The Great Clothes Sort

Summer isn't officially here yet, so there's still time to spring clean your closet to make room for your new summer duds. Even better, it can be done in 3 easy steps!

Sort all clothes into the following categories:

1 - Adore

Clothes you are madly in love with and wear often

2 - Despise

Clothes that are hideous, don't fit/are poorly made, and/or you wore them during the Clinton administration (the 1st or 2nd one)

The hamburger dress seemed like a good idea at the time....

3 - Never Wear

Regardless of whether you like these pieces or not, you've forgotten about them in the bowels of your closet

ADORES - return them to your closet, and ask yourself a series of questions about them. What about each piece makes you look fabulous? Why? What colors look smashing on you? What styles flatter you the best? Perhaps a top with a wrap waist flatters your figure, or a deep v-neck. Keep these styles in mind (and maybe jot down a few notes) for your next shopping trip

DESPISES - Send them to charity for people that actually need them. Just like the adores, ask yourself why you dislike each piece. Is the cut, color, or pattern unflattering? Too big or too small? Does it represent the person that you want to be? If not, why? Jot down these thoughts for your next shopping trip.

NEVER WEARS - Try on each one, and ask yourself, "If I tried this on at the store today, would I buy it again?" If the answer is no, send it packing. Who wants a closet full of clothes that you feel lukewarm about? If you love it, back into the closet it goes!

And you're DONE!! Phew...time to get shopping for a healthier wardrobe!

Organize Unruly Computer Cords

Need a great way to organize cords, but don't want to spend any cash? I had a client email me this brilliant solution and I just had to share.

Organizing Vice

Everybody has an organizing vice. An organizing vice is that one thing (or group of things) that you love so very much, parting with the excess is always difficult. For the clothes horse, it's the outdated frocks and shoes they swear they will wear again. For the mom's, it's the baby clothes and artwork that are full of memories. For me, it is magazines.
Who knows why. It's just paper..mostly ads..I realize that. I'm not sure where my love of magazines comes from (thanks Mom), but I do know that it is always hard for me to say goodbye. Gorgeous pictures, delicious recipes, and tons of information I'm sure that I'll reference again. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, but for the special publications I do keep, I need a pretty way to store them. Etsy has some fun ideas...



How cool is this coffee table?

Tame Your Wild Things

So I had a friend contact me recently, asking about the best ways to organize and store children's books, and I thought I'd share some of the info. Any system can work, as long as it makes sense to your little one, and is easy for them to maintain on their own, but here are a few little hints.

• Organizing books by size or color is great younger children and visual learners
• Keeping books together by genre, or alphabetically by author is helpful for older children
• If shelves are labeled, kids will remember where the book goes. For very little ones label with pictures instead of words
  

• If you keep a cute bin nearby, you can easily toss in books ready for donation
  
• Before you donate, check to see if you can get a pretty penny for it. Bookscouter.com, tells you which websites will pay you the most for your hardbacks.

There are lots of options for storage, but I am personally loving all of these sweet storage options from Crate and Barrel's Land of Nod. My favorite is the "Bin There Done That" Floor Book Bin (at top). It is chic functional decor at its finest. It shows off your books whimsical covers, while storing at the same time!

Now it's your turn. What are your favorite ways for storing your children's books?

Hable Construction

Feeling colorful today with these cheery screen printed canvas bins from Hable Construction. The company was founded by two Texan sisters, Susan and Katharine Hable, who named their NYC-based textiles company after their great grandfather’s twentieth century road construction business. How cool is that? All of their fabrics have these delightful yet daring patterns with brilliant hand-drawn designs. I love how the hideaway storage bins (seen at the top in sweet pea) slide easily under beds (though I personally think they are much too lovely to hide). Peruse their entire collection here.

A little organizing secret: charming storage inspires an organized heart

By the way, we have a new giveaway coming up in the next few days so check back soon!

8 Ways to Take Control of Your Universe

As to be expected, the new school year always comes with a slew of articles about "getting organized." (yawn) To save you the bother, I've compiled a list of fabulous ways to not only de-clutter your home, but also de-clutter your life, and take control of your world...for good.

1. Stop the junk mail

Americans spend way too much time sifting through the ads and credit card offers. Make it stop once and for all (and save a tree or two). Concerned that you will stop getting coupons and your favorite catalogs? Just knock out the credit card offers.

Credit Bureau - 1-888-5-OPTOUT.

Catalogs - www.abacus-us.com/About_Abacus/Opt-Out

Pick which catalogs you want to decline: https://www.catalogchoice.org/

Direct mail marketing -https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/mps_consumer_description.php

(this service costs $1 and is only good for 5 years)

2. Silence telemarketers

Still not on the "no call" list? What are you thinking? Go there now, and (almost) never be interrupted at the dinner table again. https://www.donotcall.gov/

Good news: Now registration never expires.

3. Clear the inbox

Only keep emails in your inbox if you need to "take action" on them. An overflowing inbox is too much for our brains to process, and important emails are easily lost in the shuffle. If you are overwhelmed by the task, schedule yourself a 5-10 minute appointment each day to sort, delete and file (or delete 5 messages every time you check your email). Make sure you have a comprehensive set of file folders, and go to town.

4. Guilt yourself into de-cluttering your closet

While you are putting away that new cashmere sweater that your mom bought you, sort through the rest of your closet. You know those pieces that you haven't worn since Ross and Rachel starting dating? Somebody less fortunate could be using them. Hit up your local Goodwill, get a receipt, and write those bad boys off of your taxes.

For a list of common values for donations: http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/valueguide.htm

For a Goodwill near you: http://locator.goodwill.org/

5. Purge paper bills

Stop the clutter from even entering your home. Receiving bills by snail mail is like - so 2005. Switch to all e-statements (even I am guilty of not doing this one), and purge any bills, bank statements etc. that date before last summer.

*Doh! Alert* -don't throw away anything that you might need for tax records!

Don't fret! Many companies offer e-statements in pdf format on the company's web site. Download and save them each month on your computer in a folder named for the company. You can safely keep years of statements on the computer for easy access any time.

6. Freshen your air

There was a study done at Washington State University three years ago examining the impact of plants on people. They found that having house plants made the indoor air healthier, reduced stress, improved productivity, and enhanced moods. So why not bring your leafy friends in? Febreeze only goes so far.

7. Auto-organize

Take your old jalopy to the car spa and give it some TLC. A little interior detailing, wash and wax will give you a fresh start for the new school year. It's also fun to invest in some car organization products. Trunk organizers, over-the-seat trash cans, and mobile office stations (thanks mom!) allow you to "live" out of your car, without it looking like a teenager's room. For some great options check out www.containerstore.com

8. Prepare for the worst

I know, it sounds so dramatic! It isn't likely that disaster is headed your way, but just in case, it is nice to know that you have all of your information in one place. TheNest.com and Real Simple Magazine have some fabulous worksheets to get you started. You can find anything from a birthday sheet organizer to a monthly budget worksheet, but here are a few of my favorites.

The Ultimate Contact Sheet

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/web/pdf/family/rsf-phoneresource.pdf

Emergency Supply Checklist

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/web/pdf/0506/emergency.pdf

Emergency 411

http://images.thenest.com/pdfs/worksheet/NWKST1_emergency411.pdf

Document Tracker

http://images.thenest.com/pdfs/worksheet/NWKST2_doctracker.pdf

Got another organizing question? Just give me a holler!

Kitchen Relief

What took them so long? Finally, we no longer have to clumsily stack our frying pans on top of each other, which almost always results in a messy avalanche. I just bought an organizer (similar to the one above) from Walmart for $8 bucks, and it is the bomb diggity. If you need some order in your kitchen, it receives the H.W.C. seal of approval! (by the way, if you blog about kitchen supplies does that mean you are getting old?...just curious)