Beyond Folders : organization tips

Tips for Taming Teen Clutter

Community Manager — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:43:00 GMT

Teen clutter seems to proliferate faster than a hot You-Tube video goes viral. Stop the runaway mess before it engulfs your home (or your teen's room) with a few simple steps.

Make your teen a partner in clutter control. Teens crave privacy and self-determination so consider letting them have more leeway in deciding how clean to keep their own rooms. For example, clutter may be off-limits in the family room, but permitted within reason in their bedrooms. When you enlist your teen as a partner, and respect their growing ability and need for self-determination, you better the odds of harmonious cohabitation.

Bedroom Boundaries: Determine your own clutter threshold for the household and lay down clear ground rules. Examples might include a "no food" policy for bedrooms, requiring a clear exit path between the bed and the door for safety reasons, and a rule that if any bad smells come from a bedroom, it then needs a thorough cleaning by the teen. If these conditions are all met, grit your teeth about the piles of laundry and other annoyances.

Everything in its Place: Take time to evaluate your teen's room to determine if they have the needed tools for neatness. Do they have adequate storage? If not, consider investing in inexpensive shelving such as Ikea's Expedit units which can easily hold files for school papers and baskets and bins for corralling small items and clothing. Work with, not against your teen: if they don't fold and store clothes neatly, buy bins to hold clothing piles and install a rack of pegs or hooks to easily capture garments.

Less is More: If the room is overstuffed with toys and clothes, encourage a purge. Donating or selling the unused items can net your teen some money and creates a more manageable set of belongings. Maintain order by doing a big purge at least twice a year. Good times for purging are after major gift events such as Christmas or birthdays.

House Rules: While teens may have leeway in their rooms, parents have every right to set conditions about how shared rooms are managed. Rather than nag constantly, assign every family member a chore that keeps order in shared rooms. And give family members a designated basket or bin to be kept in the mudroom or family room. Odds and ends can be tossed in the bins during nightly clean up and emptied on the weekends.

Crafty Organization Ideas from DIY Queens

Community Manager — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:31:00 GMT

Crafting is incredibly creative and fun. Creating clever ways to store your craft supplies can be just as rewarding. We've rounded up some ingenious DIY storage ideas from a bevy of clever crafters.

Repurpose Old Furniture: A fresh coat of paint and shelves full of colorful craft supplies can brighten any room. See how this former china hutch now does duty as a craft station. Remember those bulky TV armoires? Supersize flat screen TVs all but made them obsolete, but resourceful crafters give them new life as storage centers. Why stop with furniture? This ingenious crafter uses a wine rack to store ribbons, going from cheers to cheerful!

Recycle Household Goods: Old coffee cans get upgraded to storage containers with pretty paper and attractive labels. For stacked storage, use several dressed up soup cans in a pyramid shape, seen here. Other trash-to-treasure ideas include repurposing tissue rolls to hold pencils and paint brushes and transforming empty spaghetti sauce jars into ribbon-trimmed glass canisters. Cheap and chic! We also love using items designed for one purpose, such as a spice rack, for another purpose entirely, such as storing sewing embellishments.

See Clearly: Clear canisters not only make it easy to organize and find craft supplies, they are a visual treat. No need to spend a fortune on store bought containers, repurpose pantry items like baby food containers seen here or other food jars, decorated with painted lids and whimsical accessories.

Pegboard: We think pegboard is an organizing wunderkind. See how it a savvy sewer uses it here to store spools of thread, scissors and ribbons. Or attach hanging cups to capture pens and pencils. We love how this pegboard marries storage and colorful décor.

Hang on!: Short on shelf space? Task hangers with storing goods in oversize ziplock bags, seen here. Or repurpose pant hangars into ribbon holders.

Clever Craft Spaces: Crafters, sewers, scrapbookers...your imaginations are limitless. There is no end to your clever storage ideas: we leave you with two we love/ One, a cunning little nook with a hinged drop down desk, built into the eaves of a home. The other, a tiny vintage suitcase, outfitted to house craft supplies; it's equal parts storage and style.

Org This: Tackling Your Pantry

Community Manager — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:24:00 GMT

If dialing for delivery is far preferable to facing your disorganized pantry come dinnertime, it's time to organize for a culinary reboot. With just a few simple steps, you will be back to dishing up home cooked meals.

