Rubbermaid - Adventures in Organization

I'm Midnight Plum; You're Very Berry Kiss

I don't know about you, but I have a stack of keys that would make the maintenance man at the Empire State Building blush. Professional Organizer Beth Ziegler posted an awesome tip on how to keep keys organized on her blog Bneato last month that was picked up by Lifehacker.

 

[Image from Lifehacker]

Give your keys a nice shiny coat of nail polish to tell which belongs to which door, lock, or mystery trunk. If you have a particularly old key, you might try cleaning it with nail polish first. It'll take off any oil or grime that's on it and help the polish stick better.

Sidenote... Beth Ziegler = awesome. She writes for the equally awesome Apartment Therapy and I've added her RSS feed to my list (though I had a hard time deciding if I should file her under organization or cool design...hmmm).

Organizing Doesn't Have to Be Beautiful - Lessons from the Office

Every year, we make a calendar for Rubbermaid.com.  We try to put some thought behind the times of year when people will most like to know about which products and tips, as it relates to seasons / holidays where they make the most sense.

The project sat on my desk in folders for at least 3 weeks, as I wasn't able to really get "inspired" to work on it since I knew it would make a huge mess of my desk and I would need to complete it from start to finish.  I kept putting it off since I never had more than an hour at a time and I didn't want to get started, only to have to pack it up.

However, with pressure of an imminent deadline, I got an idea to work on it continually by pinning the different themes to different areas of my cubicle.  Below is a photo of the process.

Only Erin could understand my logic, and I got a lot of strange looks, but the result was an organized system where we could then re-arrange and brainstorm ideas in half hour increments.  I was able to finish everything in a few days.

Through this I learned that organizing doesn't necessarily always need to be beautiful.  Sometimes, just setting up a functional system can help you get your thoughts organized.  Additionally, sometimes you have to get a little messy to get things finally in order.  I am proud to report that we got our calendar figured out, and since, the "crazy wall" has come down and the content is now categorized in a binder. However, without this exercise it wouldn't have happened.  So my advice is: don't be afraid to make a mess!

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....

My Wife's Messy Closet

What’s the difference between a strategic withdrawal and an outright surrender? More specifically, should I be happy that my wife’s mess is contained behind bi-fold closet doors or should I press on….striving for the nirvana of a reformed and cheerily organized wife?

Way back in June 2008 boasted about how I’d convinced my wife to organize her closet. I waited for the right moment, got her involved in the process, and had her put the finishing touches on….. amazing!

And for a while it was.

But now fifteen months later, the shine has come off. Today the inside of my wife’s closet is a jumble of clothes proving that the system is only as good as the operator. She doesn’t take the time to fold and hang, to put things back, to use the sliding basket or put her shoes on the shoe shelves.  She doesn’t see how much better her day would start without the frustration of wrestling with her cluttered closet…..

But she does keep her mess contained enough so that she can close her door.

 

Pre-June 2008 Brian really hated that her closet vomited clothes onto the floor of our room and disturbed the Zen like atmosphere. That’s been taken care of. But I do cringe whenever she opens it. Should I care? Should I risk more arguments or just take pleasure in my incremental (yet partial) victory …

Help me?

I need advice.

The Surprisingly Versatile Spring Bag

I am so glad that Lorie Marrero, a professional organizer, came to visit our office recently.  She gave us awesome insights on how she helps people organize.  However, the most exciting thing for me was that she told us how she uses our Spring Bag (designed for gathering outdoor leaves and yard debris). 

She uses it while helping her clients get organized in their homes.  She also uses it for herself - for picnics, camping, parties, and opening gifts at holiday time (The Clutter Diet Blog).  I never realized that this item was so versatile!  I am so excited to pick one of these up and actually try it to help with organizing my home.  I need a lot of help getting organized, so I'll take whatever little tips and tricks I can pick up along the way.

