Review: Arc Notebook System from Staples

4 out of 5 stars

Arc notebook and accessories

Pros:

versatile, customizable system
easy to use
good quality
inexpensive

Cons:

hole punch is expensive
some wearing on pages where it attaches
only sold at Staples

Review:

I was excited to receive a complimentary Arc notebook with some accessories as part of my attendance at the 2012 NAPO conference. I’d heard some discussions about it from other organizers although I had never seen it in person. From the moment I looked at it, I suddenly understood why people talked about this style notebook. Nevertheless, I wanted to use it for a while before I shared more about it with you, my readers.

Arc leather notebooks

Let’s begin with the notebook itself. There’s 2 different notebook sizes – a 6 3/8” x 8 3/4″ and a 9 3/8” x 11 1/4″ and 2 different ring sizes – 1” and 1 1/2″. You are able to purchase just the notebook with rings. When considering the notebook, you have choices between leather ($14.99-$19.99) and poly ($7.99-$9.99). The leather notebook is thicker than the poly style. As you would expect, the thicker rings allow more paper to be stored within the notebook.

Arc poly notebooks

The rings are a special design and provide the system with much of its uniqueness. Its appearance is quite different and I discovered that I had to rethink how I thought about the available space. Since the rings stick out, I needed to limit how much paper to store in the notebook. What makes this so unique is the style of the punch, which you can see in the picture – it looks a bit like a mushroom. This means that the paper can be pulled in and out.

Close-up of punch and ring

I’ve had some concerns about the paper since the little side parts are being bent each time you pull out or put paper into the notebook. Would it really hold up? It certainly looks like they get tired, yet the papers continue to work well. I expect there’s still a limit to how many times a paper can go in and out of the notebook. Yet, this style is exactly what drew me to this notebook. You might know that I’m not a big fan of 3-ring style binders – they can be a hassle for the paper to go and out of with having to pop the rings open and closed. It takes a little time to adjust to getting the papers in completely – it’s something different to wrap your head around using.

There are many different accessories for the notebook – from the standard lined paper, to-do lists, project planning pages, graph paper, calendar pages to poly tab dividers, poly zip pockets, poly pocket dividers. There are also smaller inserts available: a task pad and page flags. This means that you can get only the accessories that make sense for you. Most people I’ve talked about this notebook have opted for no calendar pages, yet one person chooses to include the calendar pages. Although I don’t use them much, I do appreciate the task pad, with only a handful of pages kept inside the notebook though other people find them borderline useful. I am disappointed in the page flags since pen ink doesn’t set on them – so the writing can be hard to read and smudges easily, though their stickiness is good so if you simply use them as page flags without labeling them, they’re good.

They sell a hole punch so you can make any piece of paper can be inserted into the notebook. I find the price, at $39.99, to be more than I want to spend. One person I showed the notebook system to did purchase the punch and shared that she finds it indispensable for her usage of the notebook.

As I get more digital, there were some things that I needed paper for. This fits my needs extremely well. I have the tabbed sections to divide categories into and even places to collect those papers that don’t fit into another area. There has been some evidence that our brains process better with the process of handwriting and there seems to be some truth to that for me – I want a place to write some things and this notebook has become my place. Since there are some papers I want to keep longer though not in the active notebook, I set up an archival type notebook. Due to the relative inexpensiveness of a notebook, it’s easy to do this.

There are so many things I could say about this notebook, but there’s only so much space! Levenger sells a similar notebook system at a higher price. I found one review online that actually commented the paper from Staples is thicker and better quality. And as with everything else, this can be a fabulous tool for people though you need to consider your own needs.

