Favorite Containers for Home Organizing

Favorite Containers for Home Organizing  → edit

By Allison Carter, CPO®
Every organizer comes to rely upon a few choice containers and other products that can be used in a variety of situations.
And we love to share our favorites with our friends and colleagues.
Here is a list of some old standbys.
Home Office:

• file folders
• hanging files
• file Drawers
• drawer Dividers
• screen Risers
  
• printer stand
• pencil holder
  
• cd binders and cases
  
• magazine boxes
  
• desktop file box 
  
• good chair
  

KITCHEN

• lazy susan
• can risers/tiers
• lid organizers
• drawer dividers
• shelf risers
• elfa door spice rack
• glideout shelves
• tupperware® Modular Mates

CLOSET

• huggable hangers
• shoebag
• purse bag
• purse cubbies
• elfa drawers
• sweater bags
• overdoor hooks
• valet rod
• tie-belt rack
• scarf hanger
• clear shoe boxes
• sock drawers
• Command hooks

BATHROOM

• shelf risers
• pull out drawers
• shower caddy
• little drawers – Sterilite
• 3m command hooks
  

LAUNDRY ROOM

• little bins
• elfa drawers
• shoe bags (to catch little items)
• pull out drying rack
• lingerie hanger
• pull out ironing board
• ironing board and iron rack
• hamper in every room

What are your favorites? And where do you use them most?

Clutter 911

Clutter 911

By Allison Carter

Do you pack every space until it’s full?
Do you like to own a lot of stuff, and yet feel overwhelmed by it all?
Do you like to make purchases for the fun of the hunt and not because you really need things?
Shopping can easily get out of control. It can break the bank as well as fill your life with so much stuff you don’t know what is really important… and couldn’t find it even if it was. There are two areas of cluttering habits that usually keep people from getting organized. The first is acquiring objects. The second is not de-acquiring.

Here are 10 Ways to Break the Cluttering Habit:

1. Pay only with cash. Money is harder to part with when it is real and not in the form of credit or check.
2. Shop only when you need something. Shopping is not a hobby or a sport. It is to get things we need.
3. Avoid garage sales, estate sales, eBay, Target, and shopping at sales. They lead to impulse shopping. Remember, one woman’s clutter is another woman’s clutter.
4. Before making a purchase ask yourself these questions:
   • Do I really need it?
   • What is the worst thing that would happen if I didn’t buy it?
   • Am I shopping to make myself feel better?
   • Am I shopping because I’m bored?
   • Is this the best way to spend my money?
   • Do I have a place to put this?
5. Don’t order from catalogs or TV shows. It costs money and time to return these items, which discourages you from sending things back that aren’t right for you. In fact, if you don’t read catalogs and advertisements, you will find you are more content with what you have. People really have everything they NEED. Society makes us think we need more, new, better, variety, change. Be in charge of what you buy  by knowing what is really important.
6. Take pictures instead of buying souvenirs. They take up less space.
7. Toss 10 trinkets daily. If scraps of paper and small cluttery things are the enemy then the trashcan is your best ally!
8. Be a giver! Keep a donation box in a closet or guest room at all times. Add to it regularly.
9. Use the one-in-one-out rule.  If you bring something home, send away something similar.
10. Live your life like you may have to move next month. Only keep the things you really love, need, and use on a regular basis.

Remember, it’s not a bargain if you don’t need it.

The Very Least

TOP 10: The Least You Can Do to Stay Organized

Busy people have a hard time carving out time to stay organized. After a
long day at work or taking care of the family, many people are too tired to
spend the evening putting things away. What small steps can you take to
help you stay more organized?

1. Keep a calendar – paper or electronic. Write down appointments and daily
   or weekly to-dos. This keeps your brain from being cluttered.
2. Keep an on-going grocery list and plan your meals at least for 2 days at
   a time. This keeps you from eating out so much and making daily trips to the
   store.
3. Clean the kitchen sink and counters, pick up general household clutter,
   take out the trash, and open the mail at least every other day.
4. Go through your clothes at least once a year and toss out or give away
   the things you haven’t worn in 18 months.
5. Weed out toys every year. Throw away broken toys and give away those your
   kids don’t use anymore.
6. Empty the trash from your car when you fill up the tank.
7. Clean out purses, bags and luggage before storing them away.
8. Use a bowl or jar to hold change from your pockets.
9. Go through junk drawers and the refrigerator twice a year. Toss out items
   you no longer use.
10. Put photos into albums or boxes at least once a year – while you still
    remember the who, what, when, where information.

Organizing Gifts

There are sooo soo many great gifts for getting organized, but  if I had to narrow it down to my top 10, this is the list
Top 10 Gifts for Organizing

1. Gift certificate for organizing services
2. A label maker
3. Colored sharpie markers
4. A beautiful notebook
5. Fun post-it pads
6. Fun or Funky File Folders
7. Back-seat or trunk organizer
8. Attractive boxes
9. Magnetic board and fun magnets
10. Tupperware Modular Mates  or Rubbermaid Modular Canisters for pantry organizing

Clutterless Gifts Top 10

10 Clutterless Gift Ideas

For the person who has everything, and a little bit more.

