Dear Kathi,

My wife and I are having an argument about what papers should go, if any into the new fireproof box I just purchased. She feels that our tax returns, passports and kids school records should go in. I’m not convinced. Do we need to store all of these papers? If we do, I need to go buy a larger box.
Keith, Oceanside

Keith,

I am so glad that you purchased a fire box. I advise every client to purchase one if they don’t already have a safe or bank deposit box.
Some documents are too valuable to stash in a filing cabinet or kitchen drawer. To decide what should be stowed in your new box, think about the level of difficulty endured to replace them if they were lost or damaged. Among them will be:
Automobile titles.
Birth certificates.
Citizenship papers and passports.
Deeds to property; mortgage notes.
Marriage licenses and divorce decrees.
Military discharge records.
Social Security cards.
Stock certificates, if your broker doesn’t keep them for you.
Because some states restrict access to safe deposit boxes when the owner dies, these should NOT be stored in a safe deposit box:
Powers of attorney.
Wills and trusts.

Dear Kathi,
I have enough dresser space to hold all of my casual and work clothes throughout the year. Should I store my off-season clothes somewhere else to keep them out of sight? Also, how should I arrange my clothes between both dressers?
Laurie, Encinitas

Laurie,

You are very fortunate to have enough drawer space for all of your clothes. There is no real need to stow off-season clothes in bins unless your drawers are packed to overflowing. The weather in San Diego is perfect for layering sweaters in the mornings and stripping down to sleeveless shells by noon. If you were to stow anything, it might be your really heavy sweaters in the summer.

Group your clothes together in each dresser according to function. Choose the easiest drawers for daily wear items like underwear. Place your casual clothing in one dresser and your work attire in another.
This division makes it easy to choose an outfit quickly. You will know where to stand and what drawers to open as you begin to dress.
Dresser number one will hold all of your work-related clothing. Dresser number two will be the place to find your casual outfits.

Dear Kathi,

My system for remembering appointments is not working. I can’t keep up with my kid’s, husband and work schedule. We have a dry erase board at home for the family to write in their activities and I have a calendar in my purse but it is hard to know what is going on any given time when I am at work or running errands. Help!
Susan, Del Mar

Susan,

Use only one calendar. The biggest mistake people make when using planning calendars is to have one for personal, another for the office, and yet another for the family.
Keep professional, personal and family items on one calendar. Use a portable calendar and can carry it with you at all times. It will help to eliminate scheduling conflicts. Encourage your husband and children to also keep their own schedule books.
Kathi is a professional organizer, image consultant and event planner based in San Diego California.

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San Diego Professional Organizer