Review: 3M Command Strips

3.5 out of 5 stars

Some of the 3M Command products

Pros:

easy to use: no hammer needed, no need to know where studs are or what wall is made of, allows you to hang things where you cannot put a nail (surface being too delicate or hard)
damage-free removal
various styles and types
certain strips connect with any other strips – no “male” or “female” pieces
refill strips allow you to only replace one side when you move
saw-tooth picture hanger, wire-backed picture hanging hooks, and clips come with 1 refill included in the package

Cons:

don’t address if they come off the item and if it’s possible; i.e. poster strips or frames
a 2 step process –> requires an hour between attaching to both surfaces and when you can leave item attached
recommend wiping surface with alcohol (no wipes included) and the process can feel long if you’re impatient
doesn’t adhere to every surface
basically plastic, for the hooks and clips even with various styles
some temperature limitations
a little expensive compared to a nail or even a picture hanging kit
the refill being included means having potential clutter around as well as needing to not lose it

Review:

I’ve been hearing about the various styles of 3M Command Strips for several years now and at least year’s NAPO conference received a couple of samples to try out for myself. In that interim between hearing about them and getting the samples, I’d looked at them in the stores and considered purchasing them. The thing that always stopped me was that I couldn’t think of where and how I would be able to use them. And even after conference, back in March of 2012, they sat around for a while.

Let me take a moment here to share that in some ways this post will not be complete – I have not removed any of the Command strips that have been applied, so I cannot comment on how damage-free the removal truly is – though as I have done in the past, I will revisit this when I have more information to share.

Then suddenly I needed them – a magnetic white board we had hung in the kitchen came crashing down, the adhesive that came with it was jiggled loose when we were doing some other work. Aha, this would be a perfect test for a set of Command strips for framed pieces. I pulled out one of the packages, read the instructions, and got it put up. As I was doing this, the handyman working on some pipes in the basement came upstairs and saw what I was doing. He commented that he loved them – when his tenants use them, the walls are left undamaged.

I found that I was almost paranoid that they wouldn’t hold my magnetic white board. I kept checking to make sure it didn’t seem loose and each day when I came home, to make sure that it was still hanging. It has never moved to this point in time – it remains solidly attached, holding coupons and whatnot for our home.

On the other hand, I am quite fascinated by the “velcro” that they use on these picture strips. It’s not traditional Velcro, there’s no difference between the two pieces, which means that these any one piece can adhere to any other piece. Unlike Velcro where you need 2 different pieces to connect to each other, any 2 pieces can connect with the 3M Command strip systems – at least with this picture frame style.

3M Command strips on the back of the board and the cabinet.

Here’s the magnetic white board hung with 3M Command Strips.

Another time, my husband and I were talking about our coat closet (it lives in what is now the study – see the videos and blogs about re-vamping) and what to do about one of his hats. Aha, I was given a 3M Command hook as well. I immediately went and grabbed that and hung the hat up. Somehow I was much less concerned about that falling, though it too hasn’t moved. I find the white plastic appearance of the hook to be less than ideal, though considering what it is and what it’s used for – it’s fine. It’s also completely hidden when the hat is hung on it.

3M Command hook without the hook attached

Hat hanging on the 3M Command Hook

3M Command Hook – this is what it looks like on the wall

There is quite an assortment of products within this category – from the picture and frame hangers, hooks, to clips, and poster hangers. They offer different colors – from the standard white, to clear and metal appearance, and now a designer option. 3M has considered the dampness of bathrooms as well in their design – they offer a number of hooks for use in the bathroom, even in the shower itself.

They do talk about some temperature sensitivity – they cannot be applied without some pre-treatment at temperatures below 50° F and the adhesive can soften above 105°F. None of these products are made for use in cars, where the temperatures and sun exposure can be so varied. These are available in many stores – OfficeMax, Office Depot, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, Ace, True Value, CVS, and JoAnn’s.

These might be quite useful for some of your needs. They’re worth considering and trying out – if you can find a way to use them. As with everything else, figure out what and how you would use them before running out to buy them! 🙂

Here are a couple of other examples of the 3M Command Strip products:

Wire-backed picture hanging hooks from 3M Command product line

Saw-tooth hanger from 3M Command product line

Follow-up on the Workforce Shelving Units

Although I don’t generally write reviews before using the product for a while, I made an exception with these Workforce Shelving Units. I had seen and worked with them in a client’s home and appreciated them. Then, when I was at the store looking at the various options, I tested to see how wobbly each assembled piece was and evaluate them altogether. And I went home with 2 of these shelving units and wrote my review relatively quickly.

