Five Organizing Books in Five Minutes

Blogger's Note:  This post was originally published in January of 2010 and was updated in January of 2016.  

One of the perks of offering organizing services is that I have an excuse to read--and own--lots of organizing books, each with its own unique perspective and strengths. Today, I'll share one nugget of wisdom from each of five organizing books. (I plan to share additional books in the future, so stay tuned!) These nuggets aren't intended to summarize the books or even to offer the author's main message; they're just helpful tidbits.  Links are Amazon Affiliate links, but these books may also be found in your local library!

Conquering Chronic Disorganization, by Judith Kohlberg
Ms. Kohlberg shares a fascinating concept that she calls "kinetic sympathy".  Here's the idea: if you touch something, you are less likely to discard it than if someone else holds the item when you are deciding what to purge. Take home message: enlist the help of a buddy when it's time to declutter!

Taming the Paper Tiger At Home, by Barbara Hemphill
Ms. Hemphill explains the distinction between action files and reference files. Action files hold papers that require a specific action on your part (a phone call to make, a bill to pay), while reference files contain papers that don't require further action now but may be useful in the future (your medical records, bank statements, etc.) Filing actionable papers keeps them from piling up!

Organizing from The Inside Out, by Julie Morgenstern
I already referenced "S.P.A.C.E." in my last post. Another helpful concept is what Ms. Morgenstern calls "the kindergarten model of organization" in which you create "zones" or "stations" for different activities. For example, rather than storing your flour and sugar in your pantry with the pasta and canned beans, you can create a baking "station" in your kitchen where you store mixing bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a rolling pin, flour, sugar, baking soda, etc.

Totally Organized, by Bonnie McCullough
The fastest way to improve the appearance of a room is to work from the largest item in the room to the smallest when tidying. This means that you make the bed in the bedroom, clear the table in the kitchen and dining room, and straighten cushions on the sofa in the living room and family room. This is a simple concept, but one that might not come naturally for everyone.

It's All Too Much, by Peter Walsh
Rather than starting with the "stuff" and determining what to keep and how to organize it, start by imagining the life that you want to live, and work backwards from there. A refreshing approach when you're really stuck!

Photo Credit for top photo: Stock X Change

What's In Your Junk Drawer?

Every January, I get bitten by the organizing bug. After the excesses that can come with the Christmas season (More lights! More fudge! More toys!) I find that January is a great time to pare down and simplify. I know that I'm not alone in my January urge to organize. Witness the massive sales on giant storage bins, plastic shoe boxes, and shelving at the box stores. If January inspires you to organize too, I've got some organizing-themed posts up my sleeve that I'm looking forward to sharing with you as we start a new year.

But first things first. When was the last time you cleaned out your junk drawer? If it's been awhile, you might consider trying it--for the comedic value if for nothing else. I'm not kidding; it's a hoot. You won't believe what you've got in there. You complain that you can never find a pen that works, but do you know how many functional writing instruments you have in that drawer? Seventeen. Seventeen. Well, that's how many I found when I recently cleaned out our junk drawer! I also discovered:

*A slinky
*An ancient "Happy Birthday" streamer
*Garden clippers, dog nail clippers, and a Swiss army knife
*A tiny pink plastic cat
*Part of a microphone
*The guts of an electronic baby toy that used to honk like a car (Hmmm, wonder how that toy "broke"?)
*Two guitar picks, strawberry Chapstic, and a poker chip
*A dryer hose clamp
*The keys to the homes of 4 friends, neighbors, and relatives
*A love note that my husband hid in my coat pocket when we were first dating
*The tag from the first batch of Roma tomatoes that we planted in our garden.
*And one lousy penny. One. Aren't you supposed to find gobs of money when you clean out the junk drawer?

The most amusing thing that I found was a bottle opener engraved with the words "Swiped from L & L Bar, Woodburn, Ind.". This is funny because
1. We're not really bar people
2. We don't swipe things
3. We've never been to the L & L Bar
4. We've never even been to Woodburn, Indiana
5. According to Google, the L & L Bar doesn't even exist

See what I mean? Cleaning out the junk drawer is a blast. It's a great way to celebrate the start of a new year. Way cooler than partying with a lampshade on your head, if you ask me.

