Tampilkan postingan dengan label Organization. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Organization. Tampilkan semua postingan

Recessed Bathroom Storage

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Selasa, 29 Oktober 2013 0 komentar
I hate wasted space, so the idea of using the wall space behind the shower as recessed storage I find brilliant! The application of my particular space, not so brilliant. I'm afraid this space needed a little de-uglify-ing, and a quite bit of organization. What do you think?



While I was initially happy to have storage space behind closed doors, and I think the creative idea of using shutters as cabinet doors is fantastic, I'm afraid these doors aren't doing the job. Sadly they were not installed very well, so one cabinet door keeps banging against the bathroom door, while the other only occasionally stays closed. I think each and every member of this family has banged their head on that cabinet door at least twice. *wince* Time to remove these obnoxious things.



Some jobs are easier said than done... the doors are finally removed after many days of chipping paint off screws, then crying and gnashing of teeth trying to remove the stripped screws! I was not pleased with the condition of the wood trim, but I can't seem to remove the trim without causing cracks in the walls! Because of the way in which these shelves and trim have been installed, I've decided I can't risk damage by removal, and I will just have to make the best of it. I'm adding a little extra trim to the shelves, chipping and smoothing as much old paint as possible, and giving it a fresh coat.



I admit I am still not pleased with the trim, but a paint job will help freshen things up a bit. The blue-grey paint is the same used on the Painted Vanity to bring some continuity to the space. A few more coats of white paint on the trim, and I'll be ready to organize!

If you are going to have open storage, it has to be pretty as well as practical. In my opinion there is no prettier (or more practical) storage solution than baskets. I have quite a few items that I need to organize and stored in this bathroom, so I'm going to need a few good baskets.



Why are baskets so expensive? I'm seriously considering a weaving class. Thankfully I got a half decent deal on some large baskets at Kohls that fit perfectly....and just! You know how I am about coupons (it's a full-on love affair!), so you can't imagine my glee when I found one coupon for $5 off any Kohls purchase of $5 or more, and Kohls $10 off coupon!! Combining high value coupons with 70% off sales = 3 large baskets and a very happy me! 



I also wanted a few smaller baskets in a similar dark shade for the girls to store smaller easy grab items such as their hair brushes, soap, and wash cloths. I couldn't find any, but I did stain a few baskets which worked perfectly! These little baskets made the perfect 'easy grab' storage for hair brushes, soap, and wash rags. 



Of course, baskets don't hold the market on storage. I also love kitchen gear in just about any room used as storage. I've used jars, serving trays, cups, and now bowls as storage! These spray painted bowls hold hair bands and nail clippers in easy reach of the kids, and the higher up bowls hold cotton balls, nail & foot brushes, bath fizzers, and more!



I'm so happy everything fit back in this bathroom I could cry. A little dramatic? Yeahhh, I really hated the storage before. Now, I did store a few of these containers under the painted vanity, but other than that, everything fit perfectly (with room to spare) in the recessed storage area. As a matter of fact, I had so much room to spare, I didn't know what to do with the extra shelf space...well this is a first! 



So, what do you think of the open recessed storage now?




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Closet Organization

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Senin, 23 September 2013 0 komentar
I live in the snow belt of Northeast Ohio, so I need my coat closet like you wouldn't believe. A practical closet that keeps everything we need in immediate reach, neatly organized so we don't need to search is what I had in mind when I first set out to makeover my closet. Well, I'm over-the-moon to finally put everything back into my closet, and add the final organizational touches! And not a moment too soon, this week has been a cold one. *pout* I should have moved somewhere warm.



Make A List, Check It Twice...
The first step to getting the most out of my closet was to make a list of all the things I expect of it and organize accordingly.
I've gotten off to a great start by creating a practical layout, adding lots of hooks, building cubby shelves, and even making a key organizer, now on to the final organizational touches!

Purse Hangers
Remember these handy babies? I first used them in my middle munchkin's closet to wrangle her little purse collection. Boy they start young! *tee hee*
Not only do they work wonders in her room, but I can keep my frequent use purses in one place, right by the front door. Trust me, I need to do this. If I don't I am the one running frantically around the house looking for the purse with my wallet, and of course it will be 5 minutes after I should have already left for an appointment. *hands thrown up in the air* I don't do late...I hate late.




Can you believe these pretty little things are cheap shower curtain hooks from a thrift store? Here it is in it's original condition, but a simple twist of the thin metal hook and it becomes an ideal purse hanging hook. (And no, it did not require my husbands muscles to bend. *grin* Mine were good enough!). It is better than using extra sturdy non-bendable shower curtain hooks. It allows my purses to face to the side rather than forward, so the straps aren't twisted and they store more conveniently while taking up less space.



