[berry987]

<p>We moved to a new house (and new state) in August. We have not gotten our office very well organized yet and I now have two kids in school (kindergarten and preschool). They bring SO much home everyday (artwork, reminders, homework, field trip forms, etc etc). And then there are the bills, catalogs (I'd used catalogchoice.com in our last house....that has now reset because we moved and we get a ton!), etc. I am drowning in paper. Besides the obvious (get back on catalogchoice.com to limit catalogs, go paperless for bills), what can I do? I now regularly have 2 or 3 stacks of papers on my kitchen counter at all times and it's driving me crazy!! Any tips?</p>
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[accountclosed3]

<p>i think, foremost, you need to get those bills and such online and streamlined as much as you can. then, create a home for them (the catalogues that come in). for the kid papers, i would divide them out every day--important notices, forms, and then the homework/artwork stuff. kids do the homework, and put it in the backpack to go back to school. any thing else can get recycled, imo. unless there's some particularly brilliant piece of art, i would let it go.</p>

 

[nolansmummy]

<p>I agree, get paperless billing for everything you can.</p>
<p>Create a place for school papers. I have a box in the garage that is labeled 2010 that i put all kids artwork, papers that don't need to be returned etc. I go through it at the end of the school year and keep the favorites.</p>
<p>As for permission slips and things, They don't sit out. I sign them and they go right back in book bags. Important notices i put on my wall calendar immediately then recycle the paper.</p>
<p>Kids homework gets done then put back in bookbag.</p>
<p>I really hate stacks of paper. I have a small office organizer in my kitchen that has four spots that i keep coupons, bills ( the few i get) and pencils. Artwork that i love, is displayed on the fridge then put into the kids box.</p>
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<p>My husband and i are also in school and we have our stuff in baskets. Papers and little  things like pencils, books or handouts go in the basket under our coffee table. It keeps the mess organized.</p>

 

[accountclosed3]

<p>i also hate stacks of paper, but my husband *loves* them. it's amazing how different we are in that regard. <img alt="smile.gif" class="bbcode_smiley" src="http://files.mothering.com//images/smilies/smile.gif"></p>

 

[zebra15]

<p>I have a PO box for my mail so I sort everything right there at the post office and nothing comes home unless its vital. (the po has recycle containers-locked- so its great).  I would use the same concept at home.  Open the mail DAILY, and sort it immediately, what isnt critical gets shredded or recycled NOW.  Bills get put into billpay then shredded NOW,</p>
<p>As for the kids art work, I hate to say it but I hardly ever keep what DS makes...Maybe 1-2 on the fridge but thats it..</p>
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<p>Get on billpay, get the papers back to school asap, art work is continous, everything is done DAILY....</p>
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<p>Take a day this weekend and get caught up!</p>

 

[homemademom]

<p>I have an accordian file folder that I keep bills in as they come, as well as stamps and envelopes, gift certificates/coupons, etc.  I do pay bills online through my bank, but I still get paper bills.</p>
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<p>I also write things on the calendar immediately so I can get rid of papers/notices/flyers.  </p>
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<p>As far as kids' papers, my dh wants to just take pictures of things and toss the rest. I still haven't gotten around to it, but I think I'll do that. </p>

 

[Lisa1970]

<p>Most things get thrown away immediately. I keep 1 keepsake box per child, a big one. I keep select items, date them on back, write their names on them. All catalogs and such go straight to the trash, as well as the million of worksheets I do not wish to keep. I try to be limiting on what they bring home. They bring home a ton of stuff from school and it is easy to keep it all, but in years and years of school, you can end up buried. I limited myself to the one container per child for all the school years, for things they bring home.</p>

 

[Lisa1970]

<p>On the bigger kids projects and such, I do take pictures instead of saving.</p>