Part TWO of our report on the makeover done for the grand prize winner of the Good Housekeeping contest we had last fall… see Part One here for an overview and before & after photos on the garage portion of the project. Part Two… The Home Office. The winner's office problems had accumulated over time,… Read more »
Organizing Products
Before & After of Good Housekeeping Contest Winner, Part 1
Last fall we were pleased to partner with Good Housekeeping magazine to do a big clutter makeover contest! The Container Store pitched in a $1000 shopping spree, and we offered an annual membership to our program, a copy of our book, and two days with me in the winner's home. The grand prize winner is… Read more »
Don’t Agonize, Modularize! The Cure for Big Bags
Yes, the cure for big bags… but not those under one’s eyes, unfortunately! Just the cure for organizing the bulky baggage we are all hauling around, like giant purses, backpacks, and suitcases. This post was inspired by a friend (L.L.– you know who you are!) who digs around in her very large purse. When you… Read more »
The Most Important Organizing Tool You Already Have
I recently read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (click here to see hardcover book at Amazon, click here to see Kindle version). It's a great book — the subtitle is "Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun." … Read more »
7 Considerations for Choosing Containers
Whether you shop at the dollar store or the Container Store, nowadays you have a great selection of containers of all types when you're ready to put your stuff away. How do you choose which containers are best for your purposes? Here are the factors: Size: Always measure your items and the space where the… Read more »
Top 5 Common Household Objects You Can Use to Get Organized
While there are many excellent specialty organizing products out there (including our own!), don't always feel like you have to trek down to a specialty store to get organized… there are plenty of household items you have around already! Here are my top five favorites: Rubber bands. I was just sorting some map colors with… Read more »
Lorie’s Favorite Things 2009 (Geek Edition)
Last year I did a holiday "Favorite Things" list, kind of like Oprah does, except that I cannot possibly put these things under your chairs for all of you. (Here is the link for last year's list.) I thought it was so much fun, I wanted to do it again. These items may not necessarily be for organizing– they are… Read more »
Visiting Rubbermaid
Yesterday I was in Charlotte speaking to the team at Rubbermaid. What a thrill! I got to tour the design area where they draft new designs and create prototypes in their workshop. I was there to teach them about the professional organizing industry, what we do, what we teach our clients, and what we have learned… Read more »
Containers on the Cheap!
For those who want to save money and the environment too, here is my list of practical containers that you can repurpose or recycle while you are getting organized… Shoeboxes Checkbook boxes Velveeta boxes Mini-quiche plastic trays Egg cartons Muffin tins Baby wipe containers Gladware or Ziploc brands of disposable plasticware Paper boxes from office supply… Read more »
Honey, I Shrunk My Clutter!
I have experimented with SpaceBags® with mixed results. They are those big zippered bags that you use a vacuum cleaner hose with to suck all of the air out and shrink down your blankets or clothing for smaller storage. Sometimes they have worked great, and sometimes I have gotten one with a slow leak that makes… Read more »