My original post on Workforce Shelving Units was in August of 2011. So, how do I like these units over a year later? They’ve not been used too much, my husband finished filling the one in the garage, so we occasionally pull a few things off of it to use. The one in the basement with the paint cans and supplies has probably not been touched much at all.

First, it doesn’t appear that Workforce is available or there was a change with the name. The link for Workforce shelving to Home Depot still works, though nothing specifies Workforce and the picture looks the same.

As I’ve said, in general shelving leaves me ambivalent yet I continue to appreciate these shelves. We all have our preferences and as I talked about in my original review – these certainly have characteristics that I wouldn’t choose in other circumstances. I’ve worked with some clients who dislike these units. I continue to be surprised by own preference for them as I typically avoid plastic units for this sort of thing.

I noticed that the unit holding our paint – specifically the shelf double stacked with gallon paint cans – has begun to sag. We’ve been storing those paint cans there for over a year now. It’s interesting, as although I see the sagging, I remain impressed with the unit. Those paint cans are heavy and due to the way we set the things up on it, it’s not surprising that the unit is showing it. Meanwhile, the shelving that isn’t holding that level of weight is showing no signs of wear and works well.

Workforce Shelving follow-up, showing slight sag from paint cans

A slight sag from the weight of all the paint cans after a year’s time

These shelves are still my recommendation for utility shelving as long as you have large things to store. They are so easy to assemble and disassemble and have the sturdiness that I want in my shelving. I continue to be shocked by how wobbly so many shelving pieces are and personally I do not want to trust shelving that is prone to wobbling when it’s empty and then load things onto it.

As with every product for every situation – what works for you and your circumstances is what is most important. These are certainly worth evaluating for your situation when you’re in need of large shelving units.

Follow-up on the Unikeep View Case Binders

As a rule, I do not write reviews of products until I have used the item for a while. Although I think I can intuit the pros and cons of various products, I want to have the hands on experience to share with you. How long I use something before I review it varies depending the product. Yet, how does the product stand the test of time?

I originally posted my review of the Unikeep View Case Binders in February of 2011 after getting one from the NAPO conference in 2010. This was probably my favorite find from that conference and after using the one I received purchased several more for myself.

These make me happy though I continue to be less than fond of binders as a general rule. The fact that they are enclosed and of a consistent shape make them easy to use: either standing them up or stacking them.

I did end up breaking one of the rings since writing the review. It is the binder that I received more than 3 years ago now and I take with me to show clients. I also tend to abuse it a little to demonstrate how sturdy the rings are despite how they feel. Of the ones that I use, I have had no problems with the rings.

My husband was drawn to these and asked for one. He took it to work and used it for a handful of things on spiders. Recently it came home and he showed me how he was using it and reported how great it was for containing both the papers he needed and the little books that tend to get lost.

Unikeep binder holding both paper and small books

Unikeep binder open with papers and small books

My favorite “binder” from them is one without rings as I can load it with whatever I want to work on that day as I leave and it remains contained. I use this one the most, though have an actual binder I use for my volunteering which I use their tabbed pockets within it.

Another client purchased a set of them to hold some materials that come hole-punched and comments on how easily they line a shelf on her bookcase. They allow her to organize, contain, and access the papers she needs in a user-friendly way.

