The Experts: Home Office Organization

It's in the newspaper, so it must be true, right? According to The Experts (and they're always right, right? I mean, because, they're The, well, Experts, who are quoted in the newspaper) — "If you can find what you want, when you want it, then you're organized." That would be "organised" for our friends and readers in the United Kingdom.

According to, The Experts, "The home office tests your organization skills like no other space in the house." Okay now that's just hitting below the belt! I am fortunate enough to have a home office and even more fortunate to actually have a job which gives me a legitimate excuse to have a home office. As opposed to creating some other excuse to have a modicum of private space in this place I call home and am supposedly in charge of running…which I guess should, in a civilized nation, contain some form of, ouch, organization. That would be "organisation" for our friends and readers in the United Kingdom (UK) as they too, are a civilized [civilised] nation and heck, practically related to us.

In my Domestic Kingdom (DK), which is basically the entire house, but for the ego of my husband will herein be known as, "My Home Office," I have a highly detailed, logical, well-oiled system of organization. It's called My Piles. That's right; to the untrained eye (men, mother-in-laws, teenagers and neighbors with weekly housekeepers) my office piles might look messy and unorganized; but I assure you, I can find what I need, when I need it.

Let's test my system of Piles against The Experts, shall we?

The Experts: "First, eliminate the paper to-do list. Master your computer's reminder features, or register with a Web site that provides automatic e-mail reminders."

Me: Uh, no thanks. I am first and foremost a housewife and mom. Our species would wither and die without paper-based To Do lists. It doesn't matter if we ever achieve more than one goal on our list…the mere fact we made a list lets us sleep at night. It's something we can leave on the counter or fridge and prove not only did we use brain cells that day, but somehow managed to maintain basic cursive skills courtesy of Sister Ambrose's redundant third grade homework assignments.

And besides, a Web or email based reminder doesn't stick to my fridge, dashboard, to-go coffee cup or dog leash.

The Experts: "Spend 30 minutes a day for a week or two to pitch unneeded paper, then set up a simple but logical filing system. If you can't describe your system in a single sentence, it's too complicated."

Me: "I have Piles." Simple enough?

The Experts: "Kids and spouses should have their own files, so they can manage their own stuff."

Me: Hack, snarf, giggle, snort. Next thing you know, The Experts will say kids and spouses should have their own opinions in their homes too!