A Work at Home Mom’s Blog

If you’re familiar with the name Peter Walsh, you know that he’s this major organization guru. He’s been on Clean Sweep and Oprah, and he has written several books geared toward the organizationally challenged (like myself). So when I was invited to try out samples from his new line of office supplies from OfficeMax and get in on a sneak preview webcast about them, I was stoked.

The Products

I got my goodies last week. They included Peter’s [IN]PLACE System Organization Kit (see the photo below), as well as some very cool stuff from other OfficeMax brands. And I just love it all!

There are a few things, though, that I’m just absolutely drooling over. Here’s a summary:

• The components of the [IN]PLACE System are made of clear plastic. To me, this is truly a stroke of genius. It makes it easy to see what’s in them at a glance, without having to dig through everything. And they’re nice and durable, so you don’t have to worry about them tearing like most file folders and such.
• The file tote is awesome! So simple, yet so functional. It can hold all of the folders, document sleeves and document envelopes, and much, much more. And it has retractable handles, making storage so much easier.
• The erasable marker just completely blew my mind. Before you go thinking I’m easily amused, allow me to explain. It’s not your average erasable marker. It’s permanent. That means it won’t smudge when you write on the plastic stuff. And yet you can still erase it using the other end of the marker. This simple little innovation makes it possible to use those durable folders over and over and over and… you get the idea.
• The clip tabs are so much easier to use than your usual folder tabs. There’s no wrestling with tiny pieces of paper and counting slots for correct placement. You can simply write on them with the marker and clip them wherever you like. Such a time saver!
• The stuff from OfficeMax’s DiVoga line is functional and beautiful. It turns the notion of office supplies being boring on its head! There are brightly colored and patterned folders, stylish journals, funky paper clips and more.

The Webcast

The bad news is that I faced a deluge of interruptions during the webcast. I thought I would be home alone with ample peace and quiet when it aired, but boy, was I wrong. Hubbs got rained out of work, and Pumpkin had to leave school early because she was sick. Hubbs was gone but just had to call while I was watching, and Pumpkin decided she had to have a snack (and some extra attention). Oh, and our former neighbor who calls once in a blue moon decided to call and talk my ear off right before it started. Must learn to turn the phone off during such occasions. Daughter always comes first, but I suppose I could have offered snacks beforehand and made it more clear that I was busy.

But despite all of that, I managed to watch most of it live. And the little bit I missed I caught this evening, because they were thoughtful enough to record it. And I learned a few things.

The first thing that hit home for me was Peter’s rule that when you can’t see a flat surface, you need to take action. Common sense, I know, but I’m the world’s worst for losing my desk. It seems to disappear for weeks at a time, and when I finally find it, it manages to hide again within a few days.

He also pointed out that his Post-It wallet was great for labeling files. It comes with several different colors of notes, and they’re the “Super Sticky” kind so you don’t have to worry about losing them. That makes color coding ridiculously easy without having to spring for folders in every shade of the rainbow.

Final Thoughts

One thing I didn’t get and am dying for is the desktop sorter. It’s stepped to make everything nice and visible, and you can add and remove dividers to accommodate files of any size. If I had one of those, maybe I could finally get my bills organized.

Most of my work files are on my computer, so for now I’ll probably be using the system for bills and other home stuff. But I can definitely see it coming in handy when I start getting new clients and working on new projects for myself. Clutter is not good for my ADD, so maybe it will even help me become more productive. At least I know that I can easily switch everything back and forth between home and work to suit my needs. And that makes me (and my wallet) very, very happy.

Guess what I just did? Give up? Well, I’ll tell you. I just finished watching a sneak preview presentation of Peter Walsh’s new [IN]PLACE organization system, which debuts at OfficeMax next week. Yes, I’m talking about Peter Walsh from Clean Sweep and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Cool, huh?

I’ve got to take the daughter to the doctor right this second, so all I’ll say for now is that it’s friggin’ awesome! But not to worry, I’ll be back with more details. If this stuff can help my disorganized butt, it’s something everybody needs to know about.