Alejandra's Favorite Organizing Products
Below you will find a list of my favorite organizing products that I’ve compiled in the 12 years of working as a professional organizer. I recommend not purchasing organizing products until you learn the decluttering & organizing processes. Please note that while some of the links below are affiliate links and we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, all of the products listed I have personally purchased, I use in my home, and absolutely LOVE! One of my core values is authenticity and I would never recommend a product for the sake of earning a commission. If a product is listed below, it has passed my rigorous testing!
Home Office Organizing Products
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Easiest Scanner for Going Paperless
It’s actually EASY to go paperless when you have a good scanner, as in: it’s fast to scan, the papers don’t get jammed, it’s easy to setup, and it’s simple to use. This
Moreis the latest model of the scanner I’ve been using for about 6 years! It scans to both PC and mac, iOS & Android, and can scan directly to the cloud wirelessly without a computer or device! It has a simple to use touchscreen making it easy to scan documents, photos, receipts, business cards, and other small pieces of paper you want to save! It can scan up to 30 pages per minute! This is by far the best scanner if you are considering going paperless!
VIDEO: How to Scan Papers
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Color-Coded Filing System
This is the exact filing system I use inside my own home. It’s the only filing system I recommend since its easy to use and requires little ongoing maintenance.
MoreIt works wonderfully if you follow it correctly.
VIDEO: Color-Coded Filing System
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The Best Binders (All Sizes)
These are the binders I always use for my organizing projects. They come in bright, fun colors and have rubber seams that don’t rip like most binders!
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Aqua Mesh Tax Pouches
These are the pouches that are in my tax drawer for organizing my tax returns. They are AWESOME! The zipper slides like butter and the pouch is large enough to
Morestore really thick tax returns and associated documentation and receipts. I absolutely love these and the aqua pop of color makes organizing and accessing your taxes a little bit more fun! 🙂
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Rainbow Accordion Organizer
I use file accordion’s for mostly receipts, both personal and business in the home office. This is my favorite. Why? Because the tabs are color-coded in rainbow
Moreorder, obviously 😉 NOTE: this is a replacement item as the previous version is no longer available.
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Mini Recycling Bins
These are the little recycling bins I have scattered throughout my house for responsibly decluttering! They are the cutest little things for recycling small
Moreitems that never seem to have a good “temporary home” until they leave your house including batteries, ink cartridges, expired medications, etc. They also make decluttering a little bit more fun! 🙂 They are seasonal promotional items at Dollar Tree (always located in the check-out aisle!) but you can also find similar ones at Family Dollar, Walmart (expensive!), and on Amazon (expensive as well!).
VIDEO: Organized Home Tour
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File Folders (Erasable Labels)
If you’re like me and always reuse your file folders in your office, adding an erasable label to your file folders will make re-labeling your file tabs easy and
Moreclean the next time you reuse your file folder! You can make your own reusable label by adhering a piece of clear packing tape to your file folder tabs and then printing a label from your label maker (which then makes it easy to peel off down the road) OR you can purchase these erasable labels.
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File Folders (w/ Dividers)
If you’re looking to organize project papers and need more space than a basic file folder can hold, consider using a file folder with dividers! This product is similar to
Moreyour basic file folder except it offers more storage space, has dividers, and has a clasp to keep things contained!
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File Folders (Super-Sturdy)
These are the file folders I use in my office for containing project papers. They’re basic, sturdy, well-made, and come in fun colors and patterns! They work well for
Moreorganizing small amounts of project papers!
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Legal-Sized Binders
My favorite binders are the better binders! However, they don’t come in legal-sized 🙁 That said, these are the best-bang-for-your-buck legal-sized binders I’ve come across!
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Fire / Water Resistant Tote Bag
This is the tote bag I use to store my emergency document organizer. It’s fire and water resistant. However, I have not tested it 🙂 In the event of an emergency,
Morethere is space inside the bag to throw in your phone, other devices, jewelry, etc. The ideal place to keep this bag is inside a safe!