Feeling inspired? Cleaning out your junk drawer is a manageable project that should only take fifteen minutes of your time. A great way to tackle a finite organizing task like this is to use Julie Morgenstern's acronym S.P.A.C.E., which stands for: "Sort", "Purge", "Assign a Home", "Containerize", "Equalize". Applied to this project, it would look like this:

1. Sort: Take everything out of the drawer and sort items into categories. For example, put all of the writing instruments together, all of the tools together, all of the coupons together, etc.

2. Purge: Within each category, decide what you can purge (get rid of). "No brainers" would include dried up pens and expired coupons, but you may find (thanks to the sort step) that you have enough multiples of other items to throw away or give away the extras. Really, do you need fifty-seven bread tabs?

3. Assign a Home: Look at each item (or category of items) and decide where that item should "live". Can that extra flashlight be moved to the car? Can those reading glasses be moved to the end table by your favorite reading chair?

4. Containerize: Consider placing some of the items in containers within the drawer to help keep the drawer neat. Select containers only after you've completed the earlier steps so you know how large each container needs to be. In our drawer, I used a narrow, shallow cardboard box to corral writing instruments and another small cardboard box to hold all of the keys.

5. Equalize: Maintain your newly-organized space by periodically assessing how it's working and clearing it out again if necessary.

So what's in your junk drawer? If you want to start the new year with a de-junked junk drawer, go ahead and clean it out and then come back here to share what you found in the comments below.

Here's to a nice fresh start to a great new year!

This post has been linked to DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land.

Repurpose a Gift Wrap Storage Box

I hope that you had a very Merry Christmas and that you have recovered nicely from your eggnog-and-sugar-cookie-coma! Here's an idea to keep in mind as you scout the after-Christmas sales. Thanks to their unique dimensions, tall, slim gift wrap storage boxes--such as the one in the photo by Homz--can serve as hampers in laundry rooms with limited space. Tuck one in between the washer and dryer to catch those dish towels and dirty socks that usually end up piled on the floor. If you have a space-challenged laundry space, check the after-Christmas sales to snag one for a song!

Photo credit:Home Products International

Wreath to Topiary Conversion

My favorite aspect of my work as a decorator--besides working with fantastic clients of course--is interior redesign. I love reinventing a room using only what people already have in their homes. It's a great creative challenge, and in my opinion, the resulting room is more personal and interesting than it would be on an unlimited budget.

My love of reinvention came in handy as I unpacked my Christmas decorations this year. I was wondering what to put on the chalkboard table on our front porch when I came across an 8 inch candle wreath that I had never really liked. It was too thin and skimpy, and it had never had enough "oomph" to really earn its keep as a decor item. Then I spotted an urn that I had bought for $1.50 a few years ago at the Habitat for Humanity store. Speaking of decor items that earn their keep, urns really do earn their keep ("urn" their keep?)--they're so versatile, and they work well in both traditional and contemporary settings.
It occurred to me that I might be able to twist the wreath into a spiral and use that as the framework of a topiary. I gathered some supplies: the urn, the candle wreath, a bundle of silk greenery, faux berries, gilded leaves, and glittery fruit/cones, as well as a key hook fashioned as a bird in a nest.

I also grabbed some tiny pine cones that I had picked up on a neighborhood walk. I figured they'd be easy to work with because I could keep small pieces of sticks attached to the cones to anchor them in place. I'm sure that I violated some floral arranging rule that says I can't mix ordinary pine cones with red glitter cones in the same arrangement, but the floral police don't intimidate me. What are they going to do? Jab me with a corsage pin? I'll take my chances.The green portion of the wreath was made of a soft, bendable wire, but it was tied onto a stiff wire ring. I started by separating the greenery from the wire ring. This gave me orthodonture flashbacks, but I forged ahead. Anyone else ever have to wear neck gear in middle school? Medieval.
Once separated from the wire ring, the wreath split so that it formed a line instead of a circle. I twisted this into a spiral, leaving a circle at the base for stability:
To secure the spiral to the urn, I just poked the end of the wire into some moss in the base of the urn. Then I tucked greenery, fruit, and gilded leaves here and there until I was satisfied with the overall shape of the topiary. No hot glue required!
I'm sharing this in the hopes that it will inspire you to look at your decor items with fresh eyes this season. When you see them as ingredients instead of finished products, the creative possibilities are limitless!This project has been posted with other great DIY projects at Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Today's Creative Blog, Reinvented, & A Soft Place to Land.

