It’s almost the end of the school year which means graduation is on its way!  If you or someone you know is graduating from school, the O.C.D. Experience has a great gift guide for you.

Photographs: the perfect gift to capture memories.  Giving a framed picture or creating a personalized photo album is definitely a special present that your friend or loved one will always cherish.  O.C.D. consultants especially love the photo books from Shutterfly and Mixbook.  What is so great about these digital scrapbooks is that they give you a ton of options to choose from.  You can make an album with a specific theme, color, size, shape, and more.  In addition to photo albums, you can create your own personalized stationary, calendar, cards, and more!  FotoBridge is another great tool to help you make a special gift by scanning your photo collections.

 Customized gifts: by personalizing your gift, it will make the person graduating feel unique and special.  You can customize just about everything – jewelry, cosmetic cases, wallets, phone covers, and stationary for girls and belt buckles, money clips, luggage, and button down shirts for guys.

An  O.C.D. Experience’s fav is American Stationary – you can customize letters, labels, note cards, and a lot more.

Gift Subscriptions: this is a really fantastic gift to receive.  Subscriptions range from getting the graduate a subscription to their favorite magazine, a gift subscription to Netlix, Fruit, Flowers, you name it!

One of the O.C.D. favs is this Fruit-of-the-Month package by Harry & David – each month your giftee will receive deliciously fresh fruit including strawberries, mango, cherries, pineapple, peaches, and more!

Gift Cards: give your graduate the option to buy whatever he or she wants.  This is definitely a smart way to go and you will definitely make your graduate happy.  You can a gift card from most places but the O.C.D. Experience thinks you can’t go wrong getting one from these:  American Express, iTunes, Best Buy, Target, and Amazon.

Memberships: gym memberships are a great way to keep your graduate feeling fit and healthy.  The O.C.D. Experience especially loves gift cards from Equinox because their gyms are located all over the country and you can select from a variety of options to choose from: personal training classes, spa treatment, gym lessons, and more.

Experiences: it is likely that your loved one is moving to a new city after they graduate.  Getting them something they will always remember is a special way to show them how proud you are.  O.C.D. Consultants think giving a gift certificate to a nice restaurant or tickets to see a show or concert are amazing ways to show you care.  And lastly, but most importantly, you can give the gift of the O.C.D. Experience.  It is always important and necessary to give someone the gift of organization – it will always benefit one’s life

You can’t go wrong with following any of these tips that we’ve suggested for you.

Happy Graduation!!!

-The O.C.D. Experience

For theladies that like to be prepared at all times the O.C.D.Experience has the perfect recipe for your personalized “emergency kit.”

As an O.C.D. consultant, here are the things I keep on me at all times:

1. Chap stick – this is definitely an essential item to carry with you wherever you go.

2. Hand sanitizer – you never know when you’re going to need it but it always seems to come in handy after riding the subway or touching public doorknobs.

3. Tide to go mini stick – I love this little thing.  I have nothing to worry about if I, or someone next to me, gets a stain on their shirt because I have Tide to go to save the day, or article of clothing, rather.

4. Hair accessory – it’s always important to carry around a hair tie or clip for when you want to keep your hair out of your face.

5. Miniature nail file – this is great to have because when you break a nail you’ll have a fast solution to fix it.

6. Band-aid – these definitely come in handy, especially when you’re wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes or when you get a paper cut.

7. Travel size perfume bottle, roll on stick, or sample perfume- it’s nice to have this on you so whenever you feel like freshening up you can roll on or spritz yourself with some perfume.

8. Small mirror -this is an obvious necessity.  When you need to do a quick check on yourself carrying a mirror around is always helpful.

9. Show Stoppers – designer fashion tape is extremely useful to keep in your kit when you need to fix an unexpected clothing malfunction.

10. Floss – this is something I always wish I had after I eat an apple or a peach.  I started carrying this around with me and it actually is a life savor.  I don’t know what I’d do without it!

