A Fun Job for a Great Organization!

I recently worked with the Arts and Crafts Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg - Berryhill Street Club to help organize the classroom in preparation for the new school year. It was a fun day of sorting and organizing lots of arts and crafts supplies!



As we were tackling this project, I learned that the Arts and Crafts room of the Club relies on donations for their supplies. So, if you happen to be organizing and purging in your own home and come across some supplies that you no longer use - please consider donating them to the Boys & Girls Club! While I think any new (not used) item would be appreciated, I know that they are always looking for the following supplies:

Washable Paint
Glitter
Elmer's Glue
Plastic Bins/Containers (all sizes)

The Boys & Girls Club serves the youth of their communities to help them become responsible citizens by developing their self-esteem and character, while providing physical, recreational, social, and cultural programming. To learn more about this great organization, visit the Boys & Girls Club of Central Pennsylvania website.

Happy Donating!

Check Out Thirty-One's New Products for Fall

Check out the new Thirty-One products in their Fall catalog, which is now available online. There are some great new organizing products as well as my old favorites in fun new patterns!

Visit my Thirty-One consultant's website.

Happy Browsing!

Moms - I need your help!

My mom and I were recently dining out and we were seated close to a family with three, young children. They ranged in age from probably 2-6 and were three of the most well-behaved children we have seen. They all played at the table nicely, talked with each other quietly, and ate their lunch pleasantly. We were in awe at how their parents managed to have such a peaceful meal out with the whole family.

We discovered the secret: their parents had brought along an "entertainment bag" for the children to keep them busy and interested. My mom and I started discussing how great of an idea this was and brainstormed ideas for the essential components of the perfect "entertainment bag" to take along when dining out with the family.

We decided that a bag for each child would probably work best. We think it would work well to keep the bag in your car and only use the items when you are dining out - this will keep them exciting for the kids. Some of the ideas we came up with to include in the bag are:

* Crayola Twistables Crayons - no breaking, no mess, and always stay sharp
* Coloring books or drawing pads
* A "special" bib that is only used when dining out - emphasize how "special" the bib is to encourage the child to keep it clean
* Fun utensils that are only used when dining out
* Table Topics Conversation Cards - keep the conversation interesting and fun for the kids

The components of the "entertainment bag" would vary depending upon the age of the child, of course.

So moms, what are some of your ideas for creating the "entertainment bag"? Post a comment below to share your thoughts. I will then organize all of your ideas and compile the Entertainment Bag for Dining Out Essentials! Thanks for your ideas!

Happy Brainstorming!

Organizing Statistic of the Day!

The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has compiled a great list of organizing statistics which show the benefits of getting organized. I plan to start sharing these stats on a regular basis. Here is the first one:

"The National Soap and Detergent Association says 80 percent of household clutter is the result of disorganization, not lack of space."

The best way to gain space in your home or office is to get rid of unnecessary clutter! Ask yourself these three questions to help with the process:

1) Do you use it?
If you have not used the item in the last year, then you do not use it. A year is a good time frame when considering if you use something as it covers each season.

2) Do you need it?
For example, the warranty information for your refrigerator - you may not have used it in the last year, but as long as it is still valid, you need it. This is something you would need to keep as long as it is valid. On the other hand, the warranty information for your old refrigerator, which you no longer have, is not needed.

3) Do you love it?
You may have a few items that you do not use and you do not need, but you may absolutely love them. For example, family heirlooms or childhood photographs. Items that you love, you should keep.

If the answer to all three of these questions is "no" - get rid of it!

Happy De-cluttering!

In Style Organization Launches New Website

I am very excited to announce that In Style Organization has launched a new website! Check it out: In Style Organization

Stylish Storage Solutions from Thirty-One

Photo source: www.thirtyonegifts.com

I love to help my clients create stress-free, stylish spaces in their homes and offices. Therefore, I am always looking for great organization products that offer function, style, and fit within the budget of my clients. Thirty-One has some of my favorite storage solutions that meet these needs!

Thirty-One strives "to bring you products that are functional, stylish, and affordable." They offer tons of options for storage totes, bags, and baskets, as well as several other organization products. These items come in a variety of colors and patterns; many have the option of adding personalized embroidery.

