Organizing My Home Office Kids Activities Blog

One of the things I have been scheduling into my week this year is home organization. I love being organized. It saves time, energy and resources to be able to easily use what can be found!

Home Office Organization

Both my husband and I work from home. We adore the convenience and the commute, but it can be a little tricky too keep things tidy and separate from life. My home office has been in the process of being organized for…several YEARS. The system I have been using remains the same, but now that it is finished it looks better and is more accessible.

Home Office File Organization

In my online life, I run three separate companies. Each company is organized in a different color: green, orange and red. These file boxes have hanging files for the current year {the file boxes I use are no longer available, but I like this clear version you could make any color with files – affiliate link}:

Bank
Payroll
Contracts
Legal
Tax

I also have folders on my computer for each to contain files that don’t need to be printed. The other thing I do is to use online services to reduce printing. Sites like EchoSign allow forms to be filled out, signed and stored online reducing the need for printer ink. Sharing documents with others through Google Docs and Evernote keep everything accessible sans paper.

Home Office Tax Organization

Each year {after tax preparation}, I clean out the file boxes and archive the files in an appropriately colored box. These boxes take up less space, yet are accessible if I need to refer back to something.

Home Office Organization for Unexpected Items

My biggest challenge is handling the mail and products that come into the house and don’t magically appear in alphabetical order in my file boxes. I know every home office has something like this {even if no blog is involved}, so having an overflow box is a really good idea. The idea is to get it off a flat surface and into a place where it is tucked away, but not forgotten. For me, it is best to have a box without a lid because often these items are unusually sized.

Mail Organization

For the mail, I have three color coded magazine holders next to my computer. I use these as in boxes to each company. Once they get to capacity, I open the file boxes and organize things in there. There are still piles here and there…I have a tendency to pile. BUT overall, things are organized and color makes me happy. Getting organized has helped me manage my home office resources {and our family resources} more efficiently. I find myself using things we already own vs. buying something new. There is an increased level of awareness of the hassle factor associated with bringing in a new item: