That's Neat! Blog

I’m often asked, “so where do you get your containers? Is there a secret store that only Professional Organizers know about?” No, we don’t have an inside deal on containers, and I buy them at the same places you do…Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, and The Container Store.

But when it comes to clear shoe boxes and sweater boxes, I recommend the ones from The Container Store. Why you ask?

1. Clarity: Using a clear container for many things is a given. But The Container Store boxes are much clearer than other brands…and clearer than ones I had from years ago. I noticed this recently as I replaced my older large storage boxes with The Container Store sweater boxes. Using smaller boxes on my high closet shelf now makes it easier for me to bring down just the bin of sweaters I need…instead of pulling down the huge under-the-bed box I had been using.

2. Stackable: The Container Store clear boxes stack easily and kind of snap into place.

3. Sturdy: I like how the box lids snap on tightly, and the plastic is strong and durable.

4. Versatile: While The Container Store boxes are perfect for sweaters, boots and shoes as their names imply…I have also used them at clients homes to organize:

• office supplies
• craft supplies
• kids artwork
• pantry items
• basement shelves
• even food in the freezer!

Of course I received no compensation for this post…I just have come to love this product.

Say the phrase “kitchen tools” and you probably think of a stand mixer, chef knife, or set of measuring cups.  But what online tools have you tried?

As a busy parent, I know that finding the time to plan meals, shop, and cook can be a challenge. Here are a few online tools I've tried to save time:

• Online grocery delivery: When I lived in an apartment and couldn’t carry bags of groceries home I regularly ordered my groceries online. Now I use the deliveries when my schedule is too hectic. A busy mom friend says this service saves her every week, especially with store app for smartphones. Her basic shopping list is always ready to go.
• Recipes online: I use websites to find the perfect birthday cake for my party theme, or to discover a new way to cook Brussels sprouts. My sister also uses Pinterest to “pin” her favorite recipes from the web, allowing her not only to have the recipe but also a photo of the dish.
• Cooking magazines online: In my home we love Cook’s Illustrated and subscribe online so that we can find any recipe we need, any time. Now we don’t have to search through all the magazines to find that dessert we wanted to try. My husband loves their app for the iPad too.

I have been telling parents about The 6 o’clock Scramble website. Subscribe and you’ll receive weekly meal plans with shopping lists and healthy eating tips! I haven’t tried it yet but it looks like it could be a huge help.

What online tools have you tried to make it easier to get meals on the table?

Our kitchen renovation project is half way done, and I can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. The plumbing and electrical systems are updated, new walls and trim are up, and the cabinets are  installed. I’m already dreaming about where I’ll put the cookware and the dishes.

At this half-way point I decided to take stock of the project and how I thought living in a house without a kitchen would play out. Some of the organizing systems we set up were working…and some were not.

What works: school papers. The portable basket for my daughter’s school papers and family information binder easily moved into the dining room and keeps us on track. I go through the paper piles on the corner of the dining room table every day and sort, purge or file.

What hasn’t been working: shoes. Our shoes used to get kicked off and land in the hall closet, which is now being converted into a half bathroom. Without the use of the closet, the shoes have morphed into a mountain by the front door. At first we tried leaving just the pairs we were wearing by the door but that quickly fell apart.

The fix? My husband remembered that we had a shoe/boot shelf in the basement. He brought up the rack, tucked it behind the front door, and voila – instant organization. We each get a shelf: shoes that fit on the shelf can stay, otherwise they need to be put away. It’s not beautiful but highly functional as a temporary solution. (We’ll have a mudroom area once the new kitchen is done.)

My takeaways: 1) simple solutions, like the portable basket, work—and can be flexible in different spaces; 2) losing a closet is a major change and calls for creative thinking for a new system.

Don’t give up if your first organizing attempt doesn’t work as planned. Try, try again!

If you have one of our 12 Months of Organizing calendars, you know that this month the tip is for recipe organization. Given that my kitchen is under construction and my house is in a state of chaos, I decided to gain control over one small area that had been bothering me: my recipes.

Favorite recipes used to be easily contained in the small accordion file my mom gave me for my wedding engagement, but the file was bursting at the seams. I also started to wedge recipes I had printed or pulled from magazines between the cookbooks on my shelf. It was turning into a jumble of papers. And then I had an old-fashioned recipe card file that was stuffed too.

I emptied the accordion file and the recipe card box, and pulled out all the loose recipes. Now what to do? Sort! I spread the recipes all over the floor and started to group them into categories.

Next, I purged recipes that I had in duplicate or that I knew I’d never make. I also found a ton of delicious recipes I had completely forgotten about.

Now for the fun part: I put all the recipes to keep in a binder! Actually, two binders. I had this solution in mind and was ready with tabs and hundreds of plastic sleeves. The plastic sleeves work for small recipe cards and full size printed pages.

The result? Recipes are sorted by categories, and all easily visible in the sleeves. I can also pull out the sleeves for cooking and the recipes won’t get dirty or damp.

Can’t wait to cook again!

When I was getting ready for my kitchen renovation I first started to pack up the decorative items from the kitchen. As I took down everything I had displayed on the top pantry shelf and window sill, I realized how knickknacks have a way of multiplying.

I love the display of glass bottles on the window, but maybe the silver tea bag holder doesn’t need to be there. And it might be time for my beloved ornament from Ratatouille to find its way to the Christmas tree instead of the kitchen.

I looked at the window sill minus the jars, ornament and other things and thought hmm…this is nice.

I was reminded of another time when I put away knickknacks: when my daughter was a toddler. This coincided with the sale of our first house which worked out well; it was much easier to stage and show the condo without too many knickknacks around.

Once we moved to our current home many of the knickknacks stayed away, as I’ve blogged about before. The same thing might happen in the new kitchen. Bottles in, Ratatouille ornament out.

Can you live with more empty space? Is it time for you to take a fresh look at your space and see if you can lighten up? Sometimes taking away (and donating!) a few knickknacks in your room can make a huge difference.