My Portable Office:What's In My Cart And How I Use It

If you happen to be a person who enjoys posts about planning and organization and learning about systems that other people use, then this post if for you! And if not, feel free to pass this one by and hopefully in the coming days I'll post something that will interest you. This post will be image heavy and perhaps over-explained, but since I am a person who enjoys these types of posts when I come across them, I thought today I would share!  The picture above is my rolling cart. I bought it a few years ago from Amazon, though it doesn't appear that this particular model is available anymore, which is frustrating because I was considering purchasing a second one for all of my Bible study supplies, so I guess for now, I'll stick with my current system (I'll discuss that in an upcoming post!).

I think the best way to explain what is on this cart and how I use it would be to simply start at the beginning with the top shelf and then work my way through until we reach the bottom, and so with that, let's begin.

SHELF #1 - TOP SHELF

This is a picture looking straight on at the contents on the top shelf.  

In the very front is where I keep my Ipad.

Behind that I have a small hanging file folder basket where I keep my seasonal, monthly and weekly files, although I just realized my Autumn file, (I've already switched from summer), which would normally be in the very front, appears to not be in here, so I'll have to look for that tomorrow. Never the less, for now the first file you see is August, and behind that there are files for Weeks 1-5, and since we are in Week 1 it is currently in the front. Typically this time of year I would still be in summer, but I've been a little lax with my filing system this year, and I never finished it out. That is why I've already switched over to autumn but I am still working my August files. Behind Week 1 there are files for Sunday-Saturday, and these files get rotated daily bringing the current day to the front. At the end of the week, I will bring the Sunday folder back to the front and then rotate the weekly folders to Week 2 and place Week 1 in the back. I will do this all through August, and then at the end of the month the file for September will come to the front and the August file will be moved to another hanging file folder basket I have that houses all of the out of season files until the following year. Hopefully that makes sense. :)

I don't use these files as heavily as I once did when we were homeschooling, but enough that I appreciate having the system in place. I've used this system for years, it's familiar and it works.  I use the daily files most of all, it's where I keep things like receipts from any shopping I've done that day, mail that I want to keep, notes about upcoming appointments or fun events I want to attend, among other things. I work my files every Sunday afternoon, and as I go through my daily files for the week everything that has accumulated in them gets filed to a more specific place, and then I start the week fresh with empty files.

The picture to the left is a top view of the same shelf.

Behind my hanging files is my planner which I use daily, and it deserves a post of it's own, so I'll be sharing more about it soon.  And then behind that is my clipboard filled with notebook paper (college ruled!), because I am a writer and I write down everything! After that  I have some clear pocket sleeves, which is a new system I'm trying out. I have seven of them, and they each hold a print out of my daily routine. I also have this in my planner, but I found that dry erase markers were not working as well as I would prefer on the cover sheets, and these pockets are designed to be used with dry erase markers. I tried it for the first time last week and so far I'm liking it. And then behind that I have an accordian folder where I keep important papers and files. I don't have nearly as many files as I once did and most of them fit easily here. I do have a small plastic filing box in my office where I keep my archived files, but most anything I need access to is in this accordian file.  Then on the side you can just see a couple of pairs of scissors, and there are a few pens in a little pen cup, as well as a whole punch, a couple of rulers, just a few basic office supplies at the ready. I also have another small accordian file on the side next to the hanging files, and another small spiral notebook with some 3x5 cards inside of it. My plan is to use this to keep track of all of my passwords. I currently have them in a note on my phone, but I decided that probably isn't the safest solution, so I plan to take some time to write them all down and keep them in this little notebook.  The small accordian file I've had for a couple of years now but still haven't found a use for. I've considered tossing it a couple of times, but I really like it and I think eventually an idea will come to me and I can put it to use.

SHELF #2 - MIDDLE SHELF

The second shelf is where I keep most of my notebooks. I have a notebook for blogging, which you can see more clearly in the first picture at the top, a notebook for a book that I am and have been writing for a couple of years now, my recipe/meal planning notebook, and a notebook for our house/homestead, which I haven't used as much as I thought I would and I may end up repurposing, but the other three I use regularly. I have two other notebooks that I use for Bible study. One notebook is dedicated to the my study of the spiritual practices, and another houses my individual studies of each book of the Bible as well as other studies I've done in the past. I would like all of them to fit on this shelf but they don't. I currently use a morning basket system for the Bible study supplies, and I suppose for the time being I'll just continue on with that. 

