Organizing Gadgets for your Papers!

The 10 Habits of Highly Organized People

You know those folks who seem to have it all together? Experts say they follow a few simple rules.

By Sarah Stebbins of O, The Oprah Magazine.

1. Walk Away from Bargains

Just because you can buy a cashmere sweater for $20 or three bottles of ketchup for the price of one doesn't mean you should. "Ask, 'Do I have something similar?' and 'Where am I going to store it?' before making a purchase," advises New York City professional organizer Julie Morgenstern, author of Shed Your Stuff, Change Your Life.

2. Make Peace with Imperfection

Efficient people give "A-level effort" to the most important projects (say, work assignments or a kitchen redesign), and for the rest they do just enough to get the job done, says Renae Reinardy, PsyD, a psychologist who specializes in hoarding disorders. Maybe you give yourself permission to bring store-bought cookies to a school bake sale or donate a bag of stuff—unsorted!—to Goodwill. "Trying to do every task perfectly is the easiest way to get bogged down," says Reinardy.

3. Never Label Anything "Miscellaneous"

You put a bunch of things into a file or box and write this catchall across the front. "But within a week you've forgotten what's in there," says Morgenstern. Instead, sort items into specific groups—"electric bills," "lightbulbs," and so on.

4. Schedule Regular Decluttering Sessions

Rather than wait until an industrious mood strikes (we all know where that leads), have a decluttering routine in place—whether it's spending 15 minutes sorting mail after work or tackling a new project every Sunday afternoon.

5. Stick with What Works

"I have clients who will try every line of makeup, every cell phone—it's exhausting," says Dorothy Breininger, president of the Delphi Center for Organization. Don't waste time (and money) obsessively seeking out the best thing.

6. Create a Dump Zone

Find a space to corral all the stuff that you don’t have time to put away the moment you step in the door, says Breininger. Once you’re ready to get organized, you won’t have to hunt all over the house for the dry cleaning or your child’s field trip permission slip.

7. Ask for Help

"The organized person is willing to expose herself to short-term embarrassment and call for backup," says Breininger. Which is to say, that elaborate four-course dinner you planned? Change it to a potluck.

8. Separate Emotions from Possessions

It's healthy to be attached to certain items—a vase you picked up in Paris, your grandmother's pearls. But holey concert tees or cheap, scuffed earrings your husband gave you years ago? Just let them go.

9. Foresee (and Avoid) Problems

You wouldn't leave the house on a gray day without an umbrella, right? People who appear to sail through life unruffled apply this thinking to every scenario, says Breininger. Have a cabinet packed with leaning towers of Tupperware? Organized folks will take a few minutes to short-circuit an avalanche before it happens. (In other words, rearranging that cupboard now is easier than chasing after wayward lids as they scatter underneath the fridge.)

10. Know Where to Donate

It's easier to part with belongings if they're going to a good home. Identify a neighbor's son who fits into your child's outgrown clothes, or choose a favorite charity. "It will save you from searching for the perfect recipient every time you need to unload something," says Morgenstern.

Read more:http://www.oprah.com/home/How-to-Stay-Organized-Tips-from-Organized-People#ixzz1jZv86ml8

Organizing Bathroom with Multiple Users - and little storage space.

Here is a question from a Facebook Fan:
I have a question...how would you best organize a bathroom that is shared by three girls? (Don't laugh--:)) It has a 1/2 a cabinet on each side of the vanity, four square drawers in the middle and one medicine cabinet. There is a relatively good amount of space, but it's vague, kind of narrow and deep I guess. It's mostly the drawers that stump me. Not sure if I should fill one with headbands, another with brushes, etc. Or, if I should give each girl a drawer. Any suggestions?

