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Getting Organized with Organizher

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By Amanda Paxton, Publisher/Editor May 1, 2015
Let's face it, moms...we are busy! Most of us are not only juggling to-do lists for our days, but we're trying to keep track of what's going on with our spouse and children as well! Add to that managing household budgets and planning healthy meals and if you're not organized, things could get a little chaotic. 

I'm a fairly organized person by nature but with 3 Macaroni Kid Editions to publish and a very busy family, I recently found myself falling behind and starting to lose track of things. When I got a note from Macaroni Kid HQ asking if I'd try out a few products from Mead's new Organizher line I was like...."Where do I sign up?!"

My products arrived about a month ago and I have to say they are awesome! 

Here's a picture of what I received followed by my thoughts on some of the items that were among my favorites.




Expense Tracker - This is fantastic product! I keep track of my budget in a spreadsheet in Excel, but I really like this expense tracker because you can keep your bills, receipts and budget line items in their own section in this tracker. It has 12 monthly pockets to file your bills and receipts, as well as worksheets for keeping track of your cash and expenses. I've been using it to keep track and file my work expenses, which should make it much easier for me to get things ready come tax time.

Write ‘n Wipe Monthly Calendar - This might be my favorite product! One of my family members has something similar to this hanging on her fridge and I always liked it and thought I'd maybe get one some day. Glad I waited because I like this one even more. The Write 'n Wipe Monthly Calendar has a strong magnet on the back so it sticks securely to the fridge. The dry erase surface has boxes so that you can write in days of the month, plus each box has lines to write down "mine" and "theirs" activities. There is also a section where you can jot down your meal ideas, which is great for me because it helps me plan meals for the week instead of winging it from day to day. 
  
Small Magnetic Storage Pockets - This is a small, double pocket storage system that's magnetized so you can either secure it on your fridge or use the hooks for other hanging options. It has dry erase capability so you can write and wipe if you need to change up what you need to store in the boxes. We are using it right now for in-coming and out-going mail, but when we first got it I used it to store menus and invitations. It's a pretty handy product for those small paper items that you might need to refer to often or just a place to put your mail instead of keeping it on your table or desk.

Loyalty Card Organizer - This is a neat and secure way to keep all those loyalty cards you have that are taking up room in your wallet. It's quite compact and it has an elastic bungee closure that keeps everything in place. There are 10 sleeves that fan out and because the sleeves are clear, you don't need to pull the card out of the sleeve to use it. 

Shopping List - This is another wonderful time saver!! This is a notepad that contains many of the shopping staples we buy every week. It attaches to the fridge with a strong magnet on the back. There is a section where you can list your meals for the week. You can write down the products you need for your meal plans plus, as you run out of things, you just check them off the grocery list or write in the ones that are not listed. When it's time to shop, tear off the perforated sheet and head to the store. This has kept me more organized and on track when I'm shopping as I have everything I need for the week right in front of me so I'm less apt to buy more than I need. It has also helped me cut down on those impulse buys.

Fridge Filer - this is yet another fabulous idea! I always seem to have a bunch of papers that I need to keep around for a short time and they can add up to a pile of clutter and be a pain to keep track of (and, I admit, these often get lost or accidentally thrown out). These are papers like my daughter's sports schedule, school field trip information, special coupons, prescriptions, and even some receipts that we might need to hang on to short term (for things like mail-in rebates that you're not ready to work on right away). The Fridge Filer contains three, clear storage pocket folders that you can stick on the fridge (there are also grommets for other hanging options). Each folder has a tab so you can quickly get to the one you need. Now, when I get that flyer from school or receipt that I can't quite file yet, I just drop it in my handy dandy Fridge Filer...It really has helped keep the paper clutter to a minimum.

Other products I received were the On-The-Go Family Planner, a nice portable planner that has tabbed sections with "Mine," "Theirs," and "Meals" sections; the Week to Week Magnetic Notepad - this is a weekly notepad of perforated sheets that attaches by magnet to the fridge. It gives you plenty of room on the front side to write out everyone's schedule for the week and plan out your meals (again with Organizher's signature "Mine", "Theirs," and "Meals" sections), and a to-do list on the back; and the Password Keeper - the funny thing about this is that I initially thought I wouldn't use this because I keep my passwords in a file on my computer. As fate would have it, we were out and about one day and MiniMac was playing with one of her electronic games and it needed an update. Because we use parental controls she couldn't download the update so she asked me to put in the password, which I could not remember for the life of me! Needless to say, I went home and copied all the passwords into my new password journal and now I won't have to turn my computer on every time I forget a password.

Some things worth noting about this new Organizher product line is that all of the products in the line fall into four main categories: Meal Planning, Scheduling, Organization, and Expense Tracking and each is color coded with a recognizable icon, making it easy to identify the product category when shopping in the store. The products will soon be available at our local Walmart locations so you won't have to go far to pick up your favorites. You can read more about Mead's new Organizher line in greater detail by visiting the Organizher website at www.meadorganizher.com. Although you won't be able to purchase the products online, you can add those you love to a shopping list and print it out to take with you when you're shopping for them at Walmart.

A final note - I am holding an Organizher workshop/luncheon on Tuesday, May 12th from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at Brushing on Bisque in Tradition and am opening it up to some of our readers on a first come, first served basis. The workshop will focus on how to use these great products to keep the family chaos to a minimum! Of course, it wouldn't be a Macaroni Kid event without a few great giveaways! CLICK HERE for details and to sign up. 

I received complimentary products for the purpose of this review; however, the thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.