This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fellowes Brands for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
I’m excited to start a new series on the blog about Clearing Clutter & Keeping It That Way.
Today, we’re talking about paper. For some of you, this might not be a battle, but for my family, it is a HUGE area of clearing clutter that we have to address. Especially as we are trying to make more space in our home as we near the holidays! From important documents, daily junk mail, & lots of holiday cards, it can be easy to get cluttered and overwhelmed by paper during this time of year. That’s why I’m thrilled to be teaming up with our Happily Ever Mom sponsor, Fellowes, because they know how important it is not only to clear the paper clutter, but how important it is to do it safely as well.
I think I’ve always been destined to be a pile maker.
My Dad’s a pile maker, my husband can be a bit of a pile maker, and I find it is the easiest way to deal with papers when I’m rushed or overwhelmed (which, let’s be honest, is often…*runs and hides*).
Not sure what a pile maker is?
It’s someone who stacks papers all over the house.
You know, you get a few magazines in the mail, so you make a pile.
Then, you get a few bills, so you make a pile.
Somehow it feels slightly organized, but let me tell you, it’s not.
Why Piling Doesn’t Work Long Term
I justify being a pile maker as slightly organized because I know exactly which paper is in which stack, but the problem is that nobody else in the house knows where those paper are.
So, you become the only person who can find a certain slip of paper.
You are the only person who can organize and go through the papers.
You are the reason there is clutter and no one else can do anything about it.
The goal of our clearing clutter and keeping it that way series is to create a space that everyone in the family can navigate, instead of just one individual.
In the upcoming days, we’ll explore what is at the core of our Clearing out Clutter and Keeping it that way series, but for now, I’m sharing a little adaptation for paper mess.
I am using 4 simple steps to not only clear clutter, but to keep it organized throughout the week and guess what…It’s WORKING!!
These four words are slightly changed for our topic today, but it still is easy to remember and very similar to the original with just two simple word changes…
So, here’s how you do it.
CLEAR. Gather all of the papers that are cluttering a space and take them to another place for step two. Note: This doesn’t mean going through all of the things that are in the space (see picture), but rather taking all of the papers FIRST and getting them out of that space!
SORT. Sort papers into two piles ~ shred & file.
CUT. Use your shredder to get rid of the shred pile.
We love our Fellowes 79Ci Shredder for this job.
The Features We Love About the Fellowes 79Ci Shredder
- Firstly, it simplifies our paper piling problem because we all know (including my eldest child) to go straight to the shredder when we have a pile of papers to go through. It has a patented 100% Jam Proof System that eliminates paper jams which saves our family frustration and time.
- Not only that but the Heavy-duty Cross-Cut blades that can handle up to 16 sheets of paper per pass in addition to staples, paper clips, credit cards, junk mail and CDs!! I just tried my newspaper coupons folded in half and it worked like a charm!
- It also has a an extended 20 minute run time for increased productivity, so you can everything shredded in one sitting. Plus, an Energy Savings System that maximizes shredder energy efficiency 100% of the time – both in use and out of use. I love that I don’t have to think about unplugging it all of the time.
- Plus, with the holidays being just around the corner, it’s the perfect gift to ask for to start decluttering. The Fellowes 79Ci is an investment into our clutter-free life style long term. You can find Fellowes 79Ci available on Amazon and Office Superstores for a suggested retail of $239.99.
Since paper is always going to be coming in and out of our home for years, we wanted a shredder that we knew would last and that has patented technology that automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening! With young kids in the house, that was non-negotiable for us. (note: our kids do NOT operate the shredder)
REPLACE. File papers from your other stack. (this may include putting magazines on a magazine rack, but remember that all papers need to have a home!).
This isn’t a system, it’s a method. It’s what you do when papers start piling in your house or what you do when you bring a stack of papers into your home. If everyone in your house uses the same method, then you will be able to maintain your clutter free home!
By focusing on this method before the holidays, you’ll be ready to embrace the New Year and enjoy your clutter-free home without a New Years Resolution!
Stay tuned for Day 2 of our Clearing Clutter & Keeping it that Way Series where we will explore how Hot Spots are the key to keeping your home cleared of clutter.
Tristen says
Love this! We need to get a new shredder (ours is too itty bitty to do any good. ps – your brother is a pile maker, too. 😉
Katie Joiner says
Yes! We also paid for a super cheap shredder and it never worked well enough. If you can swing it, investing in this shredder is *definitely* worth it!!