Hello Distracted Mamma! Three girls and one bathroom, oh boy! No worries, we'll get that organized. I think that even if the girls share their hair supplies, on the long run they probably won't, so I think it's smart to give each one a drawer where you can keep the small, basic items each one uses: elastic/headbands, brush, combs and the like. On the larger (half-cabinet) area you could use long and narrow boxes (you can try Itso boxes from Target) or even kitchen utensils organizers, to have a tray you can pull in and out for easy access and that will make better use of a deep and narrow cabinet. Here you can have extra soaps, shampoos, body wash, tooth paste, Q-tips and items like these. On the other side you can store paper towels and hand towels (I'm assuming you have a linen closet and towels go there?) On the medicine cabinet I love to use a Medicine Cabinet Organizer in at least one of the shelves. You can keep everything medicine in there. When buying your organizing supplies always buy the same colors you decide to use in the space for everything, or if you prefer to organize the girls by color (I have twins and that's how people tell them apart!:-)) go for coordinating colors. If you have the space under the sink, use one of these gadgets: http://images.containerstore.com/catalogimages/110134/UmbraHideNSinkBathroom_a.jpg but my favorite arrangement here really is a shelf riser with 2-3 Itso bins underneath. I hope this helps you and simplifies the girls (and yours!) daily routine. If this doesn't help, send me pictures! I'll make sure you get an answer. :-)

http://images.containerstore.com/catalogimages/110134/UmbraHideNSinkBathroom_a.jpg

images.containerstore.com

Garage Organizing!

Are you parking outside? Is the clutter inside? :-)

Here are my tips!

4 STEPS TO A 
MORE USEFUL GARAGE

Don't let your garage become the household catch-all. Use this great space to park your cars, store your stuff and more!

Helena Alkhas is a professional organizer and military spouse who has moved her family five times in the last 10 years. Her experience and expertise will help you take stock of your garage inventory and make the best use of space.

DEFINE YOUR SPACE(S)

Before you begin, Alkhas recommends asking yourself, "What is my goal for this garage?"

• Do you want to use it just for parking the cars?
• Do you want to use it for storage?
• Do you want to create a play area? A mudroom? A workshop?

Once the space is empty, use masking tape to mark on the floor the zones you want for the activity areas you've defined. This will help you get a better idea of whether or not your plan is doable. If not, just rethink your space allocation.
Today's great garages >>

SORT, PURGE AND SORT AGAIN

Next, give your garage-cleaning efforts a fair chance by committing to sort and purge all of your items with honest assessments:

• Do I need this?
• Is this something I can inexpensively replace?
• Will I have the space to store this?

As you go through the stuff in your garage, make a plan to put every item in one of three piles: keep, donate or trash. Make firm plans to rid your garage of the donate and trash piles, and then sort all the keepers according to the activity areas you defined above.
7 Ways to make your garage sale a success >>

GO VERTICAL

The garage is the best place to create and utilize vertical storage. Determine the type of storage that best enables you to use up as much wall space as you can.
Larger items that aren't used on a regular basis, such as camping supplies and holiday decorations, can be stored up higher -- even hung from the bceiling. Leave easy-to-access wall storage for items you'll need more often, such as sports gear, bulk grocery items and pet food.
Use clear bins and totes for storage. You can stack them and easily identify what's inside. Consider color-coding your totes -- use red and green lids for Christmas decorations, orange lids for fall décor, white lids for food items, etc.
Safeguard your garage and its valuable contents >>

ADD INTEREST

A garage doesn't have to look industrial with exposed beams or cinderblock walls. Improve yours as you would an indoor room to bring energy and life to the space.
Walls. Use paint to soften the room or to define various spaces, such as the play area or your workshop. "Cover one wall of the garage play area with magnetic chalkboard paint," says Alkhas, who has three young boys. Attach buckets to the wall for chalk, magnetic pins and other art supplies on hand. "The kids can do messy projects here rather than in the house," Alkhas adds. "IKEA has great products for an area like this."
Floors. Floors can get a fun makeover, too. You can paint them -- think color blocks or stripes. Consider laying a new floor, such as FLOR mix-and-match washable carpet squares, or a durable, snap-together G-Floor system.
Lights. Pay attention to lighting. "Most spaces have only the garage-door opener for light," says Alkhas. Consider including track lighting on the walls. "It's wonderful to be able to find what you're looking for in a well-lit space."

I4U Blog posted on November 2011
She Knows

Helena's take on creating a great Living Room - as posted on iHow1 on Nov 19, 2011

CREATE A GREAT LIVING ROOM

The name “living room” says it all: You spend most of your home life in it. But you also welcome guests there; it is the most public room of your house and the one in which you want to make a statement and reflect who you are as a family.

You want your living room’s design to showcase your sense of style but still exude comfort and be long on function. Keep the room’s uses in the forefront, and add personal flair with design and decor for a room that both lets your family kick off their shoes and makes guests say “wow.”