Basket Storage
I love baskets. I think they make for the prettiest form of storage! *happy sigh*
Before I even finished this coat closet I put in my baskets and tried them out to see what the best most convenient use of them would be. After a week of use, I discovered the ideal use of these baskets fitted to the way we live.



Basket #1 will sit on the floor under the shoe shelf to hold all our reusable grocery bags. Before a trip to Aldi I let the girls gather up the bags into one bag, and after our trip they know just where to fold and put them away! My darling little helpers! (Please excuse my proud mama moment). 



In addition to the basket below that stores bags, I keep three baskets on the shelf above. 
Basket #2 serves to catch all items that need to be returned to the store, or to a person. Every time I have a guests someone inevitably leaves something behind.



In basket #3 I keep our special occasion scarves, wraps, and purses. They are so rarely used I was loath to allow them to take up space in my tiny bedroom closet, so this serves as the perfect home for these guys!


Basket #4 holds special occasion winter gear. This isn't every day winter gear -that is stored in easy access in an over-the-door shoe organizer. Nope, I keep the kids extra nice winter gear up high so they aren't tempted to use them for muddy outdoor snow fights. These babies only come out for church or events! 



Over-the-Door Storage
Every winter day we do the same dance...every. single. winter. day. *grimace*
Just as I am ready to head out the door, after asking the girls for the fifth time if they have used the bathroom, gotten their shoes and coats on, have all necessary cold weather gear, someone inevitably says "oh mom, but I couldn't find my other glove!". *ugh* Then we spend 20 minutes searching for this munchkins hat, and that munchkins missing glove, which we won't find. WHY??
This over-the-door organizer serves as a much needed sanity saver! Each family member gets two spaces. That leaves two spaces that are used for special occasion items and generic gloves for visiting guests who didn't anticipate our outdoor winter antics. *mischievous grin*




Each child has their frequent use hat, gloves, and scarf set in one space, with an extra alternate color set and/or heavier glove set in the second space. When we leave the house, they can reach in and grab the desired trio, and when we come back the first thing they are required to do is put them away immediately. No more frantic searching!!!


All it takes is a few practical organization solutions to make your winter outings easy and stress free! I am officially ready for cold weather...well, no - no I'm not. But at least my closet is! *flex* BRING IT winter!  (no, I'm sorry, don't bring it...don't)


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Bag Clips... Wrangled!

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Rabu, 05 Juni 2013 0 komentar
Oh. My. Goodness. AGAIN?? Today I had in mind to prepare this delicious spinach & mushroom torte on a bed of wild rice. I planned this a week ago and made sure to buy all the necessary ingredients. Then today I went to grab the bag of spinach out of the fridge and...well, the bag had been opened by someone  and left opened, and most of the spinach was dried up! Last week I discovered someone hadn't closed the chips and they had gone stale, yesterday I found that my recently purchased vanilla wafer cookies were also left open and gone stale, and now the spinach had gone. Oh, and this is a regular occurrence in my kitchen, with the excuse always being "I would have clipped it shut, but I couldn't find the clips".  Ok, this was just too much for me. I planned for that spinach to go in 3 different meals this week, and I hate wasting food and subsequently money. I threw my hands up in the air, ordered Chinese food, and put myself in time-out the rest of the afternoon (a mommy break where the kids aren't allowed to disturb). A bit melodramatic for spinach right? Well sometimes it's the smallest things that serve as that "straw that broke the camels back".  I swear, being a mom is going to make me a saint...or loony-bin crazy.  
Sometimes it's the millions of little frustrating things that can cause compounding stress. I say anything to help reduce the stress of the little details is FANTASTIC! 
So today I've decided to get rid of that one tiny little stressor amid the sea of stresses. I am creating a place to store those bag clips so that they there will never be no excuse for not closing bags properly after opening them. Of course, I will still have to train them to use the method...but hopefully a little time and training will alleviate more years of stale food frustration. 

Simple Solutions
I purchased a magnetic dry erase board and adhered strips of magnetic tape to the back so it could attach to the refrigerator. Overly simple idea? Maybe, but at least those clips have a home and won't continue to elude us when needed. Are clips the ideal solution for food storage, probably not, but they sure are the cheapest until I can figure out something better!

One Month Later:I literally waited a month to publish this post just so I could share the results. I am happy to report that (to my surprise) the kids were right...the only reason they didn't close things properly was because they couldn't find clips! (So why didn't they just ask?? ....kids. *sigh*)
After wrangling those clips, I sat my kids down (and memo'd the hubby) and explained the importance of not wasting food and money, and how part of that was being responsible enough to close and put away food properly. I also stated that if any food item went bad or went stale because they chose not to close it properly I would charge them $1 for each food item they allowed to go bad. To a 5, 7, & 8 year old $1 is a LOT of money! (Especially since they don't receive an allowance, and do odd jobs to earn their money.) Well, I haven't had another incident since! Thank goodness! *wink*
Now when I reach for the spinach, or the chips, or my vanilla wafers, they are just the way I bought them...fresh! Yep, clips may not be ideal food storage method, but they work! *excited fist pump*




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For The Love of Plano Boxes

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Senin, 27 Mei 2013 0 komentar
Ahhh, there is nothing better than seeing small things organized in clear containers with dividers. It is positively yummy, so when one of my fav organizers Alejandra Costello shared how she organizes her nails and batteries, I thought "oh duhh, why haven't I already done that?". Sometimes, it's the obvious that eludes me *airhead moment?*. 

