My Blog :: Page 4 :: Organizing Wonders

Little Space for Spices

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on April 14, 2014 No Comments

The cabinet next to my stove is 5″ wide. At first I thought it would be perfect for spices. Then I tried to actually use it. There simply wasn’t enough room to maneuver. I would have to pull down many bottles to find what I was looking for. My first solution was using a Linus Packet Holder. It made it a little easier because I would pull out a bin that had all the spices, but I still had to rummage through bottles. I wanted to be able to see my spices, but with this method, I could still only see what was in the front. It was better than nothing, but I wanted more!

Then on a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond, I saw a spice rack that was just what I needed. It is called Swivel Store. (They don’t seem to carry it there anymore, but you can find it elsewhere online.) It was one of the “As Seen on TV” items which often seem to be good ideas, but don’t always work. It claimed to take up only 4″ of space so I thought I had finally found the solution to my tiny 5″ cabinet. They also had some small 99 cent spice jars there. I bought several knowing my big oversize Costco spices would never fit in this rack- or any rack for that matter.

I tried it out and I have to say that it does really work for me. I filled up the spice jars with my most used spices and labeled them, putting the big spice bottles up and out of the way until refill time. My Trader Joes spices fit as they were. Now I can see 20 spices in the space that used to only show the 2-3 spices in the front. I love sliding the rack out and quickly grabbing what I need to cook. This made a very small and inconvenient cabinet a useful, organized, and maximized space.

You never know when you might find the perfect product to help your particular situation. Always make sure you measure the dimensions of your cabinets and spaces to ensure that things will fit!

Categories : Helpful Products, Kitchen

Is Organizing Nurture or Nature?

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on March 24, 2014 No Comments

I was in kindergarten. I had too much energy to rest during nap time and never received a “Best Rester” award. My teacher finally put me to work during nap time- and I loved it. Instead of wasting time napping, I got to fix up her desk! I remember my teacher asking where the paperclips were and I proudly opened the drawer and showed her their new location. I didn’t learn this at home. That was just the way I was- and I was 5. When it was my turn to clean up the living room as an 8th grader, I made a labeled box for each family member, dumped each person’s belongings in their box and put their box on their bed. As a senior in high school I created a great system to manage all the college brochures that were flooding our mail box. I never thought much about my organizing tendencies. It was just the way I was. I think I was just born organized.

Now I have two daughters and it is interesting to see if the organizing gene is nurture or nature. My first daughter broke my water at 12:15am on her due date. Only 5% of babies are born on their due dates. My daughter was punctual from birth! When she was in daycare at 20 months, her teacher, who did not know what I did for a living, told me that she was “so organized.” I beamed with pride. She never broke a toy or threw her crayons all over the floor. She meticulously lined up her stickers in notebooks and grouped similar stickers together. She only drew on paper and tried to keep in the lines. Three years later, my second daughter was born. She decided to come 10 days early when I wasn’t quite ready. She never met a toy she didn’t want to throw across the room or a bunch of craft supplies that should stay in a container. Walls and rugs can be written on and dirty hands are meant to touch everything. Total opposite of her sister. But, she does know that everything has a home and she knows where to find them.

Organizing skills can be nurture, nature, or just not possible. We aren’t all good at the same things. If we were, the world would be a boring place! What comes easy to me doesn’t to someone else and vice-versa. No matter who explains it to me, I’ll never truly understand the stock market. I just glaze over. I can’t draw- anything. And I couldn’t learn to drive a stick shift. We all have our strengths whether we are born with them or we learn them. And we all can get help with areas we aren’t so good at.

My two kids have different organizing strengths, but I like to think I can teach them what they don’t naturally do. Organizing skills can make such a difference your entire life and if you start early, it becomes ingrained. It will be very interesting to see how this develops as my children grow up. Maybe I will come to a different conclusion. Maybe my daughters will one day work with me or they will rebel and never put anything away just to drive me crazy! Stay tuned…. =)

Categories : Kids, My Blog

Archive Old Paperwork

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on March 10, 2014 No Comments

My cat Jojo helped me archive-
when he wasn’t napping.