If you can’t tell, I am still a huge fan of these Unikeep View Case Binders. 🙂

Review: Ziploc Brand Flexible Totes

4 out of 5 stars

Ziploc Brand Flexible Totes

Pros:

flexible which makes them easy to stuff them places and fold up when not in use
semi-transparent plastic makes it easier to see what’s inside
breathable, mesh strip under the zipper
rectangular (I like the corners as less potential for wasted space)
shape makes them easily stackable
comes with built in handles
sturdy (claim it can handle 40 pounds)

Cons:

only 2 sizes
breathable areas mean that you want to be mindful of where you store these as bugs and dirt can get in through the mesh

Review:

OK, so let me confess that I have a bias toward storage containers with corners. Although round or even rounded corners can be nice for some things, I tend to feel like there is wasted space – either in the container itself or in its placement in the home. If I can avoid wasting space, I want to – and for once, there is a flexible plastic storage container with this corner idea in mind, the Ziploc Flexible Totes, yet another product I’ve been able to use and review from my involvement with NAPO.

Often with these “new” tools for organizing, I can admire the designs and ideas, but struggle to think how and where I would use them for myself. I already have systems and tools in place that work for me. These flexible totes were one of these, though I also wanted to use them, I do like the idea. Last year as I was beginning work on one of our rooms, I realized I had at least one good use for them – some fabric I had laying around. Right away I opened up the flexible tote and moved the fabric in and now the tote is squished a little to fit under a shelf. It’s been a great solution for me.

Ziploc flexible tote holding fabric scraps

Since they are plastic, they are sold folded flat and they are easy to return to this compact size when they are not in use. They are easy to fill, as there is a zipper that goes around 3 of the sides, and the top can be simply folded back as you fill the tote. The plastic is sturdy; Ziploc says these are thicker and more durable than their Big Bags and each size can hold up to 40 pounds. They also have built in handles to allow for easy transportation.

Just under the zipper is a strip of mesh that allows the plastic and it’s contents to breathe. This can be good in order to stop moisture and mustiness from developing. On the other hand, it also means that dirt and bugs can get in through that same mesh area – therefore, just be mindful of where and how you use these flexible totes.

I find it a bit surprising that there are only 2 sizes. Maybe I’m a bit odd, but part of me wishes there was a smaller size of these. They talk about being able to be squeezed under the bed, though I see this as impractical – they are much deeper than any bed I have see and then you are wasting the storage space they provide to store them under a bed.

Speaking of the bed, I had been reusing the plastic zipper container that our comforter came in – that is, until it broke. Aha, Ziploc flexible totes! The XXL size comfortably fits our king size down comforter while the XL size has extra room after the duvet cover and winter sheet set. Depending on the weight of what you store in your flexible totes, I have found that I am comfortable grabbing only one handle on my XXL tote with the comforter in it.

Ziploc flexible totes holding all the winter bed linens

One client I worked with used one of these totes for storing her sewing fabric and pillows (for a project), which made the material easily visible and accessible, while minimizing the pet fur. Overall I like these Ziploc flexible totes. Consider if these could meet any needs you have – remember I am not a fan of people getting organizing supplies until the specific need has been identified! 😉

Review: 1Password

4.5 out of 5 stars

Password program for Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, Android

Pros:

easy to use
option for it to create strong passwords
secure
trial version & 100% money back guarantee
syncs via Dropbox, so it’s always current
browser extensions, easy to use in Firefox (at least) with fill in and saving options
organizes software licenses as well
options for tagging the info
available to attach files i.e. photocopies of important papers
credit card fill-in options for easy online shopping
usable on many devices – Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android

Cons:

price for each device, so although we bought it for the computers, had to purchase again for the iPad
browser extension can get annoying with popping up offering to save the login info even when you don’t want to (though it’s smart enough to know when you’ve already saved the info)
passwords created and not saved in the program can be difficult to transcribe – capital I appears the same as lower case l

Review:

For several months, my husband and I have talked about how useful a password program would be for us – a way that we could both access shared accounts easily and more importantly, securely. With the LinkedIn problems recently, this can be even more important – how secure are your accounts from being hacked? Since my husband enjoys research more than I, he found one that he liked. It still took time before we made the purchase and installed 1Password onto both our computers.

