My Family Health Binder *Update*

Remember back in July when I posted about our family health binder?

I was finally able to make some appointments and actually fill the binder recently! I know-- quite an accomplishment. :)

The business card section is slowly growing.. 

My one doctor did not have business cards. I was so bummed because I really wanted to put it in there! Oh well. 

Now that I'm actively using the binder, I keep a pink post it on the inside front cover. This reminds me who needs what in what month/year. For example, my husband needs a physical in May 2013. 

The "Doc Info" section is filled out for me with names, phone numbers, and addresses of all my doctors. 

And now is time for my public service announcement.. 

Call your parents/family/grandparents and get their medical history!

Seriously. Please. Because I have a horrible family medical history, it's absolutely crucial to know what I'm dealing with.

You can learn so much about your family, and it opens the door for conversations that you should have before it's too late.

Okay? Here is my original post on our Family Health Binder. I encourage you to put this on your to-do list this fall!

How I Stay Organized-- My Planner

Yesterday I posted about my Home Binder and how well that works for us and I got to thinking.. maybe I should show you my planner and how I really keep organized! 

My planner is pretty much my life-- I'm not sure what I would do if something (God forbid) happened to it! I use Amy Knapp's Family Organizer. My MIL had it a few years ago and I liked that there weren't any lines in it-- I can free style. :-) Well, there are lines on the page obviously but not on specifically each day. Does that make sense? Here's a photo to help you:

I have a pretty good system that works well for me. But it doesn't matter if it works well for me because your planner system needs to work well for you!

Every Sunday I plan out the next week. Nothing too thorough, just what I know will be happening that upcoming week (Ex: laundry, workouts, bills that are due).

The right side of the planner is the week (Mon-Sun) and the left side is a giant list of to-dos. They are pretty much my weekly to-dos (not to be confused with my home binder to-dos). Some weekly to-dos for example would be-- Sew up Oreo's toy smurf, order dogs' medication, etc.

I truly recommend this planner! It's absolutely wonderful. You can read more about it here.

I'll write in my planner all throughout the day-- little reminders, notes, whatever. When something is completed I usually just check it off. If it needs to be done ASAP I highlight it. You can see I have been crazy this week from the picture above. :)

Now, my planner is not to be confused with our "family calendar" on the fridge. Ah confusing, I know!

Nathan pretty much grew up with a system like this and when he asked if we could incorporate a "family calendar" into our life, how could I say no? Love that boy! So I basically also stole this idea from my MIL. 

First-- this calendar is the calendar I talked about here that we used for our rehearsal dinner guest book. I love that all our closest friends and family members have signed it on their birthdays. More information on that here. 

Anyway, this calendar has all the information that we do as a family, or separately. For example, a doctor appointment, someone visiting, etc. Because we only have one car, it's kind of important to know what's going on ahead of time. This calendar does not have to-do lists, just stuff we're doing. Does that make sense? It's even really nice when Nathan will write in when a football game is, for example, so I won't make arrangements for us to go somewhere.  

Sometimes I write what's for dinner but I find it's just more work. Maybe I'll start incorporating that-- I know my husband would love that idea!

I have no idea why Nathan's uncle signed his name "Instructor Craig". He's a goofball!

Like I always say, this system works for us. It may not work for us in the future, but it works for now. Don't think that if you go out an buy a planner and a calendar that it's going to work for you. You have to do what is best, easiest, and most convenient for your family! I encourage you to try multiple systems before you settle with one. 

Feel free to leave your questions in the comment section below! xO

My Home Binder-- How To!

Below is some information on my home binder. It's pretty simple and easy to use because that's what works for me. If you like this idea, be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! And be sure to follow me on Pinterest.  

There is only one necessity when it comes to a home binder-- ease of use. Mine is pictured above and I always need 3 writing utensils.. a pen, pencil, and a highlighter.

My binder is from Staples and I believe it is a Martha Stewart one (just like my home filing system).

My binder looks pretty empty (and to be honest, it is) but it has a lot of important information. I have these dividers with 4 different sections-- To Do, To Buy, Household, and Misc. 

I need to start writing my goals down. Maybe I'll put that in my to-do section. :) For now, I keep track of goals in my head and here on the blog. 

I keep mine pretty organized but I do have lots of post-its on the inside of each divider with "print 5x7 of wedding photo", etc. I'll breakdown each section for you below.

To-Dos

:: This section is obviously where I put all my to-dos. From big to small, they are all listed, crossed out, highlighted, and posted in this section.

:: Some to-dos are quite simple-- write a check for a bill, and others are a bit more complicated-- set up our thrift savings account.

:: Usually, when I finish my work for the day I'll head to my home binder and try to tackle a few to-dos. Some days I'm lucky to get a few things done.. others, not so much!

