Simply Organized: Name That Memory

Apparently this is a week bursting with new features! Yesterday, I posted the first idea in the “Really Reusable” series, and today it’s time for ANOTHER new feature: Simply Organized. I often get overwhelmed with organization tips when I read them in magazines because they are listed by the dozen. What’s the point of learning new ideas if you don’t have time to implement them? Every week or so I’ll post an easy organization strategy that you can use right away. By putting them in place each week, you can possibly have 52 new systems in place by this time next year! Now THAT is Simply Organized.

If you have one and only one tool in your organization toolbox let it be this: a label maker. I got mine for about $12, and I know Staples was basically giving them away with a great rebate offer last September. You don’t need a fancy one to get the job done; a basic under $20 Dymo works wonders! If you don’t have one yet, it would be a great gift to ask Santa for this year. If you play along in our organization game, it will certainly come in handy.

Now that I got that explanation out of the way, here’s my quick {holiday related} tip for the week. I usually have a pretty good memory when it comes to… well, memories! But as I get older it gets harder to remember each date and place. Last year, Noodle received five Lenox ornaments as gifts. Each was from a different person, and each was, amazingly, unique! How was I supposed to remember which wonderful person gave her which beautiful ornament?

Enter the label maker! I just typed out a label for each with her name, who it was from, and the year and stuck it on the ornament box. When I pulled them out this year, I knew immediately where each one came from. The best part is that when I pass them on to my daughter, she’ll have that information too. I have over 30 Lenox ornaments that were given to me over the years, so I really wish I had labeled each with the year and name of the giver. And you’d better believe that as we add new ones to Noodle’s collection, each will have a label with the person and place it came from!

I hope this tip comes in handy for organizing your memories. Obviously, I wouldn’t do this on a priceless heirloom but for modern collections such as this I think it’s helpful. I plan to move on to her piggy bank, jewelry box, and a few other keepsake gifts. Again, they are not priceless heirlooms (monetarily) so putting a label on the box won’t harm their value to us.

Side note: As I was typing this I remembered a depression glass plate given to me by my mother-in-law. Her aunt labeled it with her name and the date (1933) almost 80 years ago, and it’s one of my favorite things! I display it proudly today, and the label increases it’s personal value to me.

Hope this is a helpful idea that you can use. I’m always on the lookout for organization ideas, so if you want to contribute one email me at makinglemonadeblog at gmail dot com, and I’ll post your idea (with credit given, of course). In what areas of organization do you struggle? Let me know, and I’ll tailor the tips to fit your needs! And, does anyone else LOVE their label maker? I’m a teensy bit obsessed with mine. 🙂