You probably already know that you should have different passwords for all your different accounts. These passwords, to be as secure as possible, need to have various combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols. Most importantly they should not be whole words since that makes it easier to hack. This makes creating, remembering, and using passwords challenging. You don’t want to have a list sitting around or a file on your computer simply listing them. This is where a password program comes in useful – they make it secure and accessible to you. 1Password is easy to use; the fields are clearly defined and simple to fill in.

1Password has the option of creating secure passwords for you. You can do this for a site you visit regularly, or you can simply ask to create a password. I recently was working on my computer for someone else, wanting a strong password, yet since it wasn’t my data didn’t want to save it to 1Password, and had them create one. I copied the password and as I went to read it aloud to her and have her write it down, realized it wasn’t possible to distinguish between a couple of letters – it was either a lower case L or a capital I. This wouldn’t be a problem if you use it with your own devices.

My husband and I share the program between us so that if the need arises, we can have access to all the accounts. We each have independent access and are never dependent on having the other around. We have it set up to sync with Dropbox, into a shared folder between us, which means that it is also always up to date. We’ve tried out using it for tracking our software licenses, photocopies of birth certificates, as well as all the various logins we need use. Between the main login place where we can customize the “title” with our names and the option to tag each entry with our names – we never get confused as to whose login it is.

Although I appreciate the option of having 1Password on different devices, I dislike that there’s a separate charge. For the computer, 1Password charges $49.99. If you also want it on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, it will cost you an additional $14.99. It appears to currently be free for your Android phone. I have come to rely on it for my computer, and decided it wasn’t worth it for my iPad – I was that disappointed in the additional fee, although my husband did get 1Password for his iPad.

For the most part, I use it primarily with my browser and in my case that’s is Firefox. This means that there is an icon in the browser that I click, type in the one password I have to remember to open 1Password, it’s smart enough to list the website I am on which I click and all the necessary data is input into the website and it opens for me. The password in the browser resets fairly quickly, keeping my information safe, and it’s easy enough to reenter that one password if I need it for another site. The browser option also pops up whenever I go to a new site and have to create/enter login information. This makes it easy to save new information when I need and provides a good cue that it hasn’t been saved yet (since it does know when it’s already a saved entry). Although when I am working on my computer with someone else, 1Password pops up offering to save the information, over and over again. This can get annoying as I recently discovered although I don’t often do this work and I can appreciate that it’s simply doing it’s job.

1Password is a great program to safely and easily keep our online activity secure. It simplifies our lives so we can focus on what matters – not worrying about how clever and obscure our passwords are and whether we can remember which ones go with which website. It’s a single place to keep all the important information we need to track – from those websites, to our credit card information, to software licenses – it’s all the personal information we want to keep safe yet know where to find it when we need it.

The Container Store

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to get back to The Container Store. It’s over an hour drive one way to get there and I probably go maybe twice a year, with gift cards. I joke that going to The Container Store for me is like a kid in a candy store. I can spend hours perusing the aisles – appreciating the options available, discovering new products and ideas, getting inspired with new ideas and approaches, and just simply drooling over all the products there.

This last time I was at The Container Store I became aware of something that has happened every time I am in the store. First, before I delve into that, let me share that I probably talked to at least 4 different salespersons on the floor while I was there shopping.

The first time was after I found a product that I thought might work for me although I wanted to adhere it in a different way than it was packaged, so I wanted to ask someone. She was quite helpful, agreeing with me that my idea should work fine, and then she went on to make an alternative suggestion of attaching it to what I wanted that was different from both the packaging and my idea. She helped problem solve a way to make the product work for what I wanted. Since I was already talking to her, I asked her a couple of other general questions, thanked her, and resumed perusing the aisles.

One of the things I’d done for this trip was to take a couple of the pages from their catalogs of products I wanted to check out, things I thought might work for my husband and I. When I found one of those, I realized it wasn’t at all what I wanted or needed. So, I found another sales associate to ask if they had any ideas of a product that would meet my needs. She understood completely what I wanted, agreed that the one product wasn’t good for that and lead me directly to an alternative.