Do you have a product that was made for some other purpose, but you use it to help you get organized?  If so, I'd love to add your product to my list of items to try out!

Being Organized to be a Grocery Deal Hunter

I recently found out that September is National Coupon Month.   What a reason to celebrate!  Those who know me realize I LOVE coupons and deals. So, in honor of this holiday, I dedicate today's post.

My love for grocery coupons started about 5 years ago when I started working on advertising for Rubbermaid and was learning how to plan and drop coupons in the Sunday newspaper for our food storage [Fun Fact - Officially, those are called FSIs - Free Standing Inserts].   So, I started to get the paper and look at it on Sunday to learn more about it, and soon became addicted to looking for myself!  It is now something I look forward to on Sundays - a good cup of coffee and my newspaper!

Just last night, I went to my local Harris Teeter and saved $27 on a $47 purchase.  So, I only paid $20 for my groceries.

I know there are a lot of experts out there (check out Jill Cataldo, she is my new favorite), but wanted to share my personal tips and tricks for how I stay organized to be a grocery deal hunter. 

1) ORGANIZE WHEN YOU CLIP

I have found this helps me to refrain from buying items I don't need.  For instance, I recently had to throw out 3 cartons of broth I had bought with coupons.  However, in the summer, not making soups, they expired and I ended up losing money by being overly coupon zealous.

Above is a photo of my organizer which is sorted:

a) By store. 

The front is for grocery. 

The back is for Target items like toiletries and cleaning supplies that are most efficiently bought at Target.   Even with tripling, Harris Teeter can be more expensive than the every day Target price on these items.  Every time I am going to Target, I take a look to see if I need anything that is in that section soon.

b) By Type of Purchase

Triple Coupons - Within grocery, there is a section for items to only buy when there are triple coupons at Harris Teeter.  For instance, I do not use mayonaise daily. But I sometimes use it for recipes. If there is a $.75 coupon (worth $2.25 on triple coupon times) and mayonaise costs $1.89, I will save it to get it for free in case I need it.

Everyday Shopping - There is also a section by area of the store - so when I plan my shopping list, I can quickly see if I have coupons

2) UTILIZE ONLINE SITES

A few of my favorites are SmartSource and Coupons.com for which you can sign up for weekly emails.  I like it being delivered to me because then I don't have to plan to take time to look for the savings.

3) ALIGN YOUR MEALS WITH STORE SPECIALS

I am so impressed with Harris Teeter.  They have an eVic program that you can sign up for weekly.  Every Wednesday, I receive an email with the items I frequently buy that are on sale and also what is on sale in the entire store.  It also alerts you if it is Triple Coupon Week.  I spend 5 minutes to plan my shopping and meals for the week.  I look for:

a) Things I already buy and have no preference on switching.  For instance, I eat fruit daily and yogurt for breakfast every morning.  When shopping, I switch between blueberries / strawberries / grapes as well as yogurt brands depending on the deal that week.

b) BOGOs.  For instance, this week, London Broil and Turkey Burgers are Buy One Get One Free.  So, I plan to incorporate those into my meals this weekend.

I hope you find my tips beneficial.  Please leave comments with any additional tips you may have for Organizing Coupons and Savings.

How to Unclutter with Evernote and Rubbermaid in 4 Steps

Evernote recently contacted us at Rubbermaid about working on an organizational project. In case you didn't know, Rubbermaid is great for organizing your stuff and Evernote is great at organizing information electronically so you don't forget anything. So could we combine these two? Evernote decided to try! They organized their storage closet and it turned out great! Read about the four steps they used to organize with Rubbermaid and Evernote products:

http://blog.evernote.com/2009/08/26/unclutter-with-evernote-and-rubbermaid-in-4-steps/

Go read the post!!! It has some great advice about remembering what you put where...and you MIGHT be able to win some Rubbermaid storage containers. I mean MAYBE, POSSIBLY...we're TOTALLY giving away some containers so you can try the four steps yourself :)

Getting Motivated...when the clutter is too much

I have always been amazed at those shows where people have stuff all over their house. It is so disorganized that they can barely walk from room to room. The ones that pile things on their bed and still slept in it always amused me. I never understood how they could live that way let alone let their house get that way.

