More is More

Last weekend I had an opportunity to attend a *More Hours in My Day* Emilie Barnes seminar taught by Sheri Torelli at our church.  I hadn’t bought tickets when they were available because I thought I had another commitmment that day, but that event was cancelled.  My friend Lisa offered me her ticket for free since her plans to go weren’t working out.  I really enjoyed the seminar and wanted to send Lisa a thank you so here’s what I came up with inspired by the Color Challenge on SCS (Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Certainly Celery).

I love the SU set Pun Fun but I haven’t used it much yet, so I have it out in my *Use me! Use Me!* basket (a pretty basket I keep on the floor by my stamp table).  This Thank Ewe seemed perfect. The celery edge was punched with my Martha Stewart border punch and after adhering that panel to the card base the whole card was scored to form a hinged base (glued together inside).  I used some Afternoon Tea designer paper along with some celery dp from the Prints Pack.  The ewe was colored with copics and punched and layered with Marvy oval punches.

In the coming days I’d like to share a few tips with you I learned at the seminar since I think most of us could use organizational help and more hours in our day!  Hopefully reviewing these tips with you will help me to implement some of them as well.  Emilie Barnes started writing books on organization in the late 70’s before there were Container Stores and organizational books galore.  She was one of the first.  Some of the things I heard at the seminar were not new to me, but good reminders.  But lots of little specific tips were new.

***Today’s Tip – Incoming Mail***

As soon as you get your mail sort it – throw away, shred, keep. Have a system of folders set up for the *keep* mail (this system needs to be wherever you first bring your mail into the house so it’s always handy).  You will have a folder for each family member plus  one for household bills AND a Five Minute Reading File.  This was my favorite tip – any catalogs or mail that you want to spend a few minutes reading or looking through goes into the Five Minute Reading File and any time you leave the house for errands take this file with you so you will have something to read when you have to wait for an appointment or for the kids or whatever.  Just grab it and go!

I hope some of you find these tips helpful.  I’m really trying to get back to the ultra organized person I used to be.  Thanks for stopping by!