Spit-up On My Shoulder

Welcome to Part 2 in my Organizational Tips for Moms series. The series came about from my interviews with Denise Williams. We discussed how pregnant and new moms can get organized and, as a result, lower their stress.

Denise has been a professional organizer for over 4 years. If you go to her website, you can view before and after photos from some of her projects.

Today’s Topic: Tackling All That Paper

MB: Denise, how can pregnant and new moms manage all the pieces of paper they receive?

DW: As soon as you are pregnant, new paper will start showing up! Offers, parenting tips, medical info, play groups, etcetera. Set up a simple accordion file or other desktop/counter file box or system, and label tabs for each one of these categories.

While pregnant set up a Landing Pad or Command Central for keys, mail, a quick paper filing system, a wall calendar, and a household reference binder. That way all paper coming in has a place to go. You can “tweak” it as your needs change and you become more aware of your habits and paper flow.

The calendar allows you to write down dates and file the paper immediately. Go through files at least monthly and purge! Files are for resources, but for more often-needed paper…

Household Refence binders are a great tool for categories of paper that you will refer to often. Using plastic sleeves eliminates the need to punch holes and keeps the paper neater. Categories such as Household Info, Emergency Info, Calendars, Schedules, Favorite Menus, or anything else you refer to on a weekly basis should be included. Tab dividers and labels keep sections separate and easily found.

MB: As a new mom, I remember being so worried about keeping track of milestones in my child’s baby book. I tended to write milestones on Post-Its, but my sleep-deprived mind couldn’t remember where I put them! Any advice?

DW: Put a calendar with a pen over the changing table for a quick opportunity to keep up with important milestones in your child’s life.

Next time: Streamlining Laundry