Now What Baby: Organize

Showing posts with label Organize. Show all posts

2.03.2010

Switching purses has never been so simple!

I'm not sure what it is about purses (or jeans) but they have this power over me. I can't seem to ever have enough. My purse collection is staggering and sadly I rarely use most of them. They are neglected not because of dislike but because it is such a pain to move the contents from one purse to another. Unless I have extra time to kill in the mornings (unheard of) then I will go rushing out the door with my current (and probably mis-matched) bag. Enter my handbag hero - the PouchMiss. This is such a simple but genius idea. I think of it as my purse's undergarment. It has 14 pockets built in to this insanely helpful organizer. This is the perfect way to convert any handbag into a diaper bag. You don't have to carry two bags or to tote something decorated with Winnie the Pooh. I love how it organizes the contents of my purse in a way that I can actually find what I am looking for - it has a spot for pens, baby bottles (or water bottles), and comes complete with a matching changing pad that has a clear sleeve built in for a spare diaper. Using the PouchMiss will also protect your pricey handbags from getting covered in spills. When the PouchMiss gets dirty you can just pull it out and wash/dry it. Too easy! There are so many pluses to having one of these helpful products but my favorite is that when I want to change my handbag - I just pull out the PouchMiss from my current bag and place it inside my new bag. It's so quick that I've been able to bring my bags out of hiding and enjoy them all! New moms - this is a great alternative to an expensive diaper bag. The PouchMiss is only $40 and it is so worth it. You can order one online here!

11.23.2009

Cosmetic organization anyone can use

Although this isn't your typical stocking stuffer, it is something I am sure the recipient will use. They'll definitely use it a whole lot more than the goofy pair of socks you were planning on putting in their stocking. Magnapods are magnetic plastic cosmetic organizers that will work wonders on your medicine cabinet. You can't really store lipstick, q-tips, makeup brushes, even mascara easily in a medicine cabinet. They roll and they take up way to much space when you have to lay them flat. Magnapods allow you to contain your cosmetics in an upright easy to locate way. You can even purchase them with fixed dividers or with adjustable dividers. It makes getting ready easier and the search for your mascara greatly abbreviated. You can also get a magnetic toothbrush holder. I am loving this invention - it makes your toothbrush easy to locate and keeps it out of the sink area. I hate that we store our toothbrushes right next to the place we wash our dirty hands and groom ourselves. Surely some of that gunk winds up on our vulnerable toothbrush. You can keep it stored away with the magnapod.

Wrap it up: Please let me find some of these in my stocking instead of tons of candy. I love candy, yes, but it would be much better for my figure and my organizational skills if we went with something different this year.
Price Tag: $3.99+
Where to buy: Magnapods

11.17.2009

Rag & Bone

Rag & Bone Bindery has something for everyone this holiday season. All of their creations are well-designed and beautiful. Although it wasn't easy I narrowed their fab selection down to my 2 top gift picks from Rag & Bone Bindery. I absolutely LOVE their Twelve Wishes for Baby. The handmade book is so cute and destined to become truly treasured by the recipient (especially after they can read). This unique book has 12 simple ]fill-in-the blank pages that give you the perfect ideas for memorable & meaningful notes to a baby. For example - "My wish for you..." and "A Special Place I hope you'll visit.." I love the idea of having different family members fill out the various pages. It also has spots to add your photos and to list your 5 simple rules/advice for beginning life's journey. It is a touching gift. I would give it to a new mom, expectant mother, or create one for your new baby. Trust me - they will appreciate it later!

My second top pick is the Day Planner. It is so far from the boring leather planner. It looks chic and sophisticated. There are so many cover options and I can't find a single one that isn't gorgeous! It's a beautiful way to stay organized and a calendar I am more than happy to pull out of my handbag. You can also customize the planner to your own needs by picking out some of their add-ons. They have business card pages, blank tabs, daily expense pages, to-do pages, and even a clear zip envelope. I love the simple elegance of this handmade planner and I have a feeling most woman would too!

