Peace of Mind Organizing

Organizing my lettering pens

2 February 2019

Last year I started a new hobby: Hand lettering. It was borne of my efforts to send postcards to voters for the midterm elections. Somewhere along the road of hand writing over 1,000 postcards I decided to try to learn some techniques to make the process more interesting (and to make the cards more eye-catching).

So, of course, as I learned more and more about lettering I wanted to buy supplies. Shopping is one of the most fun parts of learning a new hobby! (Shannon and I discuss hobbies in Episode 35 of our podcast Getting to Good Enough where I specifically suggest that shopping should not be the first thing you do when starting a hobby.) In any case, as I acquired new categories of pens, I sought ways to keep them accessible and organized.

A few years ago, I took up coloring in coloring books for adults, which was a hugely beneficial, relaxing hobby for me during a stressful time in my life. Now that life is less stressful (thanks, for the most part, to improved health on the part of my family members), I’m ready for a more challenging hobby. When I took up coloring, I bought pens and pencils for that purpose. Three years ago (almost to the day), I blogged about organizing my coloring supplies. I use some of the pens I bought for coloring in my lettering, but for the most part I’m keeping the coloring and lettering supplies separate.

One difference in the way I use my lettering pens, versus coloring pens and pencils, is that with lettering I intermingle the types of pens used in a single project. So I don’t really want to just bring a category of pens from the storage to where I’m working, like I could with coloring.

The solution? A turntable. Using the Linus 9-inch divided turntable from the Container Store, I am able to store virtually all of my pens in one place, in categories, and easily transport them from storage area to work area. It’s working out well!

Here’s a photo:

The turntable has 3” high sides and three sections. I used containers within the sections to separate categories of pens. Each section holds one each of the two types the containers I was already using: the Oui by Yoplait glass yogurt pots and the GODIS drinking glasses from IKEA.

I organized my pens (all of which are felt tip) into these categories:

• ultra-fine-point pens (including these Flair Ultra Fine Pens and these BIC Marking Permament Markers)
• fine-point brush pens (like these Tombow Fudenosuke pens)
• medium-point brush pens (Fiber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens)
• thick-and-thin markers (MALA from IKEA, which I adore)
• dual-point pens (from Tombow and Crayola)

I placed the pens, by category, into either a yogurt pot or a glass and arranged them in an order that makes sense to me. Now, when I need a pen I just turn the turntable until I find what I need. It’s making me very happy!

(Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

My new favorite container - it comes with yogurt!

28 January 2019

I’ve become enamored of Oui by Yoplait French-style yogurt, which is sold in little glass jars. The jar contains 5 ounces of tasty yogurt. (They’ve introduced a Petite, 3.5-ounce version, but I haven’t tried that yet.) The yogurt is great but I buy Oui for the jars. For just about a dollar and a half I get a really useful container (and a snack). The labels peel off easily without residue and the jar comes out of the dishwasher clean as a whistle.

What do I use them for?

• They’re great pen holders. I’ve taken up hand lettering, and true to form I have purchased a bunch of pens to feed my habit. These little jars are great holding categories of pens and markers. (More on my pen organization soon, I promise.)
• I use them to hold pairs of glasses on end on my desk, which keeps them handy. (I have many pairs of glasses for various uses.)
• I put cotton balls in them in the bathroom and I also use one to hold my brush upright
• I decorated one with Washi tape to use on the sink as a toothbrush holder for guests

I could also see using them in the kitchen as small drinking glasses. Or yogurt cups!

Here’s a photo of two Oui jars holding some markers on my desk. I used a little Washi tape to pretty them up.

I just discovered that Yoplait sells plastic lids made especially for these jars! They cost $1.00 each and are sold in packs of four, in clear or navy blue. The lids could add a whole new dimension to how you can use the jars. (Spices come to mind.)

And one more thing: The yogurt comes with a foil cover. When you peel it off, there’s a delightful message on the inside. For example, “You’ve got this.” And “Buy yourself flowers.” I love it.

I hope this product sticks around for awhile because I’m confident I can find many more uses for these fabulous little jars!

A knitting project that makes me smile

24 January 2019

I’ve been knitting since 2005 (the year I started my organizing business) and in the early years of this blog, I would write occasionally about knitting projects I was working on or had completed.

It’s been quite a while since I blogged about knitting, but a recent finished project has making me smile so much I just had to share. As I’ve written here, I knit an afghan that took me about 12 years. It’s made from four colors of wool. I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes for that project, in green, beige, burgundy and brown. I love the color combination and I still had some skeins of that yarn left over. I decided to use it to knit a felted cat bed for my friend Shannon’s beautiful (and large) young cat, Cleo.

I went with the Dotty Cat Bed pattern by Kelly Porpiglia, which I had downloaded from the Ravelry website. (I’ve since discovered that it’s not available, but the pattern is available here thanks to the Wayback Machine.)

I finished it and shipped it off to Shannon and was so delighted when Cleo took to it like a fish to water. Shannon is kind enough to text me photos because she knows they make me happy.

Incidentally, today’s episode of Getting to Good Enough, the podcast that Shannon and I co-host, is on topic of Hobbies. So if you’re interested in hearing me talk a little about knitting, I encourage you to download Episode 35.