A little later I was back looking more closely at those products, next to me was a salesperson helping someone else. The customer was apparently looking for something quite specific. The salesperson was understanding and admitted that she didn’t think The Container Store sold anything that would meet her needs. Then she went on to suggest another store to check if they might have what the customer needed. Before the salesperson left, I snagged her to ask some questions about this product. She asked me some questions about how I planned to use it and shared that it wasn’t the strongest for toting around regularly, the one she used was beginning the tear. As we continued to talk she checked with me that I wasn’t planning on stacking it with other things – it wasn’t sturdy enough for that either.

Unfortunately my experience in most stores is disappointing. The people don’t seem to know their products well. They more often than not seem disinterested in actually helping the customer find what they need. Even more often, they are unlikely to direct the customer to another store to assist them in getting what they need. I was pleased to hear each salesperson being helpful and honest with both myself and other customers.

It was a little later that it occurred to me that each time I go to The Container Store, regardless of which storefront it is, I find the staff to be happy to help me – not simply there, but actually pleased to talk and lead me different products. They seem patient and content to help me as little or as much as I need. This latest trip was to my third store in the Chicago area and all three stores have been the same in this way. It’s wonderful to experience great customer service.

ClosetMaid Cubeicals – Especially the Mini

4 out of 5 stars

ClosetMaid Mini Off-set Cubeical

Pros:

decent construction
true cube shaped
several finishes available (usually)
fabric cubes fit well and come in many colors
can connect to others to become customizable
can hang on the wall, if you want

Cons:

laminated wood
plastic covers to hide screws
recommends glue which is awkward to use
standard cubeical can waste space if used for smaller items

Review:

I’ll admit it; I can go all gaga over cubbies. That’s exactly what happened when I saw the ClosetMaid mini cubeicals. I was there looking for the standard cubeicals as I find them quite useful and have used them in several places throughout our home. But I am getting slightly off topic – I was out shopping for the regular ones when I realized they now offered mini ones. Oh my! And yes, one of them came home with me along with some fabric cubes to fit in it. They currently have 2 styles to choose from in the mini style (here’s the other style).

I learned with my first cubeical that it needs to be assembled on a hard floor, carpeting isn’t solid enough to eliminate small gaps between the pieces. I eagerly tore the box open in the kitchen to get it put together. Unlike the other cubeicals I’ve gotten, this one included a small bottle of glue to use when attaching the various pieces to each other. Much to my annoyance in getting the lid off the glue, it squirted all over and the top went flying across the room. For some reason, I also found it concerning that the piece “needs” glue when none of the other have.

Since I got the mini-offset organizer, it was a little awkward to put it together though still relatively easy. The other cubeical systems have been quite simple to assemble and it would seem it’s the offset that makes it just a little awkward. Depending on the cubeicals use, I will sometimes pass on attaching the included cardboard backing as I did with my mini-cubeical.

I can be old-fashioned in that I really would prefer solid wood construction for what I use in our home, though this can be challenging to find. Considering that solid wood is more expensive and often harder to find in the needed sizes, I appreciate the ClosetMaid cubeicals. They continue to hold up well and can be customized to fit the spaces you have relatively easily. They are laminated wood, which can cause some splitting or screws going in crooked, though I have rarely had this problem.

It’s nice that there are different finishes in order to choose what will match your décor. I appreciate the fitting of the fabric cubes into the unit as they fit well and are not tight. In one unit I have, the fabric drawer stores extra towels and I have not seen dust collect inside. There’s a large selection of colors to choose from for the fabric drawers and since the large ones are typically sold individually you can get more than one color easily. For the mini cubeical, the fabric drawers are sold in a 2-pack. Since I wanted more than one color, I needed to buy 2 packages, though I would have been happy with just 2 fabric drawers for the mini.