Wrap it up: If you are buying the day planner - try packaging it with a nice set of pretty pens. Their is just something about a new planner that makes you so eager to write! As for the 12 Wishes for Baby, your words inside are plenty!
Price Tag: $29 for 12 Wishes for Baby, $39 for the Day Planner
Where to Buy: Rag & Bone Bindery

9.15.2009

1-2-3.... Get Organized!

I firmly believe that organization is the key to maintaining your sanity as a mother. However, believing it and achieving it are two different things. I strive to keep things organized in our lives but I tend to fall short and sometimes get so overwhelmed I don't even know where to begin. The 1-2-3... Get Organized Collection is perfect for someone like me because it makes a daunting task seem possible and it simplifies it into 3 steps. I love that each book only contains one organizational goal and that it only takes 3 steps to cross it off your list. Most mothers I know (myself included) don't have time to read a long book about how to get organized - so it's nice to find something without the fluff that gets straight to the point! You can order titles from the 1-2-3... Get Organized collection or you can download them. Some of my favorite titles are Three Steps to Decluttering, Three Steps to Organizing your Child's Room, and Three Steps to Time Management for the Stay At Home Mom. You can view the full collection and order online by clicking here - get started on organization today!

9.14.2009

Straight from the Tooth Fairy's Office

When your child loses their first teeth and the Tooth Fairy comes to visit it is milestone that you don't want to forget. The Official Tooth Fairy kit does double duty by giving you both an adorable way to preserve the moment and making it all the more exciting for your child. Inside the kit you get one "official" letterpress certificate of filing and a reusable silkscreened cloth deposit bag. When your child loses their first tooth you fill out the certificate of filing. It has a place to record name, age, tooth lost, how it was lost, and even the compensation information. When it comes time for bed your child places the form with their tooth in the attached envelope into their deposit bag and then puts it under their pillow. The Tooth Fairy will then come collect their certificate and place the compensation in their deposit bag. How cute is this!?! I love that you have a beautiful certificate that is perfect for treasuring in the years to come....of course your child can't see you have it until they are in their teens but they will really love the trip down memory lane one day. It would be so sweet in a frame or scrapbook. You could always tell your child once they lose all their baby teeth the Tooth Fairy sends your records back along with the first tooth lost. You can get your own Official Tooth Fairy Kit for only $16 by visiting the Office of the Tooth Fairy to purchase.

9.11.2009

Qlubb

Just in time for the new school year is a very handy site for staying organized. Qlubb is a great resource for all types of groups to stay organized from PTA to sports teams. I found it to be a great asset when it comes to my son's preschool. They are frequently having parties or special events and with the help of Qlubb there is an easy to manage sign up sheet instead of a thousand reply all emails. Qlubb is free to use and includes helpful features like a shared group calendar, group invites, automatic task/event reminders, dedicated url, and even allows for photo sharing. So now when another mother takes a wonderful picture of my son at preschool she can post it on Qlubb and I can easily see a photo I would have never had access to before. If there is any group in your life that you are struggling to manage this is the site for you

. Recently Qlubb partnered with Citizen Pip. Take a moment to check out one of their really cool eco-friendly lunch systems. Trust me on this one - you want this lunch box set. It comes complete with an adorable insulated lunch box with a cute nametag, a stainless steel water bottle, 4 bpa free airtight food containers, and 5 100% cotton napkins. If my son doesn't use his - it is so mine! I love the airtight food containers - they are perfect for his grapes and keeping crumbs and pbj smears out of his lunchbox.

9.09.2009

Muvee

I make a lot of movies. Between the video reviews and my love of home movies I have played with lots of editing software. Muvee Reveal is the best that I have discovered when it comes to quality looking videos with minimal work on your side. You just add your photos and videos, select the style you would like, add music, and then let Muvee Reveal do the rest. It will fit your content to your song and even make it move to the beat. In addition to being able to make a movie quick & easy the program will also let you fine tune it. You can make clips to get rid of what you don't want in your video, add captions, personalize the title & credits, even add a voice over to your movie so you can be the narrator. Once you start playing with the program it becomes very addicting. Novice movie makers this is so user friendly! It will even let you save it in the format for your ipod, psp, burning to DVD, or sharing online in your own private album. Below is a video I made of a recent trip to the zoo using Muvee Reveal. It took me only 10 minutes! You can download a free 15 day trail to see what it's all about and start making your own muvees.