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Emergency Document Organizer
This is the accordion organizer I use to store all of my emergency paperwork that I would grab in the event of a natural disaster! It’s legal-sized to fit letter
Moreto fit letter AND legal papers and it has 12-sections so you can organize by category! I keep this accordion organizer inside my fire/water resistant tote bag which is kept in my office! However, the ideal place to store these documents/bag is in a safe!
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Alejandra’s Shredder
This is the shredder Ed and I use in our offices. It’s shreds (cross-cuts) up to 16-pages at once including staples, credit cards, CD/DVDs, and paper clips (however,
MoreI recommend removing and reusing the paper clip as opposed to shredding it). It holds a good amount of paper, it’s a bit quieter than our old one, and it has never jammed to date!
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Best Priced Laminator
If you’ve always wanted a laminator but thought they were too expensive, this is the best “bang for your buck” laminator on the market! The machine itself is just under
More$30 and works well (this is the one I have in my office). If you’re looking for something functional that will get the job done right, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money, this is the laminator for you! On the other hand, if you’re looking for a super duper professional series reallllllly thick lamination, this isn’t the machine for you. In that case, your best bet is having your nearest office supply store do the lamination for you (or purchasing a $300 laminator).
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Best Priced Laminating Pouches
These are the laminating pouches that go with the “best priced laminator“. NOTE: There are two kinds of laminating pouches that fit this laminator:
More3mil and 5mil. The higher the number “mil”, the thicker the lamination. In my opinion, the 5mil is worth the extra money. It is noticeably thicker! The 3mil feels a bit flimsy. Okay, a LOT flimsy. Both are functional though in terms of being laminated!
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Bedford Desk
This is the desk I have in my office! I LOVE it! There is ample storage space in the drawers and on the surface. And I love how the back of the drawer units are solid so
Moreyou can’t see the cords tangling down! It’s a solid desk, although you do have to be careful with the finish as it does chip easily especially at the corners. I also love how there are two size drawers – shallow for small office supplies and deep for file folders!
VIDEO: How to Organize Your Desk
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Bedford Bookshelf
This is the bookshelf I have in my office! It fits binders perfectly (and books, obviously!). If you have the matching Bedford Filing Cabinet, this unit can be
Morestacked on top to maximize space.
VIDEO: How to Organize Office Files
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Bedford Filing Cabinet
This is the filing cabinet I have in my home office. I LOVE it! I keep my file folders in the bottom drawer and my tax returns (both personal and business) in the top
Moredrawer. For the file folders, I use the Freedom Filer filing system and for my tax returns, I organize the documents by year, in indestructible poly-envelopes that have awesome zippers so nothing falls out!
VIDEO: How to Organize Office Files
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Daily System Corkboard
These are the cork boards I have in my office! I use them for hanging important information, checklists, greeting cards, photos, and vision boarding. I love using
Morethem for vision boarding! The boards are a bit small which is great for having separate vision boards (personal goals, work goals)! They match the antique white Bedford office collection perfectly! If you purchase these boards, you must purchase the “top display rods” for installation. Also, these boards cannot be installed next to a door frame or anything protruding out from the wall! This sounds a bit weird but the boards slide into the top display rod when installing so you need at least 12″ of flush wall space!
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Bedford Desk Drawer Organizers
If you have the Bedford Desk from Pottery Barn, these drawer organizers fit like a GLOVE (minus 1′ to spare in the back!). You can use these drawer organizers
Moreto store pens, markers, small office supplies, and anything else small you need to corral and have easy access to while working! Secure them in place by puttying them down so they don’t move when you open/close the drawer!
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Rainbow Envelopes
One of the things I always had as a kid in my desk was my own set of envelopes for writing letters to pen pals or friends that or friends that moved away. I recently
Morediscovered envelopes that come in rainbow colors that make it 10x more fun to send snail mail! These particular ones have the nice “quick strip” sticker to seal the envelope!