Paper multiplies. The piles get bigger. The file drawers get full. And people forget or don’t want to archive their old papers. But archiving paperwork is an important part of the flow of paper. Don’t let the term archive scare you away. Archiving papers is simply relocating papers that you need to keep for legal, tax, or personal reasons but no longer have to keep in the coveted access of your current file system. Tax time is the perfect time to archive since you are already gathering papers for your tax returns and going through your files- or piles.

With an increasing amount of electronic communication, there is less and less physical paperwork, but there still remains some to archive. I leave my hanging files and folders in the drawer. I use binder clips to group together my archive papers and put them in a file box. It is unlikely I will ever need anything I have archived anyway, so I might as well save room and supplies.

Here are some things to consider archiving yearly if you have them in paper format. Last years:

Tax return paperwork (keep the actual return handy for reference)
Credit card statements
Bank statements
Investment statements
Utility bills
Medical Explanation of Benefits and receipts
Any insurance policies that are outdated, but you are not ready to part with
Any old files that you still have in your file drawer and never access, but are not ready to part with

How long you archive them for depends on your tax situation, legal requirements, and personal comfort level. Some people toss EOBs as soon as they get them. Other people like to file them away and keep them for a few years. It is whatever makes you comfortable. Just remember to label the archive box contents before storing them. After a few years have passed, you can revisit what still needs to be kept and what can finally be shredded or disposed off.

Now you have a little- or a lot more space in your file drawers for the current year ahead. Happy archiving!

Categories : Paper

Tags : Archive, Paper

Hanger Clutter

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on February 24, 2014 No Comments

When getting dressed, do you pull a shirt off the hanger and leave the hanger or do you actually remove the hanger with the shirt? Sounds simple, but many people out of habit just pull a shirt off and leave the hanger. When you do this continually and then don’t go through your closet and gather all those empty hangers at laundry time, you will end up with a messier closet and less room. One of the first things I do when working on a closet is remove empty hangers- and it can easily be 50-100 hangers! That is a lot of unnecessary hanger clutter that people often don’t notice until all the empty hangers get pulled out.

If you have a tendency to leave hangers behind, try to get in the habit of pulling the hanger and then removing your clothes. Put the empty hanger in a bin in your closet or hang them all at the end of the rod. I drop mine in a laundry basket that doubles as my hamper. That way when I do the laundry, I have all the hangers I need to put the clothes back up. It is a simple habit that will make a big difference in your closet. Save time, space, and frustration by eliminating hanger clutter.

Categories : Closets/Clothes, Simple and Organized

A Handy Basket

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on February 10, 2014 No Comments

The handled storage basket from the Container Store is one of my favorite products to use for many things. You would be surprised how handy a simple handle can be when you are trying to utilize space on cabinets above your head and below in cabinets. This picture illustrates how I use them for my daughter’s veggie and fruit pouches that she inhales daily. A quick pull from the cabinet so she can see what she wants and then back up they go. The pouches stay organized, easy to see, and easy to grab.

Here are some other uses for these handled storage baskets which come in both a small and large size.

All kinds of snacks from pouches to bars to cups stay nicely organized in these. Use one for each household member or each type of food product and line them up on the shelf.
Food that doesn’t like to stay put like bags of beans, pasta, and packets.
Bath and beauty products can stay corralled in these baskets and slip right under the sink.
Bath toys for the kids can be dumped in here. You can actually use the basket as a sieve to scoop up the toys after bath time and just let in drain in the empty tub. The holes come in handy!
Vitamins and medicines can be separated (Cold & flu, Indigestion, First Aid etc.) to help get that cabinet full of bottles under control. This is one area where labels on the baskets would be really helpful.
Office products like ink cartridges, post its, boxes of staples and paper clips, tape and bags of rubber bands are just a few of the office products you can store in these.
Craft supplies such as paints, glue guns and refills, and bags of cotton balls and popsicle sticks can be easily grabbed in a moment of inspirtaion. Keep supplies you commonly use together in the same basket.
Cords, cords, and more cords can be separated in these baskets and labeled so that when you are looking for your iPod accessories- you can find them and not hunt through a lot of other cords.
Little kid board books and small toys.

