10 Ways to Use Evernote

Evernote is one of my favorite paper buster tools.  When I use Evernote, I don't have a bunch of sticky notes sitting around.  I don't have notes written on little pieces of paper and best of all, I don't have to remember where I put those pieces of paper!

The information I have stored in Evernote can be seen on my phone, IPAD or computer.  If I am away from home and need the information, it is right at my finger tips!

Here are 10 ways I use Evernote to cut down on my paper clutter:

1.  Evernote Clipper allows me to save information I find on the web and organize it in folders.  I name the folders (just like you do in a paper filing system) based on how I want to retrieve the information.   For example, if I find an article about de-cluttering, I Evernote clip it and "file" it in my folder - De-Clutter Information. 

2.  I love a good quote.  I file quotes in Evernote.

3.  Air Filter sizes, printer cartridges, water filter types....all of those pesky household items that are size specific are filed in Evernote so I have access to them when I am in the store ready to buy them.  

4.  Birthday lists......need to remember when someone's birthday is and you are not at home with your master birthday list....store it in Evernote.

5.  Christmas lists!  Each year I write down who I am giving a gift to and what I gave.  I can easily refer back to the previous years and make sure I am not duplicating gifts!

6.  Writing down your goals is an important step to achieving them.  I keep my personal and business goals housed in Evernote.  

7.  Paint color lists....can't remember the name of that wonderful color you used in the bedroom....keep it in Evernote.  

8.  Evernote is a place I keep ideas.....writing ideas, newsletter ideas, gift ideas....things that come to mind that I don't have a need for right now but will want to refer to later.  

9.  Phone numbers - people I don't need very often....like a carpenter/handyman or closet designer.   If I store that person in my contacts, on my phone, I may not remember his/her name but if I store it in Evernote....I can quickly retrieve the name and number.  

10.  Medication lists.  This is a great thing to have in Evernote when you go to the doctor.  I personally and thankfully don't have any medications I take but for those that do, this is a great way to have that information with you each and every time you have a doctor visit. 

Hope this helps you think outside the box and find new ways to cut down on paper clutter with Evernote!

Click the link below to sign up free for Evernote today!

https://www.evernote.com/referral/Registration.action?uid=3419289&sig=6e5801be47bbde149f93d1a898bfaef2

The Smartphone To Do List

(Apple.com)

I have an IPHONE 4 so I do not have the latest and greatest of all things techie.  I do like my IPHONE 4 because it does what I need it to do but I am sure it will do more.

I have used several things on the IPHONE that I love but today I will focus on To Do Lists that are available for most Smartphones since I promised a follow up blog to my To Do List post (declutterbugnc.blogspot.com).
 I am going to admit I am still and paper list girl.  In a survey of all To Do List people, it was found that about 1/2 of the population is still paper To Do List people.  Really, I am a combo, since my calendar is housed on my IPHONE, but essentially, my daily tasks and grocery lists are on paper. 

Having confessed that, I do have good information about Apps for To Do Lists on Smartphones. As a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO for short and yes, there is such an organization and it is really big and worldwide), I have access to a lot of different organizers and information that keeps me up to date on many of the APPS on smartphones that are working well.  So, below, I am listing 7 Techie To Do Lists recommended by smart, sharp organizers around the world.  

Some of these Apps are free, some are free but have premium services for an extra fee and others have a monthly or annual fee.  Some are a bit more complicated and detailed than others so look carefully at what your real needs are in a To Do List and stay away from bells and whistles that you don't need or won't use. I have linked each of these to their website; just click on the APP name. 


1.  Todoist.com

2.  Things

3.  Rememberthemilk.com

4.  Priorities

5.  Nozbe.com

6.  Toodledo.com

7.  MiniMaList

Take a few minutes, find out which one might work for you and try it out.  I just might, too! 

Techie Things I Could Not Live Without (Well, Probably I Would Live Without Them But It Would Just Be Hard)

     I am a baby boomer that knows just enough about electronics and technology to be dangerous.  However there are a few "apps" and techie things that I really have grown to rely on to help me be  more efficient in many areas of my life.  I wish I could say I had grown smart enough to know how to get Affiliate payments and get kickbacks on my recommendations, but I just have not had the time to teach myself and have not had the time to learn......but one day!

Here are a few of them and probably the top 4 on my list. 

Google seems a little silly to post here because most everyone is familiar with Google.  The reason I chose Google is simple, it makes me feel smart.  If I want to know if the St. Louis Cardinals won their game the night before, I Google it.  If I want to remember how many ounces are in a pint (yes, sometimes I get that really mixed up), I Google it.  If I want to know the name of the actress in a movie I am watching and I cannot remember her name, what do I do?  Google it.  Google provides me with quick easy answers to help me solve computer problems, find products for my clients, and find out answers to frivolous questions. 

Evernote is really one of my favorite things.  I am sure there are other apps that will do what Evernote does but I just have not found it and do not feel the need to go anywhere else and look.   Evernote is quite simply a place where I can keep up with notes, quotes, websites, ideas, and anything else that, in the past, I would have written on a piece of paper and would have then wondered where I had written that information and on which piece of paper!

Evernote allows me to create different notebooks and sort information into each of those notebooks.  For example, for this Ultimate Blog Challenge, I went to my notebook, Blog Ideas, and saved ideas in that notebook to refer to later.  I have also been saving all of the Ultimate Blog Challenge Blogging Tips to use at a later date, when I run out of my own blogging ideas. 

Evernote makes it incredibly easy to save websites, selections and emails from your computer. Check them out at evernote.com

Carbonite literally saved me many tears, headaches and gnashing of teeth.  I downloaded Carbonite onto an old computer that was beginning to act very whonky. Carbonite saved everything, except videos, of which I had none.  It saved all my documents and my photos and would have saved my music if I had any of that saved but I didn't.  When that old computer took it's last breath I had nothing to fear.  I got my new laptop, signed on to Carbonite and it uploaded everything from the old computer to my new. It did take a couple of days to complete the upload but I could still work on my computer as it was uploading.  Now, each day, Carbonite makes a pass and saves anything on my computer that is new and hasn't been saved to Carbonite.  The best thing is I can see all my documents on my IPHONE, too!  All of this for $60 per year - $5 per month.  So worth the peace of mind, for me. Check them out at carbonite.com

Last of all but not least is Pinterest.  Pinterest is many things to me but basically Pinterest is a big virtual bulletin board.  On my account, I have several bulletin boards broken into categories:  Organizing Ideas, Organizing Products, Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Cleaning, Decorating Ideas, and so forth.  You can check out all my Boards at http://www.pinterest.com/declutterbug/

Pinterest  is a great  reference point for recipes when I have forgotten to write down the ingredients and am sitting in the grocery store stumped.  Pinterest is the place where I get some magnificent organizing ideas.  Pinterest is a place where I see some fashion ideas that I might be able to pull off and lastly Pinterest makes me feel smart, too.  I see some DIY ideas that I would have never thought to attempt but when I see the people on Pinterest taking it on, I feel empowered and inspired.  Check them out at pinterest.com. 

So there you have it.  I hope you find some things you can use and will help you be more efficient, too.  If this baby boomer can figure this stuff out, so can you....so dive in.....the water's fine!