Clean Slate: Pull all your boxes, cans and spices off the shelves. Dust and scrub until your space is clean and appealing. Toss all items with expired dates and that you just don't use.

See Clearly: Face all your labels out so you can easily see what's on the shelves. This helps prevent the all too common phenomenon of buying groceries you already have. It also makes it easier and less frustrating to find needed ingredients.

Group Think: Savvy chefs group like items together, either by categories, such as pastas, soups, dried beans, or by cuisines, such as Asian or Latin American ingredients. Think about what system makes the most sense given your own needs and explain it to your family so you can work together to keep order in the pantry.

Pare Down: Consider paring your pantry down to the bare essentials. Do you really need 40 spices? You may only use a dozen or so regularly. Consider storing less frequently used items elsewhere so that your pantry just houses items you cook with daily. Keep a typed list of stored items inside your pantry door so you know what (and where!) less frequently used items are stored.

Buy Smarter: You know the drill, buy better quality items, but fewer of each. Use this same approach in your pantry. Do you really need five mustards, nine different shapes of pasta? Identify what you love and buy it in the best quality you can afford. And while you're at it: invest in top quality clear containers so you can decant pastas, spices, flours, and dried beans. When you can find it, you can cook it!

Org This: Tackling the Coat Closet

Community Manager — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:23:00 GMT

We're mid-way through winter so odds are good your coat closet is a mess of bulky items and mismatched gloves. What's that you say? You can't find your hat? We feel your pain (and your possible frostbite.) Read on for tips for whipping your closet back into shape for the rest of the wintery season.

Out with the Unused: Closets turn into catchalls quicker than snowflakes melt on a tongue. Identify unused and unneeded items by emptying your closet-yup, we're starting with a blank slate-and put back only those items that truly belong.

Saying Goodbye: Gather unworn clothes and paraphernalia into groups: one to donate, one to pass along to friends and another to trash. Be sure to keep receipts for any items donated to charity.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow: Having trouble saying good-bye? Ask yourself three questions: Does it fit? Do I wear/use it? Do I love it? If the answer to any of these questions is no, the item needs to go. Consider working with a trusted friend and their unbiased eye to evaluate your belongings.

Color Code: Once your closet is edited to include only clothes and gear that are seasonally appropriate, it's time to color code items by family member. Assign each member a color that corresponds to hooks, bins and whatever other tools you use. Color coding helps assign items a designated home and makes it easy for even the youngest family member to neatly stow away their belongings.

Tame Odds & Ends: Don't let scarves and other cold weather accessories overrun your closest. Maximize the space on the inside of a closet door to hang small, frequently used items. Use clothes pins to clamp gloves and mitten together so one doesn't go missing.

Neat & Tidy: Once your closet is shipshape, maintain order by arranging all hangers in the same direction and by storing items requiring folding, draped over hangers rather than in sloppy piles. Keep a small trash can to corral dry-cleaning bags and wire hangers. You may also wish to invest in a plastic or metal shoe tray to capture wet boots near your entrance.

Why Aren’t You Doing These 5 Simple Things?

Community Manager — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:15:00 GMT

Look, we understand your to-do list is long. Same here. But some things just never seem to get done, right? Time for some gentle prodding: make 2013 the year you add these five simple steps to your usual to-dos. Most only take a few minutes of time to complete. Happy more productive 2013.

Daily: Wake up earlier. This may not go over well with the night owls in the crowd but rising and shining even 15-30 minutes earlier each day will jumpstart your day. More time equals less stress and better organization. You can even use the extra minutes for exercise or other wellness activities such as mediation or journaling.

Weekly: You've got mail!...somewhere. Check your spam folder weekly for emails that have gone astray. And if you have multiple email accounts, do a weekly review to make sure important messages aren't being missed. Finally, take 10 minutes at the end (or beginning) of each week to free up your inbox by clearing out old emails and responding to outstanding items.

Monthly: Max out your 401(k) contributions. Each month countless employees leave money on the table in terms of matching funds from their employers. If a reduced paycheck is daunting, cut costs elsewhere to make up the deficit. There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but free money? Yup, it exists.

Yearly: How's your credit history? If you're like many Americans, you have no idea. Given that identify theft is increasingly on the rise, staying on top of your credit history is critical. Once a year, use the three main credit bureaus--Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion--to both monitor and protect your credit. Many experts caution that credit monitoring is just the first step, and advocate signing up for two years of a free credit freeze at each of the three main credit bureaus. With a freeze, no one can look at your credit profile without having you first allow the ban to be lifted. So crooks can't open accounts or buy items under your name.

