Lost Theory - My theories REPOST

This is just a repost of all 3 of my LOST theories.
Read on!

Lost Theory – Part I - What We Know
Introduction:
The fans have been told by Damon and Carlton that clues are found in the Pilot episode. Most people who watch Lost are not casual watchers…we are rabid! Many fans have watched Seasons 1 – 4 repeatedly to figure out what is going on with the Losties. Even though I came late to Lost, I count myself among the rabid fans.

After reading many theories that you would need a scientific degree to understand….I thought I would give my theory a try.

I would like to stress that my theory has NOTHING to do with proving our Losties were not on the plane. In fact, you’ll see why they all have to be on the plane and why Jack cannot get back to the island by without every one of the Oceanic 6.

My theory is in three parts: What We Know, Things We Have Only Seen a Glimpse Of, and Groundhogs?


What We Know - Pertaining to My Theory
Let me start at the beginning:
We start out being introduced to Dr. Jack Shepard, a spinal surgeon. We first see Jack lying in the jungle being woke up by Vincent-Walt’s dog. Next to him we see a green “baton” (similar to Ben’s when we see him lying in the desert.) as well as a flashlight. We do not see him in possession of these items on the airplane. Notice that Jack is not among the rest of the survivors on the beach.

You should also note that Jack has taken a couple flying lessons, but it wasn’t for him. We see that Cindy, the flight attendant who later lives amongst the “Others”, gives him an extra bottle of liquor, to which Jack responds, that it is against several FAA regulations. It is plausible that Cindy has a hidden agenda when it comes to giving Jack the liquor and then being suspicious of Charlie.

After tons of drama and action, with those on the beach being rescued from immediate peril, Jack attempts to stitch himself up, when he sees Kate. Notice that Kate was not on the beach, nor was she walking from it. Kate assists Jack by sewing him up. Is it a coincidence that Jack had those bottles?

Jack, Kate and Charlie locate the transceiver in the cockpit. They speak to the pilot before the smoke monster yanks him out of the wreckage. It seems as if Kate “knows” what the smoke monster is capable of. She later asks Charlie-“Did you see it?” and she is completely terror stricken.

Charlie Pace went with Jack and Kate because he almost threw away his drugs while in the bathroom. He is going to see if they are still there.

Part of my theory centers around the importance of Charlie Pace. Desmond informed Charlie many times that he was going to die. While watching from the beginning knowing what I know, it seems as if death is looking for Charlie ever since the flight itself.

It seems odd to me that Cindy is suspicious of Charlie on the plane. Granted, what he was doing was annoying, but not reason enough to chase someone through a plane. Since Cindy later turns up with the “Others”, it is plausible that Cindy was trying to get Charlie in the section of the plane that would have no survivors. In fact, Charlie almost dies on the beach from flying plane debris.

On the island, Charlie befriends Claire Littleton, a single-but pregnant woman. Claire gets kidnapped by the “Others” (Ethan) and Charlie is left hanging in the woods.

While watching that particular episode, I was left wondering why Jack and Kate are so upset when they find Charlie. I know it may seem a little heartless, but the Losties just met Charlie….why did it upset them so much? Even upon watching these episodes repeatedly, this reaction does not seem normal. Do they know how important he is?

Charlie also befriends Hurley. There are many things I still haven’t figured out about Hurley’s story. We know that he feels responsible for a deck collapse and spent some time at Santa Rosa Mental Institute. Libby, a survivor of the tail-section, also was seen at Santa Rosa. We know that after the Oceanic 6 get off the island, Hurley sees Charlie and ends up back at Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa also pays a role in John Locke’s life. His mother, Emily, is said to have been a patient. John is healed upon the crash of Oceanic 815. He becomes someone the Losties can count on, even though his tactics are scrutinized and he eventually loses their trust. We see several changes in John Locke, and the most recent change is becoming the leader of the “Others”. John Locke will become central to the island’s survival.

As we all know, everything we see on Lost has a purpose…fans were perplexed when introduced to Nikki and Paulo. I believe that the reason for Nikki and Paulo are to really introduce us to the Medusa spider. This spider is known to render its victims paralyzed for a period of time. I also believe that John Locke (Jeremy Betham) has been bitten by this spider in order to convince the Oceanic Six into returning to the Island.

While I cannot ascertain whether or not my final thought is complete or even Lost cannon-it should be noted that there is a resemblance with Bentham’s casket and Christian’s casket. There are also some odd similarities between “White Rabbit” and our Season 4 Finale, “There’s No Place Like Home”. Go ahead watch them again.

Ill see you in Part II – Glimpses.


Lost Theory – Part II – Things We Have Only Seen A Glimpse Of
Introduction:
This is Part II of my three part Lost theory. Some of the things I will mention, you may believe are known. What I write may change some of your perspective.


Glimpses - Pertaining to My Theory


Let me begin by thanking everyone involved in bringing Science Fiction back to prime time. The Science Fiction genre is immersed within a character driven drama, and clues are hidden all throughout the series, making fans rabid.


All the characters on the island are struggling with their pasts. In some ways, they are truly facing their demons. Each character has their own secrets, and in some cases, has confided in someone else on the island. There is a common theme regarding fathers in this series.

There are many things that we have seen glimpses of…ghosts, time travel, pregnancy issues, dreams. As with the characters, everything is intertwined…we just need to find the common thread.

We know that Mrs Hawking stressed to Desmond that things have a way of “course-correcting”. This leads into my Part III, so I won’t go into any detail on this one here.


We again, need to go back to the beginning. At least the beginning for US.

We begin seeing a close-up of Jack Shepard’s eye. It is unknown what is reflected in his eye, but I do believe Jack was placed there by it before he regained consciousness.

Not only did this episode begin with a close-up of Jack’s eye, but many have begun in this manner. I was told at an early age, that the eye is the window to your soul. We are seeing something significant-but not any real explanation.

I have also come to believe that Kate was not on the beach. She is not seen when the rest of the survivors are running from the plane after the crash.

This alone is very important. Why aren’t they on the beach? There are clues that the smoke monster is reflected in Jacks eyes. Is that how he got there? We have been led to believe that the smoke monster yanked the pilot out, pulled Locke thru the jungle, and killed Eko.

Many references to literature can be noted when watching Lost. Specifically, the book, Alice in Wonderland-Through the Looking Glass. My observation with TTLG is that once Charlie flipped that switch, it was as if the characters on the island changed personalities.

The biggest observation of this is when Sawyer and Jack are at the helicopter in Season 4s finale, Sawyer is concerned for Hugo (no nickname) and Jack says the SOB. You also see Kate change from being completely on the run, never settling down become a mother to someone else’s child. There are many more if you are looking for this.


Lost Theory – Part III – Groundhogs?

Introduction:
This is Part III of my three part Lost theory. This theory ties in all my ideas (minus the retelling of the Lost series) and presents the Lost story as a whole. It’s a little lengthy, but please read all of it.



Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day? Bill Murray’s character relives the same day until he does it right. My theory runs along the same lines…

If you take everything you have seen during the series of Lost, you can see a few “oddities” Things that just on the surface seem out of place. Think about what you have seen, playing over and over in a loop. Every decision affecting everything else, including what you have ALREADY seen.

Since it IS Lost canon that Desmond time traveled after the hatch blew up, we CAN factor in that you can attempt to change the past. We also know that Mrs Hawking stressed to Desmond that things have a way of “course-correcting”. I want the idea of “course-correcting” at the front of your mind.


GOOD VIBRATIONS

In Part I, I stated that Charlie Pace is important to my theory. All in all, Desmond can only prevent the inevitable for so long. I also noted that death has been looking for Charlie since the flight itself. If Charlie had died earlier, who else could have “broke that code”? If he would have died earlier, they would not have been able to contact the freighter.

Think about every decision involving Charlie Pace. We know that he swum to the Looking Glass station….so why didn’t he save Joanna from drowning earlier? Charlie claimed he “didn’t swim”.

Unfortunately, (?) EVERY decision led to the freighter coming, being blown up, and more lives lost….oh-and an island that has mysteriously vanished.


WHICH LEADS ME TO

In Season 4, we see a flashback of Daniel Faraday watching a news report stating that the Oceanic Flight 815 was found at the bottom of the ocean. This news made him visibly upset.

Since we won’t know what happens to Daniel Farraday (unless you read spoilers – and I haven’t) until Lost comes back on, we can only imagine what he’s experienced.

If the island vanished into the past, is Faraday upset that the island isn’t there when the plane crashes? Where will Oceanic Flight 815 crash?


THE IMPORTANCE OF JULIET

Before coming to the island, Juliet was able to impregnate her sister, Rachel. (I believe that Rachel and her son are who Jack hears crash on the bridge in the Season 3 finale)

Juliet has been on the island 3 years when Oceanic 815 crashes. We last see Juliet on the beach drinking Dharma Rum watching the smoke from the freighter explosion.

If the island has disappeared into the past, we can speculate that she may have continued to experiment on solving the island’s fertility issues. Depending on how far into the past the island went, we can speculate that Juliet could have injected this “serum” into John Locke’s mother, thereby making him “special”. This would also explain why Richard Alpert visited John when he was a child.

We can also speculate that Juliet could have impregnated any one of the Oceanic Six’s parents, thereby making all of them “special”.


WIDMORE-LINUS-PAIK

We have seen connections between Charles Widmore, Ben Linus, and the Paik family. We can only guess at some of the connections between Ben Linus and Charles Widmore, but we DO know that Ben will be looking to even the score between them.

We know that Sun bought a controlling interest in Paik Industries, and has approached Charles Widmore-stating common interests. Is she referring to Demond & Penny, or some type of rivalry among Widmore and Paik?

We have been led to believe that Paik Industries built the Black Rock and has some type of connection to the construction of the hatches that are scattered on the island. If this is true, then we can begin to piece the connection between Paik and Dharma.


PAIK-KWON

It is no secret that Sun’s father has no respect for Jin. He allows him to marry his daughter on the condition that he work for Paik Industries. We find out that the reason Sun and Jin are in Australia catching a flight to California, is for Jin to deliver 2 watches for Paik. Prior to the flight, Sun is “plotting” to leave Jin – a fact that I find important….If Sun leaves Jin, she misses Flight 815 and does not crash on the island. This leads me to believe that Paik may be trying to “get rid of Jin”.


DESMOND & PENNY

Penny’s father did not approve of Desmond. Desmond feels compelled to prove his worth to Penny (who constantly tell him he doesn’t have to). Through a set of events, he acquires a boat, and enters a boat race to “get his honor back”. He eventually crashes onto the island, and enters the code in the Swan hatch. While we see that Desmond and Penny reunite….we wonder how long it will be before Charles Widmore finds out.


SMOKE MONSTER?

Since the first appearance of the Smoke Monster, we have been attempting to guess at what it is, and what its purpose is. We know that it can manifest itself in a physical way – such as pulling the pilot out of the plane, dragging Locke thru the jungle, throwing Eko into the air….

I believe that the Smoke Monster is the ISLANDS way of course correcting. We have also seen Ben “summon” the smoke monster.


BEN’S INFLUENCE

Ben Linus certainly has a way about him….he can manipulate ANY situation, and seems prepared for any outcome. Even when Ben turns the “frozen donkey wheel,” and leaves the island, never able to return - he seems to have it all under control.

This leads me to believe that Ben has the ability to remember the outcomes of time loops. If Ben has the ability to remember all the outcomes, and has the power to “summon” the smoke monster, what other island mysteries can he manipulate?


GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE

We are left with the suspicious death of Jeremy Betham (John Locke). Betham spent much of his last days, speaking with each of the Oceanic Six, explaining to them why they must come back to the island….claiming “Bad Things Happened”

It is my belief that Betham is not dead, but has been bitten by the Medusa spider, rendering him paralyzed. It is not known if anyone other than Nikki, Paulo and Dr Artz knew about this spider, so the belief that he is dead-with the cover story that he hung himself, could be important.


ALL OF YOU MUST COME BACK TOGETHER

It is unclear at this time, to know what occurred on the island after the Oceanic Six are rescued. However, the involvement with Widmore, Linus, and Abaddon certainly make the situation seem dire on all accounts.

The comment that ALL of the Oceanic Six MUST come back leads me to believe that upon their return, they must make different CHOICES.


WRAPPING IT UP

If you think about this (without having your head explode) you may notice that in the Pilot episode, their IS significance of Jack and Kate NOT being on the beach. It is my belief that the Pilot episode IS the Oceanic Six’s return to the island.

Each of the characters MUST make different choices in order to survive. Should they attempt to locate the transponder? Should they save Charlie? Should they attempt to get off the island? Would the Others look upon the Losties differently if they weren’t continually working against them-instead, protecting the island.


ONE MORE THING

So we have all heard the whispers….I believe that the whispers are “warnings” FOR the Losties. These whispers usually precede some type of event, and are normally heard backwards. MAYBE these whispers are OUR Losties in another loop.


In the fun that is the movie, Groundhog Day….these events MUST be changed for the story to end on a HAPPIER note!

For those of you who have been reading my theories, heres a little BONUS

I beleive that Penny and Desmond are Adam and Eve.

Since Ben cannot get back to the island, Penny is safe.
Since Charles Widmore cannot get back to the island, Desmond is safe.

The Others should be able to protect them.

Living Well - Kitchen (small things)

Today we will be tidying up a couple of the small things some people tend to overlook when cleaning their kitchens. Namely-the microwave and toaster.


I have a few tips to help these smaller jobs go just a little quicker.

