The Best Ways to Organize Kid Rooms at Centsational Girl

{Designer Katie Ridder}

Much of my organizing & design business focuses on helping young families de-clutter and organize their homes, while still being style-savvy. So naturally I was over-the-moon when Kate  of Centsational Girl asked me to guest blog and give her readers tips on keeping kid rooms organized. Being a stylish & organized mom herself, Kate’s throwing in a couple more tips of her own. Be sure to stop by - 'The Best Ways to Organize Kid Rooms'.

 {images via Polka Dot Peacock}

 

Here’s a more important reason to stop by Kate’s blog. Wanting to ‘fixing up spaces for those who really need it, not those who can afford it’, Kate recently announced she has teamed up with Committee on the Shelterless (or COTS) and has adopted a house in need. The project’s name is the Alma Project. Here is a brief description:

“We called the The Alma Project is the transformation of a fixer upper house into a comfortable functional home for women who desperately need it.  Living inside the Alma House are three single mothers, previously homeless, who reside for free on the condition that they are learning skills, stabilizing their lives, attending counseling, and remain drug and alcohol free.  These mothers are saving their money from their part time jobs and raising their children as best as they can.  They have no time or money to fix up this house.  They are real women with real needs who need real solutions. “ 

If you would like to donate money or materials to this wonderful project, please visit The Alma Project.

Keeping the people of Japan in my prayers,

Hello March! Ikat Calendar Wallpaper for iPhones, etc.

March has arrived and with that we start planning for spring. What better way than to get organized and add a little colorful ikat print in the form of a March 2011 calendar to your desktop, iPhone or android?

The nice folks at Red Stamp have created this bright coral & turquoise ikat pattern desktop wallpaper that I am sure many of you will want to download {and yes, for free!}. Downloading it to my iPhone today!

Happy March, Happy Day!

Simple Steps to Organize a Junk or Desk Drawer with Style

Do you have a drawer in your home that looks like this? Most of us have had a drawer that has gotten a little out-of-control. Organizing a junk drawer is actually quite easy and can typically be done quickly. Whether organizing a drawer that holds odds & end, cosmetics or office supplies, the process is the same.

Here are  simple steps to organize a junk drawer:

Step One - Empty & Edit

First take all the contents out of the drawer and purge. Item by item determine whether or not it is worth storing:

• Toss if broken or expired {recycle when possible}.
• Donate items that are not being used.

Take the opportunity to clean the drawer and line it with fresh paper if applicable.

Step Two - Group
The next step is to arrange items into similar groups based on function and size. When you come across items that don’t belong in the drawer, set aside in a separate group that will need to be returned to the correct place.

Step Three - Contain
Recently a Simplified Bee reader, Jeanette asked for suggestions on organizing a desk or junk drawer in a stylish way. The containers or dividers used and how they are arranged is where the “styling” comes in.

There so many organizing tray and divider options for drawers. Before you purchase any drawer dividers however, measure the drawer {width and height} to know what will fit. Also, keep in mind the sizes and quantities of the items you want to store to ensure you purchase the best option. The Container Store, Ikea, Target or any office supply store are great resources for basic and inexpensive drawer organizing trays like the ones in the desk drawer above via Apartment Therapy.

I love the clean look of these customizable acrylic drawer dividers by LifeStyle Systems. Martha Stewart shows how to install them here.

Styling tip: For an uncluttered look, select a drawer liner in a neutral color and with a simple pattern.

Organizing your junk drawer doesn't have to be expensive. Save money by using everyday items you may already have such as baskets, ice trays and shoe box lids in drawers to help keep items contained.

{image source: BHG}

For long narrow drawers like this one above, a trio of cookie sheets keeps supplies organized.

{image source: BHG}

Muffin pans provide the perfect size compartment for smaller items such as stamps, paper clips and loose change.

{image source: Martha Stewart}

Put your China to good use everyday! Decorative bowls, plates and tea cups make this jewelry drawer colorful and functional.

HGTV had this great deak storage idea that's also inexpensive and eco-friendly. Clean tuna cans and nestle them into a drawer to keep items neatly stored.

Step Four - Arrange

Next arrange each grouping of items into the appropriate container or divider. Keep in mind the idea is to be able to locate items easily and therefore, labeling the compartments may make sense in some cases.

Do you remember the first image of the messy, cluttered drawer? Here it is organized and functioning beautifully. Several containers were used in combination. First the basket {which was originally used} was spray painted a semi-gloss white for a cleaner look. A clear acrylic tray with dividers purchased at Target was added to divide the smaller items. A scalloped white bowl and vintage milk glass mug pulled from the cupboard were the perfect fit for containing iPhone cords and magnets.

Styling tip: If using different style containers & dividers, unify the look by having all the containers in the same color.

Keeping your newly organized drawer beautiful will take some maintenance. If it is a drawer used often, keep an eye on items that are misplaced and edit routinely. If the drawer is used infrequently, add it to your quarterly or bi-annual cleaning schedule so that it doesn’t get overlooked.

Do you have any fun styling tips for organizing drawers?

Happy organizing!

Conquering Clutter: Guidelines to Follow & Questions to Ask When Decluttering

This week I'm taking time to declutter. We all have sentimental items that we cherish and want to store away, but when is it too much? And when is it clutter? Clutter is basically anything that takes up space and isn’t improving or making your life better.  If you have clothing in your closet that you haven’t worn in years, piles of mail on the counter, toys in every corner or trouble finding important documents, it is time for you to think about purging and decluttering your home. For many of my clients letting go of items is the biggest hurdle when organizing their home.

