While I believe there are products out there that can be useful to running a family, home, or business, I don’t spend a lot of time or money on them.  I am an advocate for assessing your needs first and then tackling the issues by researching what might work best for your system (or desired system) of organization.

When I was asked to take a look at some of Smead’s new organizing products, I first hesitated.  I despise waste, and what I didn’t want was another product to prove only mildly useful, hence making it not useful, and then adding clutter.  However, I took a quick look at Smead’s website and was impressed.

I’ve also had the privilege to recently begin working with April Perry from The Power of Moms.  She has taken David Allen’s book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivityand modified it to apply to Moms.  She has called her eBook Mind Organization for Moms, and it is incredible!  I am in the process of creating the complementary lists that go with every step and process of her eBook and soon they will also be available to purchase.

Once I received Smead’s new Stadium File,I realized that I had just received the perfect complement to the systems that April lays out in her eBook so beautifully.  So I went to work organizing the materials, and I am so excited about the results!  Here are some of the ways that I have learned to put Smead’s products to work for me.

• 12 Tiered Pockets – I’m tired of organizing systems that hide key portions of my things.  “Out of sight, out of mind” is completely true for me.  I know where my information hub is located in my home and it is important to have a system that allows me to organize all incoming documents, requests, and demands in the place that I need it most.
• Compact, yet Conveniently-Sized – The Stadium File occupies a rather small space on my countertop, yet holds up to 900 pages!    It holds papers and envelopes easily, but also has plenty of room for file folders such as SMEAD SuperTab Folders.

• Easy Labeling – I personally prefer to use file folders in each pocket of the organizer so that I can easily grab the folder and pull it out to look at its contents.  It is easy to label the file folder with names, months, numbers, letters, categories, whatever you want.  If in the future you decide to alter your system in any way, it will be easy to change the labels or even the folders.
• Simple Sorting –  Once you have determined your files, organizing your documents should be a snap.  I labeled files with the names of each member of our family.  For my file, this will be the items that I need to take care of pronto.  I am not intending this system to act as a filing cabinet.  It is my action system.  Next, I have files that have been recommended by April:  Next Actions (what needs to happen next), Waiting (waiting on something necessary to complete it), and Someday/Maybe (does not need immediate action: coupons, flyers, etc).  I also included the months of the year so that I could drop in a card for my grandmother’s birthday in July or add a form that should be completed for August.

Another thing that I happen to love about Smead is that it has been run by women since the 1950’s.  It is an innovative company that has created some incredible products for organizing in the home and in the office for over a century.

Regarding this Review:  Though I received this product without charge, I was not compensated for this review.  I have stated my honest opinion on these products.