Save Cash and Space: Reuse Containers to Organize Your Home

We organizers love for there to be “a place for everything and everything in its place.” And very often that place is a box, bin, basket, or bag. Now, if you were to buy such a thing for every category of item you own, you’d break the bank! Being organized is all about using resources wisely, so we advocate saving money (not to mention energy and materials for manufacturing) by looking around and using containers you already own to corral your vitamins, light bulbs, and pencils.

The possibilities are endless.  Here are a few examples:

Drawers – An open shoe box in the center of a medium-depth drawer divides the drawer into three sections: the middle and either side of the box.  Use each to store a different category of accessory – e.g., light socks, dark socks, and underthings.  Use the shoe box’s lid the same way in a shallow drawer.

Cabinets – If you’re short on drawer space in the kitchen, a 6-pack carrier can hold plastic wrap, foil, wax paper, etc.  Stand the boxes vertically and stow in a cabinet.  Also, the cardboard core of a toilet paper roll, cut lengthwise down the middle, fits around a roll of gift wrap to keep it from unraveling.

Floors – The previous examples may not need to be pretty since they’re behind closed doors, but you can easily spruce up a out-in-the-open box by covering it with paper as you would a gift.  A medium-sized shipping box covered with a kid’s finger-painting masterpiece makes a great toy box for the corner of a room.  A newspaper-covered box can hold reading materials.

One last tip – create a “home” for storing reusable containers until the right purpose presents itself. If you have room for one box on a high shelf, that’s your limit; recycle whatever doesn’t fit there.  If you have more space, curate a rotating store of organizing possibilities!

 For more inspiration:

http://pinterest.com/becca7977/reusable-containers/

http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-US/HomeOrganization/Pages/tips-for-reusing-items-as-organizers.aspx

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/diy-drawer-dividers-00100000085439/index.html

Article submitted by Chapter Vice President Molly Boren of Simplicity Works Organizing Services: www.sworganizing.com

Tips for Organizing Your Bathroom

The bathroom is the one place in the home that everyone uses at least once a day.  For lots of us, bathrooms can be used so many times in a day by so many people that it can be hard to get or keep it organized.  They contain so many big and small useful items that finding the best home for these things is sometimes difficult.

Here are some tips and products to help you get and keep order in your bathroom:

1.   If you have a vanity, the open space below it can be doubled by using an adjustable under sink shelf.  This is perfect for cleaning supplies but take care with placement on these if you have small children or pets in the house.   

Extra rolls of toilet paper can be stacked here.  Shallow baskets here can also corral the smaller items such as extra toothpaste, floss, etc.

They also make over-the-door hooks for vanity doors to hold a hair dryer or curling iron.

2.  If your vanity also has drawers, you can use a cutlery or office supply drawer organizer to keep these things handy.  These can be found at Bed, Bath and Beyond or office supply stores. 

3.  If you need additional storage space, putting shelves, a cabinet, or a storage tower over the toilet can really make the difference.  Use this new space for your daily use products so they’re handy when needed.  Cleaning supplies kept nearby can make daily cleanups much easier.

4. In the medicine cabinet, besides the option of adjusting shelf height, OXO makes great narrow organizing containers and shelves that I use to help maximize this space.  Check them out at oxo.com.

Medicine cabinets should be used only for your daily use items as well.  Having them handy without having to search for them will really speed up your morning routine

Putting a magnetized strip inside the cabinet door for tweezers and other light metal items puts them front and center when needed.
5.  In the bathtub, there are many heavy duty baskets and nets that go on with suction cups that can straighten this area up.  Bath toys can dry when hung in a net from the walls.

There are also lots of shower organizing caddies available that will give your bath and shower products right where you need them. 

6.  Whenever possible, remove items such as Q-tips or cotton balls from their original packaging and place them in a sealed clear container.  This will ensure they stay sanitary until needed. 

These tips will enable you to find your bathroom items when you need them which will get you out the door in a much better mood. 

For more organizing tips, go to napomichigan.com.

Article Written by Chapter member Cindy Greenleaf.  Find out more about her at NewLeafOrganizingLLC.com

Organizing your Books and Magazines

The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan shares some tips on organizing your books and magazines. 

These simple tips will help you get and stay organized:

1.      Keep magazines for the last six months and recycle the old ones. 

2.      If you are interested in a recipe or article, tear it out and put it in a subject folder.

3.      Getting too many magazines to keep up to read? Evaluate which ones you truly enjoy and have time to read.  For those that you want to cut, consider transferring those magazines to an E-book subscription or just don’t renew. 
 
4.      Be sure to put the magazines in a magazine rack or holder.  When you have time to catch up, they’ll be together and handy. 

5.      Instead of buying books that you will only read once, check it out at the library.

6.      Categorize your books in a bookcase by subject -- fiction, non-fiction, spiritual, certain subjects, journals, etc.  This way you can find your book immediately based upon the subject matter.

