Carley Knobloch, Evernote Parenting Ambassador

Contributed Post by Carley Knobloch, Parenting Ambassador:

I don’t care if the groundhog sees his shadow or not— when March hits, I start cleaning. I’m purging belongings, I’m scrubbing the patio furniture and organizing my husband’s sock drawer; nothing is safe. Organizational overhauls can be a great learning experience for kids, especially when those kids are responsible for much of the mess in the house.  For me, it’s just as much about getting them to pitch in as it is imparting some organizational wisdom. Here are some out-of-the-box ideas for cleaning up after, around and with the kids.

Archive the Kids’ art.  

I accept that someday my children will leave the house, so why is it so hard to let go of their noodle necklaces and marker masterpieces? Artwork is accumulative, and I’ve learned over the years that saving everything means nothing feels special. Spring is a great time to scan or photograph your mini Monet’s works and store all the archives in Evernote.  I like to record the artists’ commentary on the works as well, and I bet they’ll love listening to those old voice notes once they’re away at college (and I’ve converted their room into a home gym).

Bring in the robots! 

I think I made it to twelve before I realized our Carpet Sweeper wasn’t actually a toy. I remember loving to help clean up around the house, and if helping involves using remotes and pushing buttons, you’re golden.* Your kids will fight over who gets to hit “go” on a  Looj Gutter Cleaner robot (the leaves go flying everywhere!) and who gets to point the Roomba robot at the dog and hit “start.” The house gets tidied, and your kids learn that cleaning up is everyone’s responsibility.

*Warning: Does not apply to teenagers.

Store Toys with a System. 

Maybe it’s something about the cold winter months, but I am convinced that stuffed animals (and toys and books) tend to multiply in winter. Spring means thinning out the herd, storing the old toys for the next sibling in line, or (my dirty secret) putting things in the garage to ensure that no one misses them, then giving them away to charity. (Buh bye Furby!). I snap a quick phone picture of everything I put in storage, and keep them all in Evernote, so if someone suddenly wonders where their purple bunny with the polka-dot tunic went, you’ll know exactly which storage bin it’s in.

Purge your paper

Here’s something no one ever told me: families leave a paper trail.  Report cards, medical histories, soccer schedules, vet records, bills paid, checks returned… the list is endless. I promise you, 92% of these documents can safely disappear with two words: scan and shred. Because I despise unnecessary paper piles, my Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 has become my partner in paperless living.  All those piles become searchable PDF documents, easy to find at a moment’s notice for the rest of eternity.  I can take my crusade against paper waste a step further with the PaperKarma app. Hand your iPhone or Android to the kids and have them take pictures of all the junk mail you don’t want to receive anymore – then poof! PaperKarma unsubscribes you. It’s like hiring a bouncer for your mailbox.

Store cleaning tips in Evernote

Not to get all meta, but I do enjoy organizing articles about organizing, and cleaning up articles about cleaning up. If you’re like me, you’re constantly coming across articles, blogs and cereal boxes with interesting home remedies and non-traditional cleaning tips (did you know a slice of white bread can take stains out of a delicate wallpaper?).  I scan or clip them all into Evernote so when I do find a stain on my wallpaper (“Kiiids! Who ate rocky road in the powder room!?”) I can find the fix in record time. Now I’m the one friends call when they find themselves in a Sharpie-on-Suede situation. Just call me Martha Knobloch.

One of my kids heads to middle school next year, and I’m guessing that might be the time we have “The Talk“ (the Evernote Talk, that is).  I think he’ll benefit greatly from having his life organized and available from any device.  Of which he has plenty.  Which reminds me… I’ve got to get him to clean up his room…

Follow Along on the Blog & Connect with Us

Want more great spring tips from Evernote? Follow along with Spring Made Simple by searching for the tag Spring Made Simple on the blog. Each week, we’ll be adding a number of special tips to kick your spring cleaning into high gear from our Ambassadors, delicious and easy Evernote Food recipes from notable chefs and restaurateurs, and tons more! You won’t want to miss out.