6.17.2009

The Paper Princess

I love the style of vintage items. I like the classic, elegant feel they have to them. The Paper Princess is a vintage inspired paperie filled with all types of goodies that are sure to have people asking where did you find that. You can purchase bookplates, calling cards, beautiful cards, gift tags, and even calendars. I am utterly amazed at the creativity and the hard worker of the shop's owner. A fellow mother of three with a day job - you have to marvel at her ability to multitask!

Although it's hard to pick my favorite items though are the custom rubber stamps.

You have the option of creating a stamp for pretty much any occasion from new baby to wedding. I love the Custom Created By Stamps! My son is always bringing home various pieces of artwork from school and this makes organizing them so much easier. You just stamp the back and add the date. Voila - you have an easy way to keep track of who created what (unfortunately after a while

they all start to look kind of similar) and when.

Another must have stamp for my family are the Custom Bookplate Stamps. We have a huge collection of books. It can be hard to keep up with all of them and it seems like they are constantly being loaned out. I love having an easy way to showcase the books that belong to our family. It is great when Connor takes books to school or friends homes. I also just love the way it looks and get some strange pleasure out of stamping the inside of a new book. I had a field day stamping all of our books when the stamp first arrived. It made me feel like we have our own library. Very unique and one of a kind. Take a moment to visit The Paper Princess and I am pretty certain you will discover some vintage inspired gem that you must have. All of the items are adorable and they are also very affordable!

4.30.2009

Scanalog

Almost every girl I know does it. We tear, rip, and clip articles that we like out of magazines. I used to try to organize mine into notebooks but the notebooks kept getting bigger and the process became overwhelming. With the help of an innovative program called Scanalog my clippings are neatly organized and easy to find. Scanalog allows you to scan in whatever you want and then store it in an organized manner. The program has been divided into categories like decorating, travel, and family. You can divide it from there into eve

n more subcategories and attach keywords to each clipping you scan. You will no longer be frantically searching for that parenting article about bed wetting or celebrity hairstyle you want your stylist to give you.

In addition to the helpful way it allows you to store your clippings it also has some bonus features that have become very addicting to me. There is a section that you can record your books in - whether it be a wish list of books you want to read one day or a list of the books you have read - it could even be both. I am constantly running across books that I am dying to read and

then I forget the titles. If you enter them into your Scanalog then you will know right where to find them when you finally have a free moment to catch up on your reading. A similar section for entering catalog info is included as part of your Scanalog. Instead of holding on to bulky catalogs you can enter the item number and the catalog it came from - then when you have some extra spending money or a bday comes up you can find your wishlist in one tidy location.

Perhaps my favorite surprise feature with Scanalog is the journal. I haven't kept a journal since middle school but now that I have this easy to update computer version I have become addicted. I use it to not only jot down thoughts from my day but also to right down memories that pop into my head. It is a great way to record your children's milestones or that silly thing they just did. I love the idea of going back to this as I get older and reading what happened the year before on that same date.

An organized life is a much happier life where I am concerned. I am very thankful to the inventive mother behind Scanalog for giving me a very helpful organizational tool and for freeing me of a great deal of paper.

4.15.2009

Carrie & Tuck

Mom's are busy. Our schedules are frantic and we rarely have a moment to ourselves. Organization is our weapon. The Carrie & Tuck by Boatman Geller is an excellent way to stay organized. It smartly stows everything you need to take notes, write notes, and keep up with addresses. Everything is in one place and it zips up for easy carry & storage. The Carrie & Tuck comes with a notepad on a clipboard, 5 folded notes + envelopes, 5 flat cards + envelopes, a pen, address sheet, and 5 extra envelopes that your notebook paper folds into perfectly. All you need to do is stash some stamps in there and you are good to go. My advice would be to put any note or letter that you need to reply to into your Carrie & Tuck. Then when you have a single free moment open it up and reply to everything at once. The carpool lane is a wonderful place for that or when you are stuck in a waiting room. It's also a wonderful product for the frequent traveler!

Everything is organized, ready to go, and you have some super chic stationary to boot! When you order your Carrie & Tuck it comes completely stocked and ready to go. After you have used up the contents you can order new stationary from their collection and it is ready to re-load. They have tons of fabulous options to choose from and you can pick the re-fill pack that suits your personality! The Carrie & Tuck is about to be given to lots of celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Gwen Stefani, and Jennifer Garner. Pretty cool to think you can be using the same stationary as those famous mamas! You can save 15% off any item from Boatman Geller and Carrie & Tuck by using the code BGCT15. You can also win your own Carrie & Tuck in pink! To enter to win visit the Carrie & Tuck website and then fill out the form below. The deadline to enter is May 15th at midnight EST.

4.13.2009

KangaRoom Storage

KangaRoom Storage is filled with creative and cute was to organize your world. Organization is the best way for me to stay sane. If everything is in it's place and there are lists all over the place than nothing will be forgotten or lost. I am loving the Joey & Jane Days of the Week organizer. It has helped save my sanity many a morning. On preschool days we are a hot mess at our house. Somehow getting out the door by 8:45 is like rocket science for us. I'm sure most normal parents would hang this helpful organizer in their child's closet but we have ours in my closet. When I do the laundry I separate out 5 outfits and then place them in the organizer. Now Connor can get dressed while I'm getting dressed. This works much better than me running into his room and helping him while I'm trying to get ready. We kill two birds with one stone. Plus dad can help too! The Days of the Week organizer comes with days of the week & activity labels (also some blank labels too). The versatility & easy to change out labels will let it continue to grow with your family. It would serve so many purposes. You can organize after school activity materials, craft supplies, or you have a cubby for each member of the family to store items they need to grab on the way out the door. It easily velcros around a closet rod and it is really durable.

Another favorite of mine from KangaRoom Storage is the Sorting Hamper. This makes laundry so much easier because it lets your kids do some of the work. You can use it to teach your child to sort whites & colors or you could use one side for each child. The two windows on the front are easy to slide in labels for whatever you prefer. It's just the right height for your little ones to reach and the sturdy design also folds up for easy storage. It collapses so small that I will actually take it with us when we travel. My favorite aspect is the way the mesh bags inside of the hamper velcro in place. When one side is full you can easily remove it and tote it to the laundry room without moving the hamper. I really like the way it lets your children get involved in the work and it's cute to boot!

The prices are right and the selection is awesome! Visit KangaRoom Storage to find some creative and adorable solutions for organizing your child's spaces and it's not just for kids -they also have a large selection of ideas for organizing your stuff as well!

4.08.2009

Fabulous Stationary

How chic is the new calling card of Now What Baby that you see to the left? I am loving the modern & stylish designs available at Fabulous Stationery. You can choose from tons of options and then customize your card right down to the colors. The whole process is quick & simple. Your cards arrive promptly and the quality is impressive. Fabulous Stationery offers not just calling cards but also

some really cool personal notes. My favorite is the mini notes. You can customize your notes to say anything making them perfect for so many different uses. Perhaps you would use yours for party place cards, change of address, sweet notes, or save-the-dates. I would simply place my last name on them & our phone number. Then I would use them to write the little notes I have to send to my son's teachers or the other various times I need to send a note to someone. I like how personal they are and the simplicity of having them ready to go. Fabulous Stationery is the perfect destination to create customized stationery that is stylish, hip, elegant, and high quality.

You can win a $50 gift certificate to Fabulous Stationery. To enter to win visit Fabulous Stationery and then fill out the form below. The deadline to enter is May 8th at midnight.

3.13.2009

Stay-Put Purse Hook

Tired of looking at the contents of your purse flying onto the floor? It seems like every time I hit the breaks my purse falls forward out of my seat and I am left searching blindly for my cell phone and discovering my favorite lip stick under the seat 6 months later. The Stay-Put Purse Hook is such a simple and genius idea! It just slides up under the headrest of your passenger seat and then gives you a handy hook to hold your handbag.