Five Fall Finds Under $15

Procrastinators, take heart; it's not too late to add a little fall flair to your home! Here are five fall finds under $15:
On sale for $12.49, the Pomegranate Serving Tureen With Ladle from World Market is neutral enough to play nicely with the other serving pieces on your Thanksgiving table.

Dress your chandelier--and tone down those interrogatory lights--with a set of 6 chandelier shades from JC Penney for $14.97. (Red is out of stock.)

A set of four of these fall leaf rust napkin rings is $12.99 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Remember to bring your BB&B coupon when you shop (admit it; you've got thousands of them in your glove compartment) .This fall berry garland is on sale at Pier One Imports for $12.48. Pair this with some candles in glass holders and you'll have a simple way to dress your table.
This woven log basket from Target is on sale for $13.98. What better way to welcome guests than with a roaring fire in the fireplace!

A DIY Staircase Story

I'm not a fan of wall-to-wall carpeting on stairs. Even if you don't have dogs, cats, or other shedding critters, carpeted stairs are a bear to keep clean. Who wants to vacuum stairs? (This is not just a rhetorical question; if you know someone who likes to vacuum stairs, please send them my way!) Yet, gleaming hardwood stair treads can pose a serious slip hazard--and not just for families with young kids.

When the carpeting on our stairs waved the white flag a few years ago, I was determined to find a solution that was both practical and attractive. As soon as I saw the photo above, I knew that I'd found my "inspiration photo". This sweeping staircase is far more dramatic than our home's staircase will ever be, but I knew that this "formula"--white treads+ white risers+ runner-- would work in our home. (Photo credit: Interior Stylist Lucyina Moodie)

Here's a photo of our staircase before we moved into our home (the artwork belonged to the previous owners).
Please note:
1. Pink-hued cut pile carpeting, which would soon die an untimely death at the hands of three merciless dogs.
2. Washed-out wall color which made the white woodwork disappear and made the handrails stand out in an unpleasantly stark contrast.
3. Dated brass handrail brackets
4. Absence of wall on left side of stairs (not a shortcoming, but something that we changed when we enclosed our formal dining room to create a home office).

Here's a photo taken while we were adding that wall. The stain color of the handrails, newel post, and exposed edges of the lower treads bothered me because they looked orange next to the color of the wood floors in our foyer. Plus, I knew that they wouldn't work with our new wall color.

Here are some after photos (discoloration in the second photo is just shadows):


To get this look, we took these steps:

1. Primed our walls with gray tinted primer (tinted primer is a must when you're painting walls red).

2. Painted our walls. Our wall color is Ralph Lauren's "Chimayo Red", which is quite possibly the world's most perfect red paint color--it's not too bright, not too orange, & not too burgundy. I love how the red looks with the white woodwork.3. Removed the wall-to-wall carpeting, carpet pad, and staples.

4. Used wood filler to fill the staple holes. Sanded everything. Repeated this process.

5. Primed all of the wood surfaces with an oil-based primer.

6. Painted all of the wood surfaces with several coats of crisp, white, oil-based paint. Before you gasp in horror, please note that the majority of our stair treads were not lovely stain grade wood but some kind of plywood impostor designed only to lurk under carpet. If you live in an older home with real hardwood stairs under your carpet, by all means, stain them instead! We were lucky that our stair treads--even the ones that had been hidden under carpet--all had nice rounded nosing (the part of the tread that protrudes over the riser). If you want to attempt this project, this is something to confirm about your staircase before you tear out all of your carpeting!

7. Replaced the brass handrail brackets with brushed nickel ones. (Is it just me, or do these guys look like little robots? I can't look at them without seeing their staring faces.)


8. Hired a carpet company to bind and install a stair runner. Although I love the look of sisal, we needed something washable (which sisal is not), so we opted for an indestructible Berber with a "Family Friendly" rating. Here's a close up of our runner. The color is off in the photo--it doesn't look quite so much like the pelt of Fozzie Bear in person! Waka Waka!
As I mentioned before, I wouldn't advise doing this if you have real hardwood floors under your carpet, but it's a great alternative to wall-to-wall carpeting for the average "Joe Shmoe" house.