Organizing your magazines and books is easier than you think! 

For more organizing tips, visit www.NapoMichigan.com. 

Article submitted by Chapter member Debbie Tebbe, www.organizedhappyhelper.com.

To Do Apps for Smartphones

If you’re happy with the list-making apps that came pre-installed on your smartphone, you can stop reading now! The fewer apps you have, the easier your phone will be to use.

It’s easy to clutter your phone with a bunch of apps to test. Instead, read reviews of top-rated list apps and make a list of the features you need. Consider

·       Organization: how flexibly can you label, prioritize, categorize, and move tasks around?

·       Ease of use: some list-making apps are more intuitive than others. How easy is it to add or modify tasks?

·       Visual appeal: a graphic design you like (or that you can customize) may help you use it.

·       Reminder options: do you want an audible tone? A buzz? A text? An email? Or some other kind of alert? Do you need more than one alert for a particular task? How far into the future do you want to schedule reminders? Can it repeat tasks at the intervals you require? 

·       Sharing: do you need to share lists with others (perhaps a spouse)? Can you control who adds or edits items? How secure does the list need to be?

·       Paper & memory: do you want to be able to print out the list? Should the app track modifications to individual tasks? Should finished tasks be erased or archived? 

·       Coercion: do you want the app to create or enforce consequences should you not complete a task within the assigned timeframe? Consequences might be social or financial or both.

Some features may involve tradeoffs.

For instance, a multi-platform list may be automatically synced and available on your phone, laptop, home and office computers, but it might be expensive, loading time will depend on your internet connection and data security might be a concern.

On the other hand, a list solely on your phone might load more quickly and might be kept private more easily.

You may even find that you use one app for grocery lists (web-accessible and shared with spouse), another for your work obligations (multi-platform, archives completed tasks), another for routine tasks (very flexible options for repeating intervals), and pencil and paper for thinking through today’s priorities.

It’s helpful to find tools that match the way you think and work. But don’t overdo it. Susan Hunsberger of Strategize Organize LLC warns, “Some people spend way too much time trying to find the ‘perfect’ app; at some point, you’ve just got to pick something and start doing!”

Article written by Melanie Sobocinski, of Prof Organizer LLC, NAPO Chapter Member.

DOES YOUR MUDROOM OR ENTRYWAY NEED AN ORGANIZING MAKEOVER?

Is your mudroom less “mud” and more “mess?”  Can people actually walk through your entryway?

If so, I’m here to help you get these areas back in order.  Here are a few tips to help you begin.

1.  Make sure the things that need to stay in these areas have a proper “home”.  So much of disorganization at home begins with us not consciously thinking about the place items need to “live.”

If a home hasn’t been designated for an item, it’s hard to put it away properly.  So make sure that the families’ items-keys, purses, briefcases, coats, shoes and boots, backpacks, etc. - have a place to live. 

Professional organizers like to call this having a” landing and launching pad” in these areas.  This makes getting everyone out the door in the morning easier because it’s grab and go.  It also makes coming home at the end of the day easier and keeps the mudroom or entryway clear for safety reasons.

2.  To maximize space usage, go vertical as much as possible.  Place hooks and/or shelves with baskets on the wall at the appropriate level for the kids to hang their own coats.  For any containers, be sure to label them clearly with pictures or words, depending on age of children. Beneath hooks or shelves should be a place to sit to put on or take off footwear.  A small storage bench could hold seasonal items such as hats, scarves and gloves or sunglasses, sunscreen and bug spray. 

3.  Don’t forget the dog.  A spot for pet items can make dog walks a breeze when everyone knows where the leash is.

4.  If your household recycles and room permits, having a recycling zone in this area can make it easier for all to get items together for curbside or drop-off recycling.

5.  With kids’ backpacks during the school year, make sure to build a habit of emptying the backpack every night with the child so any permission slips, homework review or assignments can be worked on by deadlines given.  Once that has been accomplished, be sure to get the backpack back to its home for the morning rush. 

6.  For kids with after school activities, getting the next days’ gear washed, gathered and ready the night before and by the exit door can avoid any last-minute pleas of “mom, I forgot I need …. for school tomorrow” the next morning.

Coming and going does not need to be chaotic once thought is given to what your family needs to get organized to be on the go.

For more tips, check out NAPO Michigan’s website at napomichigan.com.

This Blog article was written by Cindy Greenleaf of New Leaf Organizing LLC.  The website is NewLeafOrganizingLLC.com.

A More Organized Play Room is More Fun!

Four Steps to a More Organized Playroom

These simple tips from the National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan will help your family get and stay organized.

