Christa Wagner

Something new I am using in my office is a motivational bulletin board.   I do have annual goals and keep them with me at all times, but I’ve been feeling like I need more.  I needed something to call out to me and that I can see every day.  So I installed a bulletin board and magnetic wipe board in my home office.  I placed it next to some of my favorite photos of John and I and I look at it every day. 

The bulletin board has photos, inspirational quotes and things I treasure.  Some are things people have given more and others are clippings from magazines or something I found interesting.

My Weekly Motivation

I use the magnetic wipe board to write the week’s top priorities and then create my daily To Do list from there.  So far so good - I crossed everything off my list last week. 

I know its a challenge to stay on top of the never ending To Do list, but perhaps you can install something similar in your home or office. 

Christa Wagner is a professional organizer located in Vancouver, BC.

Paper from bills driving you crazy? Get an accordion file labeled January thru December. Pay your bills and place the bill only (not the envelope or advertising) in the month paid. You are all set come tax time. At the end of the year, if you don’t need it for taxes, toss it!

To set up a paper filing system in your home or office, we recommend FreedomFiler.  Its the best paper organizing system we’ve found and we’ve used it with hundreds of clients.  For other paper organizing resources, visit our website.

Christa Wagner is a professional organizer and speaker located in Vancouver, BC.   

It’s a brand new year, which means it’s time to rotate your tax files in your FreedomFiler!Remember that you keep your tax files separated and organized by EVEN and ODD years (for taxes older than 10 years, there is a tax archive folder in your FreedomFiler). Now is the time to move your “odd year” tax folder to the back of your file cabinet and move your “even year” tax folder to the front. 

Also, don’t forget about your “Monthly” files (green labels) for the rest of your non tax related bills and statements.  Now that last year’s (2009, an ODD YEAR) files have filled up, you can move these to the back or to a second file drawer. Bring forward the EVEN YEAR’s folders to re-use. Remember that each month, you automatically empty out papers left over from two years ago. 
 
The FreedomFiler is a amazing self purging file system – it teaches you to file your paper based on how long you need it.  If you don’t have one, call us at 778.839.5792 and we’ll set you up!
 
If you have any questions about your FreedomFiler or need some assistance organizing your papers, please contact us at info@savvysolutionsorganizing.com and we’ll be more than happy to help!

Get Connected Media contacted me again to do a product testimonial for the new HP Officejet Pro 8500 A909g Series printer.  Wow, this printer is amazing.  I have been using the HP Officejet 6300 series for many years now so I am quite familiar with the product .  I love the all-in-one printer because it takes up less space and I get everything I need in one. 

I am only a few days into my product review, but so far I am loving this product.

• Easy set-up
• Simple installation; it does the entire installation on its own
• Prints from anywhere in my home
• Fax works
• And best of all, no wires!!

As an organizer people are always asking me what they can do with their wires.  You can tuck and hide them, but they never really go away so this printer is going to provide a lot of solutions.  More to come on my product review, but the outlook is good!

Christa Wagner is a professional organizer in Vancouver, BC.

You only have the space you have so you better use it wisely.  One of the biggest organizing and storage mistakes I see is when people don’t use their space vertically.  What I mean is they don’t take advantage of an entire shelf or space available from top to bottom.

Think about a closet with one rod across the top. If you hang shirts, they only hang about half way to the floor and you lose all the space below.  Another example is in the kitchen when glassware only takes up half the vertical shelf leaving you with a lot of unused space in your cabinets. 

Here are two organizing tips of how you can enhance and make the most of your kitchen space.   These are photographs from my own kitchen cabinets where I used shelf helpersin the cabinets to provide extra vertical space.  My problem was that I have more kitchen stuff than I do cabinet space.  Sound familiar.  I use on a daily basis so I wanted everything to be  visable and easy to access.  The tools I’ve used are corner shelf helpers and plate size helpers available at Storables and The Container Store.  As you can see they give me a great deal more space that I originally had. 

Here is a photo of my glassware cabinet.  As you can see in this photo, by using the shelf helper for my wine and juice glasses, as well as my coffee mugs, I take advantage of the entire space from top to bottom. 

I also use shelf helpers in my bathroom under the sink to provide more storage. 

At Savvy Solutions organizing is what we do; we bring the system, the products and the know-how to get organized and deal with your clutter.  Christa Wagner, Vancouver based Professional Organizer and owner of Savvy Solutions is a motivational speaker, expert organizer, creator of organizing products and writer.

As a professional organizer, I am always looking for new products to share with my clients and here’s one I came across the other day (from a friend on Facebook).  The company is called SpiceTable and the product is SpiceCare; a spice storage system. 

With the SpiceCare system, “You keep spices them fresh and simplify storage–in containers as distinctive as the spices they contain.”  The SpiceCare System is sold as a convenient boxed set or as individual containers, allowing you to build the perfect size spice collection for your needs. Extra screens, lids and labels are also available to help you manage and organize your growing collection.