I've been so pleased with this change. Our runner has held up beautifully, and I can clean the stairs (including the runner) in about three minutes with the Dust Buster. Life is good!

This post has been linked to other great DIY projects at Thrifty Decor Chick, Southern Hospitality, A Soft Place to Land and to other great staircase posts at the The Stories of A to Z.

Recycled Pumpkin Centerpiece

My friend Mary (whose historic former farmhouse I shared in this post) sent me this photo of a very creative, free DIY centerpiece that her sister-in-law made for Thanksgiving a few years ago using a pumpkin and leaves from Mary's backyard. This is a great idea that can be customized to the plants and flowers in your own yard. Best of all, it's perfect for procrastinators. Still have that uncarved Halloween pumpkin languishing on your front porch? In-laws bringing along Martha Stewart for Thanksgiving dinner in 3 hours? No sweat; you've got it covered! Simply hollow out a pumpkin, place a vase or a glass jar full of water inside the pumpkin, and add plants and flowers. Voila! Simple, green, and très autumnal.

This post has been linked to other great DIY ideas at A Soft Place to Land.

Make Your Own Meal Planning Magnets

The decorator in me knows that it's taboo to advocate the use of refrigerator magnets...but the organizer in me is convinced that these meal planning magnets will be a lifesaver for busy families. This time, the organizer wins! Like most of the DIY project tutorials that I post on my blog, I designed this project to be simple and affordable. I've even provided a free printable PDF for you. Best of all, you'll keep all of those junk mail magnets out of the landfill.



















Materials:

• Junk mail magnets (the best are those awful giant magnets from personal injury lawyers that are always glued to the back cover of the phone book, but any flat magnets will do: pizza delivery, dentists' offices, credit card solicitations, etc.)
• Wide packing tape (I used the glossy kind)
  
• Scissors
• Decorative paper (I used 6 x 6 scrapbook paper)
• Double-sided tape (optional--not pictured)
  
• Computer and Printer
  

Instructions:
1. Start by flipping through your recipe file and listing your favorite "old standby" recipes. This tutorial will teach you how to make 35 magnets, but you can make as few as you'd like; you can always add more later.

2. Open Microsoft Word and create a table that is 5 squares wide by 7 squares high (my "squares" were each 1.25" x 1.5"). Type the name of one meal in each of the squares. Keep it simple--just name the main dish. You might also want to make several magnets that say "Left-Overs", "Dinner Out", "Take Out" and/or "New Recipe". I used a 22 point French Script MT font, and I centered the meal names in the squares.




















3. Print your page, and cut out the meal names. My meal names were smaller than the outlined squares once I cut them out. This doesn't have to be perfect! And yes, if you look carefully, you'll notice that one of my meals is scrambled eggs. What can I say? I'm a lazy cook!

4. Using scissors, cut a magnet to roughly 1.5"(w) by 1.75"(h). Cut a piece of scrapbook paper to the same dimensions. If you really want to annoy your friends & family with your fastidiousness, you can color code your magnets. I used yellow for meals that are protein-based, and blue for "carby" meals such as pasta dinners; that way, I can tell at a glance if my week is balanced (I'm a vegetarian, so I need to be mindful about protein).

5. Using double-sided tape (or very good fine motor skills) to keep the layers in place, layer the magnet, scrapbook paper, and meal name.

6. "Laminate" the whole thing with packing tape. To do this, cut the tape a little bit longer than the magnet, cut off all four corners of the tape, and fold toward the back (see below). This step can be time-consuming, but it's mindless enough that it's a good while-you're-watching-a-movie project.



















7. If you'd like to use my days of the week and the "What's For Dinner" header, you can download a free PDF from my website here. I'm 99% sure that this PDF is working and is scaled properly, but please let me know if you discover a problem! To "laminate" shapes with rounded edges using packing tape, use "V" shaped notches to navigate the curves.

8. Arrange the current week's magnets on the front of your fridge--keep other meal magnets on the side of the fridge for planning future weeks' meals. To further streamline your meal planning, you can make your own customized, pre-printed grocery list with the instructions that I provided here.

This is a great project for families with kids...just be careful that small saboteurs don't constantly shift the magnets to make it look like every night is pizza night!

This project has been posted with other great DIY projects at A Soft Place to Land, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog, and Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.