1) Decide:

Determine what volume of toys can fit comfortably in your playroom and make homes for them on shelves or in drawers. Keep an eye on that volume: as new toys come in, old ones must go out. Move them to a storage space for future use (labeled) or – better yet – donate to charity.

2) Contain:

Store broad categories of toys (avoid the temptation to be super-specific) together in bins that are easy to move to and from play spaces. Avoid lids for easier access. Label the containers, even if you think its contents are obvious. Involve the kids; they can draw picture labels if they're not writers yet.

3) Collect:

 

Toys have a way of escaping the playroom. Place smallish bins in other areas (e.g., living room, kitchen, stairs) to collect the escapees and return to the playroom when they're full.

4) Teach:

 

Staying organized is an essential life skill, so teaching your kids how to put things away so that they can find them again is part of your job as a parent. That means they need to practice! Just as it would be a shame for a 30-year-old to have never learned how to tie his shoe laces, it’s sad to see one who hasn’t learned the basics of organizing. So make putting toys away an everyday part of the end of the day ritual.

Organizing your playroom is easier than you think!

 

For more organizing tips, visit www.NapoMichigan.com.

Article submitted by Chapter member Molly Boren of Simplicity Works Organizing Services: www.sworganizing.com

ORGANIZING SMALL SPACES

Do you have a small room or closet that’s stuffed because you think it’s “too small to be organized?” 
Even though organizing small spaces is a challenge, remember that every cubic inch is valuable real estate for you to make organized use of.

There are tricks to getting a small space organized that can make that room or closet really work for you despite its “tight footprint.”

1.  In small spaces, go vertical whenever possible.  Use a tall bookcase or tower with multiple shelves to take advantage of the wall space.  Watch the depth of storage items to ensure space is maximized and the flow is good.  By doing this, you’ll get big bang for the little bit floor space used.   

In the bookcase or tower, place labeled bins, baskets or fabric drawers so everyone knows what’s in them.

2.  Another place for great storage is above the door in that room.  Install a shelf at that height to use for memorabilia storage, stuffed animals, seasonal decorations, etc.

3.  Hooks are a good way to hang items on the wall and use NO floor space.  Labeled tote bags on hooks can hold many types of things.

4.  In small spaces, lazy susan turntables can be a great tool.  On a refrigerator shelf, it can hold condiments.  In a pantry, it can hold canned goods.

5.  Limit the number of items stored in a small space.  For example, only keep two extra rolls of toilet tissue beneath the bathroom vanity with additional overflow rolls stored nearby.

So the next time you open the door to a small room or closet, look at it differently and you’ll be shocked at how much an organized small space can hold.

For more organizing tips visit http://www.napomichigan.com/.

Article submitted by Chapter member Cindy Greenleaf, Chief Organizing Officer of New Leaf Organizing LLC.

 

 

Please help me find my bed!

First get 4 boxes.  Label them Garbage, Remove, Donate, and Clothes to keep

Remove each item from your bedroom closet and decide which category it belongs in.

Garbage – Throw things away unless you have a clear need for them.

 

Remove -- A sk yourself are there any items that do not belong? If so, remove them by placing them in a box.

 

Donate – Donate to your favorite charity or sell at a consignment store? It depends on how big or small you want to make this project.

 

Clothes to Keep – You are determined to fit into your clothes, but the majority of clothes that don’t fit, should be placed elsewhere. Box them up but don’t forget to label the box with the sizes that it contains.

Other Bedroom Tips:

 

Make your bed daily. It’s the largest piece of furniture in your room and when it’s not made, it gives the whole room a different look and feel to it.　

Use the space under the bed for extra storage. So you’ll need to measure it before going shopping!

When assigning "homes" in your dressers, use the appropriate size drawer. For example, use shallow drawers for small items like jewelry, underwear and socks. Some chapter members have purchased jewelry inserts from Bed, Bath and Beyond, so that their clients could enjoy their jewelry more.

Try putting one category of items in drawers and don’t overstuff them.

Store items at appropriate heights, especially when working with children and seniors.

Organizing your Bedroom Closet(s)

 

Always have extra hangers in the closet. Take things out of your dryer when the signal buzzes.

It is a good idea to split your suit.  Seeing your suit pieces as separates makes your wardrobe go further.

Arrange clothes into categories.

Buy hangers that you can hang multiples on.

Use a pegboard to display accessories.

Buy tie and belt organizers.

Shoe racks are a great investment. If you have a lot of shoes, clearly label the shoebox or take a picture of the shoes and tape it to the outside of the box.　 Get rid of shoes that hurt your feet.

 

For more organizing tips, please visit www.NapoMichigan.com.

Article submitted by Chapter member, Betty Huotari, Chapter Past President; owner of Logical Placement LLC. More about Betty can be found at www.LogicalPlacement.com. 

How Prepared Are You for an Emergency?

