Clutter Queen Tips and DYMO LetraTag

The Clutter Queen, Jennifer Humes, has teamed up with DYMO to bring a little order to the hectic lives of new parents.

Humes has some great organization ideas for parents of young children, particularly parents who are brining home a newborn:

1. Car seats and strollers look alike. Label yours to distinguish it from others. Labels created with the DYMO look better, are easy to read, will not tear or fade over time, and you can print multiple labels without having to re-enter the information.
2. Store receipts, manuals, and warranties in file folders labeled by category.
3. If there is something you won't be using everyday such as a jogging stroller, borrow from a friend or neighbor. Even sharing toys and rotating on a monthly basis will not only save you money but will help limit clutter around the house.
4. Since babies outgrow clothes so quickly, hand-me-downs for new parents are helpful and common. Stay organized by purchasing several clear containers to sort and label clothing by age.
5. Use the DYMO special iron-on labels to put your baby's name on the inside of their clothing and accessories. This will be helpful for your nanny or daycare person when messes happen and a change of clothes is needed quickly.
6. Help family members help you. Label all drawers and shelves in baby's room and closet so that everyone will know where things go–blankets, burp-rags, diapers, towels, wipes, etc.

The DYMO Personal Labelmaker can really help with your organizational needs.

Do you remember the label makers of yesteryear with the wheel and plastic tape. You dialed each letter and squeezed the trigger creating raised type. Well the DYMO of today creates basic labels and so much more!

I have another style of DYMO Personal Labelmaker that I have only used the paper refills in. But I love the new metallic, iron-on, and magnetic labels. With the metallic labels, you can label your cell phone or iPod for easy identification if it is misplaced. With the iron-on labels, I can identify the clothing and backpacks that I send with my daughter to preschool. And the magnetic tape is just cool! I have a suggestion for using the magnetic tape: use it to hold recent photos of your children on your fridge or at your office. Use the DYMO to write an explanation of the photo (Jennifer's first tooth, first time at bat, etc.). I even used the plastic tape to label the cup my daughter carries with her.

I have to admit that I am a bit of a labeling junky. And this DYMO really impressed me from the ease of creating custom labels to the new options in refills.

Features of the DYMO Personal Labelmaker Letra Tag model include:

1. WYSIWYG ("wizzy wig" or "what you see is what you get") display shows exactly what the label will look like.
2. 9 label memory for frequently used labels.
3. Date function.
4. Additional features such as 5 font sizes, 7 print styles, 8 box styles, 2-line printing, and 195 symbols.
5. English, Spanish, and French (including accent marks)
6. Prints without ink
7. Refills available in paper, colored plastic, iron-on, metallic, and magnetic.

The DYMO Personal Lablemaker LetraTag Plus sells for $29.99 and is available at office supply stores, large retailers such as Target, and online at Amazon.com. It is also available at www.dymo.com.

WIN IT: We have one DYMO Labelmaker to award to a lucky reader of The Full Mommy (retail value $20). To enter, send an e-mail to winfullmommy (at) gmail (dot) com with "DYMO" in the subject line, by July 22, 2008. If you've already tried the DYMO, let us know what you think in the comment section below. Winners will be notified by e-mail. Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.

(This was written by Leeanthro who can be read at Soy is the New Black where she dishes about family, food, foraging, and frivolity. While many of the products she discusses are sold only through boutique or specialty stores, some are widely available at national stores and online.)