Neat Chic Organizing

Our latest news release in the St. Louis Post Dispatch is all about getting organized for tax season. Check it out here.  Also, I found a useful article and worksheet that has great information regarding donation valuation. If you donated items last year, make certain you get your deduction. Always check with a tax professional for tax advice. I'm no CPA!

I absolutely love The Container Store. Occasionally they have learning sessions, or what they call "in-store demonstrations".  The sessions are cool and often involve give-aways.  Starting this Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 and 4:00 pm until March 28th, they'll be doing office organizing sessions as well as giving away some gift cards.

There's no top-ten tips here ladies. There's no way around it. Planning a wedding is expensive, time consuming and a lot of work!

I just got married last October so that hectic planning is all too fresh in my mind. I literally spent hours each day for almost 6 months planning the details of my special day. Managing vendors, budgets and guest lists is not something for the unorganized. With that said, I can give special props to a few free online resources that helped me stay organized. I couldn't have done it without them. Here are the sites I recommend:

1. Martha Stewart Weddings (Planning & Tools) is the BEST wedding planning site. Don't bother with the others. It's has guest list tracker, budget tracker, gift tracker, seating chart designer, shower and party planner. You can print up to date reports on your budget, vendors, seating, etc. With these tools I stayed on budget to the penny and you can too!

2. theknot.com, has great a free website builder for the bride and groom to share their news with friends. It also has endless photos with ideas and color schemes. The Knot also issues a wonderful book: "The Knot Guide for the Groom." Ladies, get a copy of this book for your man.

3. Weddingchannel.com has endless etiquette articles for every possible situation. Yeah..you know the situations I'm referring to.

4. www.theplunge.com Most guys don't have a clue what it means to have a wedding. Set them up on this site and ask them to at least review the "getting married" and "toolbox" sections.

A few real-life notes
Don't be fooled by the photos on these sites. The weddings displayed are expensive! Expensive as in 30k-100k. I don't know a single person who's ever had a wedding as nice as some of the ones I've seen in the photos. Be realistic, most girls spend 2-15k on their wedding, and that's if their smart enough to have saved and scraped their own money. So unless you are a trust-fund baby (and I know a few) you probably won't get a Rolls in Napa, have signature cocktail drink, or have letterpress invites. Don't be down.....with good planning you can make the most of your budget. Pick one thing that you love and do it. And finally, please don't spend overspend on your dress. It's a huge waste of money. There are plenty of gorgeous dresses out there for under a thousand dollars!
 
Ensure your sanity on the day of
There's nothing worse than a vendor tapping your on your shoulder the day of the wedding to ask a question. If you have a little extra money hire a "day of" coordinator. She'll direct traffic, handle questions, and ensure that folks go down the isle at the right time. If you only need someone for 8 hours, don't agree to pay more than $800- bucks for this service. Once you've planned every minute detail,  meet with her twice before the wedding. Once the week before the wedding for 30 minutes, and once at the rehearsal where she can direct the process. Make sure she has every name, contact, list and detail. With someone "working" just for you, you'll be able to enjoy every second of your special day.

Plastics are a common material for storage containers. While ok for storing clothes, shoes, and other household items, some plastics are dangerous to eat or drink from. Use this handy guide from National Geographic to learn more about how to use plastics safely.

Neat Chic is conducting a survey on your organizing habits. Take 2 minutes to answer 10 questions. We'll post the results next month.

Click the photo to the left to get started.

1. Try on every pair of pants you own. If they don't fit, donate them to the Goodwill.
2. Only keep receipts for items that are large, expensive or tax deductible.  Throw out out the rest.
3. Properly display collections in cases, or frames. Keep your collection to the best, and sell the rest.
4. Toss out items you've stashed aside to repair. If it's been 6 months-it's been too long.
5. Bank online, get statements emailed, and save them on your computer instead of in giant stacks on your desk.
6. Remove your address from mailing lists. Start here  www.dmachoice.org

A few awesome cookbooks are a must for every kitchen but shuffling through a stack of index cards is no longer the easiest way to keep track of your favorite meals. For you busy moms, chef dads, and foodies out there-- you've gotta check out the latest online recipe organizers.

Neat Chic Organizing has identified a few Chic sites that feature useful applications including abilities to track, search, create meal plans, grocery lists, track nutritional information and even share with others.

Remember, reducing paper clutter in your house will give your space a fresh feel. Enjoy.

Springpad.com
WeGottaEat.com
SparkRecipes.com
recipezaar.com
cookbooktree.com
myrecipecircle.com

*This blog is purely commentary. Neat Chic Organizing is not paid to advertise these websites nor do we endorse them.