I am excited to welcome back my superfab contributing team in 2014, and also introduce you to the newest member, Beth!
It is no secret that I have been dragging my feet when it comes to using my gadgets and technology for organizational purposes. I love to organize. I love technology. Really I should marry the two right?
Considering I have little experience utilizing technology to better my life, yet that is the way the world is essentially moving, I invited Beth to join the IHeart Organizing team. She loves to make use of her gadgets to streamline her day to day lifestyle, and I am beyond excited to have her here sharing all of her tips and favorite apps with us.
Beth is a wife, mom, freelance writer and PR/Marketing Consultant. You can find her sharing her sharing her awesomeness at The Little Magpie, The Food Adventuress, Magpie Marketing and Arkansas Life. And now IHeart Organizing as well! Today, she is here to chat about apps that help her on her quest to live a paperless life. So please, give a warm IHeart Organizing welcome to the darling Beth!
Hey there, organizers! I'm Beth, and I'm delighted to join the IHeart Organizing lineup this year. Like so many of you, I'm on a constant quest to better organize my life so that I have time for the things that really matter.
As the years go by, it becomes increasingly obvious to me that the areas of my life that are controlled and organized bring me the most pleasure (or, the highest ratio of days that include feet propped up in the bubble bath, reading a good book, hiking with my family or enjoying a glass of wine with my husband). Conversely, the areas of my life that consistently feel chaotic, disorganized and behind the eight ball are the top contributors to my stress.
So, suffice it to say that I've been an enthusiastic reader of IHeart Organizing for quite some time. However, there is one area of my organizing style that's just a little bit different from many of the posts I've read here at IHeart: while I adore organized cuteness, binders, labels, mason jars and gallery walls as much as the next gal, I'm also a big fan of organizing with technology!
In fact, I'm going to just say this out loud: I am on an obsessive, multi-year quest to eliminate useless paper from my life. I want less junk in my mailbox, fewer paper stacks on my desk and a shortage of decade-old magazines gathering dust on my shelves (despite my affliction with vintage and the fact that I actually contribute frequently to magazines)! Anyone with me?
Excellent. Allow me to share a few amazing tools that you just might need in your life. And please: keep posting those gorgeous projects with labels, mason jars and gallery walls... even the organizing app lovers like me are drooling over them! Without further ado, here are a few tools to eliminate scraps of paper from your life, focusing on three of the most common sources.
Everyone has different degrees of sentimental feelings. I do love keeping a select few pieces of my kids’ art, but most of the worksheets and quick drawings head quickly to the recycling bin. We used to use family binders - one per kid per school year. Regardless of whether you have an adorable binder, box or portfolio for physically keeping your kids’ artwork, I strongly suggest scanning it. The digital versions can be used for craft projects or just archiving, and you can even take a photo of the child proudly holding up their work. Even worksheets are fun to save because there are always some humorous responses!
The best tool in my book for this task is Artkive. You’ll be able to set up a “folder” for each kid and then file work by age, grade and other details. Plus, the Artkive shop is specifically set up for printing gifts such as a book of artwork for grandparents and other items to preserve all those masterpieces. You can also automatically share their creations with family members or to social media.
Last year, we even took photos of our oldest daughter’s end of year project for the Reach program - so fun!
Artkive is available for iOS and Android (free). Alternative: Art My Kid Made, which I am digging for its compatibility with Evernote (more on that soon!) - iOS (free).
Plus, it’s very common for me to be out near a store and find a pocket of time - while the list is still hanging on the fridge. So, this was another great area of my life to go digital. My absolute favorite (after trying many options) is Ziplist - it syncs across my Macbook, iPad and iPhone so that I (or family members) can sit down near the kitchen and add dozens of items while planning meals for the week, or just quickly add items on the fly into my phone.
If you’ve thought about going the digital route with your grocery list, now is the time to let your inner nerd/über-organizer flag fly high. Ziplist gets lots of bonus points because I can add items by store and even sort them by the appropriate aisle. That means I can keep separate shopping lists within the app for the grocery store, hardware/home store, even articles of clothing or vintage items I’ve been on the lookout for (which always escape my mind when I’m standing in the actual store).