Extra Credit: Overachievers, we know you love to add a little extra to your routines. How about a thirteenth mortgage payment versus twelve? Did you know that by adding just one extra payment annually, you can shave as much as five years off on your loan? For homeowners in your fifties, this can mean one less expense during retirement. Now that's golden!

Projects for the Über-Organizer

Community Manager — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:19:00 GMT

Alphabetized spice rack? Check. Clothing sorted and stored by color? Check. Drawers and medicine cabinets purged of odds and ends? Check and double-check! Face it: You are an über-organizer.

In search of uncharted terrain to organize? Check out this round-up of projects that only an org junkie could love.

Photo Journal: Document 2013 from start to finish with a 365-day photo project. Perfect for new parents or anyone with a passion for detail: take one photo each day of your child, your garden, your yard, or whatever inspires you and share the results on a blog or in a photo book. For inspiration, read Are You Doing a 365 Photo Project?

Car Star: Do you collect toy cars? Or other small memorabilia? Make a statement by massing your items together for an eye-popping storage meets art display.

Kitchen Aid: Get chart smart with this kitchen cabinet organizer that doubles as a measuring conversion chart. Now you're cookin'!

Glass Houses: Seeing is not only believing, it's organizing. When you can easily eyeball where things belong, odds are good that items will end up in the right spot. So embrace the glass jar, perfect for decanting cooking supplies and for corralling craft materials. People who live in glass houses...are organized!

Shoe Store: Sure your closet is color-coded but are your shoes stored and organized by photo? Yeah, now we're talking über-organized! Shoe addicts, meet your dream closet!

Pinspiration for an Organized New Year!

Community Manager — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:49:00 GMT

Getting more organized tops many a resolution list. Move from resolution to success story with some organizing inspiration from Pinterest.

Second Act: Many common household items can do double-duty as storage. Clever organizers use everything from a cheese grater to vintage cups and saucers for jewelry storage. How about a DIY drying rack for your laundry room? See how this repurposed ladder does the trick. Or declutter a bathroom or kitchen counter with this shoe rack. Put your best (organizational) foot forward!

About Face: Tame makeup clutter with these ingenious storage solutions. A magnetic board teamed with beauty products bearing small magnets equals storage magic in this clever DIY. Or think vertical and hang your tools on a wall in attractive canisters. We also like this smart idea for sorting makeup brushes.

Found Space: Think you lack the space for effective organizing? Look up: your ceiling is the fifth wall in any room, task yours with storage duty with these handy organizers. Other resourceful ideas for finding space where you least expect it, include using peg board to turn empty walls into spaces chock full of storage options. Finally, use the space under window eaves for fun places like a book nook, dreamy shoe storage, or this adorable perch for a pooch.

Fun Space: We think organizing is fun and after you see these fabulous and funky organizing ideas, we think you'll love it as much as we do. Banish boring shelves with some of these spectacular shelving ideas. How fabulous is this bookshelf man? We also love organizing with color: the links here, here and here show how every family member can be assigned a color for effective organizing meets pretty palette. Even boring papers can be transformed when rainbow hued. See ideas here and here.

A New Organized You!

Community Manager — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:11:00 GMT

Spice up your New Year with funky and fabulous organizing treats.

Slim Purse Organizers: Tame purse clutter with one of these small, compact cases. The organizer makes switching bags simple: just slip the case into your new bag, confident that all your must-haves are on-hand.

Travel Bags: Fashionistas will love these stylish bags for corralling small items while traveling. Not shopping for a road warrior? The exercise nut in your life will find these equally handy for gym bags.

iPad Organizer: Gift the tablet lover in your life the Grid-It organization system, which uses a weave of rubberized elastic bands to hold digital devices, cords, chargers and other items firmly in place. The neoprene casing also protects your tablet from any knocks.

Minimergency Kits for Her: Good things come in small packages: this glittery little case has every product you would ever need in a pinch. The must-haves include: hairspray, clear nail polish, polish remover, emery board, lip balm, earring backs, clear elastics, sewing kit, double-sided tape, stain remover, deodorant towelette, pain reliever, tampon, breath freshener, dental floss and adhesive bandages. Whew!

