What's Happening In The Office?

A few weeks ago I shared this picture of me and my fearless office assistant, Miss Mya.

You can sort of see that "we" are building something, it just so happens to be a Billy bookcase from IKEA.  (My first time building this bookcase, "we" handled it with ease.) These two pictures marked the first step in "beautifying" our shared office. 

Originally Mr. UC claimed (was banished to) this office because he only had a desktop computer (I didn't want his "collection" anywhere else in the condo). 

He has since acquired a laptop and no longer needs to spend all his time in there, so we decided to share (I have taken over) the space. However, there is still the issue of the "decor". Mr. UC is a sci-fi buff, aka a Trekkie, and this is a shot of one side of the office when he had single occupancy.

Let's take a closer look at those bookcases. *Clears throat* This is not even all of his collection, I mean decor.

This is where the Billy bookcases enter and have made a huge difference already. Well, that combined with condensing his collection.

Let's zoom out a bit on this side of the room. The content of the shelves are in the midst of being organized, but oh what a vast improvement already!

Now let's flip around to the other side of the room. Goodness it a hodge podge of hot mess mixed with ugliness. That's ok though, these types of rooms make great reveals for the afters, right?

I did move the dresser into the room though, I will most likely paint it a different color.

So what's left to do in here? My to-do list, in no particular order:

1. Additional shelving for two bookcases (4 shelves)
2. Add doors to bookcases
3. Add knobs to bookcase doors
4. New desk... possibly build it
5. New filing cabinet
6. Repaint dresser
7. New curtains, lighter color
8. Organize paperwork
9. Organize office supplies
10. Organize craft supplies
11. Decorate "exposed" bookcase shelves
12. Better lighting for the room (There is no overhead lighting)
13. Extra seating... maybe slipper chair

Better get to work, till next time...

How I Keep The House Running - Part 2

Welcome back for part two of "How I Keep The House Running." Today I'm sharing the binder that certainly gets the most use of all... our Financial Binder.

Why not our Budget Binder? This binder goes beyond just paying the bills, it also helps us get ready for tax season. 

In the very front of the binder is a pink pocket that holds all the incoming bills.

Directly after the folder is the Budget section. There are quite a few vital worksheets kept in this section. The first one is our Financial Checklist. As I pay a bill each I make sure to mark it off on my checklist.  Also I added an Auto column for all the bills that are automatic withdrawal from our account.

{click HERE to download free copy}

Next is the calendar from Tomkat Studios, that I shared in the post about my planner. On the calendar I write when each bill is due and how much the bill is.

Followed by our monthly budget worksheet. Since we use the cash method for part of our monthly budget I made sure to add a cash column just for reference. I don't use a check register because we only use our account to pay bill and everything else is cash method.

{Click HERE to download a free copy}

In the budget section I also have some worksheets that will help the hubby if he ever has to pay the bills. Next in the budget section is our Bill Tracker sheet. This sheet is the who, what, where and how to all our bills. I include each bill that must be paid each month and fill it out descending by due date.

The final sheet in this section I call our "bailout" sheet, it's our Credit Card Info sheet. This has all the info we need if we ever lose a credit card or our wallets and have to call and cancel a card. Some of the info on this one is redundant from other sheets but I wanted it all on one sheet for quick reference.

{Click HERE to download a free copy}

After the budget section are the sections for each bill. Most of the statements for our bills come via email but, if need be, I make a print out and add it to the binder.  I decided to divide the binder by bill instead by month because at tax time I can hand over the binder to tally all the sections and presto tax deductions are done!

Speaking of taxes, the last section is actually for our taxes, I have another folder and I keep tax deductible receipts and tax documents (1099s, W2s, and so forth) as they come in in there.

This binder truly makes paying the bill paying and keeping track of tax deductions easier. As you can see from this picture:

My binder is quite fat... we are at the end of the year and ready for tax time. Once the remainder of  our tax documents come in I will empty the binder and start all over for 2013.

So that all folks. I hope you can use some of the printables that I have found very helpful.


{Click HERE to view "How I Keep The House Running - Part One.}

Till next time...

I'm partying here this week:
 

My New "Office"

When we were contemplating moving to a new city, I knew that it was almost a certainty that I would be giving up my beloved office. If you remember we were living in the country, on 50 acres, in a darling 1920's bungalow with 4 bedrooms, a three seasons porch (aka my office), and a basement. So, any place we landed in the new city would be a step up in modern amenities, but a definite step down in size. Well, let me tell you, was I ever right.

We have landed (more than likely temporarily) in a modern 2 bedroom apartment. Perks are insulated walls and windows and more than one outlet per room. Who knew insulation was perk until you go without it?!?The one drawback is not having my own dedicated office with room to spread out. I can deal with having less storage, you know that just gives me something to talk to you about... :) 

Even though I no longer have an office with a door, I did claim the kitchen desk area as my own... after all the hubs got the second bedroom. Oh, but he did try to claim it temporarily, here's the proof. Oh yes, that is his iMac in my new "office" space. 

Thank goodness that only lasted until we found a new desk for his office. Once he got the boot, I swiftly set about  making a home for myself, using many of the elements from my last office and a few new ones.

You can find me here on a daily basis. This is where I pay bills, plan our weekly menu, and now blog once again. (Despite the fact that I am currently laying on the couch battling a cold while I type this post.)

For now I'll be focusing on the left side of the desk area, which packs quite a punch thanks to the open shelving.

The very top shelf holds just decorative items because its hard to access without a step ladder. Really, who wants to pull out a step ladder every time they need something from the top shelf? I know I don't, even if it's occasionally. The middle shelf holds a few of my organizing books and two IKEA storage boxes.  The top box hold my label makers and Martha Stewart file folders and the bottom box holds all the extra office supplies. (I really need to add some labels to my boxes.) And lastly the bottom shelf is all things cooking.

On the desk I have my vintage file sorter, which houses things like my stapler, calculator and Storage magazines. I also have my four household binders, which I will be redo this week. Stay tuned for those updates.

Thanks for visiting my office space. Till next time...

This is where I'll be partying this week:
Tweak It Tuesday - Cozy Little House