To-Buys

:: This section is also quite obvious. I usually put Christmas lists for people, random items we need around the house, etc. If someone is at my house and say they've always loved our bedspread, I'll write it down. If I'm stumped for a Christmas gift, I'll at least have that post it that they liked our bedspread.

Household

:: This section is my favorite! I have my cleaning list (One day I'll have to make one so readers can download it), stain removal sheet, etc.

:: I also put anything related to house stuff in here (Ex: When to change air filter).

:: When I'm about to work on a freezer cooking day, I'll put my plan in here. I usually plan it out about a week ahead of time (so I can buy everything) and make notes in this section.

Want to make your own home binder?

:: Make sure you have a binder. It doesn't have to be huge (1-2 inches is perfect). Make sure the binder has pockets and is pretty sturdy. You'll be opening and closing it often! 

:: Dividers are completely optional but definitely help keep you organized. You can have a divider for each child, each room in your house, you can really go crazy with this. I don't keep stuff about the dogs in my home binder, that's in our home filing system.

:: Don't keep anything too personal in there just in case you lose it. Social security cards, health insurance info, and other stuff like that should be in files (or closets) in the back of your house. I like to think of a home binder as the thoughts in my head on paper. 

:: Keep it out. If you keep it away in a desk, drawer, or hidden in a closet, you won't get it out often and use it. Keep it in your kitchen or in a place where you spend a lot of time.

:: Don't write down too much. I noticed at one point I was writing down "email Jessica". In the amount of time it took me to write "email Jessica" I could have just emailed her! Please don't make yourself crazy.

*Always remember that this binder is here to make your life easier. If you're finding it's a pain or not working, change the way you're using it.

Enjoy! xO

Home Filing System *Update*

So a while back I posted about my Extremely Thorough Home Filing System (You can read Part I here and Part II here).

I mentioned that the Martha Stewart Folder I had was getting stuffed to the max, and well, it was time to upgrade.

I moved my files to a regular filing cabinet about a week ago and I'm loving it. It's nice to have them right beside my desk and not in the closet-- I don't have to get up every 36 seconds. :-)

Now I have one of these fancy cabinets on my left, and one on the right. I am loving it so far!

Nothing has changed filing-wise, so I literally grabbed everything out of the folder and moved it to the cabinet. It was an easy switch. I ended up donating the folder because I knew we wouldn't use it again. And Nathan wouldn't dare be seen with a bright blue folder.. 

You can find the filing cabinet at Staples. It was about $100 even, so a little pricey for one filing system. The cabinet has a glass top (which I'm not a fan of come cleaning Saturday), but I am getting used to it. It was super easy to set up for Nathan-- probably took 15 minutes. 

You can read more about my filing system and what works for me here. Enjoy! xO

Our Office "Remodel"

Last weekend we decided to finally get a few things for our office. You can see a few pictures of our office here. We just had so many things that needed a place to go-- picture frames, books, plants, and random office supplies. Even after we did our closet makeover, we still had stuff that needed a place.

I am so OCD (Okay, not OCD, just have OCD tendencies) that it had to be fixed soon or I would start throwing things away or build a shelf myself.

So here's how it's ended up so far..

Excuse the terrible lighting. It was pouring outside so no good natural light.

We found that funky book shelf at Target. I wanted something open and not closed in, and this was super frugal-- $90. 

Can you see my chalkboard? Yup, Nathan hung that using those Command Picture Hangers. Works like a gem. :) 

Work got me a fancy new printer/scanner/fax/copier so I have been in Heaven the past few weeks. I purchased another small filing cabinet to match my desk-- now I have one on each side. 1 for my personal files and 1 for work files. It's working OK right now, I'll post about it soon. 

You can also see my memory frames. What do you think?!

Here's a close up of our shelf. It's leans up against the wall at the top and we secured it. You can view it on Target's website here. 

I'm thinking a big nice-smelling candle on the 4th shelf, what do you think?

When we were at Home Depot Nathan insisted on this money tree. I have no idea how to care for it so if anyone has any idea, feel free to share them. 

This isn't my favorite part of the office but it will do. We usually keep the futon down so the dogs can look out, but it looks so junky sometimes! I'll get over it. It's quite cozy for them and they love to spy on people (attempting) parallel parking. 

Enjoy! xO

Closet Makeover

I wish I had a before picture for this! I know I sent one to my MIL but I cannot find it for the life of me. Oh well. The point is, this closet has improved 100%.

Before I show you the pictures, I guess you should know what this closet is used for. It's in our office, so it holds all things work related (besides my filing cabinet, planner, and home binder), my comforter bags (more info. on those here), sports stuff, and random holiday stuff. It's basically an organized mess with a bunch of randomly organized things in it.. but it works (for now).