Not only does having the Stay-Put Purse Hook keep your purse from spilling it also makes it easier for you to find the contents of your purse. It helps keep your car neater and it can also double as a bookbag holder or even a place to hook grocery bags (it will hold up to 30 lbs). Once you try it you'll be hooked. You can pick up one for yourself for only $20 here.
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3.12.2009

Closet Purse Hanger

Purses are my biggest addiction. They are right up above shoes and candy but for some reason they are the 1st thing I want to buy every time I get a little extra cash. Perhaps it's because they are they one thing that will always fit no matter what size you are or maybe it's because I have this need to carry everything along with me wherever I go.

Due to my handbag compulsion they are taking over my home. They are like little invaders into every room and closet. I just don't know how to organize or properly store them. Plus I can never find the one I really want in a rush and sometimes I flat out forget what I even have. Checkout the awesome organization I have going on in my closet above. Whenever I get one bag out I have to pull down the box and dig - it is a huge pain!

I was overjoyed when someone kindly introduced me to the ingenius creation - Closet Purse Hangers! How smart to create a hook that is designed to hold your bags. It will free up storage space in your closet, make it easy to organize & find your handbags, plus it will keep your purses in their best condition! I absolutely LOVE this product. It is so simple and smart!! Notice the huge improvement in my after photo.

I also use them in my hall closet to keep the purse I am currently using at easy reach and out of the grasp of my kids. I have a few extras in therefor when my friends come over as well. I always hate how purses pile up when guests are over and there never seems to be a good place to put them. This way they are neatly organized and we don't have to worry about Connor eating all of their gum. You can get a pack of 10 Closet Purse Hangers for only $20!

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2.05.2009

You can be a Smart Shopper

I've inherited a gadget obsession from my father. I pretty much love anything that requires charging or batteries (except loud & flashing toys). The best types of gadgets are the ones that take an annoying daily task or problem and find a way to make it easier and sometimes even fun. Gadgets like that are hard to find. The Smart Shopper is one of those helpful gadgets. It's a kind of like having your own personal note taker. The Smart Shopper will keep up with your shopping list and even print it out for you - it's an electronic grocery list.

Basically you push the record button and say the item you want to add to your shopping list. The item will pop up on the screen and you press select to add that item. It has a database of 2500 preloaded items so chances are good that it will recognize the item you want to add. Although if you are like my husband and the first thing you want to add to the list is "ass" you won't find it in the database. This one wasn't designed to indulge the maturity level of some grown men. Much to his delight he realized that he can program any custom item into the Smart Shopper that he desires. Sadly for him no matter how many times the shopping list says "ass" -Chances are pretty slim I'm bringing that back in a plastic sack from the aisle 9. Yet he can't resist adding it when he thinks I'm not looking.

This is why I love the Smart Shopper: I always remember to pick up what I need from the store and it is easy for the whole family to use. Keeping a running list that everyone knows to add to can be tricky. I have tried the magnetic notepads on the fridge but they have the strangest ability to vanish. With the Smart Shopper they all know where the master list is and it's pretty unlikely to become someone's doodle pad when I'm not looking. So now when they need something from the store they just hit record and say the word. When it comes time for me or hubby to go shopping - we just hit print and our list comes out. Even more helpful - it is organized by categories to keep you from going from one end of the store and back again.

It has built in magnets to make it stick to your fridge or you can adhere it to a wall. It will also let you add your errands to the list like dry cleaning or the bank. When you print it out your errands will be at the top of the list. The printer requires no ink cartridges to work and it comes with 3 rolls of printing paper. When you run out you can easily order more from Smart Shopper USA.

I just can't sing the praises of the Smart Shopper enough. I no longer go to the grocery store and scratch my head thinking I know I'm forgetting something. My husband has no excuse for not having something he wants because he knows he just has to push record and say it and then I will pick it up (within reason). When I use the last of the milk I instantly add it to the Smart Shopper instead of making a mental note to pick up milk. I forget so many of my mental notes. Organization is such an asset to a mother's life and the Smart Shopper will help keep you organized. Visit Smart Shopper USA to see a demo of it in use but I promise you it is so simple that any reading child could use it and hopefully they will use it to remind you about the snack they need to bring to school next Friday or the poster board they need for their upcoming project.