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Best Notebook for Picky People
Taking good notes in school is critical to getting good grades! And it’s always easier to take better notes with a good notebook! This is my favorite notebook because 1) it
Morehas wide margins (I’m a lefty), 2) it has dark lines (it’s easier to write on dark lines), 3) it has a box to fill in today’s date 4) it has a highlighted section at the bottom for calling out certain things like homework or action items and; 5) it has clean perforated edges when removing paper from the notebook. It’s the only notebook I use!! Comes in pink, yellow, and black! I use pink when I can find it (it’s often out-of-stock!).
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Carrying Case Tackle Box
This is the tackle box I use on the sides of my filing cabinet to store all of my filing accessories (e.g., filing tabs, filing labels, binder clips, etc). If you have the same
Morefiling cabinet as me, this carrying case will fit perfectly like a glove! 🙂
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Stamp/Sticker Organizer
This is the organizer I use in the desk drawer to corral all of my large letter stickers! It’s made to be a “stamp” organizer but it works well for other
Morecraft supplies such as stickers, die-cuts, scrapbook paper, stencils, etc. It’s made of hard plastic that clicks together when shut. This particular organizer comes in three sizes: thin, thick, and thicker. If this organizer is for you, check your local craft store to see if they carry it before purchasing it online. I found mine at a mom & pop shop near my house for $2/each, which is a fraction of the price online!
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Scrapbook Paper Tackle Box
This is the tackle box I use to store all of my scrapbook paper. It fits 12″ x 12″ paper perfectly! I also store small scrapbook paper books inside- works beautifully!
MoreThe best thing about this tackle box is the lid stays shut tightly!
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Large Super Deep Tackle Box
This is the tackle box I use to store all of my small but bulky electronics and cords like old cameras, microphones, chargers/surge protectors, audio cables,
Morenetwork cables, etc. It’s literally the perfect size for all of the bulky cords or small electronics you might have tangled up in a box in your house! The best thing about this tackle box is the lid stays shut tightly and the dividers don’t move once in place!!
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Narrow Super Deep Tackle Box
This is the tackle box I use to store all of my extra labels. However, it’s the perfect size for storing stickers, cards, die-cuts, small sheets of fabric, or any similar
Moresized craft item! The best thing about this tackle box is the lid stays shut tightly and the dividers don’t move once in place!!
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Large Deep Tackle Box
This is the tackle box I use to store small electronics like flash drives, USB connectors, memory cards, batteries, ear phones, etc. It’s the perfect size for
Moresmaller gadgets in the office! Plus, it has removable dividers which means you can make each compartment smaller or larger depending upon what you’re storing. The best thing about this tackle box is the lid stays shut tightly and the dividers don’t move once in place!!
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Large Shallow Tackle Box
This is the tackle box I use to store all of my labeling accessories like clothespins, binder rings, shelf labels, etc. It’s the perfect size for collections of “small-sized”
Moreitems! If you’re a crafter, this tackle box would work great for embellishments, attachments, or any small materials you might have floating around your craft space. The best thing about this tackle box is the lid stays shut tightly and the dividers don’t move once in place!!
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Small Shallow Tackle Box
Believe it or not I’ve tried probably every type of tackle box on the market. This is by far my favorite SMALL tackle box. The dividers are adjustable, the clasps are
Moretight, and the box opens and shuts perfectly (unlike others!).
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Battery Organizer Tackle Box
I tried 7 different tackle boxes for containing my batteries and this is the only one that worked! Why? This is the only one I could find (in a good size) that has flat sides for
Morelabeling (you can’t label sides that have ridges in them like most tackle boxes do). Awesome tackle box for containing batteries!