In a great living room, function and design meet in one outstanding space.

THE BIG PICTURE

Arrange the furniture so it can fulfill its function, with a reading chair supplied with plenty of natural and artificial light. (photo: Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images)

The first step in designing any space in your home is to determine your style. Begin by looking at photos of color schemes, furniture and floor plans to find inspiration, advised Marcia Prentice, a California-based interior designer.

“Once you have a good grasp on your design style, start putting together a plan for the design with furniture, accessory and lighting selections, along with a coordinating color scheme,” Prentice said.

Choosing a design plan involves assessing the scale, shape and mood of the room while allowing ample walk-through space.

“Oversize furniture in a small space commands the space and actually makes the room appear larger than its actual square footage,” Prentice said. “Start with the foundation of the room — accessories, light fixtures and window treatments are much easier to match to the furniture pieces than vice versa.”

Furniture placement could be a challenge, but it is a very important step in the design process, especially if the room has unusual architectural features that you want to spotlight.

“There are a few ways to highlight your living room’s unique architectural features, such as incorporating built-ins or having a custom sofa built to fit your unique space or to fit the contour of curved windows,” Prentice said.

Furniture arrangement also should accommodate how the room is used. For instance, the seating should be in a good position to see the television and fireplace but also allow for good walking patterns so the room does not become a maze of twists and turns.

“Flow and function are important when laying out any room, but challenge yourself to keep furnishings away from walls,” said Boston interior designer John Stefanon. “Allow them to flow in the room — a sofa doesn’t need to be under the focal window. Often, the layering of the room with respect to flow creates an intriguing space.”

Think outside of the box when placing furniture. For example, not every living room needs a sofa and a loveseat. Four comfy chairs situated around a large, interesting coffee table may allow for more seating and a better conversation area. How this idea works depends on how you use your living room.

THE ART OF COMPROMISE

A remodeling or design project can test even the most secure relationship. How do you meet in the middle when you want inviting Tuscan and your partner wants Green Bay Packer glamor?

Gina Samarotto of the Samarotto Design Group suggested running with it. “A football helmet lamp might be an eyesore, but even his favorite football photos can be part of an elegant room if you make matte black-and-white prints and frame a collection in thick, architectural frames,” she said.

Take something he likes and showcase it in a way you love, Samarotto said.

A successful design project is about compromise, said Kerry Howard of KMH Interiors. That might mean giving up that lava lamp for modern lighting features that still pack a punch, but a more subdued one.

“When a couple works together on the design of a room, they must remember to give and take a little and meet in the middle on their design choices,” Howard said. “It is important for both parties to be happy with the spaces they create together.”

BASIC BONES

Consider the kind of natural light your room receives before you decide on paint colors. (photo: Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images)

A great living room design requires special attention to color and lighting. Consider the natural light in the room before determining paint colors, suggested Helena Alkhas, a San Diego-based professional organizer.

Choose which mood you are going for: cozy or airy.

“Darker colors will create a cozier, intimate space but will need help from lighter, neutral colors on fabrics, rugs and window treatments to help spread the light around,” she said. “Lighter colors will do the trick of creating a brighter, more relaxed environment.”

Mary Lawlor, manager of color marketing for Kelly-Moore Paints, recommended evaluating the room’s accents before choosing a wall color so that you achieve the effect you want.

“Homeowners should consider existing elements, such as flooring and furnishings, fireplace brick, lighting — both natural and artificial — windows and window coverings, room shape and ceiling height,” she said.

Typically avoid bright, pure colors, Lawlor advised. However, she added: “Some bold colors are worth using. Rich, warm reds such as [Kelly-Moore's] Vegas Redrock, High Society and Potter’s Clay are widely popular today as they naturally complement the colors of flooring and cabinetry found in today’s home. They make a bold and fashionable color statement yet are easy to live with.”

On the other hand, neutral colors and earth tones offer those who fear color in broad swaths the option of a fashionable look. “These neutrals look fabulous with splashes of accenting colors that will satisfy those who love using color,” Lawlor said, adding that they’ll also help create a peaceful backdrop for family activities.

When you think about flooring, consider how your space will be used. If your living room is a high-traffic area for children and pets, the best choice may be resistant, durable and easy-to-maintain flooring, such as stain-resistant carpet or laminates and hardwoods.