Mini Flashlight: Shine a light with a handy, hand-crank flashlight. Perfect for power outages or sneaky bedtime reading for tweens to the young at heart.

Charge It!: Keep the juice flowing to your lifelines (aka iPhone, iPad and iPod) with this compact and stylish portable battery. Each adds an extra three-hours to your Apple device.

Petite Ports: Take your digital files on the go with this cute cat shaped USB port. It's purrfect for the cat lover in your life.

Key Holder: Mount this mod Magnetic Cloud Key Holder near your front door and never lose your keys again.

Recipe Box with Divider Cards: Keep kitchen inspiration close at hand with a recipe box that organizes your culinary greatest hits.

Cactus Flower Sticky Notes: Pretty post-its keep your to-dos attractive!

Hollah! Four Holiday Organizing Must-Haves

Community Manager — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:21:00 GMT

The most wonderful time of the year is once again upon us. Get organized for the post-Thanksgiving-to-New Year hollidaze marathon with these four fun holiday organizing helpers.

Countdown Calendars

Keep track of Santa's arrival with one of these 25 creative advent calendars. Choose from DIY calendars or even one with whiskey! These calendars aren't limited to Christmas celebrations: use them to countdown to New Year's Eve or the first day of Hanukah. Or choose this Byers Choice, Menorah Calendar, to countdown to the festival of lights.

Holiday Card Apps

Does the whole "licking envelopes, buying stamps" thing stop you from sending holiday cards? This year enlist your smartphone as your holiday card elf and use it to create cards and send them by text message, e-mail or snail mail. Yep, it's that easy. Read Smartphone Apps Send Holiday Greetings to learn how.

Shopping Apps

We all wish we could delegate an elf to hit the lines at the shopping mall for us. But tech savvy shoppers know that holiday shopping apps and websites can be almost as helpful. Read 5 Money-Saving Tools, Apps and Websites for Holiday Shopping to make gift-giving easy.

No Time to Cook?

Make feeding the holiday hordes simple by outsourcing some of the cooking to others. No, we're not talking potluck, we're talking catered foods. National retailers such as Whole Foods, Dean & Deluca and Zabar's can deliver everything from apps to a stuffed turkey. Budget shoppers can find deals on fully-catered meals at Costco stores. Or ask your local supermarket for their catering menu, most have one!

What organizing must-have keeps the jolly in your holidays? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

Preparing your Business for Hurricane Sandy

Community Manager — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 21:53:00 GMT

As Hurricane Sandy creates havoc across a wide swath of the U.S., we are reminded of the harsh toll weather disasters can exact on people and businesses.

Most of us know how to prepare our homes when crazy weather hits: we stock up on water, non-perishables, flashlights and batteries. But how many small business owners know how to prepare their business and employees for the disruptions of a storm? Be sure your business can survive a weather related disaster with a few simple steps.

Business owners should take following precautions:

Get Checklist Smart: Create checklists that address plans for data back-up, crisis communications and any necessary office relocations. Prepare a list of any documents and equipment necessary to ensure business continuity and research relocation options ahead of time.

Double Your Docs: Store copies of your insurance policy and financial records in a safe, fire-proof place away from your business. All digital files should be backed up daily and stored off-site.

Operating Instructions: Take the guesswork out of emergencies by providing employees with instructions on what they should do when a crisis develops. Institute a chain of command system that allows all employees to be quickly briefed on business resumption and recovery plans. Fine-tune the plan bi-annually to keep up with personnel changes and new logistics.

Keep in Touch: Regularly update all contact information for employees, customers and vendors and store in a remote location.

Know Your Insurance: Review the fine print on your insurance policy. For example, hazard insurance doesn't necessarily cover floods so be sure to know exactly what is and isn't covered. Identify what documents are required by your insurer in the event of a disaster. Have those records on hand and store duplicates off-site.

Get Shipshape: Make sure your physical workplace is sound. Regularly check that all possible hazards, such as gas lines, water heaters, etc., are secure. Likewise, make sure that bookshelves and other fixtures are securely braced. Check that the roof is sound and able to withstand wind and water damage.

For more resources, check out the sound advice in 4 Steps in Preparing For A Disaster and Prepare Your Workplace and Employees.

Be safe, everyone.

