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Organization

Paper and Office Organization

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

I’ve unpacked our bags and am ready to get back into our Get Organized Challenge!  This week we are tackling home office/paper organization.  Let’s do this. :)  If you are drowning in paper.. I see you.  And I feel your pain.  Ha.  Seriously though.. the struggle with paper management is real!  If you don’t have a good system set up paper can take over your life!  Ok.. maybe that’s a little dramatic.  But it can certainly make you feel frustrated, unorganized and unproductive.  In our previous house I didn’t have a home office.  I was ruthless about what I kept when it came to paper (and everything else!) and I was pretty organized in that area.  (I’ll share my past system later in this post!)  My current home has more storage so when we moved into this house I slowly became lazy when it came to paper management and before I knew it I felt so overwhelmed by it all.  I had paper files and piles scattered everywhere and my brain felt as scattered as my paper.

If you feel the same.. follow the steps below and finally tackle paper once and for all!

1.  Set aside some time to work on this.  You all know I’m a huge fan of organizing 15 minutes a day, but to really tackle paper (especially if you’ve been putting this one off!) you need to set aside some time.  Several hours at least.  If things are really out of control block out a full afternoon/evening for this job.

2.  Round up ALL THE PAPER.  All of it.  Every single page!  Go through your house and collect it all and then find a spot to dump it.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

My go-to is always on my family room floor in front of the TV.  This is the perfect activity to do with a movie/series on in the background.  I always prefer something I love that I’ve already watched.  The TV isn’t getting my full attention, but it’s there to keep me company while I work.  A bowl of popcorn never hurts either. :)  I always lay down a blanket to keep my rug clean.  This pic is from a few years ago when I finally tackled the paper piles in our house.

Told you I see you and feel your pain. :)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

3.  Take a deep breath and pick up your first piece of paper!  Can you recycle it?  Or do you need to keep it?  Is it something for one of your kids?  A bill?  A receipt?  Medical?  A future project?  Write it down.  You just made your first category.  Write it down on a sticky note and add any other papers that fit in that same category.

Continue doing this until you’ve gone through every single piece of paper!  You can see my labeled categories above and the sack of paper to recycle next to it.  I also made a pile of paper I wanted to shred.

*Obviously the goal is to RECYCLE as much as possible so only keep things that are really important.  So much is digital these days so you really don’t need to keep much!  I know some people have gone completely paperless which is amazing.  You can always scan paper you want to keep and organize it all on your computer.  I personally like keeping certain things on paper in my files and will always prefer a hand written to-do list over a list in notes on my phone, but do whatever works best for you.  Most importantly come up with a system you can easily maintain over time.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

4.  Now look at your files and decide which papers you can tuck away.  The papers you only need once in a while are the papers to put in hanging file folders.  These are the files I used above and they come in lots of colors.  I linked some other fun options below!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Then label everything, place them in a filing drawer, cabinet, bin or box and you’re set!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

My husband and I both have filing drawers in our offices.  He keeps all of our financial papers/taxes in his filing drawers and I manage all of the kids’ stuff, medical and any other miscellaneous papers.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

In our previous house we didn’t have a home office or room for filing drawers or a filing cabinet so I used this crate for important papers. If that’s the situation you are currently in I rounded up options below.  So many cute and convenient ways to file your paper!


Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Ok.  Now that we have our paper taken care of that we don’t need to see every day, it’s time to set up a system for the paper you DO need in your every day life.  I’ve shared these wooden bins in my office before.  They are magic for me!  A perfect place to set all of the paper I use/need day to day for work and home life.  (These exact bins sold out, but I’ll be sharing lots of fun options for filing paper in my next post!)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

If you don’t need multiple bins like I do my best advice is to still have ONE spot where you keep “urgent” papers.  That document that needs to be filled out soon for work, your 4th graders field trip signature page, etc.  The papers that you get daily and think “I need to not lose this before I can get to it..”  This also keeps paper clutter OFF OF YOUR COUNTERS which we all know is huge!  No more piles all over the house!  Create a go-to spot for paper.  Kenny gets the mail every night and we go though it immediately (and trash most of it!) but if you don’t like to do that, have a set bin just for mail!  A place to keep it so that it doesn’t pile up around your kitchen until you have time to go through it.  Of course then you have to remember to go through it often.  I check my inbox a couple of times a day.  Papers are always moving in and out of my bins!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

I have this hanging file system on my wall that I’ve had for years with the kids’ names on it.  This is where they keep all of their random school papers they don’t need right away but want to keep.  (This is for things they are currently working on, not their school work I’m saving.)  If you have kids you definitely need a spot for their loose papers.  If I’m cleaning and find Addison’s math on the floor this is where I put it.  My kids know to look here first if they are missing any assignments!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