Most of us will face an unexpected event in our lifetime. Events that once appeared impossible are the new reality – hurricanes, earthquakes, power outages, and more. 

How prepared are you for an emergency?

The National Association of Professional Organizers Chapter in Michigan has provided a summary of the American Red Cross and FEMA recommendations for emergency preparedness.

1. Get Informed.  Know your community’s emergency plan including the following:

·        Community response plan

·        Community evacuation plan

·        Emergency shelter locations

·        Community warning/alert systems

·        Other community plans

2. Make a Plan. The best way to be prepared is to have a plan and communicate it to all family members.  The plan should include the following elements:

·        Communication Plan

o   Key Contacts List.  Prepare a list of key contacts that can be used by family members to seek help when needed.  The key contacts list should be placed in a visible location within the home, entered into every family member’s mobile phones or placed in children’s back packs. 

o   Designate out-of-state contacts.  Make certain that the key contact list includes contacts that are located outside the community and, if possible, outside the state.  It may be easier to call a person outside the area if a disaster strikes locally.

o   Define emergency meeting locations.  Identify a location outside the home and outside the community where the family can gather if they cannot access the home or the area due to a fire, tornado or other disaster.

·        Define Escape Routes Outline how to evacuate your home, subdivision and neighborhood.  If your home is two levels, a route to escape the upper level should be defined along with an escape ladder.

·        Define Shelter-In-Place Locations  Identify the locations within the home where you can take cover in a weather or disaster situation.

·        Obtain and Use Equipment  The following equipment should be obtained and checked regularly for functionality:  

fire extinguishers,

smoke detectors,

carbon monoxide detectors and

escape ladders.

Family members should be trained on how to use fire extinguishers and fire ladders.

3. Assemble a Disaster Supply Kit. A disaster supply kit should be assembled keeping in mind the needs of family members and pets.  A list of items to include can be found at:  www.ready.gov/basic-disaster-supplies-kit. The supply kit should be placed in a designated, yet accessible, location for all family members.

4. Maintain Your Plan.  Your plan becomes effective only when it is communicated, practiced and updated.  Make a commitment to review your plan with the family at least annually by indicating a date on your calendar to perform this.  Regularly update any equipment, evacuation routes, key contacts or any plan aspects.

You will appreciate that you were prepared when an emergency happens!

For more organizing tips, visit www.NapoMichigan.com.

Article submitted by Chapter Member Mary Lynn Badr, Professional Organizer, Imagine It DONE, LLC.

 

 

Problem Organizing Your Pantry?

We are constantly in our kitchen pantries and often are overwhelmed by being unable to find a specific item.  Many of us struggle with this daily.

 This is what we’ve learned in our Chapter:

• Too many items on one shelf. 
• Not enough room to store everything. 
• Outdated items are stuck in here too.

How can I get this together?

 We recommend that you start organizing your pantry; by removing every single item.  Check the expiration date on each item.  If the date is older than 6 months, toss it.  Example: if the date is June 2012 – it’s good; December 2011 – it needs to go.  You can check expiration dates for food @

www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/do-food-expiration-dates-matter 

Use your table or counter top, even the floor, if necessary to sort the items, into categories or ‘zones’. 

Example:

• Baking Items
• Beverages
• Cereal
• Fruit
• Jell-o /Puddings
• Paper Products
• Pasta
• Sauces
• Seasoning Packets
• Soups.

Once you have set up your ‘zones’ on your working surface; now look at the configuration of your pantry.  Do you have lots of room on your shelves?   Or is your pantry a small space?  There are many useful space expansion shelves and baskets available on the market.

We recommend lighter weight items to be placed on the top shelves: example, paper products and cereal. Moving down the pantry shelves, place the items you use most frequently; arranged by zone.  Also, there are many neat little baskets on the market to corral those pesky slippery packages and small boxes.  Even a small cardboard box can be used as a ‘file’ for seasoning packets.

Professional Organizer Cindy Greenleaf of New Leaf Organizing, LLC @ NewLeafOrganizingLLC.com suggests you; “think about what you need to get from your pantry to complete a specific food preparation.  Example: baking.  It is really helpful to have all the ingredients in one container on a pantry shelf.  A small container, basket or even a plastic dishpan can hold flour, sugars, spices, chocolate chips, nuts and decorating items: so when you are ready to bake, you only need to reach for that specific container from your pantry to get you started.”

Once you’ve organized your pantry, it will be easier for you and your family members to access it on a daily basis. 

There is peace in the pantry.  Enjoy!!

For more organizing tips, please visit www.NapoMichigan.com.

Article submitted by Chapter member, Kathy Tucker, Director of Membership; owner and partner of Finally Organized, LLC.  You can visit Kathy’s website @ www.FinallyOrganizedMich.com and learn more about Kathy @ www.FaceBook.com/FinallyOrganizedMich