Do you have any great spring tips, ideas and recipes to share? Post your favorite spring cleaning tips, connect with others tackling new projects or just join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook. Follow @evernotelife and use the hashtag #evernotelife on Twitter throughout the spring season, and Like us on Facebook.

How have you used Evernote to “spring clean” your workspace? Share your top tips in the comments.

Carley Knobloch is an Evernote Parenting Ambassador, a Today show contributor and digital lifestyle expert. She’s the host and founder of Digitwirl, a Webby-nominated web show designed to help busy women discover technology that “just works.” Digitwirl brings together Carley’s obsession with all things tech, her passion for problem-solving and her knack for curating the best resources for her audience. She also decodes smart home technology on HGTV.com, and has appeared on The Ricki Lake Show and EXTRA. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two kids, springer spaniel, and myriad tablets.

You might recognize  Carley Knobloch from this blog post. If you attended the Evernote Trunk conference, you may also have heard her speak about the ways that Evernote is an invaluable tool for her as a parent. Today, we’re thrilled to announce that Carley is joining our Ambassador Program as the Parenting Ambassador. If you’re a parent, about to become a parent, or just feel like you’re juggling a lot of responsibilities and want to figure out how Evernote can help, follow Carley over on her awesome site, Digitwirl, as well as over in the Parenting section of the Lifestyle forum. 

She’s dropping by today to share her first contributed post, so you can get to know her a little better. Carley will also be hosting a Twitter party next week to talk about ways that parents can get organized with Evernote around the holidays (see details below). Great to have you, Carley.

6 Ways to Keep Life, Work, Family and Home Organized with Evernote

I can usually manage to get my sweater tucked in, wear matching socks and make my bed before I leave the house. I rarely forget to pay bills, and I seldom forget a birthday or to pick my kids up from school (though all of those things have happened…). It’s all the stuff I call “micro data”— the tiny bits of information that come at me all day, every day: What did Josh’s mom say he wanted for his birthday? How long is that wall I wanted to find art for? What part did the plumber tell me to order? My brain is not able to store all this minutia and recall it when the time is right. Everything goes in, but little comes out when I need it. It’s like my garage, come to think of it— a black hole of stuff and things where “in storage” is synonymous with “missing.”

If my brain is the garage, then Evernote is the brand-new addition I built on top of it, wiith limitless shelf space and a kindly librarian at the front desk to help you find whatever you need. As I move micro data into Evernote, I can chip away at the panic and frustration I usually walk around with. Being able to recall more micro data not only makes me more efficient, but also calmer and more collected.

Here are just a few examples of how Evernote has improved my life and saved me tons of time:

