Sunday was nice and quiet--until 3pm came! (The clearance) I got all the color photos and descriptions taped onto stakes (of course, most of the few we managed to do on Saturday were plants that sold out!) and the yard looked nice and organized--what with at least half of the plants sold! I'd set all the shade plants in the shady driveway beside the house, and the sunny plants in the backyard. This made sense for security, and there were too many plants to make a move to the front yard feasible. That was fine on Saturday, with the Craig's List group. But on Sunday, we got people driving by because they saw the signs, and they only saw a couple of daylily pots in the yard, and they drove off! I cut up a pizza box to make an extra sign: "Most plants are in the BACK!" At 3pm, a couple of people from the Saturday sale came back for the advertised clearance sale, and some new people arrived shortly afterward. There were 3 people who spent about 5 hours hanging out with us, between Saturday and Sunday! It was really a fun party, except I had to try not to neglect other people who came to buy plants! I made only a third of my money on Sunday, although it was 2/3 of the sale time. In other words, the most money was made in the first few hours, like Tiffy had with her sale. The hard-core people come early, grab and pay. But, then some of them come back for the clearance! I didn't sell all the plants, but that's ok--my friend needs a lot of plants in his yard. :) On Sunday, I had the presence of mind to ask people if they'd be interested in a plant swap. I got contact info for many people who are. Some of them don't use the internet, so I don't know if it's unfair to do a lot of pre-arranging of swaps with people, since they won't have that chance. But maybe that will be the final push to get them onto the internet! Hmm...what did I do to prepare for the sale: I dug about a billion plants out of the ground, and then I kept running out of free dirt for potting them up, and I'd have to search the yard for more. I used up my enormous stash of garbage-picked nursery containers, so every garbage night, I'd go driving around. I used up all my used mini-blinds to make up plant tags. I put just the common name, and sometimes the latin. I used a black Sharpie or Eddings, I hope they don't fade too fast. I always use pencil for myself, but that's hard to see. For info on sun, moisture, size, invasiveness, bloom color and time, and latin name, I made up a sheet that listed every plant. Everyone got the same sheet. For more info, they can look up the plant. About 2 weeks before the sale, I made a Craigs List ad, with all those descriptions, sale hours, the zip code, and an explanation that I would post the address the day before the sale, and would email or phone anybody who wanted the info that way. 4 photos are allowed on CL. I answered a lot of emails. I printed out the description with color photos of the plants in bloom (I stole most photos from the internet!) for signs on stakes. I found all my yarn and string, and decided on a color heirarchy. (By the way, once rained on, Lavender, White and Plain String look very similar! And, don't call it Lavender--people always thought I was talking about the plant!) I tied a LOT of knots on a lot of plants! I made up a price sheet that went by yarn color. Then I changed my mind. Then I made the clearance one. I printed them on different-colored paper to keep track. The color-code made things flexible for me changing my mind, or for when the clearance started. I should have printed up more sheets, because a lot of people took them home, or lingered at the sale. I emailed a lot of people with the address, and called a couple. Then I answered emails from maybe 15 people whose internet caches pages, so they didn't see the address addition. I made signs. I used old election signs, the stitched 2-sided cardboard ones. I cut them open and flipped them inside out, and taped them back together with clear tape (after writing on them). The address and hours, when clearance started, an arrow, and "no early birds." I made 3 signs for streets, one sign for the yard. My friend put the signs out at 10am Saturday. That's about it! :)

I haven't gone back to read the thread so I apologize if these are duplicated. A folder for every child: Got this from a friend, a light bulb moment. I use the kind that have a pocket on each inside flap. Mine hold, class schedules, sports schedules(also put on the calendar as needed) progress reports, eye examine prescriptions, summer camp brocheres, teacher names, classroom rules, student handbooks, etc, Anything that pertains to that particular child as far as paper (not important documents like birth c) that we may need or I am considering in the next several months. You could also store immunization records here. I love these. I have 3 children, only 1 at home. I still use this system for my older kids. A tuition bill, stray mail that can be handed over, list of doctors, SAT scores. The folders are in a verical sorter on the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet. If you use this system you need to figure out whether you want it easily accessible to your kids. Every once in awhile I sort thru and discard unneeded papers. My typical response to a query is "Look in your folder" Cubby or even a MAILBOX: Works in progress, papers back to school. Younger kids love having a mailbox. You can set them on a shelf. If you are so inclined, try to influence the school as to how they distribute paper. Several schools we have been in have picked ONE DAY. A large manilla like envelope with ALL the fundraising hassles, letter from principal, school newsletter, and in lower grades, communication from teacher, lunch order forms, child specific library fines, etc., etc. I know that on Wednesday I'll be getting the envelope. I can either deal with it then or have everything ready by launch time on Thursday. I think most parents are THRILLED to only have one day to sort thru all those forms. If you want more details on how our school works the system, let me know. A display area: A large bulletin board, refrigerator door, steel door to garage, etc. Each child gets one or an area of one. THEY rotate the things they are proud of. When the space is filled, then ... you keep, or toss. I remember tossing after the fact. I only got caught a couple of times! Good luck. This is a fun stage but sometimes so overwhelming. It does go quickly.