11. Travel brush – perfect for when you need to do some retouches.

12. Pill bags – these are probably the most important thing to carry with you at all times.  they are tiny plastic bags that are great for holding medicine like Advil, Tylenol, and Midol inside of them.  They come in handy whenever you have a head ache and need an immediate pain reliever.

13. Feminine products – a must.  It’s the worst when you aren’t prepared so why not have it on you at all times?

These are some O.C.D. “emergency kit” items, what are some of yours?

If you have a hard time keeping your money, receipts, membership cards, and business cards from bulging out of your wallet, this post is for you.  Organize & Create Discipline has specific suggestions that will definitely help you keep your wallet neat and not bulky.

Say NO MORE to this:

and say HELLO to this:

Step 1:

Collect all of your receipts and take them out of your wallet.  Receipts for large merchandise purchases or merchandise you might return keep them in a folder  Label each tab or section by date or categorize your receipts by item.  For example: Shopping, Accessories, Electronics, Home Goods, Appliances, etc.  For all other cash receipts, they should be reconciled with your accounts and then put into an envelope or folder that is labeled for the current year.  This keeps your files organized and just in case you get an audit from the government for tax purposes, you will have your receipts in order.

Receipts that are significant and that have warranty’s associated with them should be scanned and filed appropriately on your computer.  If items are especially important, they should also be added to an insurance policy which will require proof of purchase/receipt confirmation.  A scanner can be found at most local office supply stores.  This is an efficient way to keep your receipts organized and consolidate the amount of papers you have. Our O.C.D. favorite is the Fujitsu ScanSnap.

  Step 2:

Organize your cash in numerical order.  $1 bills go first, then $5, $10, $20 etc.  Your cash will be easily accessible whenever you need to get money out of your wallet.

Step 3:

Use your loose change.  Everyone hates the jingle of change, so when you have the chance, spend it! Or, at the end of the day put your change in a cup, jar, or box and once it gets full take it to the bank and exchange it for bills. Most banks and even pharmacy’s have Coin Stars or coin exchange systems that you can dump your change into in exchange for store vouchers or cash for a 3% service fee.

Step 4:

You do not need to carry around your membership cards.  Take pictures of both sides of each card so you have your name and ID # and the bar code recorded.  Make sure you either take the picture with your phone or email yourself the picture so you have it stored on your mobile device.  This way, you don’t have to carry all those cards that take up unnecessary space in your wallet.  O.C.D. Experience consultants also recommend that you use password protectors for your credit cards.  If you lose your card you will have your card’s information backed up on your phone.

Step 5:

Get a business card holder for your desk.  When someone gives you their business card your should discipline yourself to add their contact information in your phone immediately.  That way you don’t have to search through a pile of cards or papers to find the person or company you are looking for.  If you have the chance, give the business card back to the person who just gave it to you.  This will give you another reason to strike up conversation and they will be shocked you already put the info into your phone. If you decide to keep the card use a business card holder like the one below. Make a habit and discipline yourself to input all of the cards from the holder by the end of each work week so the holder is empty at the start of each week.

Step 6:

Watch this helpful video of O.C.D’s Justin Klosky on how to organize your wallet the O.C.D. Way!

With the spring season in bloom and summer just around the corner, some of your closets may be in need of a seasonal change. Not all of us have the room to store all of our clothing in one space and some of us just like moving things around when the seasons change to make getting dressed more efficient. For this reason twice a year we get a little closer with our clothing. For those of you who do a seasonal swap every year this post is a good one for you!

Following the O.C.D. Experience Spring Cleaning tips and having a Spring Swap Party, it’s time to put your wintry clothes away and bring out those bright colored pants you’ve been waiting to wear all year.  Follow Organize & Create Discipline’s suggestions on how to make an organized, efficient, and functional closet change.

Gather your thick sweaters,  bulky jackets, and winter boots.  Before you store them away for the new season, decide what you wore and didn’t wear.  Make a pile of the items you are ready to leave behind and put them aside.  Clean your saved items before you put them in storage.  If you store clothes with stains on them they could ruin the fabric or material over time so make sure they are stain-free.

