The 2-Minute Organizer

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The 2-Minute Organizer is a monthly newsletter for people who value free time. Designed to be read in just a couple of minutes, it's packed with solid advice, insider tips and free resources that everyone will find useful. You can expect concise information to help you create the life you want.
In This Issue

ISSN: 2152-6982 Volume 4: Issue 11 - November 2011	Forward to your friends ! If you received this newsletter from a friend, please click here to get your very own free subscription.
News and Events 2-Minute Feature Article Standolyn's Picks

A Note from Standolyn:

I love to cook, but the recipes that I clipped years ago are not the ones that catch my interest these days. Back then, I wanted to spend all day in the kitchen cooking up complicated main dishes and elaborate desserts. Now I’m more interested in easy, healthy, meals that I can cook in 30 minutes or less.

If it has too many calories, too many ingredients, or takes too much time to prepare, I have no problem getting rid of the ones that don’t fit my lifestyle.

Take advantage of the cold weather—light a fire and organize your recipes! It’s easy preserving the family favorites with a simple system in place.

NASMM Conference and Expo, January 12, 2012

Hyatt Regency, Austin, Texas

Standolyn Robertson, presenter at Speak Up and Present Your Way to Success

NAPO Conference and Expo, March 22, 2012

Golden Circle Baltimore Hilton, Baltimore, Maryland

Standolyn Roberstson on the Ask the Organizer Panel

Virtual Clutter Support Group

Email me to set up a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if this is right for you.

Help! I love to save recipes - but I can never find the ones I want when I want them. Plus, I've run out of space for all my food magazines.

You don't need to hang on to the entire magazine if three or four recipes in Cooking Light intrigue you. Collecting recipes from magazines and cook's catalogs doesn't have to take up prime kitchen space. Let's stir things up a bit!

Tips to tackle the problem:

Here's how to keep your recipes and things in place. You'll need an accordion file, a standard cook book, scissors, a three ring binder, dividers and plastic protector sheets.

Follow these steps to build your own cookbook:

Using the standard cookbook's table of contents, label each section of the expandable file with the food categories: appetizers, salads, soups…also include section tabs for entertaining, decorating and place settings.

Clip recipes from magazines and newspapers that spark your interest. Also, if a table setting or entertaining idea catches your eye, cut those out too. File into the appropriate accordion folder sections.

When it's time to try a recipe, go to the appropriate section, pull out all your clippings, select the one you want and start cooking.

As you try recipes, move those you want to keep from the accordion file into the three ring binder, which you've divided using the same section labels as the expandable file. Slip the "keeper" recipe into a plastic page protector sheet and insert into the proper section.

If you have a ton of old cookbooks hanging around cut out or photocopy recipes you like and file them in your three ring binder. Recycle or donate the old books.

Maintaining family recipes and creating lasting kitchen-generated memories:

When my kids left home I gave them each a set of our family favorites written in my own hand.

Do you scrapbook? Take pictures during the holiday cookie baking extravaganza or other traditional meal making efforts, then include the actual recipes in the scrapbook with the pictures.

Write notes on your recipes or in your cookbooks. For example: use less salt, great for parties, easy and quick, the kids loved helping to make this. This commentary becomes a treasured family item to pass down.

The times they are a-changing! Now you can set up an electronic recipe catalog. Using the same categories as in your paper files, set up electronic files and as you scan recipes or search the web for ideas just save them to the appropriate files. Recipe websites also allow you to print "recipe cards" for hard copy use.

A final note: Don't hand copy recipes you've never tried. If the recipe is a keeper then scan, scrapbook, or copy onto a card and file.

"I came…I saw….I decided to order take out !" Anonymous

NEXT MONTH: Simply the Holiday Season

See Standolyn's recipes and organizing ideas on Pinterest

Visit Living Cookbook: "It's terrific for managing my recipes and menus but also I can design cookbooks as gifts for my family." Kathy Ritchie

FreedomFiler™ provides state-of-the-art, maintenance-free paper organizing solutions for the home and office. It's a self-purging home filing system that forever eliminates the need to clean out and reorganize files, while dramatically reducing the time and energy required to file and retrieve papers.

How it works: View the FreedomFiler™ Video featuring the FreedomFiler™ Quick-Start System for the home.

Click here for more information or to order supplies

83 Tips for Organizing Your Home
By Standolyn Robertson

Being organized at home gives you a solid foundation for enjoying your life. This booklet provides you with immediately useful tips on general home organizing and specific tips for the kitchen, bath, bedroom, holidays, entertaining, travel and kids.

Order your hardcopy or get the e-book version now!

Standolyn Robertson, a professional organizing expert, founded Things In Place Organizing Services in 2000. Since then, she has connected with hundreds of individuals and organizations through her coaching, consulting, and speaking.

A Certified Professional Organizer (CPO), Standolyn has a Level II Specialist Certificate in Chronic Disorganization from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD), formerly NSGCD, and is a Certified Relocation and Transition Specialist (CRTS). She has served her profession as president of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), and Programming Director of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD).

At Things In Place, we design systems for success to help clients overcome their feelings of being overwhelmed. Our sincere hope is that our clients will use their newfound space, clarity and peace of mind to spend more time doing the things they love. Contact us for hands-on or virtual services.

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