VIDEO: Exclusive Home Tour
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Visual Photo Box Storage
I’m not big into taking pictures but still have LOTS of printed photos from the 90s and early 2000. I use this photo box to store and organize all of my photos. The best
Morepart about it are the clear mini containers for sorting photos into categories. This is the latest version of the one that I use. However, if you are looking to easily flip through your photos, this may not be the best product for you. In that case, check out the “Sentimental Portfolio (Small)” product.
VIDEO: How I Store Photos
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The Best Trash Cans for Sorting
This is going to sound beyond bizarre but I LOVE to throw things away in the these trash cans. There’s something about three uniform trash cans (trash, shred, recycle)
Moreperfectly lined up next to each other that just makes me smile every time I sort and toss things inside! And when you label each bin with a color-coded label (recycle = green, trash = blue, shred = red) it makes it that much easier and faster to discard things 🙂
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Fun Ergonomic Desk Chair
This is the fun ergonomic desk chair I use at my desk in my home office! It’s fun to wobble on while you work while also “strengthening your back and core!”
MoreIt comes in three fun colors; orange, black, and blue. They also come in smaller kids version in every color of the rainbow 🙂
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Cord Box to Hide Wires
If you hate seeing messy piles of cords behind or underneath your furniture, this is what you NEED! It’s a cord box that “hides” the messy cables! This is the cord box I
Morefeatured in my “How to Hide Wires & Cords” video. It comes in black and white!
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Prevent Cords From Falling
I have these things all over my house in every nook and cranny! They are adhesive and you can stick them anywhere to prevent a cord from falling down when
Moreunplugged. They come in multiple colors.
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Hooks for Containing Wires/Cords
Wires and cords that hang/dangle bother me like no other! These adhesive hooks hold cords against the wall in place. The best part about them are the various sizes
Morethey come in and the adhesive on the back that is removable without damaging most surfaces (furniture, walls, etc).
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Cool Cord Wraps
You know those realllllly long cords that hang from the back of your computer, TV, and/or any other electronic in your house? Well, this cord wrap allows you to
More“magically” shorten the cord as if it didn’t really exist! It’s hard to explain but it’s AWESOME! I use this for my iPod charger on my desk.
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Electronic Fuzzy Glove
This is one of those cool office gadgets that actually gets good use! It’s a fuzzy finger you use to dust your computer screen and keyboard (I also use it to dust my desk).
MoreIt actually makes dusting fun! Who knew?!
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Built-In Divider Storage Boxes
Okay, so these storage bins are super cool. They have built-in dividers that are collapsible which means you can either use them to divide the contents you’re storing
Morewithin the bin or you can collapse them and have one big normal storage bin. They’re definitely pricey for a storage bin but they’re flexible in that they can be used for multiple purposes!
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Hanging Paper Organizer
I use this hanging organizer originally made for clothes in my home office for storing paper, notepads, and extra file folders! It’s literally the PERFECT size for paper
Moremanagement. On top of that, it’s super sturdy which means if you store a heavy stack of paper, it’s not going to sink in or collapse! 🙂 NOTE: this is a replacement item as the previous version is no longer available.
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Business Card Poly-Envelope
If you’re looking for a simple way to store business cards (where they won’t get torn or ripped) in your purse or work bag, this inexpensive business card poly-envelope
Moreis the solution you’ve been looking for! strong>NOTE: this is a replacement item as the previous version is no longer available.
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Checks to Deposit Poly-Envelope
These have become my new favorite poly-envelopes! I have seven of these in my desk drawers and they are the perfect size for storing stamps, address labels, checks
Moreto deposit, receipts to register, travel receipts, temporary gift receipts, etc. strong>NOTE: this is a replacement item as the previous version is no longer available.
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Poly Envelopes For Binders
These poly envelopes are the perfect solution because they hold heavy manuals and packets of information in the sturdy sleeve and keep them in with a velcro
Moreclasp. The ones I have aren’t available online, but these are the most similar ones I can find.
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Non-Flimsy Poly-Envelopes
I’m such a poly-envelope snob- I only use certain ones. These pass my test! They are amazing quality (not flimsy at all!) and have a nice snap in place! They also stack really
Morewell when stacked (again, really nice quality).
