I wrote this post a couple of years ago and when I stumbled on it today, it made me smile. All the pictures were taken in the house we sold this fall, but looking around my current office, I see that those storage solutions almost are still in place. That’s a real endorsement!
Tagged with: organizing products, repurposing, worth repeating
Every year from about Christmas to Valentine’s Day, the Container Store has their Elfa sale. That means it’s Elfa sale time! From now until February 19, you can 30 percent off everything Elfa.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
I jumped aboard the adult coloring book craze last June. I loved coloring as a kid and I love it now. It’s so wonderful that so many interesting types of coloring books are available. And the coloring supplies! When I was a kid, I used Crayola crayons. Now, I use pencils, pens, markers…it feels like the sky’s the limit.
Tagged with: coloring, crafts, happiness, organizing products, organizing systems, relaxation, self-care, self care, worth repeating
Back in January 2019, I wrote a post about how I love Oui by Yoplait French-style yogurt, which comes in little glass jars. The yogurt tastes great, but what I really love about it is the jars, which are reusable for so many things.
Tagged with: organizing products
My advice isn’t necessarily spicy, but it is about spices! I was interviewed recently by a writer for Consumer Reports’ website for an article on spice storage and organization.
Tagged with: organizing products, press, spice storage, storage
If you’re interested in Elfa, now’s a great time to buy. Between now and February 12, all Elfa is 30 percent off.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
Next time you’re inclined to go to Target or the Container Store to buy some bins or other storage solutions, I encourage you to take a look around your house and see what you might already have on hand that you can use.
Tagged with: organizing products, repurposing
Earlier this week, I blogged about my love for my Bullet Journal. When I decided to start using this method, I did a little research on supplies and how to organize them so they’re handy for daily use. This is what I settled on. It’s working out well!
Tagged with: bullet journal, office supplies, organizing products, organizing solutions, pens, task management, time management
Kitchen Stickin’ is a simple product: It’s a dispenser for painter’s tape with a place to hold a marker. It comes with Command strips so you can easily adhere it to a cabinet or the refrigerator so that you always have an easy way to label something. (It comes with the tape and a marker!)
Tagged with: kitchen organization, kitchen stickin, labels, organizing products, organizing solutions
Consumer Reports recently published a story on its website called 10 Organization Pros on the Storage Items They Can’t Live Without. The writer contacted ten professional organizers and asked a simple question: “What is the one storage item you can’t live without?”
Tagged with: organizing products, press, storage
Four years ago, I had the pleasure of going to New York City to help a dear friend organize her new apartment. I wrote this post then about how some key products really helped organize her items in her small kitchen.
Tagged with: kitchen, organizing products, worth repeating
Back in January, I learned about a new line of containers called SortJoy. I checked them out was really impressed at the product line’s beauty and versatility.
Tagged with: organizing products, organizing solutions, products, sortjoy
My friend and colleague, Jodi Granok of Organizing Magic, LLC® here in St. Louis has launched a series of organizing-cartoon products. Jodi bought the full line of organizing-themed cartoons that were commissioned by Donna Smallin Kuper of Organized Greetings.
Tagged with: jodi granok, organizing products, organizing swag
I saw that messy box every day and most days I vowed to do something about it. But it felt like it would take at least an hour. I thought I’d see how far I could get with my jewelry box in 15 minutes. To my astonishment and delight, I actually finished it!
Tagged with: 15 minutes, clean bureau, jewelry, organizing products, tiny projects
We’re about three weeks away from the end of the annual Elfa sale, where you can get 30 percent off on Elfa products and installation. (That brings the file cart down to $77.) I find myself yearning for a system for my guest-room closet, but am trying to resist because it’s definitely a want, not a need. But if you have a need, now’s the time to check out Elfa!
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
I’m a big fan of the Container Store staff here in St. Louis does an amazing job of helping me help my clients using their products. Their Elfa system is often my go-to for creating relatively inexpensive customized storage solutions. Right now it’s even more affordable because all Elfa is on sale for 30% off!
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
I love 3M’s Full Adhesive Post-it® Notes. One of the reasons I love them is that they stick well to plastic bins and lay flat. In addition to being Full Adhesive, they are Super Sticky.
