by Natalie Morey | Sep 25, 2012 | Declutter tips, Home Office, Home Organisation, Office Organising, Tips |
How to organise and manage your home office computer
Just like work computers, home computers also need to be looked after and maintained. Ideally, you should have one person responsible for their maintenance. This becomes especially important when several family members use the same home office computer.
Backup data and photos
Backing up your data, photos and treasured memories on your home computer is just as important as backing up your work files. So often, when I’m in clients homes and I ask them when was the last time they backed up their computer, I am horrified. The answer is often “never”. There are some cost effective portable backup devices that you can purchase from Office Works and install on your computer.
Ideally, you should store your back up drive in a different location from where your computer is stored.
It doesn’t take long to do a back up. Put it on and go and watch TV or have a coffee (or continue working).
If you have kids or other family members accessing the same computer, it might be worth setting up separate log on’s for each person. That way your files are protected and cannot be accidentally deleted off when one of the kids is playing on the computer.
Internet security and virus protection
Internet security and virus protection is just as important on home computers as it is on business computers. Make sure it is current and working correctly. There are some cost effective virus protection programs on the market such as AVG, Norton. We use Trend PC Cillon which I find to be really reliable. If you need some assistance, then organise for your IT technician to purchase and install one for you. At The Lifestylers Group, we work with a range of computer technicians that do this sort of thing, so if you need some assistance, then we are only a call away.
Don’t learn the hard way. It is essential that your virus protection is working.
If you have wireless Internet connection at home (or in the office) it is vital that the network is locked down so no one else can access it. If it is unlocked people in the surrounding neighborhood can log onto your internet connection and use your internet. Unsecure networks makes it easy for people to hack into network and access data such as bank account log in details.
Suspect emails
It’s also really important to have a policy for how you handle suspect emails. This becomes particularly important when there are different family members using the same computer and receiving emails. If you see a suspect email “doing the rounds” let the other uses know not to open it, and delete it straight off the computer.
Always be wary of files that have the following wording EXC after the file name. These files are called executable files and often contain virus. Organising your home security is such an important part of owning a computer.
So do you need to check your internet security and virus protection after reading this article?
Until next time, happy organising.
Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser
by Natalie Morey | Sep 24, 2012 | Declutter tips, Home Organisation, Tips
Organizing Your Recipes Could Not Be Easier
I love these organising tips from an old Notebook magazine that I was flicking through. There are some great tips on how to organise your recipe collection. I thought that they might be useful for you too. Use lever arch folders and divide up with tabs for different sections i.e. Meat, seafood, dessert.
You might also want to make a section and file your weekly meal planners, that I mentioned in a previous blog too.
Organise, cull and sort your recipes
Until next time, happy organising.
Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser
by Natalie Morey | Sep 23, 2012 | Declutter tips, Home Organisation, Tips
Be organised and spring clean the environmentally friendly way
As I get older, I have become more concerned with what we are spraying around our house and environments and more importantly what we are breathing in.
So, I have started to use an oldie by a good option – bicarb soda and vinegar. You can clean just about anything with it. Sprinkle a little on your bench tops, then put some vinegar onto your dishcloth and wipe over the bench. The vinegar will start to bubble when it comes in contact with the bicarb soda. You know that it is doing the cleaning for you and that most importantly you are not breathing in any dangerous chemicals. It does a great job.
You can use bicarb soda on other things like:
- Sprinkle it in your shoes to keep them fresh.
- Put a little bowl in your fridge to remove any odors
You should also check out the book: Bicarbonate of Soda, Expert Advise by Diane Sutherland, Jon Sutherland, Liz Keevill and Keith Eyers. It is a great little book and has tips on cleaning practically anything in your house in an environmentally friendly way using Bicarb.
Until next time, Happy Organising.
Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser
by Natalie Morey | Sep 21, 2012 | Declutter tips, Office Organising, Tips
Stylish Home Office Filing Ideas
Now that your paper work is all organised and sorted, it is time to file it.
As professional organisers we love things to look organised and stylish too. I am always search for organising tips and ideas. I come across a great way to create stylish looking lever arch folders in the October 2012 edition of Better Homes and Gardens. I hope you like it too.
Take an A4 photocopy of your favourite photo, or perhaps some beautiful coloured stationery paper and cut stripes wide enough to cover the spine of your folders. Then, use double sided tape to fix the paper to your folder. It only takes minutes to have custom made, stylish folders. Don’t forget to label your folders too.
