My Crazy Entryway

In case you missed my tweet, I recently adopted a little doggy, Gabby, from the Humane Society. Before Gabby came into my life, there were really only two items that came and went with me everyday - my purse and my lap top bag. I kept my keys and wallet in my purse so I knew I could just grab it and go. My entryway was always organized and clean with only these two items.

However, Gabby has added some items to my coming and going routine: leash, poop bags, rain coat, towel for drying off wet paws, etc. All this was starting to pile up on my dining table (the first flat surface you see when you walk in the door). Plus, I kept losing my keys that I no longer just left in purse but took with me on quick bathroom walks. It was driving me crazy because I like to leave my table set with my grandmother's china to show it off and now the china was over shadowed by a huge thing of clutter.

 

I went out and bought two cheap over the door hooks to fix this problem. The first one went on the back of the door and out of site with my rain coat and towel on it. The second hung out in front and has a place for my keys, my purse, Gabby's leash, poop bags and even a hook for Gabby's traveling water bowl (no she is not spoiled AT ALL).

 

This simple fix has really changed my life. It makes everything easy to get and when I walk into my apartment I no longer see chaos but my grandmother's beautiful china. Best of all, it took 5 minutes to complete :)

Shoe & Ski Lover meets 500 sq ft space.

Katy is a friend of ours at Rubbermaid.  She was very stressed out about her small apartment (less than 500 square feet) and a lack of storage.  

To make matters worse, she had a very tiny clothing closet, which barely fit her clothes, much less her  shoes or her sporting equipment.  She had been trying to maintain a system in the living room which consisted of racks and just having the items laid on the fireplace.

 

However, as the shoes started to "grow" (Katy admits to a strong shopping addiction) and the equipment solution limited space and was unsafe, she realized a solution was imperative.

Here's what I like about Katy's thought process:
She defined the issue and what was important to her.  A priority to her was keeping all of her equipment which she enjoys.   She knew that there would be no room for future purchases. 

She selected Rubbermaid FastTrack.  This system is traditionally used in the garage, but we see that a number of people re-purpose it (including the guys in the office, blogger Shannon, and myself in my utility closets).

Below is the result:

Katy comments, "This isn’t a closet system, but I wouldn’t have a closet to put it in
anyway! This way I can grab what I need and go, without worrying I am going to trip over my skis and break my ankle.” - Katy

I love her attitude and the fact she embraced the notion, "It's your life.  Organize it your way."

Nice job, Katy!

Get Hooked UP!

I love hooks A while back, I did a post about saving time in the morning, one of the comments mentioned using a hook on the back of her door... She uses it as a valet hook (the name and function of which, I just find fascinating) - staging her outfits on it, to help her get fabulously and quickly dressed in the morning. Smart, right?

So that got me thinking : Hooks! They're a simple, effective way to get stuff off the floor or even create a place for something to go. They're functional, and they can pretty much go anywhere. I love 3M's new hooks! I needed a place for my purse (instead of leaving it piled on a chair near our back door) to hang when I came home everyday. Our wall space is tight, so I decided to throw one of these babies on the side of our bookshelves.  Voila! Instant organization, and now I have a place to put my purse everyday when I get home.
 

 
One of our other problems with our most used entrance to our house is jackets/scarves/etc. There was no real place to put them (besides that chair by the back door). Our coat closet is near the front door, so it seems like a trek to put it away. Again, we didn't have much wall space, but we found a cool coat rack and decided to hang it vertically. It gave us a place to hang our coats (til they could make it into the coat closet), didn't take up much space, and works perfectly for our needs.


 
 
So buy some hooks, stick or screw them into place, and get to solving your own organization problems and making a place for everything (so eventually, everything will be in its place!). 

Keeping an Idea File vs. Tons of Magazines

I recently came across a great blog post on reducing magazine clutter in your home by @mabelhood. She makes the point that we always have good intentions for going back and referencing articles, recipes, and other tips but seldom do.  The magazines then lead to clutter.

She suggested keeping binders with the tips.  I was so excited that someone else did this as well!   I keep binders for tips from magazines including: hosting ideas, decorating inspirations, and exercise tips.  I have found it to be a good solution for keeping the idea but not the entire magazine.

I know other people who keep them in folders, or in accordian notebooks too.

Does anyone else do this and what tool do you use?

Recovering with the help of Rubbermaid

My husband recently had shoulder surgery, and I quickly turned into Nurse Megan for the days following the procedure. I was making countless trips to the kitchen for refills of drinks, different snacks or to get his meds. We moved an extra coffee table to his good side so we could have his phone and remote within reach. I realized that I should take full advantage of this table, and use it to cut down my back-and-forth trips to the kitchen. (Not that it's THAT far to the kitchen...but this also made it more convenient for Eric to have things accessible.) Here is his "station" looked like.