Tagged with: organizing products
Our new refrigerator, an LG with a bottom freezer drawer, was delivered yesterday. Today I had the pleasure of organizing it! I’ve never had a freezer drawer before (nor organized one for a client), so it was a fun challenge.
Tagged with: challenges, freezer organization, kitchen, kitchen organization, organizing products
Last year, I learned about Holding Hangers , an innovative style of pants or skirt hanger that had just been made available in the U.S. My colleague, certified professional organizer C. Lee Cawley of Simplify You in the Washington, D.C., area, had seen these hangers in Europe and decided to import and distribute them in the U.S.
Tagged with: c. lee cawley, closets, hangers, holding hangers, organizing products
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. (And they’ve introduced a Petite 3.5-ounce version.) The yogurt is great but I buy it for the jars. For just about a dollar and a half I get 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.
Tagged with: organizing products
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.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
Tagged with: decluttering, organizing products
I love Elfa, the shelving/drawer system from The Container Store. I use it in my own home, in a closet in my office and to store my yarn stash. I also use three different Elfa file carts in my office, one for my business archives, one for my genealogy papers and one for my action files. That one lives under my desk.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
Four years ago, I wrote this post about how much I love the little dip bowls from West Elm. My love for them has not diminished over time. And, amazingly, West Elm is still selling these little beauties, so I thought I’d repeat this post. The one thing I now use them for that I didn’t use to is dip! They really are good for that. But I like them for all sorts of things, including looking pretty.
Tagged with: aby garvey, organizing products, organizing solutions, repurposing, storage, style, west elm
I’m delighted to report that Brother has upped its label maker game and created the Brother PT-P300BT aka the Brother P-Touch Cube and it’s a game changer. The Cube is a bluetooth enabled label printer that uses a smartphone app to actually type and design the labels. You download the P-touch Design&Print app and use it to create your labels. (The app is available for Apple and Android phones.) Your phone communicates with the printer wirelessly via bluetooth. And it works like a charm.
Tagged with: labels, organizing products
This week, I had the opportunity to help a dear friend organize the storage spaces of her new apartment in New York City. Having just moved in, she didn’t need any decluttering, so I was able to get busy while she was at work. After I analyzed her needs, I went to the Container Store website and scoped out some products, making a Wish List.
Tagged with: kitchen, organizing products
In 2014, I made a huge improvement in how I store my jewelry and I blogged about it, complete with before and after pictures. I’m still using this system, though I have a very limited selection of jewelry, now that I’m doing “Project 333”: . Unlike my clothes, I have not packed away my jewelry. So I still select my earrings (from the few pairs in the collection) from that jewelry box and pluck the one necklace I wear from the rack. I wanted to share this post again, because this system has worked well for me and stood the test of time!
Tagged with: clean bureau, jewelry, organizing products, worth repeating
I’m channeling my inner Oprah by creating this post about eight of my favorite things of the past year.
Tagged with: apps, books, business, kitchen organization, organizing products, pets
If you’re in the market for shelving or Elfa, now’s the time to buy! At the beginning of every year the Container Store has a sale on Elfa, its fabulous shelving and drawer system. And then in the fall they have a shelving sale. If I’m remembering correctly, the only Elfa that was included in that sale was shelving.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
Tagged with: coloring, crafts, giveaway, organizing products, relaxation
When I attended the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers this year, the item in the trade show that got me most excited was the SuperTab Coloring Folders being sold by Smead. That’s right, coloring folders. File folders that you color on.
Tagged with: coloring, crafts, giveaway, organizing products, relaxation
Several weeks ago, I blogged about organizing my coloring supplies. I enjoy coloring in coloring books intended for grown ups and I use colored pencils and Sharpies primarily.
In that blog post, I showed how I organize my dozens of colored pencils. (I use Prismacolor Premier pencils.) And I mentioned that I had yet to figure out a good way to organize my colored Sharpies. At the time, they were laying flat in a box all mixed together.