MICROWAVE
Before you start jumping in and cleaning your microwave, place a microwave-safe cup or dish full of water inside and heat up 1 or 2 minutes. This will loosen some of the stuff that dirties up the nuker. You should be able to use a damp rag or sponge to wipe the inside of the microwave.


TOASTER
Make sure that you unplug the toaster before you clean it! I like to shake my toaster into the trash can. If its been awhile since youve cleaned your toaster, you may want to do this outside to eliminate another mess.

If you have pull out "drawers" on the bottom that catches crumbs, make sure to do this after you use the toaster EVERY time. Make sure you wipe up under your toaster after use as well. Eliminating the crumbs will assist in the prevention of ants and other "bugs" that are attracted to the food left around.

Living Well - Kitchen drawers

Today, we will be concentrating on our kitchen drawers. This project tends to be time consuming because many of us stick things that do not belong in our kitchen drawers. It is my hope that you will change those habits, making this "chore" quicker and easier.


GET TO IT!
As is always the case, we start by emptying out the kitchen drawers. Once we have emptied them, we can clean them out. I like to vacuum the drawers before I start wiping things down. This way, I dont have to keep rinsing off the sponge or rag because crumbs are on it.

Once you have emptied and cleaned out the drawers, we can begin to go thru the items that were in the cabinets. The first thing we ALWAYS need to do is to throw away anything that has expired.


FIGURING OUT THE LAYOUT
I find that the easiest way to plan how you will layout your kitchen - whether its the cabinets, drawers, fridge is to see how much room you have, AND then see what you have and how you work in that area....

I find that most kitchens use their drawers for: silverware, saran wrap/aluminum foil etc, assorted loose utensils...and then most people have a "junk" drawer.

Once you have sorted thru everything you took out of your drawers, you will see where your needs truly are.


GETTING RID OF THE "JUNK" DRAWER
Since I did mention that almost everyone I know has a "junk" drawer...I want to propose that you do not include this space in your kitchen. You should find places for these items-and if there has been something lingering in your junk drawer, and you havent used it within the past year-GET RID OF IT!!!

Living Well - Kitchen cabinets (Finishing the job)

I just noticed that I hadnt posted this blog yesterday. My apologies...I hope you are enjoying the snow day if you live in the Baltimore area.

This is Day 2 of our kitchen cabinet project, so-if you have been keeping up, your cabinets should be empty and cleaned.

The first thing we need to do, is go thru all the "stuff" that was in your cabinets. This means to throw away anything that has expired and sort the types of things that go together.

In a nutshell: spices tend to stay together-cereals- etc.
Once you have sorted what you have, group things together according to where the cabinets are. To make things easier, place the items close to the area you use them.

An example of this would be to group all your spices, cooking oils/sprays etc in a cabinet nearer to the stove.

One more helpful tip is to place older items in the front of the cabinet, and place newer items in the back. Circling the expiration dates on items will also help keep things up to date.


Once everything is put away (nicely) you are now done with the cabinets! Congrats!

Living Well - Kitchen cabinets

If you have been following along at home, you should have finished cleaning out your fridge....So now that you are up to speed, we are going to tackle the kitchen cabinets. Some of you may be groaning, but I can tell you that having things organized makes your life easier.

I like to break this project down into 2 days. This way, I can be assured that I am not rushing things. Day One will consist of emptying and cleaning and Day Two will consist of organizing and putting things away.


I have a system that makes things easy. I will take it step by step-and hopefully you will be able to encorporate them into a routine that works for you.

First, as always, you need to have an area to place the contents of your cabinets.
Next, empty those cabinets.

I will not suggest a cleaning agent, as this will vary due to the differences in kitchen cabinets. Make sure that the cleaning agent you use will not damage the cabinet. Make sure that you use a dampened rag, ensuring that you do not leave residue behind. If you need to, you could have a fresh rag to wipe the area dry.


Thats it for tonight. Tomorrow, we will complete this project.

Being Thankful - The Unexpected

My latest goal with my blog is to use each Sunday to blog about Being Thankful / Sharing your Blessings. Because of the current economic environment, I thought this would be something that I would really have to work at finding. So far, this has not been the case.

At work, I am thankful that I did not find any mistakes when reviewing all end of year financials...and I was able to complete all the tax reports and w2s! So - it was a very productive week.

BEING THANKFUL FOR THE UNEXPECTED
So yesterday (Saturday) I am sitting in my office, just lurking on facebook, when WRBS DJ, Mike Alley announces a contest for a pair of tickets to the Chris Tomlin show. So, I respond and actually win! So exciting! I went from having no plans last night, to attending a fantastic concert.

Heres a recap of the evening:
We arrived at the Baltimore Arena right around 6 and headed to will call to pick up the tickets. We got into the venue and went straight to our seats....FRONT ROW!!!

We met Renee and her daughter, who also won tickets that afternoon. They won the seats right next to us!

During the intermission period, Mike Alley came over and we were able to get a picture with him. He must have went over to where the RBS crew was because right after, Erin Branham came over! I was able to get a photo with her as well.


And then....the lights went dim---and Chris Tomlin took to the stage. Chris did an amazing set and really got the crowd into it. Not to take away from Chris' performance, but I was really impressed with his guitarist....(gotta find out his name). The energy levels of both Israel & the New Breed and Chris Tomlin was amazing.


FAVORITE MOMENT
I brought Frank to this concert. He is not really someone who listens to this genre of music-he prefers hard rock. Part of me wondered how we would process the evening. It is worth noting that he enjoyed this concert. I wont embarass him but I will say he was uplifted by this experience.

Living Well - Whats in your fridge?

This last week of January - we will be concentrating on our kitchen. I will be concentrating on the fridge today...

Every refrigerator needs a good cleaning out a few times a year. This ensures that food that has expired is tossed out and the shelves and doors get wiped. This will also cut down on weird odors that can emit from the fridge.


LETS GET STARTED
As with every project, we will need to empty the fridge. As you are emptying things, make sure to look at the expiration dates and toss anything that has expired.

Do not forget to go thru your freezer as well. Your freezer doesnt see the amount of action that your fridge does, but it is good to go thru it and give it a wiping down every few months.

Once you have emptied the fridge, its time to wipe things down. If your fridge has removable shelves, remove them and wash them in your sink. If not, mix a small amount of water and detergent in a bucket.

Make sure you take out the vegi and lunchmeat drawers. Things can spill in the area underneath and cause stains and odors. Make sure you wash these drawers as well.

It is also necessary to wipe the door shelving off as well. You would be surprised at how much "gunk" can collect in those shelves!

Once you have wiped the entire inside of the fridge, its time to put everything back.
It is your perogative if you choose to place a box of baking soda in your fridge-but I do suggest placing one in your freezer to keep ice cubes from absorbing tastes/smells.


YOURE NOT DONE YET
You really should wipe the outside of the fridge, as well as the handles. I suggest wiping the handles every evening after you wash the dishes.