Two great examples of the power of an electronic versus paper grocery list:
Vacation: On our last beach vacation, we stayed in some lovely state park cabins and fell in love. However, their version of “fully stocked” and mine were very different (I consider dish soap, chopped garlic and salt & pepper essential). So when I made a list before heading to the {pricey!!} grocery store to stock up, I made it a permanent list in my collection and titled it Vacay. In a few short months when we head to that sweet cabin again, I’ll know exactly which basics are worth picking up more cheaply here at home and packing along with us.
Holidays: Normally, I work from a consistent list of our traditional holiday recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I shop as far in advance for those grocery items as possible. This year, a combination of chaotic work projects and inclement weather had me dropping by a grocery store on the fly. If that window had presented itself and I were a paper list keeper, I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of it - but instead, I just pulled up my standard Thanksgiving ingredient list, skipped the items I knew I had in the pantry and knocked it out in an hour. Victory!
The Ziplist website also prompts you for items you might need based on past purchases, and there is a downloadable recipe clipper for your browser.
Ziplist is available for iOS and Android (free). Alternatives: Our Groceries - iOS, Android (free), Buy Me A Pie - iOS, Android (free), Out Of Milk - iOS, Android (free), Grocery IQ - iOS, Android (free).
Laugh if you may, but I know there are more of you out there like me! I want to get up, look at a checklist and start marking things off so that I don't end up in my PJs (I work from home) with my teeth unbrushed and staring off into space when my husband comes home at 5 o'clock. Enter the Routines app by Coopla:
It's genius because it keeps all of these paltry tasks out of your actual to-do list with errands and tasks that are less consistent and predictable (drop dry-cleaning, pick up supplies for a kid's school project). Add the things that you do - or want to do - every morning, afternoon, evening, weekly on Mondays and even monthly (sharpen knives) or annually (optometrist appointment).
I've even got my zones set up in the monthly section, keeping me on top of deep cleaning the kitchen during the first week of the month, living spaces - second week, bathrooms - third week, bedrooms - fourth week, other spaces (only needed a few times a year) - fifth week. This ensures that the whole house is tackled by the end of each month.
Best of all, you can force your tasks to clear at midnight so that you've got a beautiful, clean new list of tasks to tackle again tomorrow... and who doesn't love to check things off? {Me, ME! I love to check things off!!}
The Routines app by Coopla is available for iOS ($2.99). Note: tasks are not synced across devices; however, most users tend to grab one particular device to cruise through daily chores, so this is not a huge issue. Alternative: HomeRoutines for iOS - works well with FlyLady systems. To ensure you don’t get a bunch of to do/task apps, search your app marketplace for “home routines” or “daily chores.”
"I’m Beth, a freelance writer and PR/marketing consultant living in a 1905 house in northwest Arkansas that could have starred in the 80's film The Money Pit. Fortunately, I'm married to a man capable of tackling everything from plumbing and electrical disasters to reincarnating hardwood floors, and he keeps the place livable for us and our two daughters, Sophie and Ainsley. Like so many others, I vacillate between incredibly organized {see: my alphabetized spice rack and neat living room} and embarrassingly disastrous {see: my closet and The Room We Do Not Enter}. I have an affliction with words and ideas, so I churn out the excess at The Little Magpie and The Food Adventuress and through my business, Magpie Marketing in addition to writing about food, wine, travel and the treasures of my home state for publications such as Arkansas Life. I love emerging technology and you'll find me first in line to try new apps and gadgets. I'll share the best tools to keep your life on track here at IHeart Organizing!
It is no secret that I have been dragging my feet when it comes to using my gadgets and technology for organizational purposes. I love to organize. I love technology. Really I should marry the two right?
Considering I have little experience utilizing technology to better my life, yet that is the way the world is essentially moving, I invited Beth to join the IHeart Organizing team. She loves to make use of her gadgets to streamline her day to day lifestyle, and I am beyond excited to have her here sharing all of her tips and favorite apps with us.
Beth is a wife, mom, freelance writer and PR/Marketing Consultant. You can find her sharing her sharing her awesomeness at The Little Magpie, The Food Adventuress, Magpie Marketing and Arkansas Life. And now IHeart Organizing as well! Today, she is here to chat about apps that help her on her quest to live a paperless life. So please, give a warm IHeart Organizing welcome to the darling Beth!
