Organize my Life

You all wanted to know how I stay organized which means you also get to see how crazy I am! I’ll start by saying I have 6 calendars, but hopefully dropping one soon! Half are digital and the other half are paper. I love having the iPhone calendar app on my phone because it also syncs to my computer and I set it up to sync with my Gmail accounts that are set up with it. I always have my phone with me, so I always know I have my calendar. I think I’m utilizing the calendar to its full capacity because I fill in almost every blank when I add an event! I also make sure that when I add the address for the event that I put the right time alert so my phone will alert me when it’s the best time to leave based on traffic. This little feature might be a pain when I’m adding the events, but it has saved me so many times, especially when going to work at Annalise! The other calendar I have on my phone is basically the same thing except it’s color-coded. I am a sucker for color-coding, whether it’s planners, calendars, closets, anything! I just recently downloaded this app so I’m trying to see if I like it enough to keep it, but I’m hoping it’ll help with just opening the app, seeing a color, and knowing what type of event I have that day.

The other calendars I have are a blank, pretty one that just hangs in my apartment. Besides looking pretty and visually seeing the date when I walk out of my room, this calendar doesn’t have any added information on it. I love it though, and the creator of it makes so many other cute things! You can find all of her products here. The other calendar I have is a chalkboard calendar that only shows one month at a time. It hangs above my desk which is across from our kitchen so both my roommate, Tiffany, and I can both see it and have easy access to it! This calendar has my normal work schedule on it and any out of town events for me/Tiffany so we know when each other will be gone! The next calendar is a huge desk calendar that sits on my desk! This calendar has everything on it, from work, travel, weddings, birthdays, meetings, anniversaries, vacation and exciting things, such as “fun day off with Tiffany” and “date night with Huck”! This calendar is color-coded, I think it has about 6 different colors on it. Everything that I know of between now and December is on that calendar and it makes me feel like a huge weight is gone! The last calendar is my planner. I have the smaller Kate Spade planner that fits right in my purse and wedding day bag. I love bringing this with me to any meetings I have so I can add the event and write down notes from the day of the meeting so I remember what was talked about! Calendars can’t be the only thing that keep me organized though, next up is filing!!

I love filing papers and having hard copies. I know I’m a tree killer, but I think it would be a waste if I didn’t use the 600 pack of printer paper I have. I recently bought a new filing system and I felt so accomplished once I finished putting it together and had everything organized!! Filing cabinets are either ugly or crazy expensive in my opinion, so I did some research and spent a solid hour in Target a few weeks ago measuring and trying different systems. I walked out with a double cube shelf, two cute cloth slide bins, a hearth and hand gold file rack, colored hanging files, and a small woven plastic basket. I have files for everything, including personal files, past brides, and all of my DSE files. The other cube has office supplies that aren’t visually appealing and I think it may be my new favorite office component!

Now for the online organization systems. I don’t use Trello. I’m sure many of you will tell me I should or think it’s crazy that I don’t, but I just don’t like it. I’ve tried, really I have but there’s just something about it that I don’t like. I like paper lists, there’s something so satisfying about physically taking a red pen and scribbling out those tasks! I did start using Aisle Planner though, and I love it!! Kat got Aisle Planner for DSE and after using it for DSE weddings and getting to learn it, I decided to try it for HME and so far I’m in love!! Everything is kept on one platform which means I can see everything side by side. It lets me know when documents have been signed or when forms have been updated which is extremely helpful when keeping track of my bookkeeping and who has signed on to be an HME bride! It’s really an amazing program and absolutely worth every penny!!

Lastly, my emails, the dreaded emails. If you like emails, you’re a rare person in my book! I love writing and I love talking to people but I feel like the emails never end. I have 3 email accounts, a personal, a Hannah Marie Events account, and the DSE email account. Every single one has folders. I have folders for brides, inquires, past and present, styled shoots, headshots, and so many more. I feel like there are only so many things you can do to keep emails organized and make sure all emails get seen and not sent to the dreaded promotions tab.

I’m a new business owner so I’m sure I’ll learn about new programs and a new way to keep everything organized but right now these systems have helped me greatly! I love organization and I’m always open to learning about new ways to keep everything in my life organized! Fun fact: I wanted to be a professional organizer on the side when I graduated from college, so if you’re someone who would love help in that area, let me know!