I guess I forgot to mention I am a slight hoarder when it comes to cards. That's what the 2 black shoe boxes are holding. The pink one holds loose photos that are not framed or in albums/scrapbooks. My scrapbooking stuff is shoved in the corner, and a few games are up there, too. 

The two boxes on the right are filled with holiday stuff. This is not all my Christmas stuff, just random favorite holiday decorations. The clear box holds games/toys and other misc. items that we'll either donate at the end of the year or use as gifts for little kids/cousins.

This is probably my least favorite area because it's the least organized, and it's the most important stuff. (Do you see my Health Binder in there?)

I can't stand that these are sitting on the floor-- one basket for dry cleaning and one for ironing. It's all the works and it works for now!

We bought this gigantic storage shelving unit when Nathan's parents were here. Above is my sewing machine and all the gift wrap decor I use.

I have no idea why this picture is crooked! Here's the "mini" version of the shelving unit above. We got it from Target (about $20). The bottom shelf is random office supplies but the top two are my extra household supplies. 

Notice the 2 rolls of paper towels? Those are the last paper towels we'll be using for a while! We're going to try and live without them for 1 month. What are your thoughts on this?

Hope you're having a great night! What do you think of my closet organizational skills? Comment below! xO

My Extremely Thorough Home Filing System, Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 in this two-part series on my extremely thorough home filing system! If you missed part 1, you can read it here. Enjoy!

Part 1 covered how to make your home filing system (and I stressed that there is no correct way). Part 2 is going to cover each of my sections, and what's in them. Let's get started!

Pay Stubs
:: Elizabeth
:: Nathan
This section is quite obvious. When we get our pay stubs from work, the slip goes in this section. Because we get direct deposit, we just get stubs from our office the Monday after pay day. These never get thrown out until tax time. If everything matches up, they get shredded after our taxes are filed.

Banking
This section is not divided by our names, because we have a joint bank account. I just have our account numbers on a post-it in this section, our banker's business card, and some misc. papers from Bank of America. Obviously if you have more bank-related stuff-- Bonds, Roth IRAs, etc, you would have a more thorough section. We just have a few accounts so one simple section is enough.

Receipts
This is the section that is used most often. Any receipt that we get goes in this section. At the beginning of each month after I've matched all our purchases up, I'll empty out the receipts we no longer need. Receipts for big ticket items like our computers, phones, and my engagement ring stick around for a bit longer. I used to keep this section separated by our names, but because we have joint bank accounts, I don't think it's necessary.

Dogs
I keep the dogs' shot records in here, along with any vet bills. At their last appointment we were told Cocoa had a heart murmur, so I keep the sheet with the "medical term" for it in this file.

Misc. Papers
:: Elizabeth
:: Nathan
This section is probably my most chaotic, but there's really no way to avoid it. Any random papers we get go in here. Nathan's section is quite empty besides his voter card. Mine, on the other hand, has our marriage license and information on getting my new passport.

Product Manuals 
This section also speaks for itself. Product manuals for anything from my camera to our belgium waffle maker. Every few months I go through this and remove anything we don't have anymore. For example, I will probably remove the belgium waffle maker's manual soon because everybody knows how to work one, right?

Gift Cards
I keep gift cards in here rather than with my coupons because we get a LOT of gift cards. I don't know why! They stay in here and are safe and sound. I also get the exact amount by calling the number on the back of the card and writing it in sharpie on the front of the card.

Return Labels
I keep our return address labels in here for letters, mailing bills, thank you notes, etc. I have 2 kinds-- ones for both of us and ones just for me.

Apartment Info.
:: Camden Potomac Yard
:: Comcast
:: Renters Insurance
This section has everything related to our apartment. The comcast online bill login information, our renters insurance information (Policy number, etc), and a copy of our lease.

Transportation
:: Metro Cards
:: Nissan Sentra
I keep our car's title in here along with information on our metro cards. We have an online login to add money to the cards, so that information is kept in here. I also know who's card is who's so we know which one needs money.

Phew, that's it! I know it seems insane, but just remember to do what is best for you. You don't have to do this all in one day. Shoot, you don't have to do this all in one week! It just feels so wonderful to be organized!

Want to go back and read Part 1? Click here.

My Extremely Thorough Home Filing System, Part 1

Welcome to Part 1 of a two-part series on My Extremely Thorough Home Filing System! I hope this series helps you keep your paperwork under control and gives your life some order!

Want to jump to Part 2? Click here. 

It may not look like much, but this blue folder is my life. I would probably be lost without it. Life would go on, but I would be crazy disorganized for quite a while. :)

This is not a homemaking binder, it's just a big folder that holds important stuff-- receipts, pay stubs, our lease, insurance information, car information, etc. 