Hey there, organizers! I'm Beth, and I'm delighted to join the IHeart Organizing lineup this year. Like so many of you, I'm on a constant quest to better organize my life so that I have time for the things that really matter.
As the years go by, it becomes increasingly obvious to me that the areas of my life that are controlled and organized bring me the most pleasure (or, the highest ratio of days that include feet propped up in the bubble bath, reading a good book, hiking with my family or enjoying a glass of wine with my husband). Conversely, the areas of my life that consistently feel chaotic, disorganized and behind the eight ball are the top contributors to my stress.
So, suffice it to say that I've been an enthusiastic reader of IHeart Organizing for quite some time. However, there is one area of my organizing style that's just a little bit different from many of the posts I've read here at IHeart: while I adore organized cuteness, binders, labels, mason jars and gallery walls as much as the next gal, I'm also a big fan of organizing with technology!
In fact, I'm going to just say this out loud: I am on an obsessive, multi-year quest to eliminate useless paper from my life. I want less junk in my mailbox, fewer paper stacks on my desk and a shortage of decade-old magazines gathering dust on my shelves (despite my affliction with vintage and the fact that I actually contribute frequently to magazines)! Anyone with me?
Excellent. Allow me to share a few amazing tools that you just might need in your life. And please: keep posting those gorgeous projects with labels, mason jars and gallery walls... even the organizing app lovers like me are drooling over them! Without further ado, here are a few tools to eliminate scraps of paper from your life, focusing on three of the most common sources.
Paper Culprit #1 - Small Humans
While I love seeing special pieces of art and keeping up with my kids and their progress at school, I feel absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of paper that education institutions generate… it just never ends. Hope springs eternal in my heart that this will change in my lifetime, but for now, I have implemented coping mechanisms.Everyone has different degrees of sentimental feelings. I do love keeping a select few pieces of my kids’ art, but most of the worksheets and quick drawings head quickly to the recycling bin. We used to use family binders - one per kid per school year. Regardless of whether you have an adorable binder, box or portfolio for physically keeping your kids’ artwork, I strongly suggest scanning it. The digital versions can be used for craft projects or just archiving, and you can even take a photo of the child proudly holding up their work. Even worksheets are fun to save because there are always some humorous responses!
The best tool in my book for this task is Artkive. You’ll be able to set up a “folder” for each kid and then file work by age, grade and other details. Plus, the Artkive shop is specifically set up for printing gifts such as a book of artwork for grandparents and other items to preserve all those masterpieces. You can also automatically share their creations with family members or to social media.
Last year, we even took photos of our oldest daughter’s end of year project for the Reach program - so fun!
Paper Culprit #2 - The Quest for Food
While there are a lot of papers that enter our lives and are worth keeping (I loved the greeting card organizer in the link party post earlier this week), there are approximately a million more that are completely irrelevant: and frankly, I would rather they never existed in my house at all! High on that list are grocery lists - I don’t even want cute ones hanging around!Plus, it’s very common for me to be out near a store and find a pocket of time - while the list is still hanging on the fridge. So, this was another great area of my life to go digital. My absolute favorite (after trying many options) is Ziplist - it syncs across my Macbook, iPad and iPhone so that I (or family members) can sit down near the kitchen and add dozens of items while planning meals for the week, or just quickly add items on the fly into my phone.
If you’ve thought about going the digital route with your grocery list, now is the time to let your inner nerd/über-organizer flag fly high. Ziplist gets lots of bonus points because I can add items by store and even sort them by the appropriate aisle. That means I can keep separate shopping lists within the app for the grocery store, hardware/home store, even articles of clothing or vintage items I’ve been on the lookout for (which always escape my mind when I’m standing in the actual store).
Two great examples of the power of an electronic versus paper grocery list:
Vacation: On our last beach vacation, we stayed in some lovely state park cabins and fell in love. However, their version of “fully stocked” and mine were very different (I consider dish soap, chopped garlic and salt & pepper essential). So when I made a list before heading to the {pricey!!} grocery store to stock up, I made it a permanent list in my collection and titled it Vacay. In a few short months when we head to that sweet cabin again, I’ll know exactly which basics are worth picking up more cheaply here at home and packing along with us.