Tame the Back-to-School Clutter Explosion

Community Manager — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:02:00 GMT

If back-to-school is adding up to a clutter explosion in your home, you'll love our easy-as-ABC lessons for taming the chaos.

Designate a Drop Spot: Backpacks and sports gear can easily engulf a home; pick a convenient drop spot for off-loading when the kids arrive home. Make it easy to make it stick: a simple hall bench; set of cubbies or even wall hooks can do the trick. Offer simple rewards when all items are stowed away regularly.

Kitchen Command Center: Deputize a bulletin board or white board to track all family commitments, sports schedules and major tests and projects. When invites and event notices come in, log the date on the calendar, then toss the paper.

Homework Helper: Corral pens, pencils, glue sticks and other homework supplies in a portable homework caddy. Keeping study tools close at hand will prevent students from wandering off in search of needed items and individual items from migrating all over the house. Consider color coding your kids so you can tell which child is leaving supplies scattered around the house.

A Look Ahead: Model good organizational habits for your kids by spending the end of the day planning for the next morning. By taking just 15 minutes to round up school supplies, paperwork and special items such as snow boots or umbrellas, you can minimize stress during the morning rush.

Weekly Clean Ups: Keep chaos at bay with weekly clean-ups. Update the family command center calendar, restore missing items to their rightful place and restock school supplies that are running low. Revisit your children's personal planners or calendars and provide feedback on how they managed their schedules and workloads for the week. Praise successes and offer suggestions for improvement where necessary.

What are your back-to-school clutter-busting tips? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook and Twitter pages.

Expanding Mobile File Cases Free You Up

Community Manager — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:16:00 GMT

13 Pocket Expanding File

Slim smartphones and wafer thin tablets let you work on the go. Make sure your other work tools are equally mobile friendly.

Maximize your ability to work from anywhere with a portable expanding file cabinet. Yes, you read that right. Take your "cabinet" on the go with a Pendaflex Sliding Cover 13-Pocket Expanding File.

The slim lines of the expanding file case expand to 13 separate letter-size compartments, perfect for sorting and securing must-have documents. Use the self-adhesive blank labels for simple printer-free labeling and sorting. The rugged poly construction resists wear and moisture; the elastic closure keeps contents secure.

Don't let the professional, black-on-black case design fool you; this tool is also perfect for home use. Keep one in the kitchen to capture school papers; designate another to house all your bill-paying needs. Savvy time-pressed cooks can use the case to ease daily meal-planning. Keep shopping lists, recipes and coupons sorted and ready to go. And students will far prefer to tote this streamlined case over heavy binders any day.

The smart design offers a wide, expanding bottom for maximum stability and a unique sliding cover that hides completely away. No more flopping files or slithery covers that repeatedly slide shut. Keep one on your work desk for active files, and another on your kitchen counter for your active life.

To purchase the Pendaflex Sliding Cover 13-Pocket Expanding Fil e, visit our Facebook shop.

Hello Sweaters! Time to Organize Your Fall Closet

Community Manager — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:08:00 GMT

Shorter days, cooler nights: fall's sweater weather is here. Create room in your closet for bulky cold weather clothes and boots with our simple steps for a well-organized wardrobe.

So Long Summer: Free up room for cold weather fashions by saying good-bye to seasonal items until next summer. Retire flip flops, sundresses and bathing suits from your closet into off-season storage. By editing your closet to house only seasonally appropriate items, it'll be easier to dress each morning.

Assess the Dress: Give all fall items a through onceover asking yourself three questions: Does it fit? Do I wear it? Do I love it? If the answer to any of these questions is no, the item needs to go.

Move On: Gather unwanted or ill-fitting clothes into groups: one to donate, one to pass along to friends and another to trash. Consider enlisting a friend to help you assess your closet; their unbiased eye will help you weed out what no longer works. Be sure to keep receipts for any items donated to charity.

Identify Transition Items: Find a spot in your closet to house transition items, such as tees or lightweight dresses that can be worn with tights and belted cardigans. While some summer items can transition through a cool fall, they often must be retired during a cold winter. By grouping these items in one spot, you can keep track of them and ensure they eventually make it into storage rather than cluttering up the closet.

Color Code: Once your wardrobe is edited down to seasonally appropriate items, it's time to color code like items. By grouping items by color, specific items can be found more readily. Also, consider grouping items into zones: low rods for shirts, tops and folded pants, and a higher rod for dresses and long skirts.