The possibilities are endless. When you need to get a handle on things up high and down low, these are some great and inexpensive baskets to try!

Categories : Helpful Products, Kids, Simple and Organized

Year at a Glance

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on January 27, 2014 No Comments

For the first time in my life, I felt like I really needed to see the whole year at a glance. One or two months at a time would no longer cut it. Not when I get notices in December for a recital that isn’t until June, have constant events at an elementary and pre-school, and a spouse who travels often. Oh yeah- and then there is work! I looked on-line for a nice big year at a glance calendar and was surprised that they were around $25. That didn’t make much sense since I would have to buy one every year. So instead, I bought two large 22″ x 28″ pieces of colored cardboard and simply printed out the 12 pages of a calendar. I used some post-it type sticky glue to stick the pages on the cardboard mat, then stuck the cardboard on the wall. We each got a different colored Sharpie and the filling in began. Now I don’t put regular events on this big calendar. Dance class is every Monday, so there is no need to write that. But any special events and non-regular activities or travel goes up here so we can see it coming.

So far, I really like being able to see my whole year like this. Before when my husband would tell me that he would be traveling for a week 4 months from now, I couldn’t really wrap my head around it. Now it goes on the calendar and I can see when I need to start planning for that week. I keep my regular calendar on my computer where I enter the recurring events, work, and things to do so it can sync with my phone. Then I add things from the big calendar as the time approaches.

Aside from it being really inexpensive to make your own big wall calendar, it also gives you an advantage. Rather than having to wait for the next year’s calendar, you can start adding pages for the following year as the months pass. I figure that by June, I will probably replace the first few months that are over with fresh pages for 2015. Sometimes it is better to just make something the way it will work for you!

Categories : Simple and Organized, Time Management

Try a Co-Op

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on January 13, 2014 No Comments

The definition of a co-op is “a cooperative society, business, or enterprise”. They are such a good idea- I am surprised more people don’t try them. Over the holidays, I organized a little child-care co-op among some friends. Four families participated. Each family took everyone’s kids for a day- about 4 or 5 hours, and in return, they got 3 free days to either work, catch up on things, or catch a movie. The kids had a blast playing at a different house each day with different toys and activities. The parents had glorious time to themselves knowing their kids were well cared for and having fun- and it didn’t cost anything! Even the one day we had to watch all 7 kids in our co-op was easier than I expected. Suddenly the two week vacation was over and we never had to wonder what to do to occupy the kids.

Here are some other easy ways to try a co-op:

Carpooling– Parents taking turns transporting a group of kids somewhere or co-workers taking turns driving each other is probably the most common type of co-op.
Date Nights– You watch my kids one night and I’ll watch your kids another night. The kids get a play date, and you can save the babysitter money for a nice dinner and movie.
Dinner– You make a double or triple batch of dinner and share with someone else. They do the same thing. The more people involved in this co-op, the less nights you have to cook dinner and the more new foods you will likely get to try.
Chores– You come help me clean out my cabinets and I’ll do the same for you. Chores are more bearable when you do them with someone, and for some reason, it is easier to clean someone else’s house than our own!
Organize– Help me tackle my garage and I’ll help you do the same. Some jobs might be too big or overwhelming to do ourselves, but become possible if we get some help.

There are so many ways a co-op can help make a person’s life a little easier and save money. Gather a few people you know and trust and set a few ground rules. Make sure the give and take is even and enjoy a new way to get things done!

Categories : Kids, My Blog, Time Management

New Year’s Goals

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on December 30, 2013 No Comments

For the last 11 years, I have taken my New Year’s Goals seriously. Not resolutions. Goals. For some reason “New Year’s Resolutions” make me feel like I have been doing it all wrong, whereas “New Year’s Goals” makes me feel empowered to accomplish something. I sit down every January 1st and type up my goals in 3 areas- Business