I‘ve been working on getting organized this month of January and I’ve made some progress. My office nook is straightened and decluttered now and that junk drawer in the kitchen got completely cleaned out. But, I’ll admit it…I need some tips and ideas on getting better organized with my magazines. I currently subscribe to 3 different magazines: Traditional Home (my very fave!), Better Homes & Gardens (simply because they offer such darn good deals, I can’t pass them up…just try not renewing sometime & see what kind of deal they will make you), and more recently Country Home (again, got a $5 per year offer & couldn’t pass it up), so needless to say, I have way too many magazines sitting around. Like most of you, I so enjoy sitting down with a magazine and a cuppa something hot and delicious and getting lost in the beautiful pictures, dreaming of changes to my own decor. What ideas will I get? What can I incorporate from an inspiring article in my own home? As you can see with the above issues, I have found some diningroom chandlier inspirations that caught my eye. I’m happy to say, that little project is behind me already.
I‘ve even tried the 3-ring binder idea, tearing out beautiful magazine articles with pictures and inserting them in binders with labels, so that I can go back and find these pictures later. You never know when you might need one of these ideas or pictures! The problem is, I don’t seem to stay up with organizing them all nice and neat in the binders. This binder is several years old and I’m sure I could go back and throw much of it away now.
So, my magazines end up like this. All stacked up for months in the magazine holder in our bedroom by the easy chair. I will browse them, stick them back in the pile, pick one of them out later to look at again. You can never look at the pictures too many times, can you?
And then, they will finally make their way to my office nook where I stack them month to month. A whole year or 2 of Traditional Home. I can’t seem to get rid of these, since they are my favorite. But how many years can you really comfortably keep and not have it be ridiculous. I mean, do I really think I’ll go back 2 years and look at all of these again. Probably not, but still I can’t let them go. So…..what do you do? I need real ideas and tips on what all of you do to keep the magazines under control and not let them take over the house? Do you do the tear-out method and keep favorite articles filed neatly away? Put them in binders or folders for later use? Or do you gladly give them away, knowing that another beautiful magazine will arrive in the mail and it will soon take it’s place beside your easy chair? These are Southern Living and Better Homes & Gardens. I can sooner let these go than my Traditional Home, so I think it’s time to find them a home. I know lots of places take magazine donations, so I really need to think about getting rid of some of these. I know I’ve heard some girls say that they are scanning their favorite magazine articles and keeping them on discs. That’s an idea too, but again, that takes time.
And that brings me to my recipes. Oh. my. word! Would you look at all these recipes! You can see my organizational skills for this part of my life is not any better than the magazines. I tend to pick up, tear out, copy recipes all the time and they land all in a heap in one of my kitchen drawers. I sometimes have to go through all of them to find the one I’m looking for. And no, I haven’t even made all these recipes, but I just might need it one day! I will know just the one, it’s spattered and folded and I usually remember just what it looks like, I just have to find it. So, as you can see, I really need some ideas for the recipes too. How do you handle those? I do have a cute little recipe box, but it will not hold all of these and besides I’d have to reduce them all down to 3×5 index card size to fit in that box & I don’t think I want to tackle that. I’ve thought about getting another binder with dividers for catagories: Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Meats, etc. and then putting these in clear plastic holders. Has anyone tried that? Seems like it would work pretty well.
And you all thought I had it totally together, didn’t you?! Well, this will show you how much I don’t in some areas! Don’t you feel better now? I’d much rather be redoing a lampshade or painting something than organizing. I’d love to hear from all of you on how you handle organizing around your house…especially with magazines & recipes!
Thank you ALL again for coming by to visit me! I love to hear from you and I’m so glad you enjoyed the new lampshade project.
The Wife says
Well, I can’t help you with the magazines ’cause I’m in the same boat. My husband does the cooking but he keeps recipies that are on 8×11 paper in a 3 ring binder – no categories – just in there. Some he keeps in plastic sleeves if it is getting worn or frail – plus the plastic wipes up if it gets dirty. He also uses one of the little 5×7 (I think) freebie photo albums for all the little recipes or scraps. Again, the pages wipe clean. It’s not really “organized” but at least we know that everything is in those books.