2.02.2009

Do you have a calling card?

HauteMammas.com is the spot for chic when it comes to getting personalized stationery. Always meeting other moms but forgetting to exchange info? The Calling Cards are such a perfect option to make sure you don't miss out on staying connected with your little one's future BFF. I love the ready to go babysitter and permission pads. These keep you prepared in a time crunch and they do fashionably. You can check out the full selection by visiting Haute Mammas.com and give your stationery the face lift it deserves!

1.30.2009

Label Daddy

As a mom, organization is my ally. When I enter the battlefield called motherhood - teaming up with organization can be a huge help. Corny analogy (I know), but there is a lot of truth to my cheesy statement. If I don't stay organized the whole unit can fall apart (sorry, just thought I might as well keep running with it!). Label Daddy can help you keep things more organized! All of their adorable labels are microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and washer/dryer safe. Basically they are pretty indestructible.

Creating your labels is both simple & fun. Look at the label I created above - they even have a cupcake icon. I love anything cupcake! You might be thinking why should I label everything? I know who it belongs to. I have a few really good reasons why. In regards to children's clothing - they will leave it everywhere. Trust me on that. They will leave it on playdates, at restuarants, at preschool, even grandmas house - the labels make it easier to ensure that it comes back to you. Another reason to use these labels is for the laundry. My husband (while it is really sweet that he tries to help with the laundry) struggles deciphering a 3 year old and a 5 month old's clothing - thus I wind up looking all over both rooms for Connor's favorite tee. The labels are a big help to him. Here's a fun laundry idea (ok - I do know there is no such thing as fun & laudry for an adult) - have your preschooler or toddler sort the clothing by owner (this would be impossible without color coded labels) and then when it comes time to fold you can take each separate pile into the appropriate room. I'm not sure why but this does not seem like work to my 3 year old - he thinks it is a game and I will take whatever help I can get with a side of knowing he's not up to anything mischievous.

You can label toys - great for resolving fights between siblings and for keeping track of toys at playdates. It should also help stop that lying friend of your child that keeps trying to tell you that shiny new choo choo belongs to him. You can label sporting equipment (because most bats, balls, pads, and gloves look alike) and you can even label shoes. I like the label's for sippy cups and spoons because those always seem to get lost at school. This makes them easy to recognize by your toddler and his teacher. Have a child with an allergy? You can get labels stating allergy warnings and use them on your child's lunch to help avoid any confusion. Label Daddy also has cool items like picture stickers and address labels.

The prices are reasonable. The labels are adorable & custom to your desires. Best of all, these labels are tough and have yet to wear out on me. Check out Label Daddy to find the labels you need to aid in your fight to get organized. Maybe you will actually be able to make a sippy cup last a full week at preschool!

12.04.2008

Have your storage & play with it too!

I am totally in love with the creative products from Zip Bin. They have cleverly created toys that double as storage. All toys should be made this way. My kid's playroom would be so organized. It also makes taking toys with you a breeze. Basically, you can zip up the Zip Bin to form an object that can be used for storing/toting your toys and then when you unzip the Zip Bin it becomes a fun playing surface. They have so many fun options to choose from. I really like the ZipBin Racer Softie you see above. It has become our go-to spend the night bag. It's light enough for my 3 year old to tote and roomy enough to store a teddy bear & a change of clothing. It also has two storage slots on the inside for his favorite cars. When he gets to Grandma's House he can unzip it and have a fun place to drive his cars. Storage & playtime - Ingenious!

The ZipBin Country Stable Softie is just right for the horse lover in your family. I love that you can unzip the roof without unzipping the entire stable - so you could use it as a playmat or as a stable while you play. I can see this adorable country stable carried around by little girls and stuffed to the brim with my little ponies.

The ZipBin Dinosaur is great for any dino lover in your life. Its also really easy to zip up and tote along all your little one's extinct friends. Plus it keeps everything organized and quick to locate. ZipBin has so many fun options to choose from like a Fairy Castle, Train Depot, and even a Farm. This is a gift that will make mom happy too - I know storage & organization is a luxury in my home! Visit ZipBin today to pick up one & also check out the video below to see it in use.

