My Wife's Tidy Closet

Sometimes silence is more effective then words.

In my last blog post I talked about how messiness had returned to my wife's closet despite the Configurations makeover we'd given it over a year ago.

 

I asked people if I should take comfort in the fact that 'at least' she could now close her door or if I should keep pushing for an organized closet.

Our readership was clear...."if she keeps the door shut....you keep your mouth shut."

 

And I did.

Instead I went about my usual Fall closet conversion (Summer clothes in totes to the basement, Fall/Winter clothes up) without a word of nagging or even a hopeful suggestion that she do the same.

It turns out that silence was more powerful.

Not only did she clean out her closet and fill three bags of purged clothes for Good Will, but she actually asked me to install another basket. She got engaged in making the space work for her!

 

Now I'm not under the illusion that the closet won't drift back to clutter but this is a huge victory.

My lessons are simple:

 

1) System Matters: In the dark days (about a week ago) I fretted that the system didn't matter if the person in question wasn't committed. But after our little miracle I realize that her Configurations Closet did play a big role.

a. It tamed her mess and stopped it from spilling out on the floor

b. It helped her see the benefits of an organized closet and tipped her back into action

c. It was flexible so we could easily alter its set-up (remove shelves and add a basket)

 

2) Lead by Example: It probably won't work for kids but if you're unhappy with a parner's messiness;

a. let it be known

b. do all you can to help

c. let it  be. In my case the fact that I'd "given up on her" really propelled her to action.

 

I have to thank everyone who nudged me in this direction.....the sound of silence.

Halloween Spooktacular 2009

Today is the annual Rubbermaid Halloween Spooktacular. The office is buzzing with holiday spirit. I'm going to be taking photos all day long and posting them to our Flickr account.

Keep checking back throughout the day for updates. I'll try to keep this post updated too.

Below are just a few of the photos so far.

The Enchanted Candy Forest

Fire with real smoke

Jungle Explorer hiding in the bushes

UGA is dressed up in a safari outfit. Looks like a Gator is coming to get him ;)

@egentry, Shannon Joyner and Alissa Kuber

New Rubbermaid Bloggers - Last Round

Here is the final introduction to the new Rubbermaid Bloggers! Please remember to give them some love as they will be writing some great posts for everyone!

Joyce

 

Joyce is great at maintaining organizational systems if she could only find the time to set the systems up. She likes horseback riding, golfing, reading and gardening.

Megan Grieser

Megan has a problem with throwing things away - she always thinks she might need it at some point. She loves volleyball and coached at the college level.

Rob Warner

Rob is great at organizing closets and garages. He loves to swim and unicycle (HOW COOL!!)

Sam Aron

Sam is a graphic manager at Rubbermaid who adds an artistic flair to everything. She is great at making organizational plans but lacks to follow through to finish them. 

Q&A with Angie Weid - Professional organizer

Angie Weid - Professional organizer and Rocket scientist of Organized Solutions – Temperance, MI – www.iorganizeyou.com

1) How long have you been a professional organizer?
Wow!  It was officially 5 years this past September, though my friends and family say I’ve been doing it my whole life.

2) What inspired you to become a professional organizer?
After my career as an engineer at a major auto company, I became a mom and love raising my boys.  Life has a way creating twists and unexpectedly found myself divorced.  Feeling I was spirally downward, I had a good old fashion pity party.  Walking into the woods with a notepad and pen, I began to write all that I had accomplished, beginning with “I can walk.”  After a bit of a chuckle, and three pages later, it was clear I love the fun of life.  Thought if I was going to start anew, let’s do something fun and help people enjoy life.  I shared my business idea with my friends and family who thought it was perfect for me. 

3) What is the most common organizing project you’re hired to do?
There are two that stand out.  The woman whose home has slowly become cluttered and needs help getting it back on track.  We talk about how her home ideally should look and feel to come up with a plan to get it there and maintain it.  The other project is helping families downsize their loved ones as a senior move manager.  Maintaining the peace amongst family members during this transition can be tricky.  Success is when the loved one turns to me and says, “Thank you for making my apartment feel like a home.”

4) What is the most common organizing challenge people have?
The one that pops into my head first is letting go of things that have lost purpose in their lives.  At one time, we all have enjoyed every item we have ever owned.  There does come a time when your favorite blouse is worn out, your daughter’s amazing first grade artwork is crumbling, family photos are fading and then there is that gift you received from your mom that you just never used.  Helping people recognized that their items have served their purpose and it is time to let them go can be a challenge, though the smile on their faces when they sense it’s OK. Priceless. 