SNACKS: Instead of having chip-clipped-bags and boxes of snacks, I used Rubbermaid Lock-Its canisters to hold different snacks: chex mix, wheat thins and his favorite doritos. Having containers that have a secure seal was ideal because you never know when one of our cats will knock something over. (You can see Jill in the background of this photo.) I also had snacks in the cabinet already in our new modular canisters (love them!), so I brought those out, which held chex cereal and pretzels.

DRINKS: Because of the three different types of medication he was taking (which I also kept at the table to eliminate trips to fetch those), we were going through a lot of water and 7up. It was a little hard for Eric to tip his head back from the pain in his neck (from where they put in the nerve block) and shoulder. Even though I did keep his soda in the frozen mug, I used two Rubbermaid sip bottles for his water. I would refill both at one time so it would be longer in between refills, and I put koozies on them to keep them cold longer. (Sidenote about the mug: Eric is from Ohio and a huge Buckeye fan. We have two frozen mugs - one Michigan and one Ohio State - and it just worked out that I happen to take the pic when we had the Michigan one out. Classic!)

MEDS: I used a white board for his meds schedule so I could keep them straight. (It's leaning up against the table in the bottom/right of this photo.) Each of the meds had a different time between doses (some 4 hours, some 6), and he couldn't take them all at once because it would make him sick. Each time he took anything, I wrote down the time, which med(s) he took, and how many of each. The white board worked wonders!

PATIENT: Eric gives his station (and Rubbermaid) a thumbs up! He feels a little better each day, and in six months hopefully his shoulder will be back to normal - and back to playing basketball (which is what he cares about!) 

Clean out your Draw's!

Working here at Rubbermaid, lots of people ask me what my favorite organization product is. My answers always vary slightly, depending on which product I'm currently using or enjoying. Today? I am TOTALLY in love with our mesh drawer organizers! As a chick, I have tons of makeup, lotions and potions to keep me looking my best. My bathroom vanity's drawers can get a little crazy! A few months ago, I got my hands on some of these puppies and re-organized these drawers. 

 
(Aren't they pretty?!) The organizers come in different sizes and have an interlocking feature to keep them in place. I configured a couple in each drawer, sorted them by use, and have been loving it ever since! Functional, keeping my stuff in order and SHINY :) What girl doesn't like shiny?
 


However, if you DON'T like the metallic look, we have these! They are new and look pretty snazzy with their black with khaki insert. Find a color that compliments your digs and clean out those drawers! Its the gift that keeps on giving! (oh, and boys, don't feel left out, I organized Jon's side as well, and he's enjoying it too... probably not as much as me though!)

Have Fun, Do Good: Host a Donation Drive

This post is written by Aleigh, @GoodwillSP, from Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont.

In addition to helping eliminate clutter around the house and keeping gently-used items out of local landfills, donating to Goodwill truly changes lives in your community. A donation of just one working computer can turn into 5.3 hours of career counseling at Goodwill, and a collection of 30 donated items translates into four hours of job search training. Pretty impressive!

It’s amazing the impact that just a few donations can have in your community—why not get the whole neighborhood involved by hosting a donation drive?

Here’s how to do it:

• Get organized. Appoint a “donation captain” to be the main point of contact between Goodwill and your neighborhood or school.
• Get the kit. Ask your local Goodwill for a donation kit, including postcards, donation bags, and other supplies that will help with promoting your event and getting organized on the big day.
• Plan. Is your neighborhood already planning a group yard sale? Schedule your donation drive for later in the day or the day after, so that items that didn’t sell end up in our stores—not back in your homes creating clutter!
• Promote. Let people know that the donation drive is coming up so that they can plan to donate. Neighborhood newsletters, emails, and neighborhood signs are all great ways to get the word out.
• Make it fun. Offer coffee and donuts to early morning donors, or lemonade and cookies in the afternoon. Take pictures 
• Donate! Goodwill provides a donation trailer that will park in a specified spot that offers easy access to donors. At least two Goodwill team members will be on-hand to accept donations and hand out receipts for your tax-deductible donations.

At the end of the day, your neighborhood will be full of clutter-free homes, and you’ll have some serious bragging rights about the good work you’ve done for your community. In fact, if you go to our new Donation Impact Calculator, you can select the items you donated to find out exactly how your donations changed lives.

Want to host a donation drive? Call your local Goodwill (find yours at http://locator.goodwill.org) to get started!

Donate Local: Women Centered Art Co-Op

Recently I found out about a local organization in Charlotte that promotes a community for women artists. (Thanks for the info mom!) Being a designer myself, I was very interested! The organization is called Women Centered Art. The organization is new (just founded in 2010), but from what I've read, they have a passion for their purpose and a mission to grow the connections between women creatives. I'm looking forward to attending an event soon, learning more and hopefully getting involved.

As I looked through their website, I came across their wish list, which listed items of need for the organization. When I saw art supplies on the list - I knew that was going to be my first order of business - cleaning out my baskets and bins of old art supplies at home to donate. 

