Simple Tasks - Office Supplies Week - Writing Utensils

Before

This week I am focusing on office supplies for two reasons. 1) I'm getting a new piece of furniture! We're having an old dresser refinished into a buffet which I will use partially use for my work station (talk about repurposing!). I don't want to fill my new piece with clutter, so I am going through what I use and narrowing it down. And 2) This time of year, organizations see a drop in donations. Schools and libraries are in constant need, especially when it isn't Christmas, so I want to encourage everyone to go through their supplies and make a donation. You probably don't need all of those pens and notepads you have stuffed into your desk, but a teacher or librarian could put them to good use!

I'm starting with writing utensils because they like to multiply. We see them on sale and throw a pack in our basket. We visit a fair or trade show and they are stuffed into goody bags. Our kids bring them home from workshops. But how many of these do we really use? Writing utensils can be quite personal because we tend to select our favorites and use them while abandoning those that don't make the cut. These are the ones we need to bag up and donate.

We you go through writing utensils, break them down into categories:
*Pencils (regular and color)
*Pens (black, blue, and color)
*Markers (permanent, highlighters, dry-erase, and washable)
*Crayons (regular and twistable)
*Utensil accessories (white out, erasers, sharpeners, lead refills, etc)

Next, do the test. This is really a great job for children since it helps with fine motor skills and classifying. Let them test each utensil to see if it still marks. If it doesn't, trash it! For pencils, don't forget to check erasers. A pencil without an eraser isn't very useful.

After

After you have eliminated the trash, decide what you use and like. Even when items are usable, they won't get used if they aren't our favorites, and this is how we get clutter. If you find things that don't belong in your writing utensil storage space, re-home them for now. As we work through each area, you'll find that we eventually get through everything. And don't feel the need to keep all utensils together - keep them where you will use them! I moved my dry-erase markers to our school supply drawer because that is the only thing I use them for.

Once you're done, don't forget to drop off those donations! But remember to ask your intended recipient first just in case they have had an influx of donations lately. If they aren't in need, ask them if they know of anyone who might be, like youth centers or women's shelters.