Choose from several options like these to store your clothes: large plastic bags,  plastic air tight bins, multiple compartment hanging bags, or garment bags.  All of these storage products can be found at The Container Store. 

Organize & Create Discipline especially loves this Elephant hamper that can definitely be used for storage:

Not only are these storage units versatile, they are also easy to use.   They hold a lot which make space for your in-season clothing.  Make sure to label each storage unit into categories – for cold weathered inhabitants:  sweaters, scarves, long underwear, socks, scarves, etc.  so you know what is in each one and stay organized.  Organize & Create Discipline consultants suggest that making a Master List is a great way to keep track of the things you put in storage.  This way, if you ever find yourself looking for your favorite cashmere black sweater you can always check your storage list to see if it’s there.

There are several ways to preserve your clothes.  Using herbal sachets is one way.  These keep your clothes in storage smelling good and prevent moths from making holes in your favorite sweater.  You can order them here.  Another way to keep your clothes fresh in storage is to use a dryer sheet.  This will also help keep your clothes smelling good.  Make sure to store your off season clothing in a dry, cool and clean place, away from any moisture or heat to prevent your clothes from getting smelly or moldy.

Now that you have space for your in-season clothes, it’s time to reorganize your closet O.C.D. style:

- Color coordinate your button downs and blouses

- Stack your fold-able shirts by length of sleeve: long sleeves go on the bottom of the pile and tanks go on the top

- Use different colored hangers to separate your clothes into specific sections or categories

With these useful O.C.D. Experience tips,  you will have no problem reorganizing and changing your closet for the upcoming seasons!

With summer fast approaching there are a bunch of things to think about and plan ahead for.  Where do you want to go? What trips do you want to take? What activities do you have in mind? What kinds of things do you want to do?  What kind of job do you want? What are some things you need to prepare for summer?  The O.C.D Experience has come up with several important themes to get your mind running on summer planning and organization.

1) Trips

Summertime is great chance to travel and visit family, friends, and new and exciting places.  There are several inexpensive,  alternative ways you can reach your destination with out paying the hefty prices traveling by plane can bring.  The O.C.D. Experience loves traveling by train because it saves money, has a flexible schedule, it’s comfortable and relaxing, has room for more baggage, and it’s a trip within itself!  Amtrak has really great routes that travel all over and across the country, like the Empire Builder.  What is so great about these Amtrak routes is that they run daily and you can hop on and off whenever and wherever you’d like.  Click here for more information on the routes Amtrak has to offer.  Once you book your trip, we recommend you use Tripit to help you organize your travel plans.  You can get more facts about Tripit and what the O.C.D. Experience has to say about this great organizer here.  Have fun planning your trip!

2) Activities

Here is a summer DIY activity that the O.C.D. Experience and O.C.D. Events thinks would be fun for everyone!  Get a pair of white canvas sneakers, acrylic paint, and a few different sized paint brushes.  Paint your favorite designs and symbols and create your own, unique pair of sneakers made especially by you and for you!  This DIY activity is great for people of all ages: a crafty play date for kids and an original way to show off artistic talent for teenagers and young adults.

3) Jobs

With the school year fast approaching, it’s time to think about what kind of internship you want for the summer.  If your’re a teenager or young adult, here are some tips the O.C.D. Experience has for you: First, think about what you’re interested in and what you want to learn more about.  Second, pursue your interests and research places, people, and companies that align with the things you are passionate about.  Third, network.  Get in touch with the contacts you want to work with and take advantage of your resources.  Use your High School and College Career Services to help you find contacts and get in touch with Alumni.  Internships are a great opportunity  to gain experience in the field of your interests and sometimes even secure a job right out of college.

