Are You An Invisible Hoarder?

Recently, Jennifer commented on my Idea File blog post about the notion of a "Invisible Hoarder." 

She said...I use Evernote and my Iphone to capture images of articles that I want to keep. Then I don't even have the paper around, can get rid of the magazine and have access to my saved ideas on my phone or computer. That way, I can be a high functioning, invisible hoarder without having to rent extra space or make my family live in tents on the lawn (I jest but it came close--it was the magazines or them) Evernote is a great capture and idea storage tool.

I love that term.  While I actually think Jennifer is very practical in her methodology, it made me realize this fact about myself:  While I am a purger and hate hanging onto physical things at home, I am very much a hoarder at work with electronic documents.  I have things saved 8 years back.  And, the biggest issue is that I don't know how to easily find them.  And, a lot of them are useless, thus adding to the clutter and complication in finding things.

Many times, Erin or Jim will ask me for a file or PowerPoint and I know I have it, but it can take me 10-15 minutes to locate it, wading through folders and files on my laptop.

Does anyone else qualify as an Invisible Hoarder?  Anyone have any solutions for us IDs??

 

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!

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?

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!

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.

Organizing My Day (In the Office)

On this blog, we often talk about organizing space and things.  From a project as simple as a junk drawer that provides a little calm in the chaotic kitchen, to a closet re-do that helps you get dressed easier in the morning, the feeling of being organized is definitely empowering.

The folks in the office often joke about how I am organized to a fault.  I do admit, I do have a little bit of a compulsion in this area and love having a place for everything!

However, one thing I do poorly at is organize my time. 

One example is in the office.  

I am an email junkie.  Self-confessed.  Case in point for the madness:
--When I am working on a project and I see the envelope pop up at the bottom of the screen, I immediately go check Outlook to see if the email is urgent
--I carry my blackberry around all day long, keeping tabs on the newest messages that come in. I am ashamed to admit I sometimes do this in meetings while other people are talking which is a really bad habit. 
--I sometimes have a hard time getting through my actual work to-do list because I am constantly answering emails throughout the day that pop up.

I have read a lot lately about the psychology around multi-tasking.  We have learned to be such great multi-taskers in todays' time, but are we more productive?  Many sources (see interesting article from AMA) say that actually doing too many things at once is counter-productive and then it actually takes more time to get all the items accomplished. 

My morning routine is generally to go through my email first thing in the morning.    On average, I usually receive 100 emails between 5:30pm and 8am, so the average time to plow through the pile is 1 hour.

This morning, I decided to try something different.   I had a hot project that needed attention so I decided not to open Outlook until it was done.   It only took me a half hour to do my project, and I felt remarkably good.  I started my day with the first thing crossed off my to-do list before I opened Outlook.

As this relates to organizing my day, this month of June I am going to try to be conscientous of focusing on one thing at a time to see if this "organization of time" gives me the same empowering feeling that "organization of space" does.  I'll let @rubbermaid (Jim) and @rubbermaiderin (Erin)  give me a scorecard at the end of the month.

As I start this personal challenge, do you have any advice with how you either FOCUS or MANAGE EMAIL that can help me in this endeavor?

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?  

Decluttering and organizing a little at a time

This guest post was written by Janine Adams, CPO®

One of the things that tends to hold people back when they think about getting organized is that they look around, see a bunch of clutter and think they need to put aside a whole weekend in order to do the whole project. And they don’t want to get started if they don't think they can finish. The problem, of course, is that it's hard to come by a whole weekend to declutter. 

What I’ve learned as a professional organizer is that chipping away at the clutter 30 minutes at a time can be really rewarding. If you were to spend 30 minutes a day, five days a week on decluttering, you’d have worked 130 hours over the course of a year! Think how much decluttering and organizing you could get a lot done in 130 hours!

You might be thinking that 30 minutes isn’t enough to get anything done. But if you work on one small space at a time, like a drawer, a shelf, or a small part of a room, you can make a big impact.

I do this all the time. I may be a professional organizer, but various spots in my home tend to attract clutter. I’ve created the habit of taking before and after pictures, and using a timer, so I have a lot of evidence of how much you can get done in 30 minutes. For example, here’s the messy utensil drawer in my kitchen. It completely lacked organization.

I emptied the drawer, sorted, weeded and organized it (using Rubbermaid's no-slip interlocking drawer organizers) in 28 minutes. It would have taken me less time if I hadn't involved my husband in the decisions. Here's the after picture:

Here's another example. The area of my office that my back is turned to when I'm working at my computer tends to accumulate clutter. One day, I finally focused on it and only 30 minutes later the space was transformed.

It can clearly use some cord management and vacuuming, but that 30 minutes made a big difference.

Want to see some more photos like this? In the e-course I offer with life coach Shannon Wilkinson, Declutter Happy Hour, we encourage participants to declutter for 15 or 30 minutes a day. We also ask them to send us photos. If you love before-and-after pictures as much as I do, feel free to peruse our Cheers! gallery of successes accomplished in bite-sized chunks.

The key to success when working in these small chunks of time is to build in time for finishing up.  Build 10 minutes or so at the end of the half hour to put things away, put the donations into your car, take out the trash, etc. If you stop when the time is up and you don't put things away, you'll be worse off than when you started.

After you get a little practice, it becomes pretty easy to estimate how much you can get done in a half hour. Give it a try--you might accomplish more than you expect!

 

Janine Adams is a Certified Professional Organizer® and owner of Peace of Mind Organizing in St. Louis, Missouri.

How I Handle Junk Drawers: Containerize!

Yes, I said drawerS. Plural. We have several. Some drawers don't qualify as "junk," but I use the same method for them all: containerize. I found the word "containerizing" on this blog, and had to give her props. (Thanks Laura!) Her post about establishing limits and boundaries is what it's all about for me. I hate looking through a bunch of little things (pen caps, chapstick, bandaids, nails, screws, hairties, chip clips, etc) trying to find one other little thing. 

My bathroom drawer is probably the largest and has the most stuff in it. Just about every inch is containerized. Some of the "sections" include: headbands, hairties (neutral colors), hairties (fun colors), barrettes/bobby pins, chapstick/lip gloss/extra mascara, eye liner/makeup brushes, eye shadow, pens/pencils/misc, and it leaves enough space in the corner for my notepads (that I use to write reminders to myself all the time!). Can you imagine if all of this stuff was just in a drawer all mixed together?

We also have a couple junk drawers in the kitchen. Our drawers aren't very big, so we have ended up with two. Once again, the boundaries are the savior that keep things in their proper place.

 
In another bathroom drawer, I use a cut down bandaid box as a container. It upholds the boundaries, and it's a great way to reuse the box. It holds my nail polish (top/right corner). Any old boxes will work - cereal boxes, granola bar boxes, etc - just trim them down to the right height and they are ready to containerize!

I think the most important thing is to put things together that make sense for you so you can find what you need. For example: one cubby for rogue nails/screws/nuts/bolts; another cubby for hairties/barettes/clips. It's however it makes sense to YOU. As long as you sort everything out (tossing what should go in the garbage), organize the items, and then (the key) be good about putting things back in their correct place, your junk drawer will keep your junk organized. 

I found this other story about a junk drawer, and it made me laugh...Katherine of Raising Five ended up organizing her junk drawer (a.k.a. the "no-no drawer" in her house) after she couldn't find a spare key. She also addresses the question of "what does your junk drawer say about you?" I found that quite interesting.

How do YOU handle - or better yet - conquer - your junk drawer(s)?