Bind It Up

Hello.  My name is Alana and I have an addiction to binders.  Seriously.  I {heart} them.  Sometimes I will buy a new binder just because I like the pattern on the cover, even if I don't have a use for it just yet.  I know, I know... an organizer who buys things without a specific purpose. *Gasp!!*  Don't judge... everyone has their weakness.  Mine just happens to be three silver rings affixed inside two {cardboard?} covers.

Truth is, you can never have too many because you'll never run out of reasons to use them.  Here are just a few reason I've found to grab one... or two, or three, or...  Oh, never mind.

One of the most popular uses is "Home Management Binder".  Click HERE for a list of resources to help you create your own.  And, yes, I keep promising to show my revamped binder.  Truth is, I haven't quite gotten around to working on it just yet... Still trying to get in a groove with this whole blogging thing, since changing my focus.  If you can be patient with me just a tad longer, I promise {cross my heart} that I'll share it with you all the SECOND it's done.  Okay, maybe not the exact second... definitely within 24 hours.  Deal?

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Tired of looking through your library of cookbooks come meal planning time?  Don't remember where you put your mother's famous {fill-in-the-blank} recipe?  Got a stack of recipes torn/cut from magazines?  Put all of your favorite and "gotta-try" recipes in one place.

If you're a foodie or just an amazing cook who has accumulated enough recipes to feed a small nation, where every single person is eating something different, then consider categorizing your recipes and giving each group its own binder: main dishes, veggies, desserts... you get the idea.

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While we're on the subject of recipes, why not talk about another food-related use for a binder: meal planning!  Sitting down to figure out what your family will eat for the next seven days {or the next month, however you do it} is no easy task. However, when you've got a binder full of menu pages, pockets for coupons, and other relevant information {maybe a "dirty dozen" and "clean fifteen" printout}, the task doesn't seem as daunting.  Also, don't forget to include a pocket so you can store take-out menus for those nights you just don't want to cook.

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If you like to gather decorating inspiration from magazines and books, you are probably well aware of how quickly your tear-outs/copies can pile up.  Why not use a binder to create your own "magazine" consisting of nothing but pictures of spaces that you love!

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If you're like me, you come across a ton of amazing ideas before each holiday but forget all about them the following year.  Why not use a binder to store those ideas so that you can actually use them?  You can do this several ways:

* Use one binder to corral ALL holiday ideas together

* Dedicate a binder to each holiday

* Use a binder to store most holiday ideas but use a separate binder for your favorite holiday

* I recommend giving each holiday its own binder so that you can further organize with dividers {recipes, decor, crafts, etc}

Of course, if you find the vast majority of your ideas online, simply use Pinterest.

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The picture above literally made me swoon when I first saw it!  Jenna Sue traded in her bulky filing cabinet for organized bliss.  Click HERE to read how she did it.

Other uses for binders include:

* Cards - include a calendar with important dates {birthdays, anniversaries, etc.} and a pocket for each month; buy cards in advance and store in corresponding pocket.

* Budgeting - place a calendar or list with the due dates/amounts of bills; use a zippered pouch for any outstanding receipts {those that haven't cleared the bank yet - once they've cleared, shred them or, if needed, move to the appropriate file/binder}.

* Blog - if you blog as a hobby, you could just use a notebook to jot down ideas.  However, if your blog is more than a hobby {or you wantit to be}, a binder can help you organize ideas, giveaways, guest posts, affiliates, sponsors, etc.

* Dreams - if you saw "Last Holiday" featuring Queen Latifah, you may remember her "Book of Possibilities".  Basically it was a scrapbook filled with things she wanted to do, people she wanted to meet, and places she wanted to visit before she died.  Create your own dream book using a binder.

There are too many uses to name, so I'll move on...

No matter how you decide to use a binder, just remember to place it in a location that is the most convenient to its use.  For example, the recipe and meal planning binders should be stored on a kitchen shelf while the decor binder could be placed where you like to unwind {place in a basket or drawer next to your favorite reading chair}.

As I create binders of my own and/or update the ones I already use, I'll be sure to share a post about it and include step-by-step instructions, as well as my personal tips for making the most of them.

Do you love binders as much as I do?
How do you like to use yours?

Blessings,



Linked To:

Women Living Well Wednesdays at Women Living Well Ministries

Homemaking Link Up at Raising Homemakers

Works for Me Wednesdays at We Are THAT Family
Hearts 4 Home Thursdays at Our Simple Country Life
Proverbs 31 Thursdays at Raising Mighty Arrows
Delightfully Inspiring Thursdays at Delightful Order

Friday's Homemaking Link Up at Consider the Lilies

Friday's Homemaking Link Up at Homemaker by Choice
Better Mom Mondays at The Better Mom
Anti-procrastination Tuesdays at New Nostalgia
Titus 2sdays at Time Warp Wife
Simply Sensational Tuesdays at Organizing Home Life
Titus 2 Tuesdays at Cornerstone Confessions