Favorite Container #11: Food Storage Container Drawer

“What do I do with my Tupperware®/food storage containers?” is one of the top questions I hear from clients when organizing their kitchen.

And with Thanksgiving around the corner (= leftovers), I thought it would be appropriate to focus on the food storage container drawer in my kitchen for this month’s post in My Favorite Container series.

Yes, a drawer can be a “container.” I’ve already highlighted my kitchen’s flatware organizer drawer…and another favorite part of my kitchen is the deep drawer where I keep my food storage containers.

Here are my tips for keeping your food storage containers organized:

• Store in a drawer. A drawer is the best spot for food storage containers. It’s so simple to open the drawer and then see what you have. (Much better than having stacks of containers tipping on cabinet shelves.) Just make sure you can easily access the drawer.
• Purge the containers you have. Do you really need stacks of leftover delivery containers? Do all your containers have a matching lid? Keep only the containers you use all the time.
• Find a kind you like, whether glass or plastic, and then if you need to buy some new ones, buy similar shaped containers. Squares stack and fit well in a drawer, but as you can see, I also have some round containers as well.
• Stack containers by shape. You can see my stacks of containers in the drawer. Makes it pretty easy to see what goes where. On the right side of the drawer are the smallest containers for my daughter’s lunch box.
• Corral the lids in one container. Then it’s easy to see what you have. Or use the kind of containers where thelids stick to the bottom. You can also use drawer dividersto section off the lids in the drawer.

Wishing you many happy leftovers!

Got Keys?

Always loosing your keys?  I often work with clients to set up a landing pad – a place where they ALWAYS put their keys, phone, and other important items.

But keys can get misplaced. If losing your keys drives you crazy, here are some creative ways to remember your keys:

• Doormat
• Door knob reminder  “The Doorganizer”
• Use technology, the Tile App

Or get rid of the house keys all together: One of my clients installed a keypad number lock on all her doors, instead of a traditional key lock, because she always was losing her keys!  The other members of her family had the same issue and they happily agreed to get a keypad lock. I think this is a clever solution to an annoying problem.

Favorite Container #10: Medicine Cabinet Organizer

The medicine cabinet: a space you probably don’t think about often, but it’s one that you use several times a day.  Here’s a great product to help keep it tidy!

A few years ago when I was trying to de-clutter my medicine cabinet I found this amazing shelf organizer. We had lots of small items in our cabinet and it was a challenge to keep them all together.

Usually I like to re-purpose items but the shelf organizer was made to fit on the narrow shelves of a medicine cabinet. It worked so perfectly to corral all my small items.

Such a simple product, but it works and make finding things so much easier.

You can find many styles of medicine cabinet shelf organizers at the The Container Store or amazon.com.

De-Clutter & Donate: Anton’s Cleaners Coats for Kids

It’s that time again – time to go into the back of your closet and see what coats you can donate to Anton’s Cleaners Coats for Kids program. I know my daughter outgrew her winter coat last year, so I’m ready to pass it on.

This year Coats for Kids will be collecting coats from October 14th through January 11th. Coats will be cleaned and then partner organizations will distribute them to families in need throughout the Greater Boston area.

De-Clutter & Donate: ParentTalk Used Clothing, Toy & Equipment Sale

Needham area parents: it’s time to clean out your kids rooms and closets, go through your basement and attic. Then donate or consign your used toys, equipment and clothing for the huge ParentTalk sale on October 19th.

Great Tip for Grocery Shopping

In the recent edition of my email newsletter, The Neat Sheet, I presented some tips for grocery shopping. I got some great responses from readers about that article.

Here’s one idea that I just had to share: this mom gets her boys to do some of the shopping! Her boys are in elementary and middle school so they are able to read a list and find the items. She sends them to get an item that’s an aisle or two ahead of where she is.

The mom noted that “it keeps them busy, gives them a sense of ownership (we are shopping because they get hungry too), and keeps them from arguing too much.” 

I love this idea because it builds the boys’ independence and responsibility, and anything that can reducing the arguing is a good thing!

Thanks for the great tips.  Feel free to email elizabeth@thatsneatorganizing.com your great ideas!

Favorite Container #9: Closet with Adjustable Shelving

A closet is one of my favorite containers for organizing the home. Whether it holds food, clothes, toys, games, party supplies, or winter coats, the closet is an important tool for keeping chaos at bay.

And I don’t mean because you can stuff things in and simply shut the door! A closet can provide a ton of storage. I’ve found that one of key elements to a functional closet is having shelving, and preferably, adjustable shelving.

I like adjustable shelving because it gives you the flexibility to move the shelves based on what you are storing. While fixed shelving (often in bedrooms) is better than no shelves at all, installing shelves that can move helps the closet adjust to whatever you decide to keep inside.

For example, the closet in my family room is filled with arts and crafts, photo albums, sewing items, and gift wrapping supplies. I was able to cut and install the shelving to fit perfectly around my Rubbermaid Wrap n’ Craft storage container.  But if I end up storing games or something else in here, I can lower the shelf height and use a longer shelf piece.

One of my favorite projects was converting our barely-useful hall closet into an awesome storage space. Originally this closet had the typical clothing bar and one high shelf, with a huge open space underneath. Suitcases, bags, the vacuum and my husbands work clothes ended up there, but there was a ton of unused space.

After installing adjustable shelves, this closet not only holds clothes, but also all our travel items, the beach towels and bags, and extra bedding. We picked the shelf height based on what we were going to store inside.

As soon as the cracked walls in my bedroom closet are fixed, I can’t wait to try out elfa shelving from The Container Store. Stay tuned for more on that project.

The bottom line: If you are creating a closet from scratch or re-doing an old closet, install adjustable shelving.

Kids Clothing Organizer

It’s back to school time! While I’m excited for the return to a more regular routine, it also means back to overseeing homework, packing lunches, and making sure the favorite shirt is clean.

One way to avoid arguments in the morning about what your child is wearing to school is to use an outfit sorter. It hangs from the rod in the closet and provides a slot for each day of the week. Your child chooses their outfits for the week ahead of time, maybe on Sunday (or the night before) and puts everything into the slot. Then in the morning it is so easy to grab the clothes and get dressed!

Not only does this pre-planning help alleviate some of the morning stress, it also teaches your child to be more independent.  It also helps you both find out if the favorite shirt is in the wash, avoiding last minute frustration.

Here are a few examples of clothing organizers:

• Amazon.com
• The Organized Parent
• Walmart with seven pockets (no labels)

For more on organizing your child’s room, check out my video from This Mom Needs Help!

Favorite Container #8: Desktop File

This month, August, I’m back to thinking about papers as the start of school approaches. I’ve been filling out school-related forms, signing my daughter up for after-school activities, and receiving lots of information from her new teams and groups.

My all-time favorite container for organizing papers and projects is a desktop file box. Here are the details:

What:  A box that is designed to hold hanging folders and files, and can sit on your desk or kitchen counter.

When to use it: Use this kind of box for your key files – files that you need to see all the time, and for current projects. My desktop file box always has these folders in it:

• Camp Ideas (for my daughter)
• Activities (for my daughter – things she may want to try)
• To Buy
• Family Meeting (any papers that my husband and I need to discuss)
• Current Projects – Home (colors for a bedroom, estimates from the painter) Current Projects – Work

How to use it: Create hanging file folders for the key papers you tend to hold on to – not for every one, but what are the general categories of papers that end up on your counter or desk? Once you have the categories set, you can use individual manila file folders to separate papers inside the hanging folder if needed. Note: The categories may change over time as you see what kinds of papers you have, so don’t be afraid to change the folders.  No system is perfect at the beginning – you need to live with it and use it for a while to see what works.

Why to use it: A desktop file box helps move your papers from piles to vertical files, making them much easier to see! When you can see your papers, you can actually take them out and use them…and have a place to put them away.

Where to purchase: Basic desktop file boxes can be found at Staples and Office Max. Look on Amazon.com and The Container Store for file boxes in fun designs and natural materials.

See how a client set up her own Desktop File box in this blog post. For an idea on how to organize your financial papers, check out this recent Favorite Container post.

Clearing Kids Room Clutter

Weed Constantly. To keep kids’ clutter at bay, I find “weeding” to be one of the most important strategies.

“Weed Constantly” is Strategy #3 in Kathy Waddill’s The Organizing Sourcebook: Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Life (p. 85). This is one of my favorite organizing books because the ideas are accessible and really make sense.

I was reminded of the importance of weeding while working on my daughter’s room recently. Last week we came home with a few bags of new fall clothes for the start of school, but the dresser, closet and “clothes to grow into” bin were pretty full. Before putting the new things away, I started pulling out tops, skirts and pant from the dresser and asking her “does it still fit?”  There was some trying-on, but mostly we knew what had gotten small over the past few months. Not satisfied with the dresser, I also moved on to the closet – taking out the PJs, sweatshirts, dresses dance leotards, and soccer gear. And don’t forget about the shoes pushed way in the back of the closet, a sure sign that they no longer fit.

I was pretty shocked that even though we had sorted out the “too-small” clothes back in May, there were still a lot that now didn’t fit. I ended up with two bags of clothes, and happily took them to the my favorite local consignment store, The Little Fox Shop.

Since kids grow so quickly, weeding their clothes often is critical to maintaining an organized room. My rule is to get out clothes that don’t fit right away. Even if the clothes sit in your attic, garage or car for a bit before moving on to their next destination, getting them out of your child’s room is key.

The Party Closet

This week I helped a client clear a lot of post-vacation and post-party clutter that was in her living room, dining room and kitchen. One of the most fun projects (yes, I think organizing is fun!!!) was tidying up her Party Closet. 

This client is fortunate to have two large closets by her front door. One is used for coats, and the other stores party items—what I now call the Party Closet. 

The client told me she created this party storage area 15 years ago and it really works. It’s a brilliant idea if you have the space.

What makes this work?

• It’s a great location. It is right outside the dining room and kitchen, where these items are used.
• While some families may need the second closet for coats, this client has several kids and hosts all kinds of parties, at her home and at other venues. It’s a good use of space for her.
• She uses every inch of space in the closet: her tablecloths are stored on hangers hung from the clothing bar. The party serving wear is stored on the top shelf. On the bottom are clear labeled bins filled with party napkins, paper plates, serving wear, and utensils.
• Everything can be easily seen, removed and put away.

I was so inspired by her idea I had to share it!

Travel Tip: 4 Tips for an Organized Roadtrip

More Travel Tips coming in from Neat Sheet readers!

These ideas come from my wonderful college roommate. Each summer she and her family take a multi-day roadtrip from their home in Oklahoma to see relatives in the southeast.

Here are some great ways she made the drive easier and reduced her car clutter during the roadtrip:

• Pack a suitcase for the final destination, but use a smaller shoulder bag for the overnight stops. Just include the necessities – PJs, toiletries, and clothes for the next day. This means the bigger suitcase can stay packed in the car – and you don’t have to re-arrange everything each time you stop for a night.
• Use a small laundry basket in the back seat to hold snacks and a trash bag. Contain the snacks and trash in the basket, making it easy to tidy up and keeping the rest of the car clean.
• Designate one bag/backpack per child with their own books, games, DVD player, etc. When it’s time for an overnight stop, items go into the bag and can be carried to the hotel or camping site. Each child should be in charge of his/her own bag!
• And here’s a tip for one you are home: Since my friend makes regular roadtrips, she decided to make one bin the “roadtrip box.” She put all the things she only uses on long car trips, such as the maps, picnic table cloth, travel cups, and car plugs for the electronics. Putting all these things in one place eliminates the chore of hunting it all down before the next trip.

I’m going to try out the small laundry basket idea and overnight bag on our next long road trip.  Happy travels!

Favorite Container #7: Eagle Creek™ Pack-It™ Cubes

This month kicks off my summer travel and I’m very excited to report on my new favorite container for travel: the Eagle Creek™ Pack-It™ Specter Cubes.

When my husband and I travel together we often share a suitcase. Everything inside starts out nice and neatly folded, but after day 1, his stacks of clothes start to topple over into my clothes. After a few days it’s chaos and neither of us can easily find what we need.

The Eagle Creek™ Pack-It™ Specter Cubes solved this problem! My husband and I tested out the cubes on our eight-day trip to South Dakota, where we would be packing and re-packing often.

We bought two sets of small, medium and large. While the small size was pretty small to hold much, the large size worked great to hold stacks of shirts or shorts.

The cubes are super light and fit perfectly into a carry-on or full size suitcase. Best of all, they kept my clothes separate from my husband’s. My husband also loved that the cubes make it very easy to re-pack items after several days away.

This specific product helped us solve a nagging issue. Sometimes a specialized container is the way to go.

That’s Neat! Organizing did not receive any compensation for this review. I just love the product!

Travel Tip: Stack, Fold & Roll

Travel Tip from a client: Stack all your shirts together, fold in the arms, and then roll them up. The client did this last year for a trip to Europe and said it really worked – it even kept out the wrinkles.

I tried this on our recent summer trip and found that it worked better for synthetic or blend shirts, rather than all cotton ones. My all cotton T-shirts were still pretty wrinkled.

I also tried stacking and rolling all my shorts and skirts together; they didn’t have too many wrinkles and it definitely saved space.

Do you roll your clothes when you pack? What's your packing secret?

Favorite Container #6: Accordion File for Financial Papers

My favorite container for this month is the good old accordion file. It’s my go-to system for organizing our bills and financial information for the year.

At the start of each year I get a large size (20+ pockets) accordion file from the office supply store. I label each section for the key financial paperwork that we keep during the year - credit card statements, mortgage statements, investment statements, receipts for the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account, taxes, etc.

When the paper comes in it has a place to go! It’s so easy to open the file to the right section and drop in the paper. No file cabinet needed!

The accordion file is kept in a lidded basket under a desk in my front hall, right where I open mail and need to file papers. This is key to your paper management system – keep your files close by. No one even knows all our papers are stored inside!

By keeping the file by the year, it is super easy to find what we need at tax time…and to know what papers can be shredded. After 7 years, the papers come out and get destroyed, and we can re-use the accordion file again.

I’ve helped many clients get control of their papers with this simple system. If you need help, contact me today and we’ll find a system that works for you.

Organizing from a Child’s Perspective

This week I helped a mom of two – with twins on the way – get through a few organizing projects. One of the goals was to organize items in a way that her children could access them on their own, because this mom is going to be busy when her new babies arrive!

One of the projects we tackled in the kitchen was to sort and organize the kids plastic plates, bowls, cups and utensils. They had been stashed in a few spots in the kitchen, so we gathered them up, sorted through to keep the best, and then relocated everything to a new home. We were able to claim a whole drawer that was now the designated “kids drawer.” Everything they’d need for meals was in there, and they could easily reach it. This client reported that her kids loved that they had their own space in the kitchen.

The other project was to get a closet filled with games, craft supplies and other items in better order. It was pretty well sorted and organized, but we brainstormed how to make it work even better. With the addition of the clear plastic drawers, the arts and crafts items now each had a storage spot – all labeled.  Many of the supplies had been stored in stacked plastic bins which is OK, but the drawers brought the items down to where the kids could easily see and access what they’d need.

Just a few changes should have a big impact on this family.

Three Tips for an Organized Trip

Travel season is here! This week I helped two different clients get ready for upcoming summer trips. One client was preparing for a two-week special family trip to Europe, while the other client – who was retired – was getting ready to spend the summer at her vacation home.

Whether your vacation is a weekend, two weeks, or all summer, here are three tips to have a more organized trip:

• Gather and stage your travel stuff.  One client used her guest room as a place to put everything she was collecting for her trip. This is a great idea if you have the space! For the other client, just getting a large shopping bag and labeling it “Bring With Me” gave her a place to drop in everything she found to take to her summer home.
• Create and use lists for the routine tasks.  One client had a packing list (extra points to her) which we found and she started to use. We also brainstormed a list of things she needed to do prior to leaving (get dog sitter, neighbor to water plants, cancel mail, etc.). This would also be an important list to have.  For my client who goes to her summer vacation home each year, she could have a checklist of things to do before she left and to open her vacation home.
• Deal with the important documents. Make sure you know where your passports are and leave copies at home. Keep copies of credit cards at home too, just in case they are lost or stolen while you are away. Be sure someone at home knows where to find these documents. Don’t forget to tell the credit card companies that you are travelling, and if you are going to be a way for an extended time be sure your bills are paid.

Now you are ready to relax and enjoy your vacation!

What’s your best travel organizing tip?

Entry Re-do: Small change, big impact

A few weeks ago a client and I had a breakthrough – we made a small change, but it had a big impact on her space.

This was a very small entry right after you open the front door, typical in many New England homes. On one side there was a closet, and on the other side there was an open area. In that open area the client had a row of hooks with a shelf above, and a bench with cubbies below.  That all made sense, and is often the set up I recommend to clients.

But this just never worked for her family of 5, including 3 boys. Why? The kids couldn’t really reach the hooks as they were too high, and the bench made it even harder to reach. The boys shoes would get jumbled in front of the cubbies, not often making it into the cubbies where they were supposed to be.

So after pulling everything out of the bench and off the hooks, we started to brainstorm ideas and the client said, what if we get rid of the bench?

We moved the bench and marveled at the amount of space that was left. Then we decided to take off the hooks and shelf, and lower it a few feet. Now the boys could easily reach the hooks – without the bench blocking the way – making it much easier for them to actually get their coats on the hooks! What a change!

And with the hooks down lower, the shelf was now at the right height to be a “landing pad” for the parents’ keys and phones, and also the basket of incoming mail.

While the bench went to another room, we kept the baskets from the cubbies and just put them on the floor – one for each child.  Now that they were open on the top, it was much more likely that the shoes would end up in the basket.

Now that this side of the entry was 100% more functional for the kids, we decided that the closet would be just for the parents. We cleaned it out and purged some items, but now parents’ coats, shoes and gear all had a home.

What a great transformation with a few small changes!

Favorite Container #5: Car Trash Bag

For May my favorite container is my Mod Mobile car trash bag. Trash bag? Yes, trash bag!

This isn’t any ordinary trash bag – it’s durable yet beautiful. It makes me smile when I look at it. And it’s easy to use and keeps my car clean, as I’ve written about before.

Having easy access to a trash bag – whether it is one like mine or a plastic bag – is essential if you want to keep your car tidy.

And when choosing containers, remember:

• Sometimes a specific container designed to solve a specific issue (= car trash) is best
• Pick containers that you like the look of because you’ll be more likely to actually use them
• Containers should be durable and easy to clean

For more on car organization and to see the trash bag in action, check out my video from This Mom Needs Help!

Favorite Container #4: Clear Boxes for the Closet

It’s that time of year in New England when a beautiful, sunny 65 degree day is then followed by a cold, raw and rainy day. While the weather is unpredictable, warmer temps are on the horizon—and by this point I am feeling done with Winter gear no matter what! 

While getting our closets and the mudroom ready for the change of seasons, I realized how much I rely on clear boxes and canvas bins. So this month for My Favorite Container Series I’ll share how I use clear, plastic boxes for a simple, easy system.

No surprise here: I like clear, plastic boxes because they make what is inside visible, and they are durable. (I’ve written before about how The Container Store clear boxes are my favorite.) 

But the boxes also are integral to how I maintain my closet, and help my daughter with hers. 

• My husband and I store our off-season clothes in fairly large clear, plastic bins. When it’s time to get the summer things out, I can bring down the bins from the attic. Take the warm weather clothes out, and load in the winter things. The bins are Sterilite (115 quart size) and are bigger than I’d like, but it is very easy to just have one bin to look for and deal with!
• In our closets we also store our winter (wool, cashmere) sweaters in clear sweater boxes. When sweater season is over I add some new cedar blocks and snap the lid shut.
• I also use a clear box without a lid to hold my handbags on the top shelf of my closet.
• All my work and dressy shoes are stored in clear boxes.
• My daughteris growing so fast, so I keep a clear bin on the top shelf of her closet. This is a typical old closet with one fairly high shelf at the top—it’s the perfect place for the “Clothes to Grow Into” bin.

The clear bins make it easy to 1) change out my clothes at the change of the seasons; 2) organize  and see my sweaters, shoes, and handbags; and 3) contain my daughter’s clothes that she’ll grow into.

Important Bonus Tip:  If you are doing a seasonal change of clothes in your closet, now is the time to do a quick purge of items you 1) didn’t wear at all in the last 6 months and 2) really don’t love anymore.

And if you need help with setting up a closet system that works for you, please let me know!