Author Archives: Karen Sprinkle

How to Use Evernote as Your One-Stop Shopping Wishlist

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How to Use Evernote as Your One-Stop Shopping WishlistI’m an analytical shopper. I compare the price and quality before I buy. This pattern applies to shopping in brick and mortar stores and to online shopping.

Our wonderful technology has allowed us to scatter shopping lists across the web

I snap a photo with my phone of things that spark my interest when I’m running errands. I have photos on my phone of plants for the garden, organizing products, and of course, shoes.

I do a lot of searching online for products that I need. I add them to my list on the retailer’s site. Most online retailers will allow you to create a list of things that you are considering buying.

The downside for using this service is you must create an online account with a username and password. Keeping up with log-in information for multiple retailers can be mind-boggling.

A few weeks ago, I searched for a water bottle and added one that I liked to a wishlist the online store has for my convenience. When I was ready to buy the water bottle, I went to the wishlist and discovered that the price had increased.

That aggravated me. Continue reading →

The Kindergarten Approach to Gathering and Storing Your Income Tax Related Documents

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We are a few weeks into the new year. It’s a great time for fresh starts. I encourage my clients to begin the year by getting their financial papers in order.

I usually get groans as a response to this suggestion.

I have good news. Contrary to popular opinion, the job doesn’t have to be hard or boring. In fact, the task can be quite simple. Just think of how amazing it would feel to have everything you need at your fingertips to prepare your income tax returns this spring—well before Tax Day!

The Kindergarten Approach to Income Tax Document Organization

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An incomplete landscaping projectThe landscaping project began two summers ago.

My project plan was complete including a scaled drawing. We took advantage of a great Memorial Day sale and bought thirty-two landscape timbers at half price.

Last summer, I cringed every time I pulled into my driveway. My failure to complete the project had me feeling frustrated.

My view when I pulled into the driveway was disheartening. I could see the black landscape fabric spread over the area to the right of my front porch. Twenty or so large creek stones scattered about were holding the material in place. I put the fabric there to keep the weeds from taking over the bare soil while I worked on the area to the left of the porch.

When you don’t know what to do next, you get overwhelmed.

Holly roots and irrigation pipe delaying progress

We had the holly tree stump ground down but it only grazed the surface of the massive root system.

The left side had stalled.

We had cut down a forty-year-old American Holly tree and we had the stump ground out. That was part of the plan.

I didn’t realize the invasiveness of the holly tree’s root system. That root was a beast. Continue reading →

How to Use a Simple Tool to Take Charge of Your Holiday Budget

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I have a confession. I am not an early Christmas shopper. When people learn that I am a Professional Organizer, they assume that I have an organized system for Christmas shopping. They also think I have all my decorating, shopping, and gift wrapping done before Thanksgiving.

I do have a system, but I rarely do anything related to Christmas until early December. In fact, sometimes I even wait until December 14th to do my shopping. I kick into hyper-drive, get organized and get it done.

I haven’t always used a system. In the past, I got caught up in the spirit of the season and blew my budget. It happened year after year. Continue reading →

Five Easy Methods to Stretch the Space in Your Mid-Century Closet

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I spent my adolescence and teen years in a 1950’s ranch style home. My husband and I have owned a 1940’s bungalow, a 1960’s ranch and currently live in a 1970’s bi-level home.

All these homes had one thing in common.

The closets contained only a single shelf and rod that stretched along the back wall.

That was it. A shelf and a rod.

The shelves were about six feet from the floor. A few homes built in the 1960’s and 1970’s had small walk-in closets. These walk-ins usually had a shelf and a rod along two side walls.

A rod positioned sixty-eight to seventy-two inches from the floor was and still is the optimal height for dresses and overcoats. Today, our needs are a lot different. We have a more complicated array of garments to store. There are short tops, jackets, skirts and pants in every length.

Hanging these clothes on that single rod results in wasted space below the  clothes.

What can you do?

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