Here are some guidelines and questions you should ask when determining whether to toss/recycle, donate to charity or keep:

Sort. Take one item at a time when determining to keep it or not. While sorting keep in mind that the goal is to purge and reduce the amount of stuff in your home. The best decisions are the ones made quickly.

Question. If you get stuck and can’t decide what to do wit h a particular item, ask yourself clarifying questions including:

• When is the last time you used this item and was it in the last year?
• Is it broken, damaged or the wrong size?
• Does it make you happy or have sentimental value?
• Do you really need this item?

Review. For many of us holding onto clutter is emotional. Our possessions reflect who we are, who we are not and who we wish to be. Emotional attachment to items is something most of us do and the primary reason people hold onto clutter. Pretty Neat suggests that if you can’t make a decision on whether or not to get rid of an item, put it in a review box for a specified period of time. When time is up, it should be easier to make the decision. I would recommend having a limit to how many items can go into the “review box.” It should only be used on very select items and as sparingly as possible. Again the goal is to reduce the clutter in your home and make it more functional and beautiful.

Toss & Recycle. Much of the clutter in your home could actually be trash. Here are some items that are the most obvious to throw away and recycle whenever possible:

• Junk mail, old magazines and newspapers.
• Expired food, make-up and medicine. Check with your local recycling center on how and where to dispose of medications safely. If in California,CALRecycle has list of where to take sharps and medications.
• Clothing that is damage, stained or ripped beyond repair .
• Boxes that are damaged or no longer useful.
• Broken toys, games and electronic equipment.

Donate. An easy way to declutter your home is to donate items you don't use, but are still in good condition. Donating to a family, friends or a local charity is a great place for used clothing, furniture, CDs/DVDs, toys, tools and so much more.

Schedule. Once you have decluttered your home, the best way to keep it that way is to set up a daily and weekly maintenance sessions. Taking fifteen minutes everyday to tackle the mail, put toys away and organize the entry or mudroom. At least once a month file away papers in your inbox, organize the pantry or review your closet for pieces that could be donated.

Are you ready to conquer the clutter in your home? There is no better time than today.

Happy New Year! Happy Organizing!

* all photos courtesy of LONNY Magazine

Book Review: Pretty Neat & Chance to Win $250

When gazing at beautiful images of meticulously organized rooms, color-coded closets and flawless family schedules, does it make you think you are not measuring up? Some suggest at least 80% of of women feel organizationally challenged. Wow. Could this be true? Buttoned Up’s co-founders, Alicia Rockmore & Sarah Welch sadly found this to be the case when interviewing hundreds of women for their new book, Pretty Neat: The Buttoned-Up Way to Get Organized and Let Go of Perfection : Simply put, many thought their “imperfect” ways left them short of the mark organizationally.

In the introduction, Alicia and Sarah state, “Chasing perfection fuels something we call organizational inertia, a type of paralysis that makes it virtually impossible to get started. All too often, the most difficult part of getting organized is knowing where to start. If perfection is the objective, paralysis makes sense. Keeping your house, work and schedule magazine-ready requires a superhuman effort to achieve and constant superhuman vigilance to maintain. The goal of getting organized isn’t necessarily to have everything picture-perfect, but rather to eliminate inefficiency so that you have more time to do what you actually want to do.”

Pretty Neat is just that. The book drives home that getting organized can be approached in a practical way and insists women need to stop holding themselves to ridiculously high standards. Once readers get past these psychological hurdles, the book provides simple solutions for taking control of their time & stuff without having to become anal. Pretty Neat’s collection of road-tested tips from real women show busy people how to:

* Take charge of to-do lists
* Tame inboxes
* Temper toy tsunamis and more!

I love this simple solution found on page 103 for helping reduce clutter in our closets:

Place a large cloth bag or two on the floor of your closet. Each day as you stare at your wardrobe, ask yourself three questions about one piece of clothing, a pair of shoes and an accessory: 1. Is it flattering? 2. Do I love it? 3. Does it represent who I am today? If the answer to any one of these questions is no, put the item in the cloth bay straight away. Don’t rationalize. When the bag is full, take it to Goodwill. Repeat as necessary until your closet only contains clothes, shoes and accessories that you truly love and wear.

Wanna win $250? I would love to here your best organizational tip or shortcut. Share your tip here by commenting on this post no later than December 31st at midnight! The reader who submits the best tip across all participating blogs will win $250.  The winning tip will be selected by Alicia and Sarah of Buttoned Up and announced on January 10th.

Can't wait to hear all of your get tips for getting organized!

* images via Martha Stewart and Buttoned Up

** I received no monetary compensation for this post. I received one copy of Pretty Neat (book) for review. The opinions herein are my own.

Halloween Clean-up & Prepping for Thanksgiving...

Halloween 2010 was especially exciting for us - great weather, fun trick-or-treating and a huge San Francisco Giants win in the World Series!

The festive weekend has us all moving a little slower this morning. And it seems that the day after a big holiday is always filled with mixed emotions:

Sad to see it all go by so quickly.

Happy for it be over.

Bummed about cleaning up.

But, looking forward to the next holiday.

Yes, I've started prepping for Thanksgiving. Above is a sneak peak at the linens, China and place-cards we'll be using this year. Haven't even thought about Thanksgiving or need some inspiration? Here are some fun ideas on setting and decorating your table for Thanksgiving to get you in the mood.

Today I'll be cleaning-up, taking down and storing all the Halloween decorations. What's on your list of things to do?