If you have a home office you know that it can become a dumping ground quickly.  Take some time this week to go through things and declutter!  I gave my office a total overhaul a few years ago and have worked hard to keep things mostly organized.  If your office is a mess, pick a day that you can devote to it and pull everything out!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

I pulled out all of my office items and photos and old scrapbooking stuff a few years ago and dumped it on.. you guessed it.. my family room floor again!  Time to watch TV and sort. :)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

I used clear art & craft bins (similar to these) to organize all of the random items I wanted to keep.  These bins hold lots of projects that are in motion but not done around here. #storyofmylife

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

I also store some of my Christmas decor in these bins.  Art, our family Christmas cards I hang, Santa pictures, past holiday pics the kids have drawn that I like to display, etc.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

This process also helped me realize that I don’t need to order one more clear page protector.  Ever.

Ha.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

I fit SO much in this one cupboard!  Organization is amazing isn’t it!?  Get rid of what you don’t need and better organize what you do need.  Makes life SO much easier!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Here’s a little more office organization to get us motivated!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

(options for desk drawer organizers)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Nothing like a drawer full of notepads. :)  I keep them all over.  In my office..

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

in my kitchen junk drawer…

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

and in my bathroom drawer.  I like to always have one close by to catch whatever is floating around in my head. ;)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Below my notepads is my beloved “mail drawer.”

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

(greeting card organizer)

I pick up cute greeting cards and thank you notes when I’m out and about and love having a place to organizing them all.  So handy when that birthday party or graduation pops up and you need a card for someone!  This is reminding me that I need to get mother’s day cards soon.  Oh wait.. I already have some saved in my handy little card organizer. ;)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

If you’re designing or remodeling a home office these pull out drawers come in so handy too!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Perfect spot for kids’ posters, large albums and other miscellaneous items.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

This side of my office with drawers closed..

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

and open.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

A lot of you might remember this tall cupboard in my office.  It was one of the very first things I organized when we moved into our new home!  A spot for all of my kids’ blank papers and craft supplies.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

This cupboard gets opened and closed multiple times every day and still looks just like this.  That’s whey you know you have a system set up that works for your family!

I’m thinking I might need to switch out the blue bins now that I recently re-painted my office walls.  #ifyougiveamouseacookie

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

These old magazine files.. I’ve had them since my teaching days before I had kids!  They have served me well through the years. :)

I know some of you might look at pictures of my home office and think “sure.. it’s easy to stay organized when you have space like that!”  I know you’re thinking that because for years I thought that way too. :)  If only I had more room.  And a home office!  I would be so organized.  But here’s the secret I quickly learned moving from small apartments/homes to a larger home.  It’s actually easier to stay organized in a smaller home.  Really and truly.  I had to be more disciplined about what I kept, but in a lot of ways that made life easier.  Less stuff means less to take care of and manage and organize.

So no excuses! ;)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

This was my “home office” in my last house.  A horrible old picture but all I could find!  I used a little bookshelf in the closet under my stairs.  You can see I had a small table with my printer on top of it in the corner.  Up under my stairs (further back in the closet) I kept our luggage.  Do you see my colorful magazine files again?  Told you I’ve had them forever!  I’m thinking it might be time to replace those too.  Ha.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

I had simple file sorters on top with homemade labels for urgent papers that I needed to refer to often and one for a daily inbox.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Then I used this crate I shared before for our files.  That was it!  Of course Kole’s nursery held all of my scrapbook supplies because I had no where else to put them.  Who has been with me long enough to remember!?  Oh my word.. I read that old post the other day and can’t believe how long ago that was.  11 years but it feels like 11 minutes ago I was sharing a room with my baby boy!  If you’ve been reading my blog long enough to remember that post just consider yourself part of the family because I do. ;)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Last thing we’ll cover in this already too long post.. wrapping paper organization!  You need a system for it too – especially if you have kids.  It feels like there is a birthday party for a friend every other day.. right moms!?

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

{family room wool jute rug}

I went through my wrapping paper bins and cupboard after Christmas this year and it felt so good to get it all cleaned out and organized!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

I keep ribbon and tissue and tags in small bins.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Then I keep my wrapping paper and gift sacks in this tall cupboard.  In my previous house I had one large basket for all of it with smaller craft bins inside that held my ribbons and tags.  If you are really short on space something that goes over your door like this would work great too.

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Then I bought this baby to hold all of my Christmas wrapping paper.  Of course this could be used for regular wrapping supplies too.  It fits nicely under a bed if you’re short on space!

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

{wrap organizer}

You hear the angels singing too don’t you?