I have never understood until this past week. As I blogged about before, I moved last weekend out of my apartment in Athens. It was a whole weekend process that was long and tiring. I got back late to Charlotte and had enough energy to unload my car and pile stuff into my living room and crawl into bed.

Then next week flew by with me running around doing work and personal stuff every evening. I did not get home before 10 p.m. any night. I would walk into my apartment and see the pile of stuff I had left in the living room and all the energy (what little was left) would drain out of me. All my stuff piled up was stressing me out but I did not have time to deal with it. I kept promising myself that this weekend would be the time to organize.

So the weekend rolled around and Saturday morning came. I walked into my living room (or at least to the part I could get to) and I did not know where to start. There was piles of things from my move and the week before. Things I just threw down because I did not have time to put them away. Sadly, I turned my back on it all and went into my bedroom to watch a movie.

I was procrastinating and ignoring for two reasons. I was tired and my stuff was making me tired. Thinking of the energy it would take to put everything away and thinking of how much work I had to do was wearing me out. Also, I was overwhelmed. If I have little projects to organize, it's easy. I know where to start and I know I can finish it soon. This wasn't a little project and I did not know where to start.

A movie later, I walked back into my living room. I turned on some music. I stood there and looked at my stuff. Then I decided to clean my kitchen...at least I knew how and where to start there. I cleaned my kitchen. Then, I walked back into my living room and saw a box that had some kitchen stuff in it. I knew where that went so I put it away. I walked back into my living room and grabbed a pile of clothes that went in my bedroom. I put them away. Slowly, I organized my living room by taking it one step at a time.

I seriously was not sure if I was going to be able to put my living room back together. I was not sure if I was motivated enough or had enough energy. I completely understood how people's houses got out of control. It was easier to ignore it. It was easier to put it off. It was easier to stand there and not know where to start. It was easier to fill my time with other, more fun activities.

I thought it was easier until Sunday morning when I woke up and walked into my living room and felt pride, not worry or stress. The work was so worth it.

So, if you have a big organizational problem that is stressing you out and not letting you live your life...stop ignoring it! Break it up into little projects. And don't be afraid to ask for help. My back-up plan was to call my mom, tell her my problem, and have her call me every hour to ask what I had organized. I cannot lie to my mom (she always KNOWS) and she would keep me accountable.

So get motivated and organize!

FastTrack all over the house

Sadly, I don't have a garage.  But, because they have an additional whole for direct mount into studs in interior walls, I have still found ways to use Rubbermaid FastTrack hooks throughout my house.

Here are a few places the hooks have come in handy for me:

1-Holding mops / stick tools in my laundry room (3 handle S hook)

2- Propping up canvases in my art closet (ladder hooks)

Holding camping chairs in my really little coat closet (hose hook)

Keeping sporting goods off the floor (Multipurpose hook) - this poor tennis racket hasn't seen any court time for quite awhile, so it needs a good resting place!

How Rubbermaid Organizes Around the Office

Jim had done a post awhile back on how the graphic design guys in our office use FastTrack to organize their desk spaces.   I thought it might be neat to share a few other photos from our office and how we use both our own products and other great products to keep our spaces neat & tidy around here:

Engineers use Totes and Shelving for keeping their samples organized

 

The Industrial Designers use little food storage containers to hold up the glass table in their area...I wouldn't expect anything less out of this creative bunch :)

The research & development guys are very tidy, keeping their items neatly tucked away in FastTrack garage cabinets and organizing magazines on a clever rack.

The Commercial Marketing team keeps their samples on shelving as well since their large restaurant-type items won't fit in a small cube!