In the back you can see a black and white striped magazine holder and that holds a good portion of my scrapbooking paper, although I don't scrapbook, at least not in the traditional sense, anyway. But, I do like to keep little journals that I make out of cheap composition notebooks. I used to make and use these all of the time and I've kind of fallen out of habit with that practice. But I'm in a stressful season of life right now with a lot of unknowns and struggling to find the balance, so I think I might try to resurrect that idea, and . . . that will have to go on the cart somewhere as well, so I'll have to figure that out. Anyway, I use scrapbooking paper to cover the front of these composition books and to decorate the insides at times as well, and since red and green are my favorite colors . . . . as you can see, most of my scrapbooking paper are Christmas designs, but the biggest percentage of these patterns, the florals and plaids, work for me year round.

On this shelf I also have three journals. The two black ones are my dump journals and typically I carry one of these with me wherever I go. The world is filled with inspiration, and so often when I am out I'll see a quote, or hear a song, or find a neat recipe in a magazine. Just the other day I came across some sauces that Ranch is making, they have  Garlic Ranch, and a Hot Honey and Jalapeno flavor, but I don't see those two on Amazon. Anyway, I want to look up recipes for ways to use them and maybe try a few, so into the notebook it went. Sometimes I will take a picture on my phone, as well, which I did with the sauces because sometimes a visual helps. But if it's just a quote or an idea that comes to me that I don't want to forget, I try to immediately get it out of my head and into the notebook. Then on Sunday afternoons I go back through my notes from the week and move things to another location, like my commonplace notebook, or if it's an idea for a topic I want to discuss here, I'll make a note in my blogging notebook. As I move each item I draw a line through it in my notebook so I'll know it's been processed. And as for the Snoopy journal, I  recieved it as a gift and I've had it for several years now but so far Ihaven't written a thing in it! But, I loved the gift and the giver so it's not going anywhere. If it's Snoopy, it's a keeper!

And finally . . .

SHELF #3 - BOTTOM SHELF

This shelf is where I keep additional office supplies, envelopes, post it notes, 3x5 cards, a larger three whole punch, a stapler, glue sticks, tape and my small collection of washi tape which I use to decorate my journals, as well. 

I also have two bags of pens and pencils that usually lay right on top of everything else. I have a small bag that I was keeping in my planner, but it got so full that it wasn't allowing the cover to close and that was driving me crazy. So I need to sit down and purge it so that it will be functional again. The larger bag is where I keep my surplus, and if you are or ever have been a homeschooling family, then you understand what I mean by a surplus of pens. I could probably never purchase another pen or pencil again and still never use all that we have. But alas, I have my favorites and they do run of out of ink, so it seems I am will always be adding to the collection!

The black bag is the one that I like to keep in my planner and the plaid one, which is actually much bigger though it doesn't apper to be in the picture, is my surplus. 

And there you have the contents of my portable office/rolling cart. I really love this system, and even more so that it's portable. I love the flexibility of keeping it near me whether  I want to spread out no the couch and work, or sit at the dining room table. Once we get my office/craft room finished, then I will probably move it there, but I haven't decided yet. I do have a desk out there, so I may just keep a few supplies there and leave this as it is, I'm just really not sure, but thankfully those are all decisions for another day.

Tomorrow begins my seasonal deep clean. I've decided to stretch it out over several days/weeks, and I'm beginning tomorrow with the kitchen and dining room, or it may end up just being the kitchen because things tend to always take longer than you originally planned. The pantry needs to be cleaned an organized, I'm taking everything out of the cabinets and giving it all a good wipe down, so the dining room may get bumped to another day. The plan is to do the family room on Friday, but since I think that may be an easier job, I may try to lump the dining room/family room together. And then next week is the bathroom, our bedroom the porch and my office.  My plan is to l take you along, share some pictures of our home and how I have things set up and the way things function, so if you liked this post and you're interested in more like it, then follow along! Summer is winding down and it's time to prepare for the 'ber months, my favorite time of the year!

Until then!

"The greatest wealth is to live content with little."

- PLATO

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