One of my favorite products is the Large Utility Tote--I use this for my "organizing tool kit" and take it along to all of my organizing jobs. I couldn't live without it! I also love the Square Utility Tote (pictured above)--this is perfect for storing children's toys, books, etc.

Thirty-One products are sold through consultants. My Thirty-One Consultant is Abbie Yocum Pappas. To find out more about Thirty-One's fabulous products and to view their online catalogue, visit Abbie's website: www.mythirtyone.com/ayp

Happy Shopping!

Organizing Gift Wrapping Supplies

Think of all of the occasions each year that you give gifts: Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Anniversaries, Birthdays, New Babies, Weddings, Graduations, and so on.

Now, think of all of your gift wrapping supplies associated with these occasions.

It’s likely that they’re scattered throughout your home and when it’s time to wrap a gift, you can never seem to find what you need. How many times have you bought a new roll of paper to wrap a wedding gift, not realizing that you already had one? How many times have you bought ribbon, forgetting you already had some at home? What about tissue paper, gift tags, bags, etc.?

If you struggle with an easy and convenient way to store all of these gift wrapping supplies in one place, and you want to find a way to stop buying what you already have, follow these simple steps to solve your gift wrapping storage problems.

1) Collect all of your gift wrapping supplies scattered throughout your home and gather everything in one place.

2) Sort all of the items into categories, for example: rolls of paper, gift bags, tags, tissue paper, ribbon, etc.

3) Look through all of the items, one category at a time, and decide if there is anything that can be tossed. As you go through the piles, ask yourself these simple questions:

* Are there any gift bags that are damaged? If so, recycle them.
* Are there any ribbon rolls that are holding only scraps? If so, toss them.
* Is there any tissue paper that is so wrinkled that you know you’ll never use it? If so, don’t keep it.

4) Sort your categories further, for example:

* Ribbon – sort ribbon by color, season, holiday, or size.
* Wrapping paper – sort by occasion (i.e. wedding, birthday, etc.).
* Gift bags – sort by occasion, holiday, or season.
* Tissue paper – sort by color.
* Gift tags – sort by occasion or season.

5) Make sure all of your categorizing and sorting is complete before you choose your storage container. I recommend, clear, plastic storage containers to store each of the categories. Here are some ideas of great options:

* Ribbon – use shoe-sized clear, plastic storage bins with lids. Package by color, season, holiday, or size.
* Wrapping paper – use a long, clear, plastic storage container with a lid. Make sure to measure your longest roll so that they fit properly. Package by occasion.
* Gift bags – use a clear, plastic filing box (see picture). Package by occasion, holiday, or season.
* Tissue paper – use a shoe-sized, clear, plastic storage container. Package by color.
* Gift tags – use zip-close bags. Package by occasion or season. Place zip-close bags in shoe-sized, clear, plastic storage container.

Assign your gift wrapping containers a permanent “home” in one convenient location in your home, preferably, close to wherever you do your gift wrapping. As you add new items to your supply, make sure to sort and store them by the categories that you have created. When you get your wrapping supplies out to package a gift, put them back in their “homes” when you’re done. When you need the item in the future, you will know right where to find it.

Happy Wrapping!

How do I recycle my broken metal patio table?

This may seem like a strange topic...

In our recent move to Minneapolis, several pieces of our furniture arrived broken or damaged. One item, our metal and glass patio table arrived damaged beyond repair. We are still using it, but it won't last long. As I was cleaning our patio over the weekend (since Spring has arrived in Minnesota...yippeee) I thought: "what in the world are we going to do with this table when it finally does collapse?" I remembered that I had recently received an e-mail from a fellow member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) in which she shared her favorite resource for finding local solutions to your recycling and donating problems.

It is: Earth911.com

Today, I checked it out. It is super easy to use - you just type in the item that you would like to recycle or donate and your location. It then gives you a listing of options in your area. The site also provides address, phone number, hours of operation, a list of accepted items, a link to their website (if they have one), etc.

I searched my area for everything from oil-based paints to computers (as these are items I've been frequently asked about). As I suspected, I found great options for all of these items. Best of all, when the time arrives, I will have several solutions for recycling my patio table.