4) Exercise

With the beautiful weather summertime brings it’s hard to resist taking advantage of it.  There are a bunch of things you can do to exercise while your outdoors: run, walk, hike, bike swim, kayak, the list goes on and on!  In order to motivate yourself to go outside, the O.C.D. Experience recommends that before you begin your workout you should: update your playlist so you have fresh new beats to listen to while you’re on the go, eat a small snack like a handful of almonds to give yourself a boost of energy, and use MapmyRUN to help you keep track of your exercise routine.

These planning tips will help you organize your thoughts so when summertime finally approaches you will already have these things organized and planned out!

The O.C.D. Experience is all about creating effective and functional ways to organize.  With the millions of apps, photographs, emails, and so on that are being circulated every day, there are several tools to help you organize and create discipline in your digital world.

Photography:

Picasa is O.C.D. Experience’s favorite program to share, edit, and organize photographs.  Picasa lets you: 1) Create Web Albums where you can organize and produce photo albums based on a specific date, trip, or event. 2) Share with friends or family members via email. 3) Search for photographs in various categories you might use for projects, backgrounds, or art. 4) You can also input facial recognition tagging to find your friends in an instant and sort by friends.

Travel:

Tripit – Travel Organizer is an efficient tool to keep your travel plans in order.  When you register for free,  Tripit links with your email account and helps organize your itinerary for upcoming trips, future plans, and more.

Personal Organizers:

Family Organizer is a free app that allows you to share your grocery lists, calendar entries, daily tasks, recipes, photos, and more with your family members.  Sign up for Family Organizer here and enjoy the dashboard it provides that displays each feature in an organized way.

Daily Tasks:

When you don’t have a pen or paper and need to write something down why not record it? Quick Voice Recorder is perfect for taking notes, making lists, recording ideas, and anything else you want to keep on record.  Download Quick Voice Recorder for free here.

Budgeting:

Ace Budget Life helps you keep track all of your spending and personal finances by creating categories for your different spending types.  It is useful for scheduling transactions, creating recurring transactions, and much more. Check out more information about it here.

Fitness:

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal is an easy way to keep track of your food & water intake, calorie count, and workout time, while promoting a healthy lifestyle.  What’s great about this app is that it saves your recent food and calorie intake and groups them into specific categories such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Map My RUN is amazing for planning and mapping out your running route.  It records your running distance and can calculate how many calories you’ve burned during your run.  What the O.C.D. Experience likes about Map My RUN is that it provides a variety of trails such as road, off trail, cross country, wood trail, and more, making running always a new adventure.  Find out more about it here.

With these O.C.D. Experience tips for photography, travel, personal organization, daily tasks, budgeting, and fitness, you will definitely have all your digital applications organized and in order!

After you’ve followed all of the tips the O.C.D. Experience has for you here, it’s time to have a Spring Swap Party!

Get together with a bunch of friends right after you’ve cleaned out your closet for Spring. Make some cute, inexpensive flower arrangements and heat up some appetizers. Invite your friends to bring some of their own favorite treats for that extra flare. Hit up the local Costco for cheap drinks and don’t forget the ice.

Bring your favorite clothes and make sure you ladies are trading with like sizes. Separate shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, etc and then start going through the piles. You can take as little or as much as you want, but only take what you are going to wear! It is sometimes fun to go the extra mile and do gift exchanges. For that you will need to write up numbers and then draw to see the order you will be picking.

The lowest number goes first and has the chance to pick any gift on the table. After that the person following in numeric order can choose the gift before them or a new one. Once a gift has been taken twice it is no longer in play. When the last person to draw’s turn comes around they can choose any gift from the lot that is still left and then it is back to person 1 who can then pick any gift back from anyone, excluding one’s that are no longer in play.

About this time you might be a little tipsy and as you ladies like to do, show off your new clothes. Hold a fashion show with all your new swapped clothes!

When you get home the first thing you should do is organize your new clothing into your closet. Don’t drop it on the floor, don’t leave it in a pile to be dealt with later, Organize & Create Discipline. You’re boyfriend, fiance, husband or partner will be thankful and so will you the next day when you are picking out clothing.