SpiceCare could be a potential product choice for you if you have limited kitchen storage space, if you need to see things to know they are there and if prefer aesthetically appealing products on the kitchen counter.   Check it out and let me know what you think! 

Vancouver Professional Organzer, Christa Wagner, and founder of Savvy Solutions brings the plan, the products and the know-how to get organized and stay organized.

I am always asked about my favorite organizing products and wanted to point in you in the direction of a few of our favorites:

We purchase products at these stores or their websites on a regular basis:

• Storables 
• The Container Store  
• Levenger     
• See Jane Work   
• Franklin Covey  
• DayRunner    
• Pendaflex     
• Office Depot   
• Staples     

Continue to check our website for products we recommend and for companies that offer my clients a discount. See Products We Like on the Products Page on our site.  Remember to know what you’re organizing before you purchase any products.

“The FreedomFiler® is the only self-purging filing system available today.
Once you begin using FreedomFiler, you will never again have to take time
out of your life for cleaning  out or reorganizing files!”

If you read our posts, you will find many of them on the FreedomFiler.  It’s a fantastic filing system we use with nearly every single client. We get so many emails about this product which is why you will find a lot of FreedomFiler posts.

Recently, I was talking to my good friend, Debbie Rosemont of Simply Placed, based in Sammamish, WA.  We were talking about the FreedomFiler and how we can best use this tool with our clients.  We both have been using the product for years and many people want us to help them implement the system, but others have different needs.  Here are some ways we can help you with the FreedomFiler.

Ala Carte: You can purchase a FreedomFiler on the website or thru Savvy Solutions.

FreedomFiler eBook:  Since we get so many inquires about this product, we decided to write an eBook with the How To’s and Common Questions.  Contact us to purchase at info@savvysolutionsorganizing.com.

Pre-Made FreedomFiler kit: We can put your FreedomFiler together for you.  We don’t want to see this product become another product that sits on your counter.  Let us put it together for you and you will have functioning files with minimal investment.

FreedomFiler Workshop: We offer workshops where you can build your Freedomfiler in a group setting.  Check our website for our next File Yourself to Freedom Workshop.

FreedomFiler Consultation:  In just a few hours, we can show you how to use the product, how to implement and build your system.  You will have files you will never have to organize again in less than 3 hours.

FreedomFiler File Overhaul:  This is when you have a lot of paper and we need to dedicate time to building your system as well as reviewing your paper.  It takes some times to get thru, but you will love how much lighter you feel in the end.

We love the FreedomFiler and you will too!  Check out their website and do yourself a favor and invest in this system.  If I had one wish for every home, it would be to have a FreedomFiler.  Hang in there, a cure to your paper blues is coming.

Did you know January is National Get Organized Month.  Why?  Because getting organized is the second most common resolution behind losing weight.  Getting organized is not as tough as you think, but it does take a few minutes each day and committment.  Here are a few steps to help you get started with your Get More Organized resolution:

1. One in, one out.  We know you just received some new gifts.  That means its time to evalute what you currently have.  Do you need it, will you use it, etc.  
2. Eliminate unneccessary paper from your home.  Not sure what to toss?  Check out our recommended toss list.
3. Dedicate a place for everything (a cute box on the kitchen counter for incoming mail, a vertical filing system to keep track of bills and statements, etc).
4. Devote 30 minutes each week to assess the past week and plan the next.
5. Write out your resolutions, and what steps you need to take to achieve this goal. Break down these steps to small, manageable parts.
6. Create a “Stop Doing” list and eliminate tasks that are not a priority, and/or time sensitive, immediately.  
7. Invest in a FreedomFiler.  We love this paper organizing product.  Contact us for our coupon code. 
8. Keep it simple and don’t over-organize.  Ask yourself what will work for you long term.
9. Stop making excuses and get out of your own way.  You have the control to get organized.
10. Reward yourself along the way — you deserve it!

There’s no time like the present to get started.  Take time this January to get organized and stick to it this year.  Keep us posted.

A couple of months ago, I formed a relationship with a great company called Hot by 6.   Six (6) moms located in Oregon came up with a unique money saving solution by helping families prepare delicious meals economically through their Hot by 6 Membership.  You can browse their delicious recipes, create your own personal meal plans to fit your family’s food preferences, print categorized grocery lists, and much more all at the click of a button.

Savvy Solutions was recently featured in their winter newsletter, click here for our article, 5 Steps to Simplify Your Life.

As I said in my article a great way to simplify is to hire the work out and this is not always as expensive as you think it is.  Also, consider the time it takes you to do something and put a price on that too.  Your time is extremely valuable.   Hot by 6 is a great solutions to get dinner on the table.  Check it out!