So I claim anyway. I am on an orgainzing binge, and I could use some ideas and inspiration. First up, my address book. Do you use a paper address book anymore? I am a BIG note taking person, so if you are in my address book, I am likely to have your birthday, things I know you like, kids names, etc…not exactly palm-friendly details. So I have come up with a few options:
- A looseleaf Binder – A pretty one of course, pretty A-Z tabs, college-ruled…the benefit to this is the ability to just tear out a page when someone moves, and LOTS of room for all the details that make my heart swell.
- A rolodex – especially if I can make one like Carrie’s Idea Rolodex – I bought mine, but have yet to do anything with it. I am still holding out for using it as Carrie intended – an idea rolodex. I just forget my ideas!
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an organizer/filofax – If I had the extra $$ for this pretty one (in pink of course), i would get it in a heartbeat. An organizer was the option used by a couple of my twitter friends. I am a junkie for paper anything, and I could spend hours in front of the organizer aisle over at Staples. The biggest benefit to this is it can be portable. Although my bag is big enough to put any of these into it, this would be practical for that reason.
Ok, now it’s your turn – how do you organize your addresses? Or do you have a shoebox full of envelopes with return addresses you MIGHT need? One of my resolutions for NEXT year (don’t laugh!) is to write/send more SNAIL MAIL. I love getting creative packages/mail, and I LOVE stationery, AND I owe a couple of people some GREAT ones.
PS – speaking of Homemaking, there is a great Apron giveaway starting today over at the Apronista. Black, white & red? SWOON!
I have the most awful address book. It’s covered in leather, and the leather is stamped with my dad’s name. He gave it to me about 20 years ago, after somebody gave it to him. I try to keep everything on the computer, but I can’t make myself give up the paper version, even though the pages are falling out, and filled with names and addresses of people I don’t even know anymore. Kind of depressing, really!
I keep mine in 2 places:
On my computer I have a word doc that is formatted for labels with all my addresses so that come christmas or birth announcement time, they are all ready to printed out. I also keep this file uploaded to GoogleDocs so I can access it from anywhere (like if I want to send a postcard from my parents’ house, etc).
I also have a paper version which I keep in my binder of all the home organization stuff (I’m going to write a post about this binder soon!) It’s basically the little pages out of my old Franklin Covey planner that I’m not longer using. But I’m hoping my husband will soon make me an Xcel spreadsheet that I can easily transfer the info to. Then if I have a new/changed entry I just reprint that page out.
I just periodically check to make sure both of these are up-to-date (which I know they’re not right now! oops!).
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I actually have that exact MomAgenda (in pink)!! and you know what? Its just plastic sleeves with a label tag on each. A glorified binder. It works, though.
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Oh boy! I have all my phone numbers and addresses in the contact list on Outlook 2007. All birthdays and other are in my franklin planner. I cannot seem to keep a printed copy of my numbers nor a digital copy of my calendar. For some reason one I can digitally update and the other I cannot. I can’t tell you why… but this way has worked for me for 4 years. Before which I used a paper address book in my franklin planner that had many crossed out entries and christmas card envelopes stuffed in the pages because I had not yet updated the info.
I use Outlook to manage my addresses and important info. I keep a back up of it and it stays in the safe. But i find that since my computer and phone are next to each other that typing it out is easier for me. And I can read it. 🙂
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I’m definitely not the greatest at organizing my addresses. Every year I rip the return address labels off of the Christmas cards I receive with the intention of writing them in my address book. And every year I have to send out a mass email to get the addresses again because I have misplaced the itty-bitty papers. I definitely need to be better about it. I do love the Rolodex idea though–super cute and you can personalize it the way you want.
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For most addresses, we have some cheapy CD-ROM program we picked up somewhere—I like that it prints out labels at the holidays so I don’t have to handwrite 100+ addresses. I have not come up with a good system for those ‘other’ phone numbers (service people we use—like plumbers, electricians, etc; or casual neighbors). Those are scribbled on the front of the giant yellow phone book in our kitchen.
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I have a leather address book/organizer that I have had for about 10 years. I LOVE it! I also go through many loose leaf notebooks. I also have this address book that I have had for about 15 years, it is falling apart and about 7 years ago I transferred all the stuff to the leather one, but I just can’t get rid of it.
A tip-use pencil in your address books. I used to use pen but as people moved and added people to their lives it is just easier to erase then to cross out or rip out. I do use my ical and my address book in the computer, but only as a last resort. I have found I retain info much easier if I write it down at first.
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I’m a mess when it comes to organization. I just use an old fashioned address book for my family and friends. I like some of these ideas you suggest. I have a customer base taht I need to keep track of and right now, most of the info is online and the hard copies of their profiles are stashed in a shoe box. Sophisticated, I know. I’m trying to figure out a way to keep it all together and save space as well. I have limited space. 🙂
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ooohhh, I love organizing and all things organized!! I keep all my contacts in outlook and their birthdays in the outlook calendar. I have my iphone synced with this program and so have all my contacts, their phone #’s addresses, emails, birthdays, names of children, dogs, cats, and lic. plate #’s (not really!) with me at all times. I have also programmed our fav. take out phone #’s in my computer and phone cause sometimes when you are on your way home, you want to have dinner there waiting!
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I encountered a similar problem as the one mentioned. Finding an address book that had room for email addresses, cell phones, birthdays, anniverisaries, etc. was all but impossible. Then, in stepped my own personal Superman, my husband suggested index cards and a small box. They are inexpensive, can be easily decorated if you are the creative type, and a card can easily be removed and information can easily be added or subtracted. So far it has been the perfect solution for me. Hope this helps.
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i like these links! i’m a paper product/organizer addict too. as a writer, this gives me way too many excuses to buy things i don’t NECESSARILY need…:)
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