Stocking Stuffer + Giveaway - Jimmy Pickles

True story - after I gave birth to my first child I lost my keys 2 times in the same week. Pretty impressive huh? The crazy part about it is that I lost them when my husband was driving the car. I unlocked the doors and put my keys on top of the car while I buckled my baby in - then - oops - I forgot about them. Since my husband has his own set of keys we drove off with mine on the top of the car. It took me doing this twice to realize how I was losing the keys. After the birth of my second child - I locked myself out of both my house and my car with a newborn in my arms during the rush to pickup my 3 year old at preschool. My hands are always so full that I leave keys in places I shouldn't. This is why I think the Wristlet Keychain from Jimmy Pickles is a must-have sanity saving product!!! Since I have gotten one I have not misplaced my keys even one time.

The concept is simple - it is exactly what it sounds like - a keychain you wear on your wrist. However, the Wristlet Keychain it is done in a way that looks stylish and is very easy to use. I love using this because I can run errands with it on my wrist and not have to dig through my bag to find my keys after each stop. I have both hands free to buckle my kids in the car and no longer accidentally drop my keys in between the seats in the process. There are so many fabric options to choose from at Jimmy Pickles. It seriously took me almost thirty minutes to decide on my favorite. This would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone who has a set of keys!

Lucky for you - Jimmy Pickles is giving away 2 Wristlet Keychains to two lucky readers. In order to enter visit Jimmy Pickles and comment back with your favorite Wristlet Keychain design - take your time because if you win this is the one you will receive! The deadline to enter is December 15th at midnight. You can DOUBLE your winning chances by subscribing to Now What Baby. Already a subscriber? Just remind me in your comment!

11.21.2008

Keep it Neat!

It has finally happened for me. I have spent years trying to come up with an organized way to keep up with my receipts and now someone has created the perfect solution! I had pretty much given up all hope of keeping up with my receipts before I stumbled upon Neat Receipts. This is the coolest gadget! Basically it is a tiny, lightweight, very portable scanner with some incredibly useful software. The installation is quick, easy, and once you have installed the software you are ready to get organized. No more boxes or folders overflowing with receipts, no more lost recipes, and no more missing business cards!

You simply attach the scanner to your computer with the USB cord and open the Neatworks software (included w/ Neat Receipts). Then click scan. Your document, receipt, or business card will be pulled into the appropriate inbox and the you can file it however you would like. Not only does this eliminate the paper pileup and make it fast to find the item in question, but it automatically pulls the majority of the information into the file for you. It will find the price, the date, the retailer, etc.. and with your business cards it pulls in the number, name, address, email, and so on.

I could go on forever about how much this has improved my organization. I keep a box on my desk that I fill with items to scan and then once a week I add them all to my database and recycle the paper. I can find the receipts I need at tax time. I can remember where that Old Navy receipt went when I realize Connor outgrew a shirt before he wore it. I can easily track where my family is spending our money and find a way to eliminate the wasteful spending. I can find that business card a friend gave me for carpet cleaning when I discover Connor has decided to try paint by numbers on my living room carpet. I can search through all of my recipes by categories or by the only ingredients I currently have in my fridge. You can even create PDF files with just the receipts you select and send it to whomever (like your accountant). I LOVE this product!

One more thing that Neat Receipts has been very helpful with is organizing my project notebooks. Over the years every time I come across a craft project, an outfit I like, makeup advice, how-to on decorating, recipes, article of interest, and so on - I pull them out and file them in these massive notebooks. Unfortunately, when I am trying to find something it is next to impossible. Now I scan them into the Neat Receipts Document section and place my clippings into neatly organized folders. When I want to look up the Halloween costume ideas & crafts that I have collected - I just search for Halloween and it appears - nice and organized. I really can't sing the praises enough! I think that Neat Receipts is the kind of gift that someone will use and appreciate on a daily basis. Visit Neat Receipts to pick up one for yourself & someone special on your shopping list!

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