When I pulled out all of my old supplies at home, I hit the jackpot! I had a little bit of everything: spray mount, stickers, paper, paint, pens, tape, bookbinding supplies and more. Most of the items were things that I thought I would use at some point, but I had not used ANY of it since we moved to Charlotte a year and a half ago. I figured that if I hadn't used it yet, I wasn't going to use it. I also figured that since it was for a good cause, what better reason to gain some storage space by purging all of my old supplies? I like the slogan of Goodwill: Don't Dump. Donate!

Since I work with a team of graphic designers and we are right next to the industrial design department, I spread the word here at our office. I put a clear tote outside my cube wall for anyone to drop in their old supplies. I'm hoping to get at least one full bin - if not more!

 

In an interview, Brooke, one of the co-founders of Women Centered Art, talked about the inspiration for the organization: 

"Honestly, WCAC evolved from a place of evaluating whether or not to make this city my home after living between Charlotte and NYC for the past three years. For me, this is about a commitment to building what you want for your life, rather than leaving town for a city with more to offer. Shane and I have had many long talks about the fact that, as women, we “want it all”- great careers, chances to exhibit our work, inspiring workshops to attend, and a supportive community of friends and family to share it all with at the end of the day. It goes beyond the idea of becoming a professional artist, into the realm of living an art-full life...How can we stay inspired in the day to day grind? How do we reconnect with our natural, inherent creativity? Those questions intrigue me and I plan to continue that work through WCAC."

(Does that make you want to learn more or what? Count me in!!)

I Moved - AGAIN

Yes, it is true. I moved again into an apartment with a lease for a year AND I'M STAYING - at least for a while. For those of you who do not know, this was my third move in a year - yes ONE year - and yes it was STRESSFUL!

This move was bigger than the ones before. I was bring furniture from Texas to North Carolina in a U-Haul. So here are some things that I learned about creating an organized move.

1. Do NOT leave your mother in the attic adding things to a take pile that you "might, one day" need. Moving is a perfect time to really take stock of what you own. Do you REALLY want to bring that old table with you and carry it up three flights of stairs? Do you REALLY need all those clothes? Do you REALLY need those picture frames that have been in a box since the 80's? Do not be afraid to get rid of some clutter. It takes effort to pack things, bins and boxes (aka money) to pack them into, AND effort to find a place for them in your new home. So do not do this with things you are not going to need.

2. Start packing early. I was so stressed the week before the move because I had of course waited til the last minute to pack up everything. There are lots of things in your house that you do not need to use everyday. PACK THOSE THINGS. Pictures, books, out of season clothing, etc. are all things you can pack early.

3. Pack like things together and pack to where you are moving. Packing like things together just makes it easier to find things. Also, pack for your new space. Somethings that are in your bedroom might be better to put in your living room in your new space. Think about this as you pack and pack items that belong in certain rooms with other items that belong in the same room. That way you can avoid the picture below which is a big pile where you have no idea where things go.

 

4. Label! Label not only what is in the box but also what room the box needs to go into.

Labeling my Rubbermaid Roughneck Bin

5. Protect your belonging. I moved my grandmother's china from Texas to North Carolina in Rubbermaid bins and not boxes. Why (other than the fact I work for the company)? Because they are sturdy and will not break.

 
What my China was in and the Rubbermaid container that let it survive the drive!

6. Save some money and use what you already have to pack. Wrap pictures in towels or out of season clothing instead of buying packing supplies. This also motivates you to unpack everything so you can make sure you have all your towels and clothes!

7. Finally, appreciate the funny moments. I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with my dad on the drive and showing him the area I was going to live in. Plus I laughed at myself when I used a coffee maker to hold open my door to allow some breeze into my new apartment.

What's Under Your Bed?

Me? Dishes! (and probably a little dust too). So Miss Erin Gentry is our mighty blogging bigwig here at Rubbermaid. She and Lauren (also quite hip to the blog) is always up on the latest organization tip. These two often are in contact with professional organizers and pick up juicy org tips along the way.

The other day, Erin, Megan and I were enjoying a lovely lunch and she was dishing an interview she, Lauren and Jim had done earlier in the week. Megan and I, hungry for free organization tips (and blogging ideas), were pumping her for info. Here's one of these jewels:

 
Dishes under the bed, you say... What? But its brilliant! People throw all sorts of things under their beds. As kids, it was monsters, now it's everything from shoes to out of season clothes... But I'd never heard of dishes. You see, I love to throw dinner parties and am all about big extravagant platters or serving bowls. However, my kitchen sometimes can't house these oversized items. Erin's borrowed tip? Put those platters, large serving bowls, or other entertainment pieces in an underbed storage container. Ready to whip out to entertain, but stored neatly away until you actually need them. Perfect!

Anyone else have any unconventional storage tips?