Flooring is dependent on personal taste and geographic location, said DeAnna Radaj of Bante Design. Carpeting may provide warmth in colder climates, whereas low-maintenance, hard-surface flooring may work better for families with busy lifestyles. Choose the option that follows the function of your room but also works with its design style and mood.

“I prefer wood flooring and utilizing area rugs to help anchor furniture arrangements and add warmth to the room,” Radaj said.

ACCENTS MAKE A STATEMENT

An area rug can be used on the floor or hung on the wall, to great effect. (photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images News/Getty Images)

Adding your own personal touches with accessories and accents makes a living room feel welcoming for family and guests.

Prentice suggested expressing your personal style with one major piece. “A great piece of art can elevate the living room design and become the focal point of the room,” she said. “Splurge on at least one item for the living room that creates the ‘wow’ factor.”

An inspiration piece also adds a personal touch to the room’s design. An unusual modern lamp, interesting throw pillows, centerpiece area rug or arrangement of framed photos make a big statement, enhance the focal point — or serve as one — and often become a conversation piece.

The key is to not overcrowd the room. If space is an issue, Alkhas, the professional organizer, recommended adding ottomans that can slide under a sofa table or bench that can be used for seating and storage.

“[Achieving] a clutter-free room is half of [creating] a pleasant room,” Alkhas said. “Make use of cabinets with doors to store toys and games. Once closed, your room looks clean and organized again and you can enjoy the space.”

A Personal Organizer on Living Room!

Mommy Central: Creating Order in Daily Life.

On most households with children, coming in and out of the house can generate enough chaos to make you forget what you need, what you were doing before your little one dropped the milk and to make you feel like you are never on control of things.

As a mother of three young boys, if I don’t pay attention, things can spiral out of control pretty quickly in the morning, and when we come back home to homework routines.

Because I want to enjoy more time doing the things I like, with the people I love and I want my house to feel good, I created what I call Mommy Central.

Mommy Central is a place, close to your most used door, for your "landing" and "take-off", where you will have the following items, readily available for daily use. With these tools in place, you will be able to smooth the morning and afternoon routines and help the kids develop responsibility for their belongings.


- Wall hooks for coats, jackets and backpacks – there is a huge array of types of hooks and you can get very creative with them, by using cute drawer knobs, painted in different colors, installed at different heights, or just buy a ready-made one (usually around $20.) and hang it on the wall.

- Shoe storage solution – Ikea cubby bench, revolving shoe tower, behind the door shoe storage, a small, inexpensive bin for each child, anything to curb the clutter and dust from the shoes.
- Gloves, hats and scarves storage area: bins, baskets, see-through mesh bags hang on hooks on the inside of a closet door.

- File box with labeled files for each child, teacher, volunteering activity you participate and school communications. If your children have additional activities like sports, music, arts, tutoring, include an extra labeled manila type folder inside the file with their names. You can use a color for each child to make it even easier to find! Just like mine!

- A calendar – in my case, because our Mommy Central is on a very visible area, where guests will walk through when going to the powder room, I decided to use a table top one, from Post it. You can use anyone you like and that works for you, on the wall or table top. Table top calendar solution.

- A message board – I use a magnetic one to avoid push-pins falling on the floor and causing accidents. Message Board

- Pencils and pens, paper clips and small Post it notes. Cute Pencil Cups!

- Two magazine holders for each child, labeled with their names.
o One for school materials that don’t need to go back to school every day, like a language class book, called “BRING TO SCHOOL”; and another one for the work they did in class, tests etc. that comes home in their folders, “LEAVE AT HOME”. Bright & easy to spot magazine holders

Have fun with it and remember that this project is a time and money well invested: you will have less stress, your home will look organized, function better and you won’t be complaining with the kids all the time. One less thing on your list!

Product Options:

Ikea Expedit ($69.00) – can be used standing or sideways. If standing, you can use the side of it to install hooks for jackets and backpacks, to hang your calendar and message board. Is a very versatile product that always looks good and delivers! The most versatile IKEA Product ever!

Ikea shoe storage bench – I have an older model, that has cubbies, and it has served us for a very long time and still going strong. You can paint it in any color and have a cushion made too! Now Ikea has this model it’s a great solution for only $49.00. Shoe Storage Bench: Make it yours! Or get one already done!