A vacuum hose with a narrow attachment works the best for under the fridge and the back of the fridge. Not only will this make your job complete, but it will help in the routine care and maintenance of your refrigerator.

Being Thankful

No matter what is going on in our lives, we should take some time and be thankful for something. Many of us have spent so much time in our lives learning how to complain, and cannot see how we are blessed.

I can see my blessings everyday.


This week I am thankful for: a good job, great friends, activities that enrich me spriritually.

What are you thankful for?

Living Well - Keeping your closet organized

So you have spent a couple of days going thru your closet...getting rid of things you dont like, things that dont fit, or things that are damaged. If you go and take another look in your closet, you should smile and be proud of the accomplishment.

So now that you have done this awesome thing...how can we keep from allowing our closets get back into that state?


ASK YOURSELF SOME QUESTIONS
As with everything else, you have to change the way you deal with your clothes.

Are you a compulsive shopper? If so, ask yourself- Why do you purchase things that you do not have a place for in your home?

Do you hate putting away your clothes? In order to keep your closet organized, you must put things away, like it or not.


CHANGE YOUR HABITS
If you can, do laundry twice a week. Doing your laundry twice a week ensures that each load placed in the washer is a full load. This not only saves on your overall load amount, but time and money.

If you have a larger family, you may not be able to cut your loads in this way. Alternates could include sharing this responsibility.


COMPLETING THE TASK
After your done washing and drying your clothes, you must fold or hang them. You are not done yet. You must complete the task and put these clothes away.

The easiest system is to fold and organize into piles by person.

If your children are old enough, they should learn how to put their own clothes away. And Im not talking about shoving them into a drawer. There are videos online that you can show to your children, instructing them on how to fold their clothes to fit them into their dresser drawers.


BRAND NEW DAY
You may find that doing laundry and putting away your clothes is a much more enjoyable chore now that things have their own place.


Once the task is truly done, and all the laundry has been cleaned and put away...give yourself a hand. Look around and enjoy.

Living Well - Lingering Paperwork Project (Organizing & Setting up a routine)

In todays blog, I will be teaching you a few ways to handle all that paperwork that seems to pile up. I purposely stretched this project out so that you could prepare for what lies ahead.

DEVELOPING A PLAN
Hopefully, after reading- you will adopt some of these strategies. Once you change your habits, these strategies will become routine for you and your way of dealing with file management will be different.

Since we have already purged most of our files and have them organized by person, it will be easier to set up your system. You will see that organizing by person makes all steps involved simpler and not as time consuming.

TIME TO GET STARTED
Grab the first persons pile.
Divide this pile into like-type piles. If you did some of the primary categories when we purged, these categories should be easy to identify. We will also be identifying our sub-categories as well.

Here are examples of files you would find in each category
* IMPORTANT: birth certificate, Social Security Card, Immunization Record
* SCHOOL: HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
* COLLEGE: INFORMATION, SCHOLARSHIPS, LOANS, MISC FINANCE/ACCOUNTING, HOUSING, SCHEDULES
** INFORMATION: letters from the college
** SCHOLARSHIPS: files pertaining to scholarships
** LOANS: files pertaining to loans
** MISC FINANCE/ACCOUNTING: Financial papers pertaining to items not related to schol/loans
** HOUSING: room assignments
** SCHEDULES: semester schedules
* MEDICAL: Current medical bills
* PAID IN FULL: Any bill that is Paid in Full
* RECEIPTS: Misc Receipts

Once you have identified your categories and sub-categories, you can start printing out your labels. If you do not use a label-maker or a template (i.e. Avery software) please make sure to PRINT CLEARLY WITH A FINE TIP SHARPIE.

Never use a pencil to print labels. Even fading occurs with pen, so I recommend using a fine tip Sharpie to print labels.

Once you have everything in order and sorted-its now time to start labeling and placing in folders. Be sure to use a pocket folder if you have alot of like-type papers.

We are going to be doing some minor tuning to what we have and to make sure that something did not get mis-categorized. This also means that we should be double-checking to see if someone elses stuff is mixed in.

MOVING RIGHT ALONG
Once you have completed filing and labeling for that person, its time to move on to the next person.

Please be aware that I have assumed that the first pile you would grab would be a childs and not your own. For an adult, the categories can be similar-only adding an EMPLOYMENT category.

In this category, you would find: W-2s, employment contracts and the like. I also include tax information under my employment category.

Once all the members of your household have their files organized and filed, its time to move onto the HOUSEHOLD category.

Household sub-categories will include: Utilities, Vehicles, Home, Insurance, Warranties, Instruction Manuals

Again, double check what you have in your piles to make sure you are starting off right.

Once you have all your paperwork labeled and filed, take a break and reward yourself. This process does take time and deserves a reward.


BREAKS OVER
Now that you did all that hard work, you need to develop a routine to keep your file management system straight.

In a previous blog, I suggested that you open your mail near the area you keep your files. You should also keep a recycle bin and a shredder nearby. This will alleviate having your papers scattered throughout your house.

I also suggest filing your papers as soon as your fingers touch them. There is no logic in placing a paper somewhere and then picking it up later to file it away. There is no excuse for not filing now that you have spent this time setting up an easy to use system.

I also shred old utility bills once I receive the current one- as long as I have received the proper crediting for the previous billing cycle. This also helps keeping your files from becoming stagnant.

Choosing one day a week to pay your bills makes filing go a little quicker. If you plan which bills to pay each week, you can also save some time.

MAINTENANCE
I like to go thru my filing cabinet twice a year. If nothing else, it allows me to make sure that there are no unneccesary papers still lingering. This is most helpful when going thru your Household files.

SOME HELPFUL HINTS
* If you no longer own an item, you do not need to keep the Instruction Manual or warranty information.
* If you change insurance carriers or your policy has been renewed, you can shred the previous policy.
* Once you receive your W2 and the amounts match your last paystub of the year, you can shred the paystubs for that year.

Living Well - Shoes, Why do we love them so?

Yesterday, we emptied our closet and went thru our clothes. We will be handling the organization of our shoe collection in a similar manner.

First, we need our work area. Second, we need to gather our shoes in one area.

As with our clothes, there are some guidelines about how to decide whether or not to keep various pairs of shoes. Believe it or not, we are just as attached to our shoes!

This process again involves going thru each item and making one of 3 choices. (keep, donate/sell, trash)

Some general guidelines for purging shoes:
* If you cannot locate one it can be tossed
* If the shoes are damaged/broken heel they can be tossed
* If the shoes do not fit (try them on to be sure) donate them
* If you have not worn the shoes within at least the last year, donate them
* If you do not like the way the shoes feel on you, donate them

Make sure that you absolutely love each pair you keep. There is no sense in being uncomfortable or having shoes you cant wear taking up your space.


Now, I like to group like-type pairs together....all my dressy shoes, casual type shoes...that is up to you. I find it makes what I want to find easier.