Embrace Order: Opening the door to a tidy, well-organized closet each morning can be a moment of Zen. Arrange your hangers in the same direction and banish sloppy piles by storing items that require folding draped over hangers. Keep a small trash can to corral dry-cleaning bags and wire hangers. Aim for clutter free calm.

Tame Odds & Ends: Corral accessories and small items which can easily take over a closet. Use bins to capture handbags and larger accessories. Think vertical, using closet walls to display hats or favorite bags. Belts and scarves can be stored on the back of the closet door or in specially-designed hanging units.

Finally, we leave you with two articles that will help make your closet a shining temple of organization: How to Organize Your Closet from Lucky Magazine and Clothing Closet Organizing Checklist from Real Simple.

Do you do a fall closet reorg? Or do you suffer a closet stuffed with summer gear until next Memorial Day? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook and Twitter pages.

Digging Out After Vacation

Community Manager — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:57:00 GMT

Your tan hasn't even faded but you are back to work big time. Hello September, time to get busy.

If your post-Labor Day mojo is in need of a reboot, read our five tips for making your reentry from the slow summer pace painless.

Plan for a Smooth Return: Returning to your office Monday morning from vacation to face a kajillion e-mails is never fun. Take some time Sunday evening to triage your email inbox, deleting what's unnecessary and sorting remaining e-mails into an "immediate action" folder and a "later in the week" folder. Likewise, clear your Monday calendar so that meetings and conference calls fall later in the day or even mid-week. By scheduling in an initial block of meeting-free time, you can catch up on what you've missed before new demands overwhelm.

Schedule an Update: After a vacation, schedule time for key work colleagues to update you on projects statuses, new deadline and other important considerations. By selecting key people to spearhead your update, you minimize information overload and the time-drain or hearing from too many sources.

Build in Fun: Returning from vacation can be a bummer. Ward off the post-vacation blues by booking a lunch date with a good friend or a trusted colleague mid-week. Connecting with friends keeps the post-vacation glow going just a little bit longer. Research shows that the happiest workers are those who feel connected to their coworkers and friends.

Engage in Goal Setting: While returning to work means diving in to must-do projects, take time to focus not just on the nuts and bolts of work but on your career big picture. Passionate, successful employees are those that are always growing and adding new skills or experiences. Look at September as a fresh start, and dive into career building.

Book another Vacation: Saying good-bye to summer Fridays and a leisurely vacation pace isn't easy. So consider scheduling your next getaway now. Knowing that you have a fun vacation to look forward down the road takes the sting out of returning to the 9-to-5 grind.

Finally, we leave you with one of our past posts to help ease the transition from summer BBQs to sweater weather: Top 10 Reasons to be Excited its Fall.

Enjoy your fall!

How do you ease the post-vacation blues? What are your tips for making your return from vacation as productive as possible? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook and Twitter pages.

Real Simple Loves Our Divide-It-Up Folders

Community Manager — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:31:00 GMT

We are huge fans of the magazine Real Simple. Their motto of "life made easier, every day" could be our own. At Pendaflex our mission is creating innovative products that let you work smarter, not harder, each and every day. So we were thrilled that the latest issue of Real Simple features our Divide-It-Up folders as one of their top six products to simplify your life.

We designed our Divide-It-Up Multi-Section File Folders to do more, just like you do. One folder offers three sections, making it a snap to subdivide files for multiple or large projects. Managing a busy household? Assign each child a section of the folder. Have a student tackling a large project? Teach her to designate the separate sections for notes, drafts and resource materials. One folder, three pockets: endless possibilities.

We know the back-to-school season puts your need for organization and productivity into overdrive. That's why we made this fuss-free folder extraordinarily simple to use. Each folder offers an oversize tab for easy identification and three smaller tabs, making sorting simple. Heavy-duty documents are not a problem; the folders are sealed on all sides for maximum security. And the deep pockets easily capture and secure multiple or thick documents.

We also designed the folders in standard-letter size to integrate seamlessly into your existing filing systems: use them in either a hanging or desktop system. The folders also come in assorted colors so users can color-code documents for easy filing and quick retrieval. Who doesn't love a folder that works as hard as you do? Yup, Divide-It-Up simply does more.

How would you use a multi-tasking folder like Divide-It-Up? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook and Twitter pages.