5) If you had to pick ‘your’ biggest organizing challenge, what would it be?
I’m a single mom, raising two amazing boys, running a business, driving to soccer practice that constantly seems to hear, “Mom, I’m hungry.”  My home is constantly drifting toward chaos.  Maintaining some balance in my life can be a challenge.  I recognize when we must take time and get our home back in shape.  Being organized just doesn’t happen, it takes work.  Even for this professional organizer.

6) What one tips would you give to people who are trying to get organized?
Set a date on your calendar.  If the project is not written down, chances are it will not happen. Once you’ve got your date, do not make the project too big.  Better to start with a drawer or shelf, enjoy success and move on to the next part.  Getting organized does take time please be patient with yourself and you will be successful.

7) Are you really a rocket scientist?
With B.S. in Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University … yeah, I really am a rocket scientist.  Getting organized is not “rocket science” but it sure makes you feel better about your space.

8) How can potential clients get in touch with you?

• They can call me: 734-890-1276
• Send me an email: angie@iorganizeyou.com
• Check out my website: www.iorganizeyou.com
• Read some blog posts: iorganizeyou.blogspot.com
• Become friends on Facebook: www.facebook.com/OrganizedSolutions
• Tweet with me: twitter.com/iorganizeyou

How to Sell Clothing at a Yardsale?

My husband and I combined forces with our friends for a yard sale this fall. We had tons of stuff and quite the variety: home decor, electronics, speakers, tv's, dvd players, purses, shoes and all sorts of other jazz. The first thing we had to do was go through our house to decide what was going to be in the sale. Purging is something that is tough for me because I'm always scared I'm going to get rid of something I will need "someday" (which of course never happens). This time around I did a pretty good job, with the help of my husband encouraging me and reminding me that no, I will never need that bag, or that shirt, or those shoes ever again. One room at a time, we went through the closets, checked under the beds, looked in all of our storage bins, and designated one of our guest rooms as the yard sale room. We started this process in August, so as we found more and more things to sell, we placed them in the yard sale room. One night as the sale got close, we sat down and priced everything. We used masking tape and a red marker, that way we knew what was ours (our friends marked theirs in black marker). Our friends made some signs (below was after the sale, but thought I would show you the signs!), and the day of the sale finally came.

Even though it rained (despite the sunny forecast), we were prepared with canopies to cover most of our selection. The photo below was after the rain let up a bit, and my husband was brave enough to put the speakers out from under the canopy.

 

One thing we had plenty of was clothing, and we weren't really sure the best way to display all of it. We had shirts, sweaters, jackets, jeans, shorts, skirts and even a couple suits and bridesmaids dresses. As you will see from the photo, we gave it our best effort. (This consisted of a rope tied from a tree in the front yard to a hook on the front porch held up in the middle by a ladder. We hung the shirts on the rope, and we had all of the pants and shorts in bins on the ground.) 

 

We put out plastic hangers with our clothes, which was tough to remember to get them back before people walked off with them. I should have looked at more research first. This site had a lot of good tips: http://www.yardsalequeen.com. (This site, for example, suggested using wire hangers or hangers that you don't want back.) I thought I would get some ideas for our next yard sale on our toughest challenge this time around...what is the best way to display clothing items? 

Life is Changing - Introduction

I really like to have everything in order. I want every closet, cabinet and drawer to have a specific use, but you know, sometimes it just doesn’t happen. Busy schedules, family priorities and lazy procrastination gets in the way of the ideal state.

Now I have a new reason for things to be a mess - change, flux, holding patterns. Without sounding like a country song, it’s been quite a year. My husband started working from home, the oldest daughter got a place of her own, my mother-in-law had to be placed in assisted living, the youngest daughter leaves for college in 8 months.

 

What this means is it feels like my house has gone through a time warp. I have too much furniture in some places and none in others. All the closets have blended stuff, some coming in, some going out. There’s antique quilts and heirloom dishes, seasonal clothes, office supplies, spare electronics and so much more to store or place until it finds a permanent home.

HELP! The holidays are coming, and so are the relatives. I must start somewhere. I have found some inspiration and great videos here and professional organizers say step 1 is to purge and sort. But, I don't quite know where to begin....

Using a Old Shutter to Organize

One of my favorite organization tools that I use in my home office would have to be my shutters.  I found them at the Metrolina Antique Show in Charlotte.  They were 2 for $5, and were originally navy until I spray painted them white to match my office.