ClosetMaid Off-set Mini Cubeical

Although I have never applied this, the ClosetMaid cubeicals are designed for the possibility to attach them to each other in a number of ways if you choose. They include hardware for attaching the unit to the wall, both as a hanging option as well as just a way to secure the unit. Since the cubecials are assembled, the screws are visible once you’ve put it together, and they include plastic covers for the screws in the color of your unit. I’ve found these pieces to be flimsy and they are easily brushed off. Most often, I simply don’t even try to use them and settle for the visible screws on the unit.

The standard cubeical has perfect cube dimensions, which surprisingly isn’t the case with all “cube” systems. The standard cubeical can be large for some items, as can the fabric drawers. I appreciate that they are large enough to fit binders and your standard cleaning supplies (1 unit I have is in my utility closet), though have found that smaller items can get lost in the drawers or the space feels wasted with smaller items. This is understandably less of an issue with the mini cubeical. As with any organizational tool, you need to consider what your purpose is for the space.

Considering the mini offset cubeical is my fifth cubeical purchase, it’s easy to say that I like the ClosetMaid cubeicals. I don’t recommend them to everyone as it needs to meet your needs and meet with your taste – I know one person bought another ClosetMaid product and commented that it was acceptable and inexpensive, though not great, the laminated wood bothered them. I find them to be a decent option for organizing spaces. Here are some pictures of some of my cubeicals:

ClosetMaid Cubeical - 2 cubes

ClosetMaid Cubeical - 8 cubes

**As usual, I do not receive any compensation for writing these reviews.

Filertek Dry Erase Hanging File Tabs

4 out of 5 stars

Filotek Dry Erase Hanging File Tabs

Pros

reusable – as you can simply erase the label as often as needed
snap cover to protect your label
clear or color options
dry erase very effective
snaps easily onto hanging files
fits all hanging files
each package includes a dry erase pen

Cons

do stand taller that standard hanging file tabs
doesn’t hold paper inside well

Review

Each year I head to the NAPO conference and end up discovering something new and interesting. In 2011, one of the things discovered were the Filertek Dry Erase Hanging File Tabs. Immediately I was fascinated with these, yet some products do not always stand up to their appearance. These hanging file tabs have – they are exactly what they seem.

What strikes me most about these hanging file tabs is the complete ease of use. They snap onto the top of all hanging files that I have tried – from the standard thick paper hanging folders to the newer plastic ones, which tend to be a bit thicker than the paper ones. Since they snap on so easily, they’re easy to attach and dis-attach, which isn’t always the case with the usual plastic tabs for hanging files.

The dry erase feature works beautifully – the ink adheres precisely to the dry erase surface of the tab. This is in stark contrast to the similar Peter Walsh’s product. Since the tab has a built in cover, it’s safe from being smudged off. One of the warnings I was told about was how if it sits for a long time with your label, you’d need to moisten the label to erase it (not unexpected since it’s dry erase). Whether you purchase the 12 or the 50 pack of tabs, they include a dry erase pen to use with your file tabs.

From what I can tell, these file tabs will last you for your lifetime – they are sturdy and since they are dry erase, you can reuse them indefinitely. There’s no need to worry about finding (or making) those paper strips to label in order to go inside the plastic file tabs. Even the snap cover appears to be quite durable yet not difficult to work with.

They come in a variety or colors – you can choose the clear option or you can get assorted colors (4 colors and includes some clear). Sometimes it’s nice to have some color choices while at other times you might not want the distraction of colors.

There are a couple of possible drawbacks, though I do see these as quite minimal. First, they stand taller on the hanging files than typical plastic file tabs. This could easily be something that’s an improvement since it makes them more visible. In my experience, file drawers and most places you would attach hanging file tabs are not short on space. This means that the added height of these would be unlikely to cause any difficulty. Second, if you didn’t want to write on the tabs, but rather wanted to insert paper labels inside the snap cover – the paper slides out. I didn’t explore this aspect much to test using thicker paper or anything since with the dry erase feature, I don’t see a point of trying to use paper.