Holidays: Normally, I work from a consistent list of our traditional holiday recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I shop as far in advance for those grocery items as possible. This year, a combination of chaotic work projects and inclement weather had me dropping by a grocery store on the fly. If that window had presented itself and I were a paper list keeper, I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of it - but instead, I just pulled up my standard Thanksgiving ingredient list, skipped the items I knew I had in the pantry and knocked it out in an hour. Victory!
The Ziplist website also prompts you for items you might need based on past purchases, and there is a downloadable recipe clipper for your browser.
Ziplist is available for iOS and Android (free). Alternatives: Our Groceries - iOS, Android (free), Buy Me A Pie - iOS, Android (free), Out Of Milk - iOS, Android (free), Grocery IQ - iOS, Android (free).
Paper Culprit #3 - The Daily Grind
Here's another confession: I need a checklist for everything. I mean, everything. Without the ability to check things off every morning, I would wander the barren landscape of my home seeking coffee and a little direction. I kid you not... my brain does not have the capacity to remember the simple things such as take vitamin, start laundry and unload dishwasher. Seriously.Laugh if you may, but I know there are more of you out there like me! I want to get up, look at a checklist and start marking things off so that I don't end up in my PJs (I work from home) with my teeth unbrushed and staring off into space when my husband comes home at 5 o'clock. Enter the Routines app by Coopla:
It's genius because it keeps all of these paltry tasks out of your actual to-do list with errands and tasks that are less consistent and predictable (drop dry-cleaning, pick up supplies for a kid's school project). Add the things that you do - or want to do - every morning, afternoon, evening, weekly on Mondays and even monthly (sharpen knives) or annually (optometrist appointment).
I've even got my zones set up in the monthly section, keeping me on top of deep cleaning the kitchen during the first week of the month, living spaces - second week, bathrooms - third week, bedrooms - fourth week, other spaces (only needed a few times a year) - fifth week. This ensures that the whole house is tackled by the end of each month.
Best of all, you can force your tasks to clear at midnight so that you've got a beautiful, clean new list of tasks to tackle again tomorrow... and who doesn't love to check things off? {Me, ME! I love to check things off!!}
The Routines app by Coopla is available for iOS ($2.99). Note: tasks are not synced across devices; however, most users tend to grab one particular device to cruise through daily chores, so this is not a huge issue. Alternative: HomeRoutines for iOS - works well with FlyLady systems. To ensure you don’t get a bunch of to do/task apps, search your app marketplace for “home routines” or “daily chores.”
"I’m Beth, a freelance writer and PR/marketing consultant living in a 1905 house in northwest Arkansas that could have starred in the 80's film The Money Pit. Fortunately, I'm married to a man capable of tackling everything from plumbing and electrical disasters to reincarnating hardwood floors, and he keeps the place livable for us and our two daughters, Sophie and Ainsley. Like so many others, I vacillate between incredibly organized {see: my alphabetized spice rack and neat living room} and embarrassingly disastrous {see: my closet and The Room We Do Not Enter}. I have an affliction with words and ideas, so I churn out the excess at The Little Magpie and The Food Adventuress and through my business, Magpie Marketing in addition to writing about food, wine, travel and the treasures of my home state for publications such as Arkansas Life. I love emerging technology and you'll find me first in line to try new apps and gadgets. I'll share the best tools to keep your life on track here at IHeart Organizing!
I am the type of gal who tries to take a moment to reflect on my blessings daily as I never take for granted the beautiful people in my life or the opportunities that have come my way. This morning I am tipping my hat to the kind folks that sponsor my site and allow me to do what I love.
I am forever grateful that they support my ability to write posts, work on projects and cover my blog expenses and time. Today I am giving them gratitude for keeping this little ol' dream of mine alive.
- Kiwi Crate offers fun and engaging arts, crafts, and science projects for kids
- This Valentines, delight your friends and family with their special pop-up Valentine's Day cards!
- Handmade Valentines has everything you'll need to create unique handmade valentines: 24 pop-up cards, 24 Valentine-themed punchouts, 10 washable markers, glue stick, wiggly eyes, sticky-back jewels, plus 2 blank cards to create a DIY pop-up card design.
- Feeling overwhelmed with clutter and can't get started? Alejandra's video series shows you 3 e-a-s-yyyy things to do tonight to feel more organized tomorrow morning. How is that for starting the day off right?! You can sign up to watch the free videos here.