1. Experiences – tickets to a show, game, concert, etc. This is a great way to give a
gift and enjoy time with the recipient as well if you go with them to the
event.

2. Edibles/consumables – coffee of the month, fruit of the month, chocolate of the
month, even bacon of the month. It’s all available. Or bake something yummy!

3. Magazine subscriptions – Magazines like Real Simple and Oprah’s magazine
regularly feature articles on organizing and life balance.

4. Memberships – to museums, health clubs, the zoo, etc.

5. Pampering gifts – lotions and oils, a gift certificate to a spa, a gift
certificate for a massage.

6. Lessons & classes – Golf, computer, art, tennis, yoga, gymboree,
gymnastics. You name it, there¹s a class for it. I know because I found
someone to teach me to juggle.

7. Hire a freelance. . . songwriter, puzzle-maker, poet or other artist to write something for your loved one!

8. You can  write a personalized poem, song, or make a work of art.

9. Flowers, balloons, wreaths, mini-Christmas trees and other decorations
that last for a while, but aren’t meant to be kept forever.

10. Give the gift of organization. Give a gift certificate from The
Professional Organizer.

Organize at Home Top 10

Top 10 Things Every Home Needs to Get Organized

1. A family Calendar that everyone can see and add to.

2. A label maker

3. Tickler Files: files that sit out on your table, desk, or counter to hold action items such as

TO DO
TO PAY
TO GO
TO FILE
PHONE LISTS
COUPONS/GIFT CERTIFICATES

4. White board or chalk board for leaving messages for one another

5. Laundry baskets in every bedroom and bathroom or a central location

6. Garbage cans in every room

7. A shredder

8. A gift wrap storage center.

In drawers, on shelves or hanging. It doesn’t matter. Just keep it all together and easy to maintain.

9. Greeting card & stationary center.

It can be a box or a drawer. This will end the problem of buying cards and losing track of them before it’s time to use them.

10. Small plastic bins. They keep lots of small things organized together and they stack to maximize space.

Organize the Nursery

Top 10 Things Every Nursery can use to Get Organized

It seems simple, but many people forget some of these essentials.

1. A calendar for easily marking milestones – First laugh, first tooth, etc.
2. A vinyl pocket shoebag to hold ointments and other items near the changing table
3. Garbage can
4. Laundry basket
5. Enough drawer & closet space for clean clothing
6. Small plastic bins. They keep lots of small things organized together and they stack to maximize space.
7. A place to display treasures
8. A place for books
9. Super – sticky post-its for marking what is in every drawer
10. A babysitter information document or notebook including:

a. your address
b. phone number
c. emergency numbers
d. poison control number
e. allergies
f. bedtime and bath procedures
g. meal preferences
h. permission to give medical treatment. (Read information below)

(Information and medical form are from: http://www.rogerknapp.com/medical/permission.htm)

Hospitals and physicians have been successfully sued for assault and battery for treating sick and injured children under the age of18 and unmarried without specific permission from legal guardians. Because of that, parents must now prepare legal documents for their babysitters or temporary guardians to use in urgent care visits. The following is an example authorization form. It’s always advisable to check with a lawyer, but the elements of an informed consent exist here and should be honored by most medical facilities.

Of course, if the situation is life threatening, the hospital would likely provide needed treatment. But in non-urgent situations, the staff, by law, must await permission. That permission must come from parents or legal guardians. It cannot come from brothers, sisters or even grandparents.

Please instruct your baby-sitter or other family member who regularly cares for a minor child to take the form with them to the Hospital Emergency Department should an emergency arise.

 

EMERGENCY CARE AUTHORIZATION

Name of Child (children):

I the undersigned give permission for caring for the above named Child(children) to
{Name of the person(s) who will be caring for the child}

Here is where I can be reached while away including phones and locations.

I hereby authorize the person(s) named above to sign for medical treatment of my child(ren)
between the following dates:
From: _______________ Until: ________________

Parent Signature: ___________________ Date: ____________________

Witnessed By: ________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________

Insurer: ______________________ Number: _______________________

EMERGENCY CARE INFORMATION

Child’s full name: _____________________________________
Date of Birth: _______________ Date last Tetanus Shot: ___________________
Child is allergic to the following medications: ________________________________ ( ) None
Child is taking the following medications: __________________________________ ( ) None
Child is diabetic, has other chronic condition or major illness:
_____________________________________________( ) None
Name of primary care physician and phone number___________________________________________

Organize the Office

Top 10 Things Every Office Can Use to Get Organized

1. A good wall calendar to keep track of events.

2. A label maker. Label every cord, file, and bin so you know what’s it in.

3. Tickler Files: files that sit out on your table, desk, or counter to hold action items such as To Do, To Pay, To Go, To File, To Enter, etc.

4. A business card notebook, file box, or scanner.

5. Garbage cans

6. A shredder

7. Supply cabinet

8. Off site records storage area. Don’t keep it nearby if you don’t use it monthly.

9. Small plastic bins.
* They keep lots of small things organized together and they stack to maximize space. Use very small bins in drawers as dividers for pens, paper clips, office tools, etc.

10. CD sharpie’s to label them immediately.