Tagged with: coloring, crafts, happiness, organizing products, organizing systems, relaxation, self-care, self care
I jumped aboard the adult coloring book craze last June. I loved coloring as a kid and I love it now. It’s so wonderful that so many interesting types of coloring books are available. And the coloring supplies! When I was a kid, I used Crayola crayons. Now, I use pencils, pens, markers…it feels like the sky’s the limit.
Tagged with: coloring, crafts, happiness, organizing products, organizing systems, relaxation, self-care, self care
One key to having a neat and organized garage is getting everything you can off the floor. I’ve seen a variety of options in my clients’ garages, but I hadn’t been exposed to Monkey Bar Storage before I saw them at this year’s NAPO conference. I was impressed by the strength and durability of the garage shelving systems I saw.
Tagged with: garage, monkey bars, organizing products, reviews
In 2011, I wrote a blog post in praise of Target’s Itso bin. I was inspired to do so because of a great post by my friend and colleague Aby Garvey on the Simplify 101 blog.
Tagged with: aby garvey, organizing products, storage
Organizing isn’t about great products. It’s really about great systems and habits. But sometimes you can introduce a great product into the mix that makes everything come together really well.
Tagged with: container store, organizing products
Labels are an important step in the organizing process. They help you establish a place for everything. They help you identify categories. They help you remember.
Tagged with: labels, organizing products
Right now is a great time to buy Elfa because they’re having their annual sale. All Elfa components are 30 percent off, as is Elfa installation. For many people, Elfa is easy to put together. But if you’re having a closet system put in, going with their installation service is a nice perk.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
My giveaway for a fireproof Alarm Safe and a fireproof Guardian Storage Box from SentrySafe ended last night, and, as promised, I am announcing the winners today.
Tagged with: disaster preparedness, giveaway, organizing products, sentry safe
I have to admit I have never been very diligent about keeping my valuable documents/belongings safe from disaster. I think part of my problem is that I don’t like to think about disasters or believe that one will befall me. (I realize that this type of head-in-the-sand thinking is ridiculous and not at all helpful.)
Tagged with: disaster preparedness, giveaway, organizing products, sentrysafe
A week ago, I reviewed the Hands Free Tote from United Solutions and offered one up for a giveaway.
Tagged with: giveaway, hands free tote, organizing products, united solutions
From time to time I receive emails from manufacturers of products that might interest my readers. They typically offer to send me a product sample, hoping I’ll review it. I don’t promise a review, but I often say yes and offer to give feedback on the product, which is mine to keep. When I really like a product, I’ll review and do a giveaway.
Tagged with: giveaway, hands free tote, organizing products, united solutions
I don’t have a ton of jewelry, but I have my share. I wear earrings virtually day and on some days I also wear necklaces or bracelets. As a result, how well my jewelry is organized really has an impact on my daily life.
Tagged with: clean bureau, jewelry, organizing products
Every year, from just before Christmas to about Valentine’s Day, the Container Store has a sale on Elfa, their shelving/drawer system. That means that right now you can get 30 percent off on Elfa and on Elfa installation.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
While on a trip, I wandered into a “West Elm”: store and was immediately entranced by these beautiful little Textured Dip Bowls. I don’t serve a lot of dip, but I immediately saw the potential for using them to store little stuff. (My friend Aby Garvey is rubbing off on me after all these years.)
Tagged with: aby garvey, organizing products, organizing solutions, repurposing, storage, style, west elm
I have a fondness for a nice notebook, particularly one with lined paper. I’m somewhat particular, but luckily there are a lot of notebooks that meet my exactly standards. Way back in 2008, I blogged about some notebooks I’ve been enjoying.
Tagged with: at a glance, journal writing, notebooks, organizing products, task list
I love Elfa, the shelving/drawer system from The Container Store. I use it in my own home, in a closet in my office and to store my yarn stash. (I used an Office in a Closet kit for the office closet and a bank of mesh drawers for the yarn and knitting supplies.)
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
A couple of years ago at the NAPO conference I was given a small package of Filertek dry-erase hanging file-folder labels. To be honest, these reusable tabs seemed to solve a problem I didn’t have and I brought home the sample and then never used it.