- The new See Jane Work line at your local Office Depot will surely help make that office you loathe going into because it is so cluttered, the lively place you end up loving.
- Learn a few tips from creator of See Jane Work, Holly Bohn on how to revolutionize the working woman’s world.
- See Jane Work makes organizing simple with a one stop shop of some the newest items on the market.
- Wishy Washi Tape is your one stop shop for all things washi tape.
- They carry all of the top Japanese lines but also carry some super budget friendly options as well.
- They don't just stop with washi tape though. They also carry multiple sizes of baker's twine, rubber stamps, floral paper straws and cute little stationery items.
- Outfit Planning - Save all your favorite outfits using photos of your actual wardrobe, which you can reference as you get dressed.
- Office Style - Plan your work outfits for the week on Sunday from bed.
- Vacation packing - Create packing checklists and an outfit log for vacation with photos of your real clothes.
- Enjoy free premEAR concierge service!
- Mousetales Travel does all the work, you have all the fun!
- If Disney announces a promotion for your dates after you've booked your vacation with Mouse Tales Travel, they will apply the promotion to your reservation without you doing anything!
- If you regularly read organizing books, newsletters and blogs but still struggle to create or maintain the organization you are after, simplify 101 has the perfect solution for you - online classes created by professional organizers.
- Choose the organizing solutions that are just right for you from their selection of expert guided online classes, on-demand classes {NEW!}, and e-books.
- Whether you want to organize the paper clutter on your kitchen counter, create an organizing game-plan for your whole home, or discover how to set and achieve goals, simplify 101's classes give you bite-sized actions so it is simple to take action without getting overwhelmed.
{Website} {Twitter} {Pinterest} {Facebook} {Blog}
It's About Time is currently on Early Bird Special! Enroll now to save 20% off the regular price. Or use coupon code HT15FEB during checkout to take 15% off the regular price of simplify 101's online classes and instant downloads. This coupon may not be combined with any other offers.
- SugarSNAP designs smart, stylish solutions to help parents get and stay organized. They were formed by mom's of twins, so they know from personal experience the endless stuff that goes along with being a parent can be overwhelming, so they set out to create a truly innovative way to organize your diaper bag and your car!
- Hey sugar, sugarSNAP is thrilled to announce their diaper bag organizers now come in two new colors! Their super popular black and white pattern is back {The Wyatt} due to popular demand, and not only is it perfect for boy or a girl, it also matches any diaper bag! They also launched a beautiful pink set, called The Lily.
- Fridge Coaster offers absorbent liners designed to fit in all your refrigerators door bins, crisper bins or directly on the shelf surface. See more here on a recent episode of DIY Network's, "I Want That"
- Even better? The bright, colorful designs add a kick to kitchen decor and give you a reason to open the fridge that doesn't involve counting calories, bonus!
- Natural, breathable material provides the added benefit of keeping produce from resting on non-breathable plastic surfaces. Thus, extending the life of produce prone to bruising... awesome!
Save 10% on all orders ALL the time with code IHEART10!
- Buttoned Up has launched a gorgeous new online store, which will not only feature boot camps, but an entirely new line of organizational products {notebooks, agendas, journals} that can be personalized with photos, designs, monograms, etc...
- There are a number of Back To School items to help you get your students buttoned up for the new school year. These products are here just in time to get schedules back to normal!
- Ever feel like you don't have enough time to get dinner on the table during the week? 5 Dinners in 1 Hour can help you prepare a week's worth of meals in only one hour!
- Now with the new custom menu tool, you can create your own menu plan or use one of the suggestion menu plans already provided.
- All of the menu plans offered have family friendly meals that feed 4-6 people, which can also be adjusted with the custom menu tool for when you need more or less!
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I know that many of you are having fun putting on your organizing hats and taking this month by storm. Today, I am bringing you some real inspiration created by real inspiring folks. That would be YOU!
Here are some of the projects y'all tackled and shared during the last organizing challenge link party. Once again, consider me blown away and motivated all at once.
I will never tire of closet offices or pegboard projects. Ever. Tracy created a beautiful little nook in her home that is both darling and functional.
Carrie also designed a tucked away office by tearing down a wall and adding lovely planks!