VIDEO: How I Organize My Stickers
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Tax Box with Dividers
I keep all my taxes in this box because the dividers allow me to separate different tax returns supporting documents. Everything stays put and doesn’t slide around or
Morefall over.
VIDEO: Organize Your Taxes: Getting Organized for Tax Season
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Rainbow Sticky Note White Board
I’m totally out-of-sight, out-of mind so when it comes to planning projects and jotting down ideas, I need to SEE to remember. These are the whiteboards we use in the
Morealejandra.tv office!
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Sentimental Items (Large Papers)
This is the art portfolio I used to organize all of my full size (8.5×11) paper sentimental items such as artwork, letters, report cards, goal sheets, etc. Smaller items such as
Moregreeting cards can also work well, just needs to be pasted in 🙂 The spine can be customized with scrapbook paper to your liking. And of course, label the spine with your category name (love, goals, college, etc.) to make it easier to find!
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Sentimental Items (Small Papers)
This size art portfolio can be used to organize all of your smaller (4×6) paper sentimental items such as small greeting cards, cut-outs, notes, or letters! It also
Moreworks perfectly for 4×6 photos! The spine can be customized with scrapbook paper to your liking. And of course, label the spine with your category name (love, goals, college, etc.) to make it easier to find!
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Sentimental Portfolio Holder
This is the file tote I used to contain all of my large sentimental portfolios! They fit like a glove!
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Inclined Desktop Mail Sorter
This tiered mail sorter sits on a desktop while helping you see the names of your file folders so you can quickly and easily file all your mail into the appropriate folder or
Moresection.
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Color-Coded Dot Stickers
Color-coding your organizing systems is super easy when you use these dot stickers. Just use a dot on the item and another of the same color where it belongs.
MoreIt also works with boxes when moving.
VIDEO: Organizing for Kids: How to Teach Kids Where Things Belong
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Hanging Gift Bag Organizer
This is the exact gift bag holder I use in my house. It’s meant to be hung on a closet rod, however, I hang it on an over-the-door hook. The pockets are sturdy and I love
Morehow you can see all of the bags at the same time since the material is clear PVC.
VIDEO: Organizing Gift Bags
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Wall Gift Wrap Organizer (Bottom)
This is the bottom part to the gift wrap holder I use. When combined with the top part and mounted to the wall, wrapping paper is extremely easy to access and the
Moreends do not get torn or ripped.
VIDEO: Gift Wrap Organizer
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Wall Gift Wrap Organizer (Top)
There are tons of gift wrap organizers. However, I have found that most of them do not work effectively nor make it easy to retrieve wrapping paper. I use a two part
Moreorganizer mounted to the wall to contain my gift wrap (it’s seriously the best ever!). This is the top part.
VIDEO: Gift Wrap Organizer
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Wall-Mounted Magazine Rack
This is the magazine rack I use inside my own home office. I like it because it allows me to only store 15 magazines at any given time. I use the one-in, one-out rule with
Moremy magazines. It works perfectly. NOTE: this is a replacement item as the previous version is no longer available.
VIDEO: Exclusive Home Tour
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Mesh Drawer Organizers
There are a plethora of drawer bins on the market. My favorite ones are these mesh ones. They come in various sizes and you can store all of your favorite office supplies
Morefrom pens to staples to sticky notes. They also work well in kitchen drawers for small kitchen gadgets. NOTE: this is a replacement item as the previous version is no longer available.
VIDEO: Exclusive Home Tour
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elfa Freestanding Drawers
These are the freestanding drawers I use in my home office, pantry, bathroom, garage, and Ed’s closet. There is a reason why I have so many- they are simply the BEST!
MoreThe drawers slide like butter and come in different widths, depths, and heights. Yes, they are pricey but will literally last a lifetime.