Tagged with: filertek, filing supplies, office supplies, organizing products, paper management
Sometimes I start using an organizing product that makes my life better. And when that happens, I like to tell you about it, in case it will make your life better too.
Tagged with: organizing products, oxo
Getting organized is not about buying products. It’s about letting go of excess, setting up systems, creating new habits and routines. Organizing products can help. Like most organizers, I recommend purchasing products after the decluttering process, when you know what you need.
Tagged with: blog carnival, janet barclay, organizing products
I love my purse. I love that I can find what I want in it without searching. Everything has a place, due in large part to the Purse Perfector, the purse organizer that sits in the bottom of my purse and keeps everything close at hand.
Tagged with: great day st. louis, organizing products, purse, purse perfector
Rubbermaid has created a new kind of storage bin, the Bento Box. Named after the divided Japanese lunch boxes, these storage containers have flexible dividers that fold flat against the interior wall of the box, if desired, or pop out to divide the box.
Tagged with: bento, knitting, organizing products, rubbermaid, yarn
Up until a few years ago, traveling with jewelry wasn’t much of an issue for me. I had a few pairs of earrings and a tiny (2” by 3”) little oriental cloth zipper case I put them in when I traveled. Then I met Geralin Thomas who, among her many talents, is a wardrobe consultant. She’s helped me up my game in terms of clothing and especially in terms of accessories.
Tagged with: clos-ette too, geralin thomas, giveaway, jewelry, organizing products, travel
I love functional products. To me, function trumps beauty. But if you can make a product both functional and beautiful, that’s fantastic. Throw in fun on top of functional and beautiful and you have a glorious hat trick!
Tagged with: organizing products, three by three
Three years ago, I blogged about how I loved my Butler Bag. This dandy little purse had a rigid compartmentalized insert in the bottom that allowed me to keep every in easy reach.
Tagged with: butler bag, organizing products, purse, purse perfector
I love working one-on-one with clients (or supervising a team of organizers to help a client) and we get great results. But sometimes budgetary or geographic constraints make that impossible.
That’s why I’m glad to bring up some opportunities for ways you can tap into my expertise even if you’re on a budget or you don’t live in St. Louis.
Tagged with: allison collinger, declutter happy hour, decluttering, events, jill farmer, mail, organizing products, organizing resources, shannon wilkinson
Every year just after Christmas, the Container Store has its annual Elfa sale. And every year I’m excited. It’s on now.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
Back in March, I did a review and giveaway for the My Life Matters planner for women. I think it’s a terrific planner for those looking for once planner for personal and professional items. It emphasizes self care and balance.
Tagged with: balance, my life matters, organizing products, planners
My friend Aby Garvey of Simplify 101 is such a smart organizer. Not only does she organize well and come up with innovative solutions, she also makes things beautiful. She helped me organize my pantry two years ago and I’m still in love with it.
Tagged with: aby garvey, organizing products, storage
I love over-the-door clear vinyl shoe pockets. I use them at home for shoes and have recommended them to clients for the inside of the coat closet for hats, scarves and mittens. (They’re great for families with kids, since the little ones can use the lowest pockets.) I’ve had clients who’ve used them in craft rooms and bathrooms as well.
Tagged with: organizing products, simply stashed
Yesterday, I was discussing a kitchen drawer with a client. Wanting to show her a photo of the Rubbermaid interlocking drawer organizers I pulled out my iPad and showed her a blog post I’d written last year about organizing my kitchen utensil drawer.
Tagged with: decluttering, organizing products, rubbermaid
I have trouble remembering to take my vitamins and calcium supplements. And at the moment, I’m having trouble integrating daily exercise into my schedule.
I think that’s why the My Life Matters planner appeals to me so much. It’s designed to allow women to pursue balance: there’s space to plan and note all aspects of your life: mental and emotional well being, physical health, spiritual well being, relationships, finances, work, life dreams, and passion.
Tagged with: balance, giveaway, my life matters, organizing products, planners
I keep my task list in a Myndology disc-bound notebook with repositionable pages. I bought it at the Container Store. As I blogged about last week, I’m using Mark Forster’s SuperFocus task-management system, which I’m really digging. (Again, I promise a full review after I’ve used it for a little while.)