Organise, sort and declutter your home office paperwork
Hopefully this decorative filing system will even encourage you to do your filing as well! Talking of filing, if you need some help organizing, sorting and filing that pile of papers, then I have listed below some filing tips for you.
CREATING FILE CATEGORIES
Firstly, look at your current filing system (or that pile of paper on the floor or desk that you’ve been meaning to file for months) and start sorting your documents into broad categories. “Finances” might be one; “house stuff” could be another. At this point, we’re not focusing on the detail of your filing system, it is just the broad categories. At this stage it doesn’t matter if it’s a credit card bill or a bank statement right now. We can sort out the distinctions later on.
SUBCATEGORIZING
It is in this stage, that we start sorting into sub categories. Start with one of your “major category/ piles” and sort through it again. This time, you can put your papers into smaller subcategories. For example, your “finances” pile could be divided into:
- savings account – ANZ
- savings account – ING Direct
- check account
- Visa credit card account
- AMEX credit card account
It is important to be specific. Don’t just say that they are “bank statements”. Determine which account they belong to and break each out into a separate pile. It makes it easier to find if they are in specific groups.
Until next time, happy organising
Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser
by Natalie Morey | Sep 20, 2012 | Declutter tips, Home Organisation, Tips
It’s Time to Clear The Clutter and Organise
The infamous second draw (or the utensils draw) often causes havoc in most clients’ homes. It is always jam packed, cluttered and you can never find what you are looking for.
Firstly, you need to decide if you really need to keep every utensil.
Tip 1: For the next month when you use an item from the utensils draw, place it in a separate draw, or a canister on your kitchen bench. You will be surprised at just how few items you actually use. Then:
i. Decide if you really need to keep the other utensils.
ii. Research the right storage product for the space.
iii. Declutter and organise the space
iv. This is how it should look once you have finished your decluttering.
Organise your kitchen, pantry and cupboards
Until next time, happy organising.
Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser
by Natalie Morey | Sep 18, 2012 | Declutter tips, Home Organisation, Office Organising, Tips
Creating a Filing Structure For Your Home Office
Do you just save stuff anywhere on your computer?
It will save you time (and I mean lots of time) if you have an organised filing structure. You will need to create (and write up) a simple filing structure. I hear you say, but where do I start. A good strategy is to decide on two main categories that all your files will fit into. For example it might be “Household” and “Personal”. Then create as many folders as you require under each of the household and personal categories. Keep it simple to be effective.
Simple Filing Structure
The most effective filing system is simple and easily achievable. It’s the one that is written down on paper and agreed to. Whatever structure you implement in your home office it will work best when it’s consistent and followed by everyone in your business/family.
Replicate Your Filing Structure
To take it one step further – mirror/copy your computer systems filing and replicate it in your hard copy system. Type up a list of your filing system, print it out and hang it in view of your computer and files. You will have organised paper work and consistent filing systems in both electronic and hard copy in no time at all.
Another issue that is really important with regards to computers is security. It another blog article I wrote about setting up and managing your home computer.
Internet Security and Virus Protection
Internet security and virus protection is just as important on home computers as it is on business computers. If you get a virus on your computer and it deletes all your files off, then you won’t need to worry about a filing structure. So our goal is to avoid this situation.
Make sure it is current and working correctly. There are some cost effective virus protection programs on the market such as AVG, Norton. We use Trend PC Cillon which I find to be really reliable. If you need some assistance, then organise for your IT technician to purchase and install one for you. At The Lifestylers Group, we work with a range of computer technicians that do this sort of thing, so if you need some assistance, then we are only a call away.
Don’t learn the hard way. It is essential that your virus protection is working.
If you have wireless internet connection at home (or in the office) it is vital that the network is locked down so no one else can access it. If it is unlocked people in the surrounding neighborhood can log onto your internet connection and use your internet. Unsecure networks makes it easy for people to hack into network and access data such as bank account log in details.
Suspect Emails
It’s also really important to have a policy for how you handle suspect emails. This becomes particularly important when there are different family members using the same computer and receiving emails. If you see a suspect email “doing the rounds” let the other uses know not to open it, and delete it straight off the computer.
Always be wary of files that have the following wording EXC after the file name. These files are called executable files and often contain virus. Organising your home security is such an important part of owning a computer.
So do you need to check your internet security and virus protection after reading this article.
By Melissa Morey, Professional Organiser