They are great for keeping important references close-by my desk without creating holes in my wall.   Additinally, they allow me to maximize 6 feet of vertical space and are easily moveable around the room.

On one, I have:
-frequently used coupons for restaurants / activities that I need to remind myself I have (or I will forget to use them)
-inspiration - things to be grateful for, favorite quotes/inspirational photos
-upcoming events clipped from Charlotte Observer and other magazines

On the other, I have used Stick and Store baskets to hang on the grooves in the shutter and I organize plans for upcoming travel.

What other uses do you have for old things?

 

How People at Rubbermaid Recycle

So, how do people at Rubbermaid recycle?  I was curious, so I asked around.

At my house, we used to put all the empty recycling items on the edge of the island as we were finished with them.  I became frustrated with the recycling clutter that continually gathered on the island in our kitchen.  It would sometimes sit there for days at a time before we took it out to the garage where our recycling bins are.  Recently, we put a small trash bin under our sink for all recyclables.

 

Now, we end up only making a couple of trips out to the garage during the week and it really helps keep our island free of clutter.  Also, when we have people over, we put the recycling bin out in the open so our friends can throw their cans in one bin and their garbage in the other.  We don’t have to spend as much time cleaning up after them, keeps our island clean, and helps our friends recycle too.  (Plus, since my husband is in charge of normal trash duty, and all of the recyclables are in a trash can, it’s his job to take the can out to the garage!  I love it!)

I asked Erin, our friendly blogger extraordinaire, how she recycles at home.  She and her roommates use paper bags from Trader Joes or Harris Teeter and keep them in the pantry. They wash the recyclable items, throw them in the bag, then take the bag out to the garage when it is full. Her roommate likes using the paper bags because if anything spills, they don’t have to clean a trash can, but can just toss the bag.

I also asked Rob, one of our industrial designers, what his recycling is like at home.  Of course he jerry-rigged part of his recycling so it’s all creative! He puts paper in one can.

Then he set up this clear tote above his garbage can.  Putting his recycling bin right near his trash can has helped him recycle more since it’s in such a convenient location.

When his tote gets full, he throws everything out into his large 45 gallon can for the recycling truck to pick up. 

It seems like people around here have found some interesting ways to recycle at home.  Have you found a solution for recycling that works for you?

If you would like to get more information about recycling in your area, this page from the National Recycling Coalition is a great resource.

New Rubbermaid Bloggers Round 2

I have some more AWESOME people for you to meet. As I mentioned before, we are adding some new members to our blog. Please welcome them!!!

Amanda Dudek

 

Amanda is a product manager here at Rubbermaid. She is a Virginia Tech fan who loves cooking and trying out new restaurants. She is an expert at keeping her closet organized but needs some help with her kitchen cabinets.

Bo Roe

 

Bo is great at keeping small spaces organized (though his wife would claim that he is not organized at all). He brews beer and loves RSS feeds (his Google Reader has a MILLION web sites in it) that include good photography.

Mayya Grinberg

 

Mayya is a marketing intern here at Rubbermaid. She travels a lot in her car and has issues keeping it organized and clean. She loves Earl Grey tea and use to live in Savannah, Georgia.

Shannon Joyner

 

Shannon's biggest organizational challenge is putting away her laundry - it gets washed and then sits in the laundry basket (I totally do this too!). She loves taking pictures and is known by her family as "the paparazzi."

Keep looking for their posts!

Save Money by Packing Your Lunch!

You can really save a lot of money and eat a lot healthier by bringing our lunch to work.   In fact, a few of us in the office formed a "Skinny & Rich Club" on Tuesdays last year in order to align on a date where we would all bring our lunches and eat together, at least one day a week. it was quite a gathering as people came upstairs from our medical division, and some guys came over across the parking lot from our IRWIN tools division. 

While the club disbanded due to hectic travel schedules, I try to make it a habit to still bring my lunch 2-3 days a week.

My favorites are:

1) Frozen Soup - see previous post on how I like to portion & freeze my soups

2) Leftover Dinner - I bring it in a Divided Premier to work and heat everything on foil in our toaster oven.

3) Salads - I put the ingredients (packed in little containers) in a large Premier and then dump & shake it all up when i get to work.  Our large containers are excellent for shaking and mixing dressing.

Here are 2 examples:

Left = Salad w/ Cranberries, Mandarin Oranges, Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Right = Salad w/ Carrots, Ginger, Sliced Almonds, Asian Vinaigrette

What are your favorite lunches and how do you bring them to work ?