Revolving shoe tower – This has been a new solution for us and it’s working great, because the boys ‘see” it and use it. Plus, they have fun turning the tower! It’s available in several heights, finishes and it’s very easy to assemble.

Message board – You can find all sorts of message boards on stores these days. From Ballard Desings to Target you will find all shapes and prices! If you have small kids, stick to magnetic boards. Kids love to use the push pins and accidents will most likely happen, even more, if like us, you don’t wear shoes inside the house. The "have it all" system!

Calendars – again, the selection is huge. Go with your house flow and pick one you like. Here are some Mommy favorites! Up a notch calendar!

 Here our own version!

A Better Use for that Prime Real Estate!

Helena Alkhas is a professional organizer and military spouse who has moved her family five times in the last 10 years. Her experience and expertise will help you take stock of your garage inventory and make the best use of space.

DEFINE YOUR SPACE(S)

Before you begin, Alkhas recommends asking yourself, "What is my goal for this garage?"

• Do you want to use it just for parking the cars?
• Do you want to use it for storage?
• Do you want to create a play area? A mudroom?  A workshop?

Once the space is empty, use masking tape to mark on the floor the zones you want for the activity areas you’ve defined. This will help you get a better idea of whether or not your plan is doable. If not, just rethink your space allocation.

Today's great garages >>

SORT, PURGE AND SORT AGAIN

Next, give your garage-cleaning efforts a fair chance by committing to sort and purge all of your items with honest assessments:

• Do I need this?
• Is this something I can inexpensively replace?
• Will I have the space to store this?

As you go through the stuff in your garage, make a plan to put every item in one of three piles: keep, donate or trash. Make firm plans to rid your garage of the donate and trash piles, and then sort all the keepers according to the activity areas you defined above.

7 Ways to make your garage sale a success >>

GO VERTICAL

The garage is the best place to create and utilize vertical storage. Determine the type of storage that best enables you to use up as much wall space as you can.

Larger items that aren’t used on a regular basis, such as camping supplies and holiday decorations, can be stored up higher -- even hung from the bceiling. Leave easy-to-access wall storage for items you’ll need more often, such as sports gear, bulk grocery items and pet food.

Use clear bins and totes for storage. You can stack them and easily identify what’s inside. Consider color-coding your totes -- use red and green lids for Christmas decorations, orange lids for fall décor, white lids for food items, etc.

Safeguard your garage and its valuable contents >>

ADD INTEREST

A garage doesn’t have to look industrial with exposed beams or cinderblock walls. Improve yours as you would an indoor room to bring energy and life to the space. 

Walls. Use paint to soften the room or to define various spaces, such as the play area or your workshop. "Cover one wall of the garage play area with magnetic chalkboard paint," says Alkhas, who has three young boys. Attach buckets to the wall for chalk, magnetic pins and other art supplies on hand. "The kids can do messy projects here rather than in the house," Alkhas adds. "IKEA has great products for an area like this."

Floors. Floors can get a fun makeover, too. You can paint them -- think color blocks or stripes. Consider laying a new floor, such as FLOR mix-and-match washable carpet squares, or a durable, snap-together G-Floor system.

Lights. Pay attention to lighting. "Most spaces have only the garage-door opener for light," says Alkhas. Consider including track lighting on the walls. "It’s wonderful to be able to find what you’re looking for in a well-lit space."

From SheKnows website. Link bellow!
Tips for de-cluttering your garage!

Our Favorite Room Posted @ PotteryBarn.com!

As long as I can remember I have enjoyed moving the furniture around the house, experimenting new ways of using a room, a piece of furniture and the objects from my mother's home. Now, with my own family, constant relocations and a full house to decorate and organize, I have plenty of room to experiment and put into practice what I learn.


Just uploaded our "front room", as we call it and I hope you like as much as we do!


Send me your own design ideas and your pictures. I will love to see them!

Our Front Room is where we take time to read or just be quiet.

Our Living Room @ Potterybarn.comPublish Post

What are the organizers talking about!?

Check out this great invention!
It gives you more space between double hangers and it's a snap (no pun intended!) to use.


Hook-less hangers!

It's such a clever product!

Sheets with Pockets Keep you Bedside Table Neat!

Traveling? Take these little ones with you. They sleep through the night. Promise!

Smart (and cute) Traveling Containers!