Spring cleaning can be fun, entertaining and organized. Just add some O.C.D. to it!

-O.C.D. Klosky

Unsure of what to give away? The O.C.D. Experience has some helpful tips for you!

1. When was the last time you wore it? If it’s been over two years its time to give it away.

2. After you go shopping its always a good idea to clean out your closet and sift through the things you haven’t worn in a while.

3. How long have you had it for? If you’re debating on keeping a raggedy old black t-shirt with holes in it that you’ve had forever, it’s time to give it up.  You will find another one.

4. Is this thing something you wear or use a lot? If not, ask yourself if it is really worth keeping.

5. If you think twice about it, give it away.

Don’t know what to do with all your Spring Cleaning giveaways??

The O.C.D Experience is here to help you out!

There are several places you can bring your clothes, accessories, bags, jewelery, you name it.

While there are a bunch of places like Good Will or Salvation army, which are great places to donate, there are also many second hand stores that you can make a profit out of your Spring Cleaning giveaways.

Here is a list:

1) Second Time Around

http://www.secondtimearound.net/

2) A Second Chance

http://www.asecondchanceresale.com/Default.asp

3) Beacon’s Closet

http://www.beaconscloset.com/

4) Buffalo Exchange

http://www.buffaloexchange.com/

5) Ina

http://www.inanyc.com/

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Check out this O.C.D. Recommendation from IQTELL:

“We’re big fans of Evernote – it pioneered the way to capture and store information on the cloud. We especially love the way it can store and retrieve information – clipping entire webpages, recording text, audio and video notes, and much more.

But until now, that’s all that you could do – collect and retrieve information. Saving something to Evernote, in most cases, meant that it became the final resting place for your precious data. Today, we’re proud to introduce our integration with Evernote. When you login to your IQTELL account, you’ll notice that Evernote is fully integrated throughout the Workspace. All you need to do is click to authenticate and sync your Evernote account to begin to leverage IQTELL’s powerful features.

We’ve chatted with many IQTELL & Evernote users; here are some great examples to leverage both of these awesome applications.

#1 Using Evernote as a GTD collection bucket

Throughout the day, you can use Evernote to collect almost anything – snap a picture of a receipt or business card, record an audio note to listen to later, clip webpages and other content for study, work or research.

Once you come back to IQTELL, you can begin to process your Evernotes into your Actions, Projects, Someday, and Tickler folders. You can easily create an action from meeting notes, link notes to existing projects – the sky is the limit!

#2 See all your Project Information in One Place

I love creating Projects in IQTELL since I can include so much useful information: actions, phone call & meetings, files, emails, and now, all my Evernotes can be easily added as well.

#3 Add reminders to your Evernotes

Reminders are the perfect way to effortlessly leverage IQTELL’s abilities with Evernotes. Easily set up email or SMS reminders for any Evernote.

#4 Add Evernotes to your Calendar

You asked us to let you add Evernotes to your Calendar, and we’ve listened. Now, with our 2 way calendar sync, you can easily add Evernotes to your Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook Calendars. It now only takes one click to see your event-related notes.

#5 One Search.

We love Evernote’s search capabilities. Now, within IQTELL, you can use our search to scan across all your email accounts, your IQTELL Workspace and…Evernote.

#6 Smart Tags™

When you sync your Evernote account, all your Evernote tags are brought over as well. You can now use those tags (or create new ones), and apply them to emails, actions, projects and more. Gone are the days where you have to manage tags and labels across all your different applications. And since it is a two-way sync, any tags created in IQTELL will be visible and usable in your Evernote account.”

Article from IQTELL Productivity Blog: http://iqtell.com/2012/03/iqtell-and-evernote-%E2%80%93-together-at-last/

Organize & Create Discipline

Pretty, yes. Organized, possibly. But effective, tell me….Do you think this person likes to collect books, is a avid reader or has a taste for creative art?

Can art be organized, can organization be art, can organizational art be functional?

Photo: weheartit.com