A Dish Drainer & Paper Clutter

Paper clutter is seriously the bane of my existence.  While I am not a total neat freak and actually am pretty able to overlook messiness, there are time where it feels like I am being overrun by paper.  Notes from the kids' school, art work by the kids, newspapers, unopened mail, coupons, bills, that pile of papers that need attention and you are afraid to file because you will forget about it...it just starts adding up.

In general, I try to treat all paperwork with the "touch it once" rule.  That means just what it says-try to touch it only once.  When the mail come, I try to go through it immediately and throw away the junk and put away the bills.  When the kids bring art home, I try to throw it or swap it out with what is already hanging up.  And I try to throw appointment reminders away and opt to record them in my planner. 

But what really gets me is that the stuff that can't be handled immediately.  Like the disputed insurance claim that is dragging on and on for months.  Or my stack of coupons that need clipped.  Or the grocery store ads that I might use when I grocery shop at the end of the week. 

I have longed for an office space in my kitchen.  Somehow I've convinced myself that if I had an office space in my kitchen I would be able to conquer the battle with paper.  However, if you've seen my kitchen, you can probably guess that this dream is really just a pipe dream.  My kitchen is very small with zero counter space and cabinet space.  I kept thinking that maybe I could find an organizer that would be multi functional and address my biggest needs:  a place for the paperwork that needs to be easily accessible, a place for the kids to empty out their book bags, and a place for me to store my planner which holds my menus and daily schedules.  I checked out lots of online places, specifically looking for desk organizers.  And I found a few things that I liked but nothing that seemed perfect.  (Although one of them seemed very useable but it was $70.) 

I hadn't really looked in a store simply because I hadn't been anywhere to look.  Last Thursday, we headed to town to do my freezer cooking exchange and stopped at Shopko when we were done because my kids had to pee.  I decided since we were there, I'd look.  I went through the kitchen shelves and office supplies and didn't see anything I liked. 

Then I happened upon the hooks and dish drainers.  I tell you, the skies parted and the light shone down! 

There on the shelf was a coppery bronze dish drainer. 

I know it doesn't sound like much.  And actually I would never have thought to use it as a paperwork organizer until that moment.  But it works like a charm.

The silverware holder holds my writing utensils and scissors.  I bought some decorative file folders and used three of them to hold my coupon/grocery shopping paperwork, bill related paperwork (as in things that are problem bills which we seem to have had a lot of lately), and miscellaneous paperwork like the new car insurance policy that was waiting for D to sign it.  The first three plate slots hold those folders.  I use a regular binder to hold my organizer so that fits into the fourth slot.  That leaves the back section of the dish drainer open.  I set my photo album turned coupon organizer across that back space and there is still room for my kids to empty out their backpacks and pile the paperwork from that there as well.  All of it can be picked up as one unit and placed on top of my folded up lap top.  It is compact but holds a lot of stuff in one little space.  The bronze/copper finish keeps it from looking frumpy.  (And it matches my copper faucet and toaster!)  Possibly the best part is that it cost me $9.99 for the drainer and $4 for the folders.  I have to say, I am loving it!