Here are several pictures of beautiful Cleo in the bed I made for her, along with one of the bed before I mailed it, so you can see the interior. It looked huge when I finished it, but I’m glad it’s just the right size for Cleo!

Now's the time to buy Elfa!

18 January 2019

It’s the annual Elfa Sale at The Container Store! Elfa, the highly flexible shelving and drawer system is 30 percent off, including installation, through February 26, 2019.

I love using Elfa for many spaces in the house. It’s a great way to customize a clothes closet that simply had a rod and shelf with shelving and drawer options. The design is free. You can bring your measurements to a Container Store near you and an Elfa designer can create a design for you. Or you can use the online tool to design it yourself.

I store my yarn and knitting supplies in a bank of Elfa drawers . It’s been more than ten years since I put that together and it’s really stood the test of time.

Here’s a photo of my yarn organization system, using Elfa drawers, which I blogged about in this post.

We use Elfa drawers in kids’ rooms and play rooms as well. They’re great for holding various categories of toys. And you can change out the drawers if you need different sizes as kids grow.

I’ve had clients convert entire spare bedrooms into closets using Elfa. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to do that and it’s removable in the event you want to sell your house or reclaim the bedroom.

I also love the Elfa file cart. I have three in use in my office—one under my desk for active papers, one for archival papers and one for genealogy papers. With this sale, the price of the file cart is down to $70.

If you’ve been pondering some Elfa, it might be time to act! Sale ends February 28.

Secrets of Getting Organized magazine - early spring 2019

14 January 2019

Once again, I am thrilled to be a part of the new (early spring 2019) issue of Secrets of Getting Organized magazine from Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Publications! I was also quoted in the early spring 2018 edition, if this sounds familiar.

I don’t read magazines much, but I really enjoy this one. It’s beautiful, with lots of great organizing ideas and inspiring photos. I was one of a dozen or so professional organizers from around the country who were interviewed for the magazine, and I’m quoted in three articles: Sanity Savers: Preparing for an Emergency, Quick & Easy Solutions: Get Out the Door on Time, and a laundry-room article called Room Tour: Utility Players. The 96-page magazine is free of ads and full of great advice. I encourage you to pick up a copy wherever you buy magazines.

Here’s the cover so you can easily spot it on the newsstand.

I should mention that my picture and bio were inadvertently left out of the Meet the Pros section in the back of the magazine. But I’m still in the articles mentioned above!

St. Louis Recycling Extravaganza on Saturday!

10 January 2019

Update! Due to the snow storm in St. Louis, this event has been canceled. But it’s great to know that these things are offered!

If you’re like many people and have done some cleaning out for the new year and you’re in St. Louis, here’s a great resource to responsibly dispose of some of your unwanted stuff.

St. Louis Earth Day, in partnership with St. Louis City Recyles, is sponsoring a recycling event this Saturday, January 12, from 11 am to 2 pm. Collectors at the event include:

• Midwest Recycling Center (electronics—some fees apply)
• Bicycle Works
• Remains, Inc. (used clothing and linens plus books)
• Pro Shred (free paper shredding up to five boxes)

The event will be held in the parking lots near the Missouri Botanical Garden at Shaw and Vandeventer—right off the Vandeventer exit of Interstate 44.

For complete information, check the Recycling Extravaganza page on the St. Louis Earth Day website. Unfortunately, there’s snow in the forecast, so be sure and check the St. Louis Earth Day website to make sure the event is on if it’s snowy. (It won’t cancel for rain.)

The next St. Louis Earth Day Recycling Extravaganza event will be Sunday, April 7, 2019, in Forest Park.

Worth repeating: What can you do in five minutes?

7 January 2019

I can across this post I wrote in August 2017 and thought I’d share it because I found inspirational! It’s amazing the decluttering and organizing you can get done in short, five-minute bursts of time. I’m going to try this again tomorrow!

I’m a big believer in using a timer to motivate me to work quickly and get stuff done. I have a seriously full calendar but a relatively free morning today so I thought I’d see if I could some clutter spots and other small tasks taken care of.

So I pulled out my phone and asked Siri to set a timer for five minutes. I did it seven times. Here’s what I managed to accomplish in just seven five-minute blocks:

• I printed a couple of genealogy-related documents, wrote a cover note, and mailed them to a friend who doesn’t have internet access.
• I whittled away at my email inbox, taking it from 78 messages to 35 in two five-minute sessions
• I took out of the car and put away a bunch of containers that I’d taken to a client session
• I inventoried those containers
• I put away and inventoried a different of set of bins that are stored in my basement
• I cleared off the completely cluttered countertop in our extra kitchen. It had become a bit of a dumping ground (to say the least).

That’s a lot of distracting clutter busted in just 35 minutes!

Because I apparently have no shame, I’ll share with you that cluttered counter and how it looked five minutes later.

It’s not amazing, but it’s a heck of a lot better for a really small investment of time and effort. (This is a room I don’t spend much time in, but I’d been turning a blind eye for so long!)

Your turn. Do you have a spare five minutes? What can you do in that time to make a difference in your home?