Welcome to week #1 of our New Year’s Organizing PRIZE Challenge. We created this challenge to get you jump started into organizing your homes this year! You can go HERE to see the introduction , grab a free calendar for the month and see all of the prizes! Our challenge will only last for 4 weeks. We encourage you to join every challenge to be entered into the grand prize drawing at the end of the 4 weeks!

THE CHALLENGE

This week we are organizing the home office or a desk area that you have in your home.
I want to challenge you to start with at least one area in your desk area or office. It could be a drawer, a shelf, your bill paying method – anything that you do that can help to move you forward in your organizing venture. I believe in small steps that move you forward in a way that will help change your habits and consequently how you organize your life and routines. Instead of showing you my whole office, I’m going to show you a couple little areas in the office and encourage you to do ‘a little something’ today and then ‘a little something’ tomorrow and so on. You’ll love the results!
My favorite organizing ‘techniques’ to use in the office are to use containers and to group similar items together. The containers keep your drawers neat and grouping similar items together saves you time and energy looking for paper clips, or paper, or the stapler.
I love clear plastic drawer organizers – visually less clutter and they have plenty of space for all the little office items.
Here’s a quick idea – kids home on break? Have them test your pens and markers and toss the dried out and empty ones. Then put your pens in a cute mug or cup on your desk. See, just a couple things will start to make a difference!

Or how about organizing your bill paying this week for the new year? Here’s a great post on how I did just that!

Ready to get started in your own home this month? Here’s how to start:

THE PROCESS

To join our week 1 challenge, follow these 5 steps:
1. ORGANIZE YOUR DESK, A DRAWER, or OFFICE space.
2. TAKE PICTURES of your organized space (you can do an after pic OR before and after pics).
3. LINK UP ON THIS BLOG POST FOR WEEK ONE (put the button on your post)  from your blog or Pinterest (by Thursday night).
4. FOLLOW the hosts of the challenge on Pinterest and Facebook (below).
5. VOTE ON THIS POST for your favorite space of the week (Friday-Sunday)

THE PRIZES

Below are the prizes for the winners of the week 1 challenge
1st PRIZE – NeatReceipts Scanner $199.95 Value
Neat® is the developer of several cloud-based Digital Filing System solutions, designed to manage personal information with ease and simplicity in order to save time and increase productivity. NeatReceipts® is a portable scanner and Digital Filing System, weighing less than a pound, making on-the-go organization a cinch. NeatReceipts also includes Neat’s unique software that identifies and extracts the important information from receipts, business cards, and documents to automatically organize it for you. All scanned and imported documents can be searched by keyword in Neat’s software so that you can find exactly what you need. Now, users have seamless access to their information from anytime, anywhere via NeatCloud and NeatMobile. We welcome you to visit our social media sites… www.facebook.com/NeatCompany and Twitter feed – @NeatCompany.

 

2nd PRIZE – $100 Gift Certificate to A Time For Everything Etsy Shop
I am passionate about people living within their means and getting out of debt, but I don’t believe a cash system of budgeting has to mean tattered paper envelopes reinforced with packing tape! I offer a variety of lovely cash envelope system wallets with the hope that each of my customers can find a product that fits her budget, appeals to her personal taste, and functionally suits her needs. My wallets and accessories are handmade by me using designer laminated cotton which is lightweight yet very durable, CPSIA compliant, and free of BPA, PVC, and phthalates. Live within your means with style!

 

3rd PRIZE – Clever Container: Sophisticated File Box
Is it a file box? Is it a handbag? It’s both! Sophisticated, practical and handy! This beautiful PVC tote comes with 4 coordinated standard letter-sized hanging file folders to fit the 26” file rods which are embedded in the core. The three interior pockets hold keys, phone, and accessories. (11½ x 14 x 6½)
Clever Container is an organizing product direct sales company committed to providing top quality, unique products and solutions to reduce the stress of an organizational task. We have products for kitchens, crafts, closets, drawers, children, storage, offices, and more. Clever Container Consultants provide organizing tips, techniques, and products to help simplify your life in a fun, relaxed setting. Consultants demonstrate the products, provide multiple uses, and share organizing tips which you can use as soon as you get home. Our motto is “It’s not just the product, it’s the process.” As a professional organizer striving to give people the most efficient and effective home, personal lives, and businesses possible, Ashley Meyer of DBL Designs Lifestyle & Small Business Consulting found the perfect partnership with Clever Container. Through Clever Container, she brings quality, affordable organizing products to her professional organizing clients.

YOUR HOSTS

Who are these fabulous organizing bloggers that are hosting? They are listed below. We would love for you to stop by each of our unique blogs and say hi.

GRAB A BUTTON

If you are joining our organizing challenge, grab a button and display it on your blog.
A Bowl Full of Lemons

RULES TO WIN

  • Organize your office or desk area – Even if it’s just a few drawers or the surface of your desk!
  • Take pictures of your finished project — Anna has great photo tips HEREto help you take the prettiest pictures!
  • Post your picture on your blog OR {if you don’t have a blog}, post them on a Pinterest Board
  • Come back to THIS post and link up your Pinterest Board using THIS POST to help you or link up your blog post.
  • On Thursday we will open up the voting, and you can send your friends here and help to vote on their favorite office or desk area!
  • There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place!

If you don’t already follow them on Facebook or Pinterest you should – you’ll be glad you did, they all have some great organizing tips!

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New here? You can go here to grab your FREE January Cleaning Calendar for 2013.

I also have a sale in the shop through January 1st if you are looking for a new, fresh start for 2013 – enter the code 25NEW for 25% off your entire order!

If you need a little help starting a cleaning routine, you’ll love my new ebook!