I have a separate homemaking binder that is for household information-- cleaning, organizing, etc. That will be covered another day!

Want to make one for yourself? Here's what you "need" (I put quotes because you don't really need anything, just adapt for what you have on hand):

:: Some sort of folder/file cabinet. I like the ones that close and can be carried/moved around. I have a Martha Stewart one from Staples that cost about $9. You can easily get them from Target for about $3.

:: Some files. I'd say about 7-12.

:: Sharpie

That's it! See, it's really simple. It can be as thorough and decorative or plain and simple as you want it to be. (As you can see I went the "decorative" route as first and then changed to "simple" when I ran out of folders). It doesn't matter-- the only person who will see this folder is you!

First things first you need to figure out what is going in your folder. Get organized. Take your time and try to figure out what you want in it and how you want it displayed and separated. 

Next you need to label your dividers. As you can see my first one is Pay Stubs. I then have two folders in the particular section because we each work-- they are labeled Nathan and Elizabeth. 

My other dividers are: Banking (That is not separated with each of our names because we have a joint account), Receipts, Dogs, Misc. Papers (Two folders for Nathan and Elizabeth), Product Manuals, Gift Cards, Return Labels, Apartment Info. (With divider folders for: Lease, Comcast, and Renters Insurance), and Transportation (With divider folders for Nissan Sentra and Metro Cards).  

As you can see, my folder is completely stuffed. I'm afraid to admit it, but I think I'll have to move to an actual file cabinet very soon. 

After your dividers are labeled, start plopping papers in their designated area. This is the easiest part and probably the most fun. :)

In another post, I'll go over in detail what is in each divider and how I keep this folder clean and neat. 

*Please remember that this is the system that works for me. This system may not work for you and your family. You have to do what's best for you and if it's not this, by all means-- try another way!

My Family Health Binder

To see an update on how I'm using our health binder more often click here.

Right before we got married Nathan's mom kept mentioning a health binder. I kind of knew what she was referring to but I wasn't exactly sure what would go in it. It seemed tedious.. can't you just file the important stuff away and get rid of what you don't need? Well, yes. 

This way, we would have our information together and in one place. If, God forbid, something happened to one of us, we would have one binder with everything in it.

After our honeymoon we lived with Nathan's parents for a little until we left for DC. Life was crazy at that point but Nathan's mom printed off some sheets and got my health binder all set up. It was so nice of her and she even included some of Nathan's shot information. (It was written on super cute baby paper from when he was born..awww).

So anyways, after we got settled in DC I wanted to put my information in it and start getting organized.

Want to make your own health binder? All you really need is a binder, and maybe some dividers. If you want to get fancy you can use some scrapbook paper and stickers, but it's not necessary.

As you can see, I have really awesome hand writing and an obsession with flower stickers! 

I wasn't crazy about the plain white on each end of the binder, so I just trimmed some scrapbook paper and added some scrapbook tape to the back. I didn't cover the pocket, so it can still be used.

I also included some business card holders and plain sheet covers. This will be for pamphlets, random information, etc.

Back to the flower obsession. The stickers really added some pizazz, don't you think? Anyways, you can see that the first tab is Shots. This is where I have hole punched Nathan's shot history, my shot history, and I'll add any other dates of shots we get in the future.

The next divider was business cards. This is where I'll put business cards of all doctors we have. I'll probably do one side for Nathan's doctors and one side for mine. Since we just moved, this section is empty. 

Next up is Doctor's Information. I'm not 100% sure what I'll put here, but probably directions to offices,  or maybe pamphlets from particular appointments. Like I said, I don't have anything here because we don't have any doctors yet!

As you can see from the pictures, the last few dividers are Medications and Perscriptions, History, and Tests. These ones are pretty obvious. The prescription divider will be the most important one for me-- I used to lose prescriptions all the time! I also put Nathan's contact information in the Rx section, for when he needs more contacts. 

History is pretty self explanatory, but I did make up a short list of our medical history. This is quite basic (because we're young, don't have kids, and we are generally pretty healthy) for us, but I hope with time it will become more extensive. Diabetes runs in my family as well as Melanoma, so that is written on "my" side of the medical history sheet. Like I said, it's very basic-- it's up to you how thorough you want to be!

Tests is empty for now. The sheets that my MIL printed off said to always ask for results of any test you take. I guess in the future when we have any tests done, we'll include the results in this section. 

I'm not sure if I will to silly check ups, but it's a good idea to bring this binder with you to more important appointments! I think especially so if you're forgetful like me about your prescriptions. :) 

Keep some scratch paper in here for notes, along with extra business card holders and clear plastic sheet protects.

Have any questions on creating your own family medical binder? Comment below! Feel free to email me at elboese@yahoo.com. 

Be sure to check our the updated post here.