How could you not?  ;)

Home office and paper organization (Sunny Side Up)

Last but not least don’t rule out simple ziploc bags!  They come in so handy for office organization.  I use them all the time to hold pictures, supplies, all sorts of things.  I’ve also used them to hold holiday decor and game and puzzle pieces in our playroom.  I ordered this variety pack a while back and love having different sizes of these bags on hand.

Alright friends.  I have some CUTE office organization options rounded up and I want to show you my new office paint!  But I feel like this post is already a book.  I’ll be back soon with more.  In the meantime.. start rounding up your paper piles!

You’ve got this. :)

xoxo, Erin
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14 thoughts on “Paper and Office Organization

  1. Thanks for sharing, Erin! Great tips and I love seeing how you organize everything. Thanks for the tough love that you don’t need a huge space to organize paper/office stuff. I DO remember when you shared a room with Kole. :) You’ve come a long way, friend. I’ve gotten lax over the past few months as well as having to work around remote learning kiddos. School will be out for them in less than a month and then I can go hog wild. haha! I do appreciate all the time and effort you put into your posts. Thank you so much! I hope you have a wonderful day. :)

    1. Thank you so much Jeanne! Love that you’ve been with me so long. It means so much. :) I so get wanting to wait until summer to organize! You really have to be in the right frame of mind and be able to focus and prioritize it. Remote learning with kids home is no joke! I’m proud of both of us for surviving this year! ;) Summer is such a great time to work on projects with a chill schedule. I’m sure I’ll be joining you then too. :) Enjoy your weekend! xo

  2. This post was beyond motivating, Erin!! I can never get enough of your home office. Truly.
    I have a similar room I want to convert to a home office like yours, any chance you could give me the rough dimensions of your home office? Pleeeeease :) TIA!

  3. Erin,
    you are NOT being dramatic. IT DOES TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE!
    We built a big house, too, 28 years ago, b/c of all the kids, and we were about to adopt 1, also. Never did, tho…….
    It is not any where near the set up of yours, tho .It WAS top banana IN ITS DAY. A LONG time ago….
    Now pretty dated, and LOTS of wasted space. I also have a love/hate relationship w/paper!
    I know that I do not have to print it, I can find it AGAIN on line, but I am like that-print, print, clip. clip,rip out, rip out……
    I am wise enough to know that this will never change in me, so I have to harness THE MONSTER! :-O
    I am also like this w/books. Need to hold in my hand, NOT read on a MACHINE! I did try……………. Then bought another paperback in an airport!
    Now I must ask, have you ever done it another way, other than a big dump pile in fam. room near tv?
    Since I am 1 step ahead of you w/the chicks out of the nest, I NOW have the struggle w/a 24/7 HOME husband. RETIRED.
    I mentioned this on the post of the bathroom drawer dump pile.
    He(Husband) does NOT buy into the philosophy of: IT ALWAYS GETS REALLY, REALLY BAD BEFORE IT GETS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
    Of course, except w/TEENS/young adults. He KNOWS it is true in that case!!!! SO BAD before The REALLY GOOD!
    WHERE do I put the massive paper pile to organize?????????
    IDEAS?????????
    PLS help so I can think about a redo on this house(and maybe add some storage that is popular in THIS century!)
    It COULD be a wonderful house!
    BUT NEVER AS GOOD AS YOURS! ;-D
    AND I will never be as good an organizer as you (except at the beach place b/c we dont live there ;-D FULL time!!!!)
    PS Amazon-I bought some cute blue light glasses, and allergy friendly, dog treats, and a special drawer that coffee machine sits on, and holds Kcups for the beach place. Called “THE MIND READER”. Also, MOTTS Hot Cider K cups! so good and MORE so w/a tiny dab of whip cream on top, and sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon. For that “fall feel”-year round!
    Well, the beverage station is organized at the beach place, and there are NO papers THERE, except husbands paper, eatery menus.
    WE HAVE IT BAD!!!!!!

    1. Sharon you crack me up! Oh my word. I’ve read your comment 3 times! Just so much good info in it! Ha ha. :) We have so much in common.. I tried reading with a Kindle too and nope! Did not enjoy it. I need the real books too! I like to hold them and highlight things. We’re old school I guess. ;) Husbands are always getting in the way of projects aren’t they!? Maybe yours needs to go on a fishing trip for the weekend? If that’s not an option think about a room in your house that isn’t used much. Guest room bed? When I need to make an organizing mess and don’t want to destroy our family room (especially when I know it will be messy for a while) I use my formal dining room table! It’s a room that we don’t use often and it’s out of the way of the rooms we really spend our time in. Look around your house and find a spot that isn’t used as much and start dumping your paper there! Wish I could come over and help you knock it out. We could talk about so much.. including fun recent Amazon purchases! Your beverage station sounds like a dream and that combined with a good stack of take out menus beats an organized home any day.. ;) XO

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