Now put your shoes away!

Dont forget to bag up or box the shoes you will be donating. Like yesterday-make plans to get this clutter out of your house THIS week!

The shoes you have to toss, make sure you toss them.
Finally, take a look in your newly organized closet. Take a deep breath! You are almost done!

Tomorrow we will wrap up closet organizing as well as finalizing our paperwork project. Be sure to check back for tips on how to keep your closet maintained.

Living Well - Cleaning out the closet

Today, I have provided a link to a pretty sad story. A woman died after her clutter fell on her - burying her alive.

To be honest, this story does not surprise me. On cable networks like HGTV and The Style Channel, you see shows where they swoop in and "rescue" families from their hoarding ways.

In viewing these shows, I notice that many of these families start out saying "There was no room in my closet, so I put it......" So, today- and for the next 2 days (Wed, Thur, Fri) we will be doing the closet thing.

What is important to remember, is that in breaking down these projects into simpler and smaller tasks, and over the course of many days- makes the PROCESS theraputic in a sense.


Having an Objective
There is nothing like being able to go in your closet and find whatever it is you are looking for. There is also something to be said concerning having EVERY item that is in your closet loved!

Have one of these mornings?
I find that several of my friends spend a good deal of time in the morning just staring into their closets....or madly looking for some piece. This is because many of us have closets that overflow. This causes our clothes to be "smooshed" and hard to locate.

The time to start is NOW!
By spending some time organizing your closet and learning techniques to keep it that way, you will find that you have a closetful of clothes that you love and clothes that FIT!


As is true with most of my projects, I like to empty the area out completely. So first, you need to pick the area where you will be working. Make sure you have enough room to sort.

Once you have that taken care of, its time to empty your closet. EVERYTHING.
If you have items of clothing in other parts of your house, I would go get them and bring them in also.

Depending on your lifestyle, various categories of clothing will be obvious. Here is a start: dressy shirts, dressy pants, dresses, casual shirts, jeans , tshirts

We will be doing other various items found in closets tomorrow, so those items can be placed somewhere out of the way for now.


The first step is to sort everything into their categories.
Once you have your clothes sorted, its time to evaluate what you have.

This part of the process is usually the hardest for people. This involves going thru each item and making one of 3 choices. (keep, donate/sell, trash)


Some general guidelines for purging:
* If the item is damaged/ripped/stained it can be tossed
* If the item does not fit (try it on to be sure) donate it
* If you have not worn the item in at least the last year, donate it
* If you once liked the item, and no longer do - donate it

Make sure that you absolutely love each article you keep. If something fits but you dont like how you look in it, donate it. There is no sense in keeping it if you are not going to wear it!


I like to also gather "like" items of clothing together while purging. All my white dressy shirts, my black dressy shirts....then all my brown casual shirts, all my black casual shirts...

You may notice that you have 5 or 6 of the same type shirt/pants. Why dont you donate 3? Unless you wear that type of shirt/pant almost exclusively, there is no need for this many.

If you truly have a closet that is overflowing, make sure you donate or toss HALF.
I know this might sound extreme, but your life will be filled with calm without unneccesary items.

Once you have that narrowed down-take a good look at your closet.
Ask yourself if your clothing would fit back in there comfortably, or do you need to resort thru again?

If you honestly need to resort, ask yourself why you are holding onto that item?
Sometimes we hold onto these things as a "just in case" and it ends up just something taking up more space.


Now, go back and look at your closet. Decide how you are going to put things in there. I like to keep all my clothes categorized on the rod--so I have a "section" where all my work clothes are. I also like to keep all the like colors together as well within that category. It may seem a little ocd, but it makes for less stressful mornings.

Whatever system works for you, go ahead and hang up those clothes. Congratulations! You are 1/3 of the way done!

Not QUITE Done Yet
Dont forget to bag/box the items you will be donating. Who and where you donate is up to you, but I like to give to the local programs that GIVE my donations to those in need, rather than sell them.

Make sure that you arrange to have your donation picked up (if they wont give you a date within a week, take your donation to your chosen program.) OR take your donation to your chosen program.

Items that you have designated as trash should be gathered and taken out as well.

It is important that these steps be done as soon as possible. Your objective is to be rid of the clutter, not store it somewhere else.


Tomorrow: Shoes-Why do we love them so?

Living Well - Whats in your dresser (Pt 2)

I hope that you found the time to go thru your dresser last night. Sometimes, we get so involved in tv (myself included) that we do not do the little things that can help us get uncluttered and organized.

I find that on the days there are shows I like to watch (and I keep that to a minimum as well) I do smaller things during commercial breaks. You would be surprised to find out that alot can be accomplished during those 2 minute breaks!


Anyway, back to the subject at hand.


So we now have various piles of clothes...hopefully you kept each drawer pretty much in their own area. I always suggest this tip because its easier to re-organize each drawer when you know how much space was taken up in each one before purging.

Of course, it also helps when reconstructing where everything will be put back away too!


SO basically-what you have to do is decide if you will be keeping your items in the same dresser drawers or readjusting things if you have purged alot. Hopefully, you have purged the clothes you dont like, are ripped, or just dont wear and have a bunch of empty space.

If you have purged and have a bunch of empty space, you should NOT buy anything to fill those spaces! (Of course, if you went thru your sock drawer to find your toes were "hungrier" than you remembered, then-by all means-get more socks!)


Good luck putting everything away, and I hope you find some empty space!

Living Well - Whats in your dresser? (Pt 1)

Yes, today is Monday AND it is a wonderful day to get your dresser in order! I love to have an organized dresser.

For the most part, my dresser gets the LEAST messed up, but once or twice a year-I gotta thru it. So, the next two days are devoted to this project.


We will be doing this project in three steps: Empty, Purge, Organize
Tonight we will be focusing on emptying and purging.

The first thing we need to do, is to select a space to empty out all of the drawers. Once you have selected the space you will be working in, you just need to put everything from your dresser in that space.

I like to keep each drawer in as separate an area as possible. This helps once we are re-organizing.

Once you have everything that was inside your dresser in that area, we are ready to purge. Many people are afraid to purge their clothes. This is mostly because our clothes are personal for us. There are some "guidelines" to follow when purging that will help you deal with this process.


* If you have item that is damaged, (i.e. ripped) toss it.
* If you havent worn an item of clothing in a year, donate it.
* If an item does not fit, donate it.


I also like to go thru and donate "doubles/triples". These are items that we loved so much, we had to get them in various colors or sizes. Many times, these items are forgotten about, so it is best to donate them to someone who can and will use them.


NOTE: You can also decide to sell your extra items, however-I beleive that in order to truly purge, these items need to be out of the way. If you do decide to "store" items for a later sale-try to place them in bins out of your living space. And PLEASE remember to sell them!

Coming this week

I wanted to let you know what we will be tackling next week.