Happy Recycling!

Easter Basket Idea!!

As I was putting together this basket, which will be donated by In Style Organization to the Junior League of Minneapolis' Spring Fling 2010 Silent Auction (to be held April 17, 2010 at the Wayzata Country Club) I thought - what a great idea for an Easter basket for a teenage or adult child!! Give the gift of organization!!

This basket includes a gift certificate for a four-hour organization session. I look forward to working with the winner!

Happy Easter!

Favorite Storage Solution for Seasonal Clothing

It's that time again - time to put your winter coats away and break out your fun spring and summer clothing! If you're looking for the perfect storage solution to store winter clothing, check out one of my favorite organizing products - the DIMPA storage cases from IKEA. Here is a link:

DIMPA Storage Case from IKEA


The DIMPA storage cases come in two sizes, I have three of the smaller size and love them! They fit perfectly under a bed, so it's a great way to gain some extra storage space. Plus, they are clear, which makes it really easy to see what's inside. Best of all, they zip closed, so they will keep your clothing dust-free. You may want to consider placing a cedar sachet or block inside to keep the moths away!

Quick tip:

While these DIMPA storage cases are perfect for seasonal clothing, there are many other uses as well:

Extra bedding - store your extra pillows, feather bed, or winter down comforter under your bed.

Guest linens and towels - keep your guestroom linens and towels dust-free.

Baby/Children's clothing - preserve your favorite children's clothing.

Toys - give your children an easy storage solution for toys. They can easily clean up toys, zip the case, and slide it under their bed.

Ski/Snow gear - keep your ski/snow clothing clean and safe. Pack your hats, helmets, gloves, and goggles away for the winter and free-up some precious storage space.

Camping gear - use the storage cases to store sleeping bags, camping mats, tents, pillows, etc. Just grab the bag when you're ready for your big summer camping trip!

Linens, bedding, towels for a summer trip - pack your bedding supplies for your summer rental house.

Gear for kid's summer camp - pack your kid's sleeping bag, pillow, towels, and clothing for summer camp.

Happy Packing!!

Organizing Book Collections

On Sunday morning, I was in one of my “I need to get rid of stuff” moods. This started as I was looking for an important document in our office storage cabinet. I quickly found the document, but noticed that our book collection was starting to over-take our office cabinet. This realization prompted an all-out organization session of our book collection (much to Joel’s dismay, as he was fearful of which of his books I might suggest we lose).

We soon realized that several of the books had already been read and would probably not be looked at ever again. There were out-of-date travel books, non-helpful language learning books (at least to us), and several of our one-time favorite books that we just didn’t need to hold on to any longer.

We quickly discussed each book and placed it in either of two piles, “keep” or “sell.” We organized the books to “keep” by subject and then by size, as this book organization system works best for us. Organizing by subject allows us to easily locate a book when we need it and then organizing by size allows the books to fit nicely into our cabinet. Therefore, it’s both efficient and effective. We put the books to “sell” into large, brown paper grocery bags (boxes work too) to take to our used book store to sell. We are very fortunate to have several used book stores in our area that will buy almost any used book in good condition. Books that they are unable to buy, they will donate or recycle. It’s a one-stop shop to getting rid of books. Plus, we can make some quick cash for books that we no longer use and were taking up precious storage space in our home!

Quick tip:
If you have a book collection, it is great to go through it at least once a year to determine if there are any books that you can sell, donate, or toss. Books can take up a lot of space in your home or office. Space means $$. Plus, almost every book is sellable, so you can even make some extra cash while clearing your book clutter! Or, if you prefer to donate, check out your local library as some will accept donated books. Also, there may be some organizations in your area that collect used books for an annual fundraising book sale.

Books you want to keep can be organized by subject, size, color, etc.. Organizing books by subject makes them easier to find, by size helps them to fit nicely into a shelf or cabinet, and by color may be the most eye pleasing if your books are visible. Make sure to pick an organization system that works best for you and stick to it! And remember, if you take a book from your collection to use, put it back where you found it when you’re done; this will save you a lot of time when you go to look for it in the future.

Happy Reading!