to throw an extra sweatshirt or socks in your carry on so you aren’t freezing your whole flight. Overall, be sure to pack for your destination and any accessories that may come along with it.

It’s was very chilly in the Windy City. The weather was in the 30’s the whole weekend so i was bundled up. Yes, it may not look super cute, but I was very warm

  • Make a Plan. When we found out that we were going to Chicago, my friend and I made sure we had a plan of things we wanted to get done and when. There is nothing worse than going to a new city for the first time and not knowing what to do or where to go. Don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions of places to try. I have several friends who live in the Chicago area, so I made sure to get their opinions on their favorite spots. This helps to ensure you get the authentic experience while being in the city.

I found these tricks to be most helpful while traveling for a weekend away. Do you prefer weekend getaways or week-long vacations? What helpful hints do you have for trips? Let me know in comments below!

Have a happy Tuesday!!

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Fun Ways to Organize

Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks

It’s out with the old and in with the new. Spring is upon us which means Spring Cleaning is right around the corner. Throughout the year, I have been reading Emily Ley’s Simplified Life. It discusses straightforward ways to simplify our homes, families, and lives. Whether you love to organize like myself or don’t even know where to begin when it comes to organizing, this book is for you. When it comes to spring cleaning, you have the power to do as much or as little as you please. For example, I do it little by little when my schedule allows, some others like to get it all done in one day, choose a method that works best for you. Work at your own pace. Here are three easy tricks I have found when it comes to Spring Cleaning and organizing.

  • Clothes

I saw this on pinterest and I couldn’t resist…such great advice.

We all love our clothes and sometimes have a hard time getting rid of things. Since I am in college, it doesn’t hurt to have two closets, one at school and one at home=double the closet space. Haha! Our style should reflect out personality so when we have things in our closest that we don’t like or wear, it’s a waste of space. I make my decision to get rid or donate clothes based on: if I have worn it in the last year, if I feel good in it, and how its quality is. If I have a shirt that is stretched out and stained, then it’s in the trash. If I have dress that I haven’t worn in two years, then its donated. If I half 10 t shirts from high school, I try and weed out which ones I really need and want to keep. I keep this criteria in mind so I can make decisions fast and efficiently.

  • Work Space

Love this motto for organizers and non organizers

Whether it’s a desk in our bedrooms, home office, or work office, our work space is crucial. At school I only have the essentials in/ on my desk. That includes my blotter calendar, writing utensils, post it notes and important papers. I work my best in a clean and organized space so having a clean desk is crucial for me. We all love to see the cute and matching accessories you can get for your desk from Staples or Target but don’t let decorations take away from your desk. Remember, a desk is your place to work, not just another shelf.

  • Clutter

A tidy room is a goal we all can work towards

We all have things in our homes that we don’t have a home for. Or we got something that we don’t need now but we will need in the future. Does that sound familiar? I always like to hold onto things that don’t have a purpose at the moment (or ever). For example, I got mailed a care package a few months ago, yet I still have the box… now I don’t have plans to use it, but I will need it…right?! Wrong! Why hold onto something that has no purpose in your life?! If you don’t use it, toss it.

These tips have helped me make my life more organized and simplistic. Give them a try, if they work, great. If not, try something new. Have a great rest of your week.

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Fun Ways to Organize

How to Keep Yourself Organized

Hello Friends!

We are halfway through January, finally. I don’t know about you, but January always seems to drag for me. Today, I’m sharing my tips on how to organize for the new year. Whether you have everything colored coded like myself or can barely remember when you have a doctor’s appointment these tips can help your life run smoother for you.

  • Have a planner or calendar or both. As a college student staying organized is a priority. I have a large desk calendar for my room and a small day planner that goes wherever I go. I like the layout of the big calendar, so I can look ahead at things but it’s always convenient to have a small pocket planner with me. I typically write most of my assignments in the smaller planner since I refer to it throughout the day. Although it takes time at the beginning of every semester, I write every test, assignment, meeting, and due date in BOTH my pocket planner and desk calendar, so I am always on top of things. Hard work at the beginning pays off later.

My big desk calendar with all the important information written down, from assignments, meetings, work. It’s all in one place and color coded.

My planner goes wherever I go and once again its color coded for every class

  • Color Code. I can’t stress the importance of color coding. I have a colored pen for every class I take, typically I have it match my binder as well. For example, my advertising strategies binder is blue, so I take my blue pen and write all the assignments and projects in both my planner and big calendar. I do this for every class. I typically reserve a bright color like red to write down important meetings or unexpected thing that may come up. Not in school anymore? Not to worry this system works great with kids, have a separate color for each of your children and write all their activities out on the calendar in that pen. It makes finding things on the calendar easy.

Post it notes and colored pens are crucial when it comes to organizing.

Matching a colored pen to the colored binder makes it easy to spot things on the calendar.

  • Post It Notes. Post it Notes are my best friend. Whether its for little reminders, a to do list, or just marking a page in a book, I always have post it notes handy. A trick I have used to college is to write everything I need to get done each weekend on a post it notes and cross stuff off as I go, at the end of the weekend, throw it out.

    I write everything I want to accomplish on a post it note and cross it off as i complete it each weekend.

I work best when I am organized, and these are just a few ways that have worked well for me. What ways do you keep yourself organized? What are your favorite products you use to stay on top of a busy schedule? Let me know in the comments below!

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Fun Ways to Organize

Planning for a Trip (or Planning to Come Home)

Hello! Hello! Happy Tuesday friends!

As the holiday season winds down, college students, like myself are heading back to school. Back to school means bringing lots of your belongings to your dorm room. Everyone hates packing whether you are in college or not. We worry if we over packed or if we forgot something. My school is a few hours away, so I don’t travel home often. I tend to go home just on breaks. After traveling to and from school for two years now I have a system that works for me when packing. This system would also work when packing for business trips, family vacations, or weekend getaways. Here’s what works best for me.