The Filertek Dry Erase Hanging File Tabs are a wonderful alternative to the standard hanging file tabs. They’re easier to use and are indefinitely reusable. They come completely ready for you to use them – no need to worry about having a dry erase pen on hand, it’s included. There are some choices, yet not too many – with size and color. If you need or want an alternative to the typical file tabs – these are definitely worth considering.

Laundry Tools – Sorters, Baskets, and Bags, oh my

If you read my newsletter or talked to me in late December or January, you will have heard that I bounced down a flight of stairs here at home. Interestingly, a month prior to this fall, my ankle was twisted on these same stairs as I came around the corner on the stairs – only that time I was carrying a laundry basket. The laundry basket was one of those heavy plastic ones with the indentation for your hip, though I was not carrying it that way since our stairs are too narrow for that. This occurrence inspired me to get a different laundry “basket.”

Laundry can often involve different steps – depending on whether how you collect your laundry is also how you transport your laundry. This can often be the same thing, though is often different items. For the longest time, most of what I used to collect the dirty laundry was the same tool I used to carry the dirty laundry to the machines and then to carry the folded laundry back to where I would put them away.

All homes are different and where the washing machine and dryer’s live in relation to where the dirty laundry accumulates. In our home as well as in several homes I’ve visited, the bedroom is on the second floor and the machines are in the basement – this means carrying laundry up and down multiple flights of stairs. We have a collection for laundry on the top floor as well as on the main floor. This means that carrying laundry from various places can be an issue and ideally needs to be as easy as we can make it.

Promptly after we moved here, we got a 3-compartment laundry sorter to live in the bottom of our linen closet. I started with a plastic and mesh bag one which quickly revealed its instability – the mesh bags would fall off the frame and were not easy to reattach without dragging the whole unit out of the closet. We moved then to a metal frame with canvas bags. These 3 compartment sorters were for linens, whites, and delicates/dry cleaner. In front of the sorter, there has always lived one of the heavy plastic laundry baskets and during the week that’s where all the general colored clothes go. Upstairs, I had another heavy plastic laundry basket for the colors and occasional whites.

3-Compartment Laundry Sorter

Hip-Hugging Laundry Basket

After I had the minor twist to my ankle, the new “basket” I got was one of these mesh hampers, where it was shaped like a laundry basket with a wide opening and not too deep. It’s easy to toss the dirty clothes into and most importantly, it’s easy to carry up and down stairs. It has handles which means I can carry it easily in one hand, and this also means I can keep an eye on the stairs as I navigate them. Also, the shape is easy to load the folded clothes back into it before they make their way to the closet or dressers. Also, they fold flat so simply and then reopen – it’s so easy it makes me smile to think of it.

I dealt with the canvas sorter for many years, periodically bumping my head while digging out the linens or whites and regularly tweaking my back to get it all out from the bottom. Experiencing the ease of the mesh style, I was then inspired to replace the 3-compartment sorter with 3 upright mesh bags. Our categories work well for us and only need those 3 categories. Now, with the mesh bags, I can grab the category I am washing and dump it into the hip-hugging basket. I am still attached to those baskets for carrying laundry to and from the basement – there’s a sense of it being cleaner to put on the basement floor than the mesh ones.

Mesh Laundry "Baskets" - both shapes

Durability can be issue when you choose your laundry tools, as that mesh/plastic sorter demonstrates. Although I’ve not used them, some plastic laundry baskets, often the circular ones, are also more prone to getting damaged easily. I bought the plastic and mesh sorter in an attempt to save money, yet it’s a good example of how “saving” money on a less expensive product didn’t save me money in the long run.

In our country and culture, we have a plethora of options to choose from and this in itself can be daunting just trying to find the choices. I’ve been impressed with the durability of the mesh bags, which seems a little odd considering the material, and their cost is fairly minimal. As with so much else, think about what your needs are around laundry and what would help make it that much easier. This is what matters most – finding the simplest way for you.