I am always smitten with different solutions for organizing crafts, and Vanessa's drawers are some major eye candy!
Lauren wanted to give her bangles a place to hang out in-between uses. She ultimately landed on some felt lined jewelry organizers and had rave reviews.
Morgan also shared how she organizes her jewelry during her organized closet tour.
Lined wire shelves and labeled containers made Harsha's pantry makeover a happy one!
Christina was on a quest to maximize her entry and create a place for her boy's to easily hang their gear. I love the board and batten solution they came up with!
I have been obsessed with the discbound binder system for awhile, however, up until now I have never seen it used for coupon organization. Robyn rocked her sweet setup with laminated tabs and all!
Jaime shows how a little love and some pretty paper can create a whole new and fresh linen closet setup!
Do you love to hang on to old cards, notes, photos and paper memories? Stefanie shares how she organizes all of those items in a place she can easily access should she ever want to take a walk down memory lane.
Saving milestones and important baby moments is a tradition that has been passed down for years and years. I love this fresh take on a DIY baby book.
I always love Amy's organizing projects and her unique style. She did a lovely job customizing a command center to corral her daily gear in a fashionable way!
Fellow organizing pal, Megan, is always working on something fabulous. She recently updated her desk space, and created a great way to conceal her printer by adding a second little organized station nearby.
I am gaga for Lindze's tips for simple and free ways to freshen up your home! In fact, I went and made my bed and swapped a few accessories on my nightstand right after reading her post.
As always, thank you to all who took the time to tackle a project, big or small, and to link up and share it with this fabulous blog community. Every project you tackle will make your life a bit breezier; and every project you take time to share will inspire someone else to make their life more fantastic as well. Don't you love how that works? It's a beautiful thing.
Stay tuned, you will have a chance to link up and share your December and January projects next week!
.png)
Here are some of the projects y'all tackled and shared during the last organizing challenge link party. Once again, consider me blown away and motivated all at once.
I will never tire of closet offices or pegboard projects. Ever. Tracy created a beautiful little nook in her home that is both darling and functional.
 |
| {via} |
Carrie also designed a tucked away office by tearing down a wall and adding lovely planks!
 |
| {via} |
I am always smitten with different solutions for organizing crafts, and Vanessa's drawers are some major eye candy!
 |
| {via} |
Lauren wanted to give her bangles a place to hang out in-between uses. She ultimately landed on some felt lined jewelry organizers and had rave reviews.
 |
| {via} |
Morgan also shared how she organizes her jewelry during her organized closet tour.
 |
| {via} |
Lined wire shelves and labeled containers made Harsha's pantry makeover a happy one!
 |
| {via} |
Christina was on a quest to maximize her entry and create a place for her boy's to easily hang their gear. I love the board and batten solution they came up with!
 |
| {via} |
I have been obsessed with the discbound binder system for awhile, however, up until now I have never seen it used for coupon organization. Robyn rocked her sweet setup with laminated tabs and all!
.jpg) |
| {via} |
Jaime shows how a little love and some pretty paper can create a whole new and fresh linen closet setup!
 |
| {via} |
Do you love to hang on to old cards, notes, photos and paper memories? Stefanie shares how she organizes all of those items in a place she can easily access should she ever want to take a walk down memory lane.
 |
| {via} |
Saving milestones and important baby moments is a tradition that has been passed down for years and years. I love this fresh take on a DIY baby book.
 |
| {via} |
I always love Amy's organizing projects and her unique style. She did a lovely job customizing a command center to corral her daily gear in a fashionable way!
 |
| {via} |
Fellow organizing pal, Megan, is always working on something fabulous. She recently updated her desk space, and created a great way to conceal her printer by adding a second little organized station nearby.
 |
| {via} |
I am gaga for Lindze's tips for simple and free ways to freshen up your home! In fact, I went and made my bed and swapped a few accessories on my nightstand right after reading her post.
 |
| {via} |
As always, thank you to all who took the time to tackle a project, big or small, and to link up and share it with this fabulous blog community. Every project you tackle will make your life a bit breezier; and every project you take time to share will inspire someone else to make their life more fantastic as well. Don't you love how that works? It's a beautiful thing.
Stay tuned, you will have a chance to link up and share your December and January projects next week!
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