Organizing your little things in plano boxes is the perfect afternoon organizing project. Short and sweet, but leaves you feeling a great sense of accomplishment! 

Purchasing Plano Boxes
A couple quick tips when purchasing plano boxes: 
1. Search different departments of the store for the best plano storage. Sometimes the bead & sewing department will have what you are looking for, but the fishing and tackle department will have something cheaper. The hardware department will often have better adjustable plano options, and occasionally I'll find something in the office supply department! Scour the store before choosing. 


Organizing Picture Hanging Tools
From hooks and sawtooth hangers, to rubber grips and command strips...keep everything you need to hang a picture or decorative accessory all together in one storage container. Rather than running back and forth to find something that works better, everything can be right there with you while you work on dressing your walls! 



Organizing Batteries
Nothing is worst than searching high and low for several elusive packages of varying sized batteries. It seems like everyday someone is asking "mooom, my toy isn't working again, where can we find the AA batteries?"..."Honey, I need the size C batteries, I found the D's and the AAA's, but where is the package of C's???" ... blegh! I don't know. I never know. Well darlings, now I always know! The battery storage box stay's in one place, and if some munchkin hijacked it and it isn't were it belongs, at least this huge box is easy to find and all the sizes are all together! I used a regular large sized plano box, but only because I found a bunch at a thrift store for a steal. If you are purchasing a storage box for your batteries, I suggest you go online and purchase one specifically designed to fit batteries upright. It is a better use of space, and money!



Organizing Nails
Again, not having to run back to the garage to find a different size nail for my projects is...well, just plain old smart! It saves time and money, and although I salvage everything I can, it is important to be able to see just what I have at a glance so I'm not wasting money buying things twice over.  


Organizing Screws
I organize my screws, nuts, bolts, and washers in separate storage boxes as well. It is helpful to keep them organized by size and type when you use them frequently or salvage them.


Organizing Miscellaneous Bits
You know all those miscellaneous little parts you're not sure where to put, or there is only a few (if not one) of a kind? Yep! Create a "hardware junkie" plano box storage! I am creative, which means that not all of these parts will be used as intended but will solve some problem, and I am always happy I kept it!



Buy A Carrier
You can usually buy plano boxes + carrier in the hardware or fishing section of your store, and it is worth the extra couple bucks if you have lots of planos! 
Keeping your plano boxes containing companion materials together is helpful! If I store my nuts, bolts, and washers separately, then I will need to carry them all together when tackling a project that requires all parts. 
The handle folds down flush with the box when sitting sideways, then can easily be swung out when carried upright.



So go, take a moment to organize your little things that are easily lost. Those beads and crafty bits, your screws and hardware, batteries, a junk drawer! Any and every thing you can think of!



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Princess Pink Closet

Posted by sew4tejhtr6ier Selasa, 26 Maret 2013 0 komentar
Yes, I know we are right in the middle of our fantastic Interviewing the Incredibles series, but I just couldn't wait to share my latest project! I mean, with all this great information and inspiration from the superheroes of organization and diy, you wouldn't believe all the things getting done in my house. Plus, one of the upcoming "Incredibles" being featured, Jen from IHeart Organizing, is also sharing my latest project! Eeep! I'm so honored! Her blog is to drool for!! 
Well, there may not be skeletons in my little one's closet, but everything else sure is in there! Remember when you were little and cleaning your room was difficult? You would stow that item you had no idea what to do with, and inevitably your mom would check the closet or under the bed, and then you were in trouble and still stuck with those items you didn't know what to do with! It didn't seem fair. Was that only my childhood? 
Well, let's see if we can't make keeping a neat closet a bit easier for our kiddos. I wanted this closet to be cute, but very functional and inexpensive. So I am sharing all the details that make this closet work to that end!
Here are a my organizing tips and budget friendly decor fixes...



Assembling For The Perfect Layout
From the very outset it is important to plan your closet layout according to your child's particular needs. Make a checklist of items your child needs to store in their closet, and draw a rough draft of where you want shelving to go. Make sure that you allocate upper shelves for out-of-season storage, or items you are willing to be responsible for, and make everything else within your child's reach or plan to purchase a small step stool. 