Anonymous says
I too have an abundance of magazines that I just can’t seem to part with. I paid for them and I “love” them. I just use the magazine holders and store them by issue. I bring them out for the current month and look thru them again. But I have noticed that some are alittle “dated” and probably should be recycled somehow. The recipes, well, my DH cooks and doesn’t even need a recipe book so not much help. But I would go with the binder idea on that one.
Lallee says
Rhoda, I’ll have to come back and see what suggestions you get. I have cut down on what magazines I take. I have older magazine issues that I don’t want to part with and they are stored in the office closet in those file boxes–not sure of the right name. I do keep a decorating folder in the file cabinet for favorite pictures. I purged it recently when I realized several of the pages were outdated styles that I wouldn’t use. I have to confess I’m too lazy to take the time to do something more neatly. To help let go of my current magazines I take them to one of my favorite charity thrift stores where they sell well. For good storage, I’m afraid I need to be reading the suggestions you get rather than offering one 😉
Rosie's Whimsy says
I am a magazine-aholic, too……but they give me hours of enjoyment so I am not sure I want to give up the habit. I do make an effort to purge back issues and put my favorite pages in scrap books every winter. I seem to never get completely caught up but I enjoy the process and and love knowing they are waiting for me when I have a chance to just sit and dream 🙂
the feathered nest says
Well you know that I organize my magazine clippings in file folders in a bin. I donate my excess mags to my library. I do have a small bookcase where I keep all the ones that have too many good ideas to tear out or the ones I just can’t donate like my ME’s.
For the recipes I use a binder with those clear protectors that you can just put the tear outs in. That way you don’t have to spend time gluing and also it’s easier to get rid of a recipe. I have it organzied by category – dinner, desserts etc. Recipe cards have never worked for me!
Good luck – all that organizing is a big job!
Manuela
Judy says
Well Rhoda seems like you and I are in the same boat when it comes to hoarding magazines and of course, I can’t pass up new ones in the stores! I have tons of magazines stored in plastic bins that fit under beds, on bookshelves, in pretty tin containers, under the ottoman in the den, you get the idea. I also started a photo album where I kept photos I tore out…I still love looking through that album even though it is about 7 years old. There are loose pages in there as well. From time to time I bundle a few of them up and sell them in my little shop. If anyone comes up with any ideas, I’d sure be open to hearing them!
Judy
Peggy says
I know the feeling of keeping a magazine you just can’t part with. I feel that way about Le Vie Claire with paper so tactile and photography you could frame. I also keep every issue of Souther Lady even though I live in western PA. The rest I recycle at my library or give to friends.
I used to tear out ideas from mags but found I edited and changed my taste over the years. I think it’s great to keep just the ideas that really appeal to you and let the rest just stay in your mind for inspiration.
Those little scraps of paper with recipes on just drove me crazy so a few years ago I sat down at the computer for a few days and typed them all out and put them in a photo album with plastic sleeves. This helped me.
Rug's Bug says
I love magazines too! I feel bad about cutting them or tearing them up. So I scan everything! Recipes, pictures. On my computer I have different file folders with categories. Such as: Recipes to Try, Decorating, Gardening, etc. Then I give the magazines away to someone who would enjoy them.
Then when I want to revisit ideas I just set my computer to slideshow and watch.
Hope this helps!
Anonymous says
Haha Rhoda! This is so timely because I have been working on the magazines myself. I have several magazine baskets/holders in different rooms of the house. I’ve been going through and throwing some of my oldest ones out. I’ve gone through them first and am tearing out pages (usually pictures) and filing them. I seem to do better with the files than the binders.
I’m bad, BAD with magazines. I’m a magazine junkie!
tina
Maureen says
OH gosh Rho..yes, yes and yes to all of the above when it comes to magazines. Some tear-outs in binders, some precious mags saved- I can’t part with some so have stacks here and there. As for organizing and scanning, etc. they say it’s always good to start current with a project, so maybe start a new method now and work in some of your older “pre-organizing” stuff later if you can. Same for photos. Same too for recipes. I have been working on putting a family recipe book togehter for the longest time now- taking photos, etc. It’s taking forever! In fact, if I wasn’t so behind in blogland I would have added recipes to some blogs recently that were asking for them. Daisy Cottage…etc.