I have been away from my computer and just logged on this morning. Since a couple of posters mentioned reading the original post, I re-read it. I am amazed yet again how well this thread worked for me. I can pinpoint exactly where my thinking moved forward and how I formulated the next question after others asked questions of me. This process worked magic on my thinking. The evidence of success in controlling my messy papers will take a few months to confirm but if I can do it, I credit this forum and the extended back and forth dialogue. As I re-read the posts, I kept a list of things that I might be ready to try now, for instance I think I might be able to color code those sleeves for easier retrieval. That requires categories and a system. I may start a new thread. I am now ready to think about the boxes which go in the desk -- the container store brown ones are working fine but the idea of using craft store boxes (thanks Elisabeth-Pinelake) and covering them sounds interesting right now. Update on some of the OP issues: The ideas for storage came from this forum. The extended similar conversations I had with the artisan who built the desk were about ergonomics and location. We measured and measured and measured again to get the most comfortable dimensions for me to work without strain and to be the exact distance I like from nice warm radiator and take into account the light which I care about so much and give me the surface work space I craved. As we got the right dimensions, the desk grew to 66 inches and a few inches wider than originally designed. Interior designer now says it unbalances the whole room and it needs to go somewhere else in room. I said no; it stays. That is where I like to work and so the room will have to stay unbalanced. (That is too bad because one of my goals for the whole project was to have a harmonious and balanced living space but first things first.) It may be possible to tweak the rest of the room but that is a project for the fall. My IMAC computer which I like so much is sounding like a dying beast right now. I may have to replace it soon. (Almost four years old.) The upside will be the chance to have wireless keyboard and mouse. I have achieved "visual calm" for that whole work space and the idea of visual calm is now a part of my vocabulary and thinking everywhere. In the OP, I obsessed about beautiful boxes. I bought a set of three nested early 20th century Korean Stationery boxes -- cardboard, painted, a bit fragile but beautiful. I keep things in there that I need to have at hand but not open everyday. They are stacked on the bookshelf. I realize I have other minor tweaking to do and I bet this forum would help, but this post is already too long. Again I want to thank everyone for serious time consuming efforts to help me. I do hope the original converation is helpful to others. Interested readers seem to have found the original link -- I have linked it below but am not sure it will work. ("Messy Papers" got it for me in a search.) I agree it makes pretty good reading if desk organization is on your agenda. Here is a link that might be useful: How do you store your messy papers? I must (!) solve this.

We used to have a bad habit of turning our bedroom into a tornado ravaged area in hardly any time at all. I ALWAYS take the sheets and such off the bed, and immediately toss them in the wash. Then I load all the clothes laying around, onto the bed. Then I've got the whole floor clean, to see whats laying around. Clothes tags, or whatevers fallen onto the floor, books scattered, etc etc. Those then go into their homes. Then I sort and separate all the clothes into piles. My biggest time-saving and de-clutter thing, was to buy several hampers. One or two are NOT enough for me. I have about 4 in my walk in, and one wicker one beside the bedroom door. All clothes go into appropriate hamper -lights, darks, delicates, etc. And then one basket at a time, down to laundry room. Once all clothes are sorted and out of the way, I do finishing touches. Move anything back to the room/spot it came from. Dust & vaccum. I usually take a little time to rearrange my drawers and tidy the contents up, too. Always play music, and burn a good smelling candle. I just find having the floor cleaned up first makes me feel much more productive than starting with the furniture and such. Since we started the multiple hamper routine my room has not gotten messy enough to need more than 2 minutes of tidying. Maybe a pair of socks, or PJs on the floor, or a shirt during a rushed change. Nothing I can't keep up on daily. This is honestly the first time, probably since my parents cleaned my room when I was itty bitty, that our bedroom has stayed clean for longer than a week. It's going on about a month and a half now! I also find keeping the bed made motivates me not to toss things on the floor. If the bed looks messy, the room looks messy. If the bed is tidy, then I want to keep the bed tidy.