1. Serial Numbers
   I recently had a new lock installed on my backyard gate. When it turned out to be faulty, the customer service people needed the lock’s serial number to troubleshoot it. Turns out, the serial number is only written on the box (long gone) or inside the lock. I had to completely dismantle the lock and re-install it before I could even begin to fix it. Now, whenever I buy anything with a serial number, I take a quick snapshot of it with my smartphone camera and store it in Evernote. Even for items that are more easily accessible, having them all in Evernote means I don’t have to get on all fours and stick my head in the washing machine during a service call. This is especially helpful if I don’t happen to be at home when I need to make that call.
2. Instruction Manuals
   I used to have a box that was full of instruction manuals, mostly for things I no longer own. This made sense in 1992 when there was no Internet, which is now the ONLY place I go when I run into trouble with my blender or television set. I recently threw out the outdated box and replaced it with a notebook in Evernote. Most of the manuals I needed were already available online as PDFs, and I scanned the ones I couldn’t find in a flash. Now, if my Bluetooth headset is on the fritz, or if I need help resetting my modem, I have all the help I need — no box required.
3. Vitals
   When it comes to kids, things like weight, height, clothing and shoe sizes are a moving target. It’s tough to remember everyone’s data, because it’s constantly changing. I now have a notebook in Evernote that has all of this information, and more. When I’m out shopping, I can remember that my daughter is a “medium” in Gap tops, but a “small” at Target, and my son wears a size 2 in Addidas, but a 13 ½ in Converse. And when we head to the doctor’s office, I make sure I record their updated weight and height information, so that I can have it at the ready when I need to fill out forms for school or sports teams.
4. Keepsakes
   The congratulatory email a boss wrote after a job well done. The thank you card my girlfriend wrote me after I helped her through a bad break-up. The recipe for my grandmother’s chicken patties that she wrote by hand, or the birthday card my grandfather painted in watercolors. All these items are special to me, but in spite of my best intentions, I will lose them, or file them away in a box somewhere and never look at them again. Now, they’re all scanned into Evernote, and I’ll always be able to retrieve them when I want to walk down memory lane. Plus, they’re automatically date-stamped, so I can remember the moment in time, as well as the sentiment.
5. House receipts and documents
   The last time I got my carpets cleaned was two years ago. I loved the company that did the job. The technician was on time, conscientious and was nice to our dog. Plus, they gave us a great deal. Now I can’t remember his name or how much we paid for his services. Had I scanned the receipt into Evernote, I’d be able to search for the word “carpet” and pull it up instantly (Evernote can even search for text inside of images). I’ll have his phone number and negotiate another great deal. I also keep all of my extended warranties in Evernote. As the years go on and things break, it’s a cinch to find the documents and see if I have coverage.
6. Seasonal storage
   I live in Los Angeles so I don’t have too many bulky sweaters to store away once the winter months subside, but I do like to pack some stuff up so my clothes can have some breathing room in my closet. This year, I documented everything in Evernote, taking quick pictures of clothes that were being boxed up and creating a note for each box. Now, if I do need to pack for a last-minute trip to London (a girl can dream!), I’ll know the precise location of every turtleneck or pair of wellies.

There you have it. Just a few of the ways that Evernote keeps me organized and sane — whether it comes to keeping track of product manuals, keepsakes, or anything related to my kids.

It’s a Twitter Party!

Carley will be hosting a Twitter party on Wednesday, December 14th from 6-7 pm PST (9-10 pm ET) to chat about all things related to staying sane during the holidays. To join:

1. Create your Twitter account, login via Twitter.com or your Twitter client.
2. Follow @evernotelife and @digitwirl.
3. Follow the hashtag #evernotelife (create a new column in your Twitter client to make it easier to follow the chat, or join the chat here: http://tweetchat.com/room/evernotelife)
4. Ask questions, chat with fellow parents, and discuss ways you could be using Evernote during the holiday season.

Spread the word and let others know you’ll be joining by tweeting:

Join @digitwirl for a Twitter party on 12/14 @ 9 pm EST to chat ways to stay sane during the holidays + win prizes. Follow #evernotelife!

or

I’m attending the @digitwirl + @evernotelife Twitter party on 12/14 @ 9 pm EST. Join us! #evernotelife

We’ll be moderating the conversation and giving away some great prizes, including Doxie Go scanners!

Join the Parenting discussion.
Join the Evernote for the holidays discussion.

Stay tuned for more holiday coverage on the blog…

The Evernote Ambassador Program

Evernote Ambassadors are amazing individuals that are here to teach, share and help you get more out of Evernote. Learn more about Ambassadors and consider submitting your story.

Join the conversation happening in our Lifestyle Forum to connect with Ambassadors and other Evernote users.
Join the conversation

Download Ambassador Guides

Drap and drop them into a New Note or attach them to a note so you can access them from any computer or mobile device where you have Evernote installed!

Joshua Zerkel’s Productivity Tips (PDF)
Brandie Kajino’s Organization Tips (PDF)
Carley Knobloch’s Spring Cleaning Tips (PDF)