Keep your costs down when purchasing a closet system by choosing the non name-brand hardware, hang tracks, and standards...these parts tend to be universal. Then if you like a particular brands shelves, rods, and brackets you can opt to purchase those separately to fit on your track and standard.  



It's All In The Details...

Clothing Tags: Sometimes it's the littlest things that spark inspiration and motivation. Creating these clothing label tags is what finally set me into motion organizing this closet to begin with! 
These tags are made from paint chip swatches...yes I said paint chips! Easy and free is always best, and you can learn how to make them here! in the post I include these same cute font printouts for you to make your own perfectly princess labels
Now my munchkin knows just where to hang each item so it doesn't get lost in the clothing hubbub. Keep it simple for younger children, I stick to categorizing "dresses", "pants", and "shirts" for my youngest... I added "jackets" for my middle munchkin.
I also use these hanging tags on her dresser...which is why you'll find extra categories on the label printouts.



Purse Hangers: Rather than spending money on purse holding hooks, I picked up some cheap (but pretty) shower curtain hooks at a Goodwill thrift store and simply bent the end tab to face the side. The trick is to find the cheap hooks you can bend by hand... anything else will be too sturdy! At $3 for a bag full of hooks, thrifty can't be beat. I used the rest of these hooks in my entryway closet to store purses...I absolutely love them!



Scarves & Shawls
During the winter months I keep frequently used scarves organized in the entryway closet. Less used scarves, shawls, and fancy neck wraps are kept neatly in this wooden crate. You can find small wooden boxes at your local fabric or craft store and give it a coat of paint, or like me, just scour the thrift stores for little wooden crates. I found this little guy for $1. Extra hats or other miscellaneous out-of-season items could also be kept here.  



Canvas Bins
I love canvas bins! Label your bins using a little piece of the paint chip you used to make clothing tags, it adds a pop of color consistent with the rest of your design. Canvas bins make for great storage, I think they are attractive, and the best part...after a little couponing they are just my kind of price! *wink*  
I  purchased medium canvas bins at JoAnn Fabrics for $3 each, after using their rare and coveted 50% coupons on each item. JoAnn frequently provides 25%-30%coupons through the Sunday papers, but if you are on their mailing list they send much better coupons including the occasional percentage off sale items...plus they accept competitor coupons! Woop!

Watches & Accessories
Often we assemble our closet system for every shelf and bar to line up perfectly... sometimes imperfection is the name of the game for maximum storage! I cut my clothing rods to over lap the shelf just a little. It makes a great place to hang extra hair clips, and watches. My family doesn't do jewelry, but I imagine for those who have other wrist wear, this would be a good place to hang them, just in reach and on display.



Shoe Storage
Were you wondering why I had some shoes up high and some down below? Because my kids are TALENTED at losing shoes. Nothing is more frustrating than rushing around in the moments before you are due to leave for an appointment trying to find "the other foot". NOTHING!!! So I separate to keep it simple for the kids. Rather than a huge messy pile of shoes that magically disappear when you need them, store out-of-season, and special occasion shoes up high and out of reach. Keep only the shoes used regularly during that season within easy reach near the floor. Rather than spending extra money to expand the closet system to accommodate shoes, I saved massively using an inexpensive laminate shoe shelf for the floor.

Belts & Hair Accessories
The most economical hooks I could find were these $3 hooks created for hanging keys. Whatever you decide to use, be sure to find an item with small enough hooks to accommodate a child's belt buckle size.  I hung this hook set just below the light switch to the side wall of the closet within easy reach of little ones. My middle munchkin stores her belts, hair clips and bands here.



Plastic Drawers
I admit it, I was loathe to use a couple hideous plastic drawers, but I really needed to focus on the practical solution for helping my child stay organized, and smaller drawers that my kid can't possibly destroy seemed to be the best solution. So plastic it is! It was also the best budget solution at $7 each at Walmart on sale. Well who say's you have to sacrifice style for function? I created a few drawer printouts to hide my child's messy drawer contents, label the drawers for easy separation, and give her closet a little design. 

Drawer Printables
As always, I'm happy to make my drawer covers available to you as well. Simply print onto 8.5 x 11 full sheet labels, then cut to size and adhere. There are other more permanent methods, such as printing onto cardstock, and slipping it in from the inside of the drawer. Some use mod podge, others adhere using a spray glue...I opt to keep it simple and changeable by using labels. Flexible is better being that it is a child's room, and the drawers will not always be used for this purpose as I will most likely "grow" her room design with her. I have included two other designs I created while trying to get to my final choice. They are label-less, so you can use a label maker, or download in Word and create a label over top before printing. Enjoy!

Pink Chevron Drawer Printable

I can't say that my middle munchkin has suddenly become an organizational wonder, but considering her creative and messy ways, she has done a fabulous job keeping her closet up!! Sure, I still suspiciously peek at it after every bedroom "clean up", but little things go a long way to preserving its tidy status! 







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