In theory, it would
be great to live in an
uncluttered, minimal space
worthy of a design magazine.
But—sorry Marie Kondo—in real-
ity, our houses more often look
like a category 5 tornado just
blew through. “In terms of orga-
nization, paperwork is the crux
of the problem,” says Mylène
Houle Morency, a member of
Professional Organizers in Can-
ada. “If you don’t have a good
system in place, all those papers
will quickly take over.”
In the entryway console, all over
the kitchen island, on the dining
room table...Any horizontal sur-
face can become your random
bits and bobs’ new resting place.
The good news? Even if no one
in your family has a particular
penchant for paper manage-
ment, we’re here to help you
learn how to take control of your
filing situation with a few smart
solutions and the proper tools.
2
THE MURAL
SYSTEMWHAT: A file folder with pock-
ets that can attach to the wall.
WHY: To find important things
easily. Each week, set an alarm
on your phone to remind you
to deal with everything. This
way you’ll avoid unpaid bills or
important documents getting
misplaced all over the house.3
THE COMMAND
CENTREWHAT: A whole wall or sec-
tion of a wall with push pins
and cork, a dry-erase board or
chalkboard paint that becomes
the epicentre of household
information.
WHY: To mark important dates
on a paper calendar, write down
the week’s events with chalk or
create visual reminders and list
things to do. You can even add
animated notes.1
WHAT: An inch-and-a-half-
wide binder, with dividers, that
stays in the kitchen, where it’s
visible but out of the way.
WHY: To keep information
that might be needed on a daily,
weekly or monthly basis so
that it’s handy for everyone to
access. Adapt this binder for
the specific needs of your
family and do a cleanup once
or twice a year, such as right
before school starts. Include
the following:
Quick references. Birthday
party invitations, restaurant
takeout menus, emergency
contacts, Wi-Fi codes and
important passwords.
Grocery lists. What’s for din-
ner? The age-old question gets
sorted. Keep track of what
you ate last week, grocery lists,
family favourites, new recipes
to try, things you need to buy.
School. Calendars, information
about special activities, days
off, class phone numbers, per-
mission forms, cheque books,
envelopes and stamps.
Contacts. Doctors, the dentist,
veterinarian, hairdresser, baby-
sitter, kid’s friends, neighbours,
dog walker.
Maintenance. Snow removal
services, landscaper, pool
cleaner, electrician. Include
the last bill or contract for
reference but nothing more.THE FAMILY BINDER
“Paperwork is the
crux of the (organiza-
tion) problem...if you
don’t have a good
system in place, all
those papers will
quickly take over.”CANADIAN LIVING SEPTEMBER 2019 | 47