  • Make a list. Make a list of everything you need to bring and how much you want to bring of it. For example, 5 t shirts, 4 shorts, 1 sundress. Be specific with your list as well, instead of writing jewelry, write gold necklace with hoop earrings. This makes it easier to identify what you are packing and its easier to organize your belongings when you are coming home. I write out a list when I’m planning what to pack and use it the whole trip and when I am leaving to come home to make sure I have everything I came with. *Tip for college students packing to go home*: make a list of things you need to buy or bring when you are at home. It helps to get all your shopping done at home and come back to school with a stocked dorm.

My latest list of things I need to get while I’m home

  • Only bring what you need. Whenever I plan to come home, I plan out exactly what outfits I want to wear. I also have clothes at home, so I try not to over pack or pack doubles. For example, I don’t bring sweatpants and hoodies home since I already have them. Also, when you are planning your winter vacations, prioritize what things you want to wear. Don’t forget to check the weather to make sure you plan accordingly for whatever Mother Nature has in store for you.

 

  • Plan what you want to do. Whenever I come home, I have a separate list for things I want to get accomplished. Things such as doctor appointments, seeing friends, or activities are all examples of things I write down. Whenever I come home, I try to space things out, so I’m not waiting till the last day to do my shopping, seeing friends and getting everything done. The same goes for when you are traveling. Make a list of everything you want to see or do while you are away.

    A list of everything I want to accomplish when I’m home!

As I plan to head back to school this week, I always keep these things in mind. There will always be stress in our lives, but if we can plan ahead to avoid these stressful situations it makes all the difference.

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Fabulous living Fun Ways to Organize

How to Study for Finals and Prepare for the Holiday Season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year….or worst if you are a college student like myself. Finals week is upon us. Time to grab those note cards, pull out the highlighters, and make those study guides. Whether you are studying for finals, or if you aren’t a college student, making your Christmas lists, here are some tips to stay organized this time of year.

Studying for Finals:

-Prepare in advance. – Look to see when your finals are scheduled and plan out of when you want to study for them.

Here’s my day planner. I write down every assignment, meeting, and final down so I don’t forget anything.

– Prepare on your own. – Read through both your notes and textbooks and make your own study guide so you aren’t going back and forth between book and notebook.

-Seek help. – Although we don’t always like to admit it, we sometimes need help. Go to a tutor if you need help in a subject. See your professor with questions you may have while studying. Organize study groups to make sure you are covering all the information.

-Take Care of Yourself. – Finals and the end of the semester are stressful. But don’t forget to take care of yourself. You won’t do well on a test if you are half a sleep or if you are sick from not eating healthy. It may be tempting but try not to skip meals and allow yourself for enough sleep or take a nap if you need to.

Preparing for Christmas:

I am always on my laptop, these post it icons make it easy for me to remember what things I have going on from finals, homework assignments, and extra things I need to get done. Like my Christmas gifts. I like to have it all in one place

-Make a List (and Check it twice). – Make a list for everyone you want to buy gifts for. Think relatives, coworkers, friends, any gift exchanges. You don’t want to leave anyone out on your list.

-Plan out your Gifts. – Do some research and plan what gifts you want to purchase and for whom. This saves time walking around a store waiting for the perfect gift to find you.

-Buy then Wrap. – Get all your purchasing done then wrap your goodies. Put on a Christmas movie and wrap while you relax. It’s easier to wrap everything at one point rather then wrapping things separating at different times.

-Enjoy the Christmas Season. – The holidays can be stressful but It’s important to remember what really matters; family, friends, Jesus. Take time for the family traditions and make memories.

I hope these tips help with preparing for your finals or your Christmas shopping. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, be sure to spend it well with friends and family.

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Fun Ways to Organize

How to Organize: Your Backpack

With back to school in full swing, it’s time to take advantage of organizing the things we use every day. Let’s start with the backpacks.

Head back to school in style!

Whether you are a mom with a fifth grader who likes to collect everything under the sun, a freshman in high school trying to navigate the halls, or a sophomore in college who’s just trying to get by, this post is for you.

Our backpacks become a place to throw whatever we want in it. Pencils? In the backpack. Tissues? In the backpack. Dry cereal that you forgot to eat for breakfast? In the backpack. Before we know it, we can’t find anything in the mess we take everywhere with us.

I always like to clean out my backpack and give it a good washing before every school year. I have bought my backpacks in the past from L.L. Bean or Lands’ End and they last a long time. They come in fun designs, are durable, and machine washable!

After it’s finished being cleaned, I put the essentials in, the things that never come out. This can vary for everyone, but for me I always like to have these things accessible always. I always carry…

  • Tic tacs or gum (Fresh breathe always!)
  • Spare change (Always good to have emergency money)
  • Tissues (Fall and colds are right around the corner)
  • A snack (trail mix or something dry to eat in case I’m running around and don’t have time for lunch.)
  • Pencil Case (yes, I still have one even in college-where else am I going to store my pencils, pens, and highlighters)
  • My Planner (A must have for everyone. You can never be too organized)
  • An umbrella (you never want to be caught across campus in a thunderstorm without one)
  • An extra empty folder (I use this if I am collecting papers throughout the day to ensure they don’t get crushed or wrinkled)

I alternate my books and binders depending on the day and the classes I have. If they are not in my back pack they are sitting on my desk. I try to keep things in the same spot, so I can always find them.

I appreciate  a clean backpack so I know where everything is. I don’t like clutter so I keep things in separate pockets to keep them organized.

Now, it’s your turn! What essentials do you keep in your backpack? Or moms, what things can’t your little ones live without? Let me know in the comments below!!