Tuesday, August 21, 2012

How To Get Organized via AboutOne.com

  I don’t take well to change, dislike technology based organizational tools, and in general I’m a skeptic. I just don’t like wasting my time trying out programs I’ll never remember to use or putting together gargantuan binders with so much paper it makes me cringe. That said I’m also absent-minded and the only thing that keeps me in line are GOOD organizational tools and now that we’re starting a new homeschooling year I’ve been on the hunt. 

Enter About One

 

Like the video shows, About One is a family organizer that handles everything from tax records to mementos.  It’s also a tool that slowly but surely making me eat my words and actually, ahem, like streamlining my records via cloud technology.  Seriously, did I just say that?

So imagine me, Ms. Resistant to Change, as I first started adding entries to my About One account muttering, “This is stupid, I’m not even doing it right.”  I typed in a title, attached a file, and then hit save (when needed I’d add a description).  Yup, it was that easy and after an hour I had scanned, uploaded, and archived ALL of last years art projects (for BOTH of the little ones) and my entire important stuff binder. 

And that’s how they hooked me.  It didn’t take a lot of time, it wasn’t overly complicated, and I can actually see myself doing this on a weekly basis to keep the papers in check.  The clutter purging neurotic inside me is giddy with the possibilities…and there are a lot of them.  Not only is everything in one place, we can access it at anytime via the Mobile App (which would have come in handy during our many emergency room visits when asked about medications and conditions), and with bank-level security I can feel okay having so much of me and my life in one place.

As far as online organizers there is only one thing About One is lacking, the calendar.  Because it’s still in the beta stage you get to read about how tremendously awesome it will be but you can’t use it yet.  During BlogHer I had the chance to talk with one of the About One girls in person and before the question even left my mouth she started shaking her head.  Yes, they know we’re anxious for the calendar and Yes, it will be available soon.  

I could go on and on about the really cool aspects of About One but I’ll be honest I spent some time watching videos that do a much better job than I could.  Here’s my favorite.

And here’s one from founder Joanne Lang explaining how and why she created About One.  Every parent’s worst nightmare.

So, in a nutshell About One is an organizing tool that’s actually made me want to digitize my entire filing cabinet…and that’s saying a lot.

I was compensated by AboutOne to review their online organizer. All opinions and text are my own.

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