VIDEO: Post-It Note Organization
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The Sturdiest Hanging File Folders
I’ve tried every hanging file folder on the market, these are the best ones. They are extremely sturdy and won’t tear or rip if the weight is too heavy. They come in seven
Moredifferent colors and have matching interior file folders. By far, my favorite file folders.
VIDEO: Best File Folders
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File Cart (Letter & Legal Sized)
This is the filing cart I use in my home office. It’s the BEST filing cart. Since I’m a visual person, I like to keep everything ‘out’ so I know what I have. I also love this cart
Morebecause the wheels slide incredibly smoothly. Available in both letter and legal size.
VIDEO: Favorite Filing Cart
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Color-Coded Tabs For Labeling
These tabs are great for color-coding the contents of your binders. I love the bright colors and they’re easy to stick on the top of your pages or dividers.
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Color-Coded Dividers (Wide)
These are my all-time favorite binder dividers! Why? They are beautifully color-coded, sturdy (which means they can be reused over and over), and they come in a
Morewide variety of sizes to perfectly “fit” the type of binder you’re setting up. For example, I use the “Extra-Wide” dividers in all of my binders that have sheet protectors. Why? Because most, if not all, sheet protectors go beyond most standard size dividers thereby covering the dividers! In other words, most sheet protectors are too wide for standard sized dividers. So annoying! Problem solved with these “extra-wide” dividers!
VIDEO: Recipe Organization
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Color-Coded Dividers (5-Tab)
These are my all-time favorite binder dividers! Why? They are beautifully color-coded, sturdy (which means they can be reused over and over), and they come in a
Moreover and over) wide variety of sizes to perfectly “fit” the type of binder you’re setting up. For example, I use the “5-tab” dividers for smaller (1 inch) binders that have fewer categories of papers.
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Color-Coded Dividers (8-Tab)
These are my all-time favorite binder dividers! Why? They are beautifully color-coded, sturdy (which means they can be reused over and over), and they come in a
Morewide variety of sizes to perfectly “fit” the type of binder you’re setting up.
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Color-Coded Dividers (10-Tab)
These are my all-time favorite binder dividers! Why? They are beautifully color-coded, sturdy (which means they can be reused over and over), and they come in a
Morewide variety of sizes to perfectly “fit” the type of binder you’re setting up. For example, I use the “10-tab” dividers in my recipe binder for sorting recipes into: Appetizers, Soups/Salads, Pasta, Side Dishes, Main Dish, Meat/Chicken, Seafood, Marinades, Desserts/Breads, and Drinks.
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Color-Coded Dividers (12-Tab)
These are my all-time favorite binder dividers! Why? They are beautifully color-coded, sturdy (which means they can be reused over and over), and they come in a
Morewide variety of sizes to perfectly “fit” the type of binder you’re setting up.
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Color-Coded Dividers (A to Z)
These are my all-time favorite binder dividers! Why? They are beautifully color-coded, sturdy (which means they can be reused over and over), and they come in a
Morewide variety of sizes to perfectly “fit” the type of binder you’re setting up. For example, I use the “A to Z” dividers in my business card binder for storing all of my contact’s business cards by company name. For example, a business card from Alejandra.tv would be filed behind the “A” divider!
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Binders For Non-Binder People
If you hate binders, this “binder” is for you. It’s similar to a binder, minus the rings (therefore no hole punching necessary). You basically just “shove” the papers inside
Morethe appropriate section and then close the “binder” with the elastic band. Ideal for kids (and adults!) who don’t like binders.
VIDEO: Back to School Organization Tips: How to Organize Your Binder & Notes
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Organize Magazines in a Binder
I looooove organizing with binders! And that includes using binders to organize my magazines! These nifty and hard-to-find organizers allow you to store catalogs,
Morepamphlets, booklets, and magazines into binders without hole punching anything! You just slip these plastic thing-ys (they have built in holes) inside the middle of the catalog and pop them into the binder. Super easy!