Rubbermaid - Adventures in Organization

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!

Confessions of a Disorganized Blogger

Ok, I have a couple of confessions. 

First confession: I come to blogging reluctantly.  The thought of blogging has always seemed like one more thing to keep up with in my already very full life. But with some encouragement from my colleagues I’ve decided to take the plunge.  (I consider it an opportunity for personal growth) 

Second confession: – I struggle with organization.  It’s been somewhat my life’s mission to someday conquer the beast of disorganization.  Ironically, I work for a company that is all about organization.  We talk about it all the time!  It’s kind of embarrassing to struggle with these issues in the midst of a lot of people who seem to just “get it”. 

On the other hand, working for Rubbermaid has been a big source of inspiration for me as I’ve tacked some of my organizational challenges.  The more I thought about it, I concluded that perhaps something I’ve struggled with, experienced, solved, might be of help to someone else and that appealed to me.  So here it goes.  .  .

I’ll start with a small hurdle.  (I think I read somewhere once that it’s good to start small and simple then work your way up to bigger challenges).  I organized my bows.  Big deal, right?  Well, it was for me. 

Previous state:  Bows were stashed in sundry places throughout the house - (in the guest room closet, in a drawer under the guest room bed, in the attic with the Christmas gift wrap and decorations).  Usually they were still in the original bags so when I would go to retrieve them, half were smashed and unusable. Often I couldn’t find the color I really needed so would end up going out and buying more. Perhaps I wanted a red bow, but since that was a holiday color it was in the attic and it was a pain to retrieve.  In the midst of this, I was in a hurry, wrapping the gift at the last minute (story of my life) in jeopardy of being late, dashing out the door, stressed . . . you get the picture.  Something had to be done to wrangle these pesky bows under control. 

Enter the Rubbermaid soft-sided holiday tote . . .

I used the internal ornament dividers to create sections and then organized all of my bows by color and size. 

• Now I can pull down the box, flip open the lid and see at a glance my entire inventory.
• It’s easy to spot and retrieve just the right bow for the occasion.
• The structure of the box keeps my bows safely stowed so that they no longer get smashed.

And when I inevitably hit the after holiday sales and replenish my supply, each bow finds its way into its new home, the bag is discarded and I’m all set to go for the next gift-wrapping occasion.  It’s a little thing, but it makes me happy.

This victory gave me the confidence to tackle my next project, my yarn stash, which I will cover in my next post .  .

Tis' the Season... for HEALTHY snacking!

With the holidays around the corner, I can nearly smell the baked goodness mayhem that will undoubtedly find its way to my hips.  As a method to ward off extra holiday pounds, I find that keeping healthy snacks on hand a great way to avoid sugar cravings.

The 2 cup Produce Saver,also known as my Pound Saver, keeps my grapes fresh and ready for me to snack on at work.  It seems that work is my weakness, as all my co-workers are fantastic cooks and love to bring in munchies to share.  Share the wealth, not the weight. HA!

Another Produce Saver awaits me in the refrigerator stuffed with celery for my mid-afternoon crash and burn that never fails to send me straight to the vending machine.  A little reduced-calorie/fat peanut butter to spread on my celery helps curb my craving and gives me a little pick-me-up to help finish the day.

It's the small things that keep me from feeling the guilt when I decide to indulge in a slice of homemade pumpkin pie. 

 

A website for other tips on healthy snacking at work: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/easy-healthy-workplace-snacks

Media Storage Problems

I am a person who has lived through the media transition from cassette tapes to cd's. I have not grown up in the world of digital music (where you download everything and never have a need to puchase a cd). Because cd's were the main music vehicle for the better part of my life, I have accumulated a ridiculous amount of them. I have stacks and stacks of cd's, and they have also gotten intermingled with dvd's as well. Some of them have the cases, but most of them do not. (I did realize that the cd cases were taking up way too much room!) 

 

I have one large binder with hundreds of cd's in it. (308 cd's to be exact.) This binder holds cd's that range from those that I got in high school, college and my own personal mixes I have made over the years. For some reason I really don't want to get rid of any of them...

As much as I would like to think I would take the time to download all of my cd's to my computer (and therefore be able to throw away all of the cd's), I will admit that is not a probable solution. I'm looking for some logical solutions for cd storage. The best thing I can think of so far is to get more binders and keep them in "volumes" of some kind - by decade, genre or some other category. I'm open for other suggestions. Any ideas?

In the beginning there was my messy desk

 

My wife affectionately calls me Mr. Eighty Percent because I’m fantastic at starting a project with gusto and getting it nearly done before I loose interest (or hope) and get pulled away by some other new and shiny endeavor. It’s pretty clear by my months of procrastination that getting my desk organized is a dreaded task, but I truly hope it won’t end up as one of those nearly done projects.

I’m so envious of the coolest workspace contests and workspace of the week posts on blogs like Lifehacker and Unclutterer. All that clean desk space, all those papers neatly filed and organized, those oh so well hidden cables and cords… -sigh- why oh why can’t my desk be like that? I’ve tried in the past and when my desk does finally get cleaned off it seems to stay that way for a week or two, then it’s back to the just-been-sacked-by-a-horde-of-toddlers look that seems to follow naturally. While I’m by no means an organized person, I do love being surrounded by organization.

I'm plagued by three main problems... electronics (primarily cord) management, dealing with the piles of papers, and keeping track of what is urgent. We'll save what's actually IN my desk for a later post, for now I'm just worried about what's ON my desk.

Step one will certainly be to come up with some kind of system that will work for me. I probably need to think about how I like to work and how my papers, products, and other work clutter ends up in my cube. I’ve heard about processes like Getting Things Done and WSD but I think I need to find one that really works for me.

Step two – PURGE.

Step three…actually I’m not really sure what comes next which is probably why I’m so frustrated with this problem. Any suggestions?

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?