

- my advice:
- “I find I often tell people (including myself) to figure out what organizational issue drives you the most crazy and find a way to easily contain and control it. This is not as easy as it might seem because most people have many, many things they would like to get organized. Make a list of all of those items and then prioritize just the one or two that, if resolved, would make your life easier and make you feel more at peace.For me, my husband, Adam, used to dump all of his work and junk in the house each night and it piled up….quickly…..all over the place. Once I gave him a spot for the mess (a contained space on his dresser drawer), he was happy (he had a place to put the stuff and then find it later) and I had a way to contain the chaos.”

For as long as I can remember (dating way back to when I was a CPA), I have kept a paper to-do list on wide ruled legal sized pads. I love the idea of being able to cross things off when they are done and for me, a paper list makes it easier to lay out my tasks for the day. I do have a system that works for me. I keep three separate legal to do pads: (1) One for my daily list of everything I need to get done; (2) A list of all of my personal to do’s; and (3) A list of all of my work to do’s. Each day I take the larger lists of personal and work to dos and out of them, make my daily list. Whatever I do not get done that day gets carried over to tomorrow’s list.

Alicia Rockmore is a self-proclaimed organizational maniac who seamlessly juggles a fast-paced career and full home life. She is detail-oriented and list-driven and never misses a thing. Her friends and family describe her as over-the-top organized and call on her to help them get their lives Buttoned Up and pulled together. This includes everything from organizing closets to managing financial information to planning a family reunion.
Prior to co-founding Buttoned Up, Inc, Alicia was a marketing whiz working for well-known brands like Wish-Bone Salad Dressing, Ragu Pasta Sauces, Total Cereals and Wheaties. Alicia received her MBA from the University of Michigan in 1992 and her BA from Claremont McKenna College in economics in 1987. Prior to her marketing career, Alicia was a CPA with Ernst & Young.
Alicia and her husband, Adam, live in Los Angeles, California and have moved eleven times in 16 years of marriage…as a result, she truly knows the value of having all of the disparate parts of her life organized and under control.
Alicia is responsible for herself, her disorganized but lovable husband, Adam, their seven-year-old daughter, Lucy, and her 88-year-old mother. She notes: “Being organized allows me to get much more. I have learned that when I handle even just the few critical things in my life, I feel so much more relaxed. Being organized does not have to be hard. As a matter of fact, it can be fun.”
Alicia can be reached at: alicia[at]getbuttonedup[dot]com.


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- Amazon.com
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I sign up to be a prime member so for just $79 per year, I get free TWO day shipping on all of my orders. I send lots of gifts via amazon so after 8 orders, it pays for itself.
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- iPhone
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I absolutely love my iPhone and it is great for doing everything from looking at the weather to checking email to getting quick directions to playing a game of solitaire. I am lost without it.
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- The Juggle from the Wall St Journal
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This is my favorite blog! It is a great place for tips and ideas on how to balance work and home life.
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- Rubbermaid’s big plastic bins with lids
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They keep all of my daughter, Lucy’s, toys and books organized. It is also easy for her to put her own stuff away.
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- Ziploc bags
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I cannot live without Ziploc bags. I use them for everything from keeping most leftovers in my fridge (saves on space) to organizing office supplies. Everyone needs a supply of Ziploc bags in various sizes.

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With the kids back in school, the biggest benefit to busy parents is settling back into a nice routine. However,...
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You know who you are. You’re not necessarily a messy person, in fact – your house is probably neat orderly...
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Why is that that the only time we think to get prepared is when disaster is breathing down our necks?...

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I used to have 3, 5 or even 10 unused gift cards floating aimlessly around in my purse. With the GiftCard.log, I have all of my gift cards in one handy place. I can also keep track of all of the remaining balances so I know what I have left to spend on them. This is also one of my favorite items to give as a gift.
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Every car needs a Collision.kit. I was hit last winter by a very young and nervous driver. When I pulled out my Collision.kit and knew just what information we both needed to collect from each other, it made the process much simpler and less stressful. The disposable camera is easy to use and even has a flash.
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I have a 6 ½ year old, Lucy, and whenever I go away, I use the Babysitter.pad. It is an easy checklist that ensures that I do not forget to leave any important information with the sitter.
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It seems like each week I get 100s of pieces of paper from school. They used to end up in a big pile on the kitchen counter. Now with School.files, I can easily organize the most important information in this handy accordion file and what is left I can just toss out. It makes an otherwise unruly process easy and simple