Mom on the Run says
I just did this before Christmas and I got rid of hundreds of magazines–I just recycled them because otherwise I knew that I’d never get them out of my house. I have files with tear outs, and I sort them by decorating ideas, travel, holiday decorations, etc. I have saved a pile of entire copies, mostly the Christmas issues and I have those stored in a cabinet where I have extra room. I have every Victoria Magazine from the beginning and those are stored in the bottom of a closet. Just can’t get rid of those! I just purged all my recipes and outdated decorating pictures before Christmas when I went on my cleaning frenzy. I like those pretty magazine holders and I keep most recent ones in those, and also found some pretty notebooks to keep all the tear sheets in (when I get a round to it!)
Probably not much help, but you’re not alone in your magazine stash!
Jen says
Right after I quit my job I finally got caught up on my favorite magazines..but couldnt bare to throw them away. I have done 2 things…..my mom and I and one of my friends all subscribe to different magazines and we exchange alot and cut out what we like….second…..I put them in binders…I have a cooking binder….a home binder…an article on kids, sex, and homelife binder…..it works….and the binders stay in my closet…I go and get them sometimes looking through them for different idea….
Naturegirl says
Rhoda you are a woman after my own heart! I have my piles of magazines that look like yours and I keep moving from pile to pile and cannot seem to part with them! I’ve also done the rip articles pics out and saved but I NEVER seem to look at them in the ~save binder!~ i have even bought leather otttams cubes with flip tops to hide the older issues…one can’t lift those ottamans they’re so heavy..I anxiously wait for some brilliant idea as you do! magazine overload..
NG
Anonymous says
Sorry…I am no help 🙁 I too tend to hang on to them; I even leave little notes inside reminding me of what I liked.
So any suggestions would be helpful !!
Rhoda that lovely picture with your niece…you could pass as her Mum !!! 🙂
Have a great week-end !!!
Kathy 🙂
ThriftShopRomantic says
I totally understand about the issues with paper.
I don’t know if this will help or not, but I have a little wicker moveable file folder box which I’d gotten at Tarjjjay, and about twice a year, I go through the magazines, pulling out any inspiration pics I might want, and filing them away. Then I either donate the magazine (if it’s all still intact) to a thrift, or recycle it.
Best of luck with your projects, Rhoda!
Sunny Kristi says
I am working on magazines also. I got MS Living and Real Simple for several years, several years ago. I made a small dent in the pile I have kept. (I am cutting out projects and recipes that catch my eye). Now they are neatly stacked on a dining room side chair waiting for me to get back to them. Lets not mention my current subscriptions to BHG! They will be much harder to part with.
As for recipes, I’ve tried a box, an accordion folder and a 3-ring binder. The 3-ring binder works best for me. It is so easy to flip through it to find what I want or to see if something catches my eye. I do have my categorized. I’d suggest that system. I used page protectors and printer paper. I tape recipes on the paper and slip them into the page protectors. I always know where THOSE recipes are. Now I need to consolidate and get the other recipes out of the box and the folder!
Good Luck!
Catherine Holman says
Thanks for leaving the sweet comment on my blog! I rip out what I want to keep from my magazines the first time I read them and then put them in files. Then I either pass that magazine onto someone else or toss it. As for recipes, it’s a daunting issue. So, when I cook from a recipe that’s on scrap paper or torn out of a magazine, while the food is cooking, I write that particular recipe on a card and file it. I figure eventually I will have them all done!
Abbie says
Hi rhoda,
Well.. I don’t. Keep them organized, that is.. I’m afraid I am in the same boat as you. Mags everywhere! They get shuffled around and then.. I shuffle them somewhere else. If you do find something that works you’ll have to let us know! Enjoy your weekend!
~Abbie
Rachel says
Oh my I love my magazines. I actually have an undisclosed shelf where I keep all of then neatly stacked out of the way. I look at several for a while then go back through the stack and trade off for some others. I’m actually looking at a Romantic Homes magazine from 1997 and enjoying it like crazy I might add 🙂 Have a happy day. <3Rachel
Francie of The Scented Cottage says
ummm…would love to have a great idea for you…but since I have moved several hundred pounds worth of old Victoria, Southern Living,Romantic Homes, Mother Earth etc. over the past years I don’t think I have even one good idea. I did try to cull through them once…sigh.
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