Tagged with: bookmarks, container store, organizing products
From approximately Christmas to Valentine’s Day each year, the Container Store holds its annual Elfa sale. Elfa’s their terrific modular shelf and drawer system to help you create custom closets or other storage areas. Now through February 14, 2010, you receive 30 percent off all Elfa products and installation.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
Do you have trouble getting all the information you want onto file folder labels? Whether you use a label maker, labels printed on your computer, or handwritten labels, it can be tough to fit everything you want on the label to make it meaningful.
Tagged with: file folders, organizing products, paper management, smead
I’ve had to learn a new skill set. And I didn’t make it easy on myself.
I decided to sell downloadable products of my own creation on my website. By the end of the month, I hope, I’ll have organizing guides and an e-course for sale in a new Products section of this website. (And I’ll be offering a new coaching program.)
Tagged with: declutter happy hour, fear, organizing products, procrastination, productivity, wendy cholbi
In our kitchen we have lots of drawers. One of them is a drawer full of miscellaneous cooking utensils and gadgets that we don’t use much. The things we use with any regularity are usually on top, but that’s the extent of the organization of the drawer. And that’s not really organization at all. That’s just physics.
Tagged with: decluttering, giveaway, organizing products, rubbermaid
At the Container Store the other day, I discovered the Cocoa Desktop Writeboard a rewritable surface that sits on your desk, allowing you to jot notes. I was intrigued. I balked at the $24.99 price tag, but went ahead and purchased it. (It helped that I used the 10 percent discount I’m offered as a NAPO member.) I’ve since discovered it’s available via Amazon
Tagged with: container store, organizing products, productivity, time management, to-do list
I really like Peter Walsh. I love that he provides straight-forward, common-sense advice on decluttering and organizing. I also like his innovative storage solutions. You’ve had the opportunity to see him on Clean Sweep, and Oprah. You may have read his books, including It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff
Tagged with: decluttering, giveaway, organizing principles, organizing products, peter walsh
The Container Store is having its annual sale on Efla shelving, drawers and other products. Through February 15, 2010, you receive 30 percent off of Elfa products and installation.
Tagged with: container store, elfa, organizing products
There are so many ways to learn. Personally, I’m an auditory learner so I love audio. To me, the perfect info product comes in the form of downloadable calls or teleclasses I can listen to on my iPod Touch.
But many people are visual learners and seeing what is being taught is very helpful to them. That’s why I’m so excited about the new video learning opportunities being offered by my friends at Organizing Connection.
Tagged with: closets, decluttering, organizing connection, organizing products, organizing resources
Any sale is fun, but a sale at the Container Store? That’s cause for celebration.
Tagged with: container store, oprah, organizing products, peter walsh
Back in early April I was invited to a blogcast that introduced Peter Walsh’s new line of office products to people who blog about organizing and parenting. They sent me product samples. I was wowed.
Tagged with: filing systems, organizing products, organizing systems, peter walsh
I’d been lusting over the Total Knitting Tote that I’d seen in the Knitpicks catalog
Tagged with: crafts, knitpicks, organizing products, scrapbooking, shopping, storage
Through a circuitous but interesting path, I found myself at PocketMod. It’s a simple website with instructions and templates for creating a customized paper planner, printed on one sheet of paper and folded to create a little book that would fit in your shirt pocket (if you were inclined to put your calendar in your shirt pocket).
Tagged with: calendars, hipster pda, organizing products, planners, pocket mod
Raise your hand if you’re an office-supply junkie. You can’t see me, but I’ve waving my hand in the air. I love office supplies. I can (and do) spend hours in Office Depot and Office Max. I especially love beautiful journals and spiral-bound notebooks. I love the feel of quality paper against my pen. I love the look of gorgeous colors and lines that are just the right distance apart.
Tagged with: journal writing, notebooks, organizing products
I love reading other organizers’ blogs. There are some great ones out there. One of my favorites is San Francisco-area organizer’s Jeri Dansky’s blog, Jeri’s Organizing and Decluttering News.
Tagged with: blogs, jeri dansky, organizing products, spice storage