I have two days planned for straightening your dresser. I dont want to rush letting you know about my system to keep your dresser drawers empty of clothes that you will never wear.

I also have two days planned for cleaning out the bedroom closet. This is also an area which needs a purge day and an organizing day. I have a wonderful system that keeps everything in order.

On Friday, we will be putting together our filing system. I hope you have your files and labels ready!


Beginning on the 18th, every Sunday-I will be blogging on Sharing Your Blessings and Being Thankful. This is not only in preparation for Lent, but for personal growth as well. I hope that in reading these posts, you will gain perspective about me, as well as get some possible insight.

Happy Reading!

Living Well - Lingering Paperwork Project (Shopping list)

Whether we are at work or maintaining our homes, we need to get a handle on our paperwork. It can quickly get out of control. For some of you, this past week has "undone" some of the purging done....for others-you have started your system and are getting the "kinks" worked out.

Which ever one is the case, we now have to get a more permanent filing system than piles or boxes. Below is a simple list-a starting point for those just getting a filing system in place. I will be going into detail Friday on what to do with these items, so check back to see just how we will turn these piles into an easy to use filing system.


Various manilla folders - Some people like to categorize each person by color. I find that once you run out of that color-that persons files seem to never get around to being filed. I simplify by using the regular folders.

Pocket folders - These folders are great to hold items that tend to be lost in a filing cabinet due to falling out of a file folder. I also like to use them for instruction manuals.

Labels / Label maker - While I do like to see everything wonderful, a label maker is not necessary. If hand printing labels, please print clearly and legibly.

"Rubbermaid" file totes - This is a great start to organizing files. This is also a great way to keep files on hand for your college-student.

File Cabinet - Clearly, if you have alot of files or desire a more permanent storage solution, a file cabinet is the way to go. A good suggestion is to purge your files before you go file cabinet shopping. You may find you do not need as much room as you thought.


Hopefully after Friday, you will think this is the easiest filing system you have ever been introduced to. Bottom line: an easy filing system is one you will use.

Living Well - Defrag, for regular people

Today, I am celebrating a small victory! I got thru 95% of my Favorites folder!
It is important to celebrate each step you take (no matter what you are trying to accomplish).


Today we are going to talk about defrag.
You may not know exactly what it is or what it does - but after today, you will be able to explain this program without using any technical terms.


Defrag is a system tool that comes with MOST versions of Windows. Download.com does have a free download of this program, so if you find that your system doesnt have it, you can download it there.


There are two ways to get to this tool:
1-Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools
2-By navigating within Windows Explorer. If you right click on C: you will find a menu > Select Properties > Tools


DEFRAG EXPLANATION - A SIMPLE VISUALIZATION
A simple way to explain what Defrag is, is to compare your computer to a filing cabinet. Imagine for a moment, that each time you open a program, you physically open a folder located in your filing cabinet.

So, you open a document that you already had saved OR you are creating a new document...Think about that as well in terms of a filing cabinet. Now, imagine yourself typing and saving your work. Let me remind you at this time to save early AND often!

Each time you open OR save your document it is saving it to any free spaces on your hard drive. Over the course of time, these saved "pieces" or "chunks of work" are scattered all across your hard drive.

So, in terms of our filing cabinet visualization, each time we are saving that document-we are spreading our files across many drawers. If you have a filing cabinet nearby, go over and look in a couple of the drawers...Ill wait

So, are your files nice and neat? Or does it literally look like everyone with access forgot to straighten up? With almost all of us, those files have been used, looked at and then pushed back down real quick. Some of our folders may have some papers still sticking out...not allowing us to view the folder name.

When your filing cabinet has papers all sticking up and not in order, it may take a little longer to find what we are looking for. And if you just "plop" files any place in the drawer, it may take you several minutes to locate what you are looking for.

This is true for your computer as well. When your computer files are degragmented, it means alot of your files are scattered across your hard drive and need to be straightened up.

Defragging basically takes all your programs and folders and straightens each paper in each file. If there are "pieces" of your files scattered throughout the system, it will gather them all and put them together all "nice and neat".

To even better describe how this works, it is most appropriate that we went thru our filing cabinets last week. If you were like me, you were able to clear out some space in your filing cabinets. All this new empty space created a spot. Theres a few things we can do with this newly empty area. Will we fill it with new files? Will we scoot up the back to hold up our files and keep the empty space?

With a computer, each time you open or save a file, it uses that new empty space, scattering or piecing it all over the place. Sometimes we complain when opening a program file if it takes so long. If you havent ran a defrag in a few months or EVER, it is no surprise that your file takes a minute or so to get it together!


NOW THAT YOU KNOW, CLOSE OPEN PROGRAMS, AND GO!
A few tips to help defrag run a little faster:
- Close all open programs
- Turn off your screensaver
- Restart your computer
- Dont watch your computer!!

Defragging your system (that means ALL drives if you have more than 1) can take hours. Be prepared!

I suggest not watching your computer run while this is going on! Not only is this boring, you may wonder why you get to 80% and then BAM, back to 5%. This is typical.

Remember, your computer stores your file wherever the next "blank" spot is on your hard drive. If part of your file is near the "beginning" of the drive, your system collects all that it sees at the time, and moves on. Then it will go along and hit another piece of your file, it has to go back to your file - "straighten" it, and move on again.

This could occur several times, and is really frustrating to watch! So, use this time away from your computer to go outside-smell some "fresh" air, talk to people in person!

Living Well - You're My Favorite

First, congratulations to all of you who made it thru the Lingering Paperwork Project so far. A shopping list will be coming - and we will be revisiting that topic on the 16th.


Today, we will be discussing your Favorites folder. Dont look at me like that!
This is a subject very near and dear to my heart (remember the "good ole days" of AOL?).

I, for one, have to admit - that I am a Favorites collector.


There! Ive said it! Whew-I feel much better....well, not really-I have a ton of links I cant find! Since we all fall short on time, and cant get to everything we see, we are known for saving it to your favorites for "later" (which, have you noticed NEVER comes?)

I even thought I was doing good- I made a "To Look at ASAP" folder to put em in. Do you know how funny that was? If, nothing else, I made THAT folder overflow to the point IT scrolled a few times.

Well, it doesnt take long for that to get old. I decided one day to go thru my Favorites and clean them out! I wasnt even setting out to ultra-organize them-that sorta just happened naturally.

HERE WE GO....
First, make sure that you have an internet connection and have some time (this depends on how many sites you have saved).

PUT THE TOP DOWN
Now, I recommend starting from the top-so you dont lose your place. This is for those of us who are compulsive savers!

Click on the first site you have saved....if the link doesnt go anywhere (you get a page removed error) you can delete this now.


YOU HAVE THE POWER!!
Go back into your "Faves"
Right click that site
Select delete.
Thats ONE down!


FEELS GOOD - DOESNT IT?
Alright, it might not feel good to do JUST one...thats why you keep going!

SOMETIMES SHORTER IS BETTER!
Yep, you heard it here! It pays to be short.

Do you have sites saved where the name just goes on and you cant even tell what it really is for? Well, this next little tip will shorten that name in no time!

WHATS YOUR NAME AGAIN?
First-click on the site. Once you see what the page is, go back into it in your Favorites, right click and select rename, type what you want it called-hit enter.

DONT DESPAIR!
Sometimes, your site will put itself at the end of your list-so if you go click on your Favorites again, it may look like it has disappeared. Remember this later, so you dont think you saved it twice and delete it.


FILE ON THE FLY
Even better - you can organize it right there, on the spot.
Now, I tend to save it to the folder as I am renaming, but that may be a little advanced for some of you. So heres a crash course....

Instead of renaming the file by right clicking it, you can re-add it and organize at the same time. Say your next site saved, needs to have its Name and location changed.

Well, just click on it to bring the site up. Check it out and choose what your gonna call it. (Example: www.lincolnspeedway.com is Named Lincoln in my Favorites)

So, you click on: Favorites > Add to Favorites
In the box that pops up- Type chosen Name
Then decide whether or not you have a folder already for it (just navigate to it)
Or will you make a new folder?


Once you have decided where to place the site, you will need to delete the original site saved. Now, just repeat this process along with deleting the "dead" links.

SERIOUSLY, A BREAK ALREADY
If I havent done this in awhile, I will set a time limit between breaks. This time will vary due to physical limitations and other obligations.

BORING!
Since this is a dull process and you really shouldnt surf these sites as you are going thru them - watching tv or listening to the radio really helps with passing some of the time.


YEP, IM DOING THIS WITH YA
I estimate that it will take me approximately 2 1/2 hours to effectively organize and go thru all of my favorites. Luckily, I weaned them down last summer so I really have a thinned down list.

But you know how it goes....save a site here, save a site there.

GO THE EXTRA STEP
For an added bonus...you could alphabetize them by name by dragging them in order. However, Ive been told that Im the only person they know who does this! (If theres anyone else out there who does this, please let me know)

DONT WORRY
If you dont get thru them all tonight, choose a time each week to devote at least 15 minutes to going thru all of your Favorites. Its a chore that is always ready to do!

Keep posted! More tips on the way!

Living Well - Lingering Paperwork Project (Day 3)

I hope that your Saturday was filled with the happiness that only occurs when you open up your space to the present, instead of the past!

For me, that happiness is summed up best while shredding the past right out!

Wow!
Last night I purged a file cabinet drawer! Even though I do go thru my files regularly, I still had loads of files that were not needed. It feels good to have some space to put my CURRENT files!

So, today we will be getting down to business!
You should have a couple of piles....one for each person in your household and a household pile (this will mostly be utility bills)


BEFORE YOU START
Since this project takes some amount of time, I suggest that you read my computer blog for today after you finish reading this blog, and organize your files while you are scanning your computer! This way, you "kill two birds with one stone".


BACK TO THE TOPIC AT HAND
You have several ways to organize each persons files. If you have 4 file cabinet drawers, you may just want to give each person a file drawer or you may want to use portable file storage. This is totally up to you. What IS important is that the files are easily categorized.


NOTE:
For now, use cardboard pieces or cereal box sides to divide the categories. We will not be totally organizing these sections today. We are just making sure that each subsection is labeled and started. We will be coming back in a couple of weeks to complete this project.


So here are your subsections:

- Important - This is for birth certificate, shot records --anything you will need to find in a hurry.

- Medical - For medical papers

- School - Anything school related

- Receipts & Bills


Repeat this process for each person.


HOUSEHOLD FILE
So you are left with your household file....what to do, what to do? There are so many things that can be placed in this file, it can simply just get out of hand.

These categories an be tricky...Instead of getting specific, we can leave a little more leeway to simplify the system.

Your household categories should be: Utilities, Vehicle, Insurance, Home, Warranties & Instruction Manuals

- Utilites: These files should never be stagnant. Every month, you should shred the prior month once you make sure your last payment was recorded.

- Vehicle: This file should contact information about your vehicles.

- Insurance: This file should contain information regarding the insurance that you have for your household.

- Home: If you are a homeowner, this section should contain all the information that pertains to your home, including repairs. Home purchase and refinance papers really should be kept in a fireproof location.

- Warranties & Instruction Manuals: pretty self explanatory


KEEP IT UP! / ITS ALL ABOUT A ROUTINE!
Now, that you have the system started, it should be easy to maintain. Once you establish a routine for how you DEAL with your paperwork, it will become a habit.

Make sure that you open your mail wherever your filing system is. That way you can choose to recycle, toss, or file every piece of mail that comes into your space.


ARE WE DONE YET????
We will be returning to this project on January 16th. Keep an eye out for some reminders and shopping supplies!


THIS WEEK: Computer week! Keep watching for computer tricks and tips. Something new every day!

Living Well - Is your computer sick?

Do you know what it takes to keep your computer well? Well, if not - I have some simple tips that will help you stay away from those nasty viruses and spyware!


BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Please read my paperwork blog (In 3 parts). This may give you something to do during your "down" time.


TIPS
- Do not click on attachments from those you do not know.
I dont know why we have to keep repeating this tip, you would think most people just would delete the email with the insane subject title or wouldnt open an email from someone they dont know!

- If you get an email that seems to be from your bank, ebay, or wherever stating you need to check your account, do NOT click the link that is provided in the email!
This tip also works for links in Instant Messenger Programs.
This is a known tactic for "phishing", which is a way for the bad guys to steal your logon information.

- Do not click on links posted to your social networking site!
This is a new tactic for phishers! I have seen these on facebook, myspace and twitter, so BEWARE!


DONT WANT TO BE SICK ANYMORE!
Now that I have some of tips out of the way, you need to decide on which anti-virus provider to use. Each one has their advantages/disadvantages....Some ISPs include virus protection. If your ISP provides this service, I recommend you use that combined with a regular online scan.

It is also important that you keep whatever anti-virus software you use up to date. New viruses are created all the time, so you need to stay on top of it!


BEFORE YOU SCAN
-Close all programs, restart your computer
-Turn off your screensaver
-Dont use your computer


Scanning can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 hours (even longer) depending on how big your hard drive is and how many files you have. If you have partitioned your hard drive or have multiple hard drives, you should scan those as well.

It will take longer to scan your system if you are using the computer or if your screensaver pops on. I suggest turning the screensaver off and working on something else for the time being.



Here are some FREE online scans:
BitDefender - http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html
Panda Active Scan - http://www.pandasecurity.com/activescan/index/
PC PitStop - http://www.pcpitstop.com/pcpitstop/default.asp
TrendMicro - http://housecall.trendmicro.com/



DONT SPY ON ME!
I also recommend that you use a spyware program. Spyware is just as destructive as a virus. I use Webroot's SpySweeper. I beleive that there is a free version thru download.com.


NOTE:
I also restart my computer and turn off the screensaver during this scan also.


FIREWALL
Not only is it important to protect your computer with anti-virus and spyware software, but it just as important to protect your computer with a firewall. You have a choice whether or not to use the version that comes with Windows, or to get third party software. I personally use a program called ZoneAlarm.

It might nag a little while you are setting it up, but it is definately worth it to know if programs are trying to contact the "outside world" or if outside programs are trying to contact your computer.


SPEAKING OF NAGS
Theres nothing worse that surfing along, minding your business when you get to a site that is pop-up heaven....If you arent paying attention, you could click on one of these pop-ups - and a number of things could happen...

- you could trigger a pop-up avalanche! Clicking on one, normally causes more to pop-up. You will definately know if youve triggered an avalanche!

- you could trigger a download for software you do not want installed
(Mostly spyware related)

The point being, you should install a pop-up blocker. Again, many ISPs provide this software. Some of the more popular search portals also provide pop-up blockers in their "toolbars".

I recommend using the pop-up blocker software provided by your ISP. There are many aspects of "toolbars" that resemble spyware as well as include options that are unnecessary.


ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE
Yea, Yea....Im still on this routine stuff. However, if you use your computer alot-this really needs to be stressed. Make sure that you set your anti-virus, spyware sweeper and firewall to automatically update and scan.

Once you pick a day and time for everything to update and scan, put a sticky on your monitor so you remember to leave your computer on so the work can be done when you are not using it.


TOMORROWS TOPIC
Your favorites list!
Guess what were gonna do?

Living Well - Computer week!

I know Im almost done with my Lingering Paperwork project, but I just have to tell you how excited I am about next week! My "passion" is computers! I will be sharing some computer related tips that even newbies will understand.

Most people will say that they are addicted to their computers...like their email, their myspace/facebook, or just addicted to lurking online. However, there are some things that will make those activities just a little more enjoyable.

There are several topics for next week that are sure to get some of you motivated!
I will be going over virus protection, explaining defrag and scandisk, introducing you to new ways to organize your computer files, and helping you back up your files.

I know we wont get to every topic I would like to in just a week, but I hope to revisit them later on in the year.

I also have plans to give gentle reminders for those of you who wish to continue using the tips I will be providing next week. Like anything, sometimes we need to establish a routine in order to change habits.

I hope that at the end of next week, you will understand why we need to keep our computers organized also!

Living Well - Lingering Paperwork Project (Day 2)

So how did last night go? Did you go thru all those papers laying around? Did you make your two piles? I surely hope so....

We will be concentrating on dividing and conquering today!

The simplest and lowest maintenance way to file is to divide your files by person. What this means is that if you have 4 people living in your house, you should have 4 main sections.

This way, you never have to "decide" where to file that receipt for school rings, senior pics....lol

Most sections will have 4 main subsections: important documents, medical, school, receipts and bills. Now before you go labeling folders-and making this project take more thought than needed....theres a small "shortcut" I need to tell you about.


If you get a few boxes (hint: you have 4 family members=4 boxes) and just label each box with your family members' name - you can do the sorting within subsections later.

Items such as your mortgage/rent, utilities should get their own section apart from these files.


Now, make sure you have some space for spreading out!


If you have a filing cabinet, you may think you are on top of things....however, if you havent purged thru it in a couple of years, NOW IS THE TIME!

Go thru each and every file...


WHY YOU HOLDIN ONTO ALL THAT OLD STUFF?

Many people are confused when it comes to records retention. If you are unsure about receipts, please check the IRS website for retention requirements. I personally choose to keep all tax returns, but it is not necessary.

Cancelled checks may also be shredded (these are listed on your bank statement) so keeping them just takes up important space.

If you have paid off bills in the past (and I hope you have) there is no need to keep an entire file for that old debt. Make a PAID IN FULL file and place the letter received by the company stating you paid that bill off. If you have checked your credit report and its listed as paid in full there (make sure its listed on all 3 credit reports), then you can shred that letter.

Old utility bills also use up valuable space. Once you receive your current bill with your last payment, you can shred the older statements.

Some of us love to save our check stubs! Seriously, why? If you are like someone who will go unmentioned....you may have an entire drawer filled with stubs from your first jobs up to and including your current job. If you save your prior tax returns, this is unnecessary. Once you receive a current W-2, compare it with the last check stub of the year....if it all matches, toss the stubs. If it doesnt match, contact your employer.

NOTE: Older check stubs may include your SSN. If any of your stubs contain personal information, make sure you shred them.



GET TO IT!

Some of you may be thinking....why should I take a Saturday to purge and organize? Why should I be doing this when I could be kicking back waiting for the football game to come on?

Well, unless you are going out - or hosting a party- why CANT you sort while watching the game? If you are worried about the noise from the shredder, only shred during commercials!


Tomorrow we will start on the actual filing system. I promise you that my filing system will make sense to you and is so low maintenance that you will not have a problem figuring out what to do with all of your Lingering Paperwork!

Living Well - Lingering Paperwork Project (Day 1)

I dont think I have met anyone who likes paperwork (unless you are me!) And, unless its organized, you will dislike it even more.

One of the simplest things you can do to minimize the amount of paper shift, is to change some of the ways we treat our mail. Make sure that when you are going thru your mail, you are in your office space. This way, you can recycle your junk mail-sort thru your bills, and file any important papers.

My biggest help was to unsubscribe/cancel print editions of magazines. Many times you can visit a website, or receive digital magazines via email. This eliminates paper passing thru your home.


I have decided to break this project into 3 days. I will also be running the first part of my computer week series....


Tonight-we will keep it easy. We will just concentrate on what might be laying around your kitchen, living room, dining room and/or bedroom. This includes: magazines, newspapers, sale papers and any mail.

You will also need a box or paper bag to hold papers for recycling. If you have a paper shredder, thats even better.


First tackle any newspapers. This tends to be the quickest pile to go thru. I do not save newspapers unless its for something Historic. If you happen to have something you are saving for Historic purposes, please make sure to store it appropriately.

Any newspaper older than 2 days prior should be placed in the recycle pile. You should also read thru the more current papers as soon as possible, so you dont accumulate more lingering paperwork.

Next up is the magazines. I like to read my magazines during any down time I have. If you read before bedtime, you should place a basket of magazines near this area. Make sure that you go thru this collection once a week to ensure that magazines do not accumulate.

Throw any sale papers that are out of date into your recycle bin. Most sale papers are only good for the week they print.

You should have a pile of various assorted mail. Make sure that you make a decision about where each piece of mail will go. If its junk, then put it in the recycle bin-If its a bill, place it with all your bills-If its something to file, then file it--or make an "To File" file.


Homework: We will be making two piles: "Bills" and "To File".
Collect all your bills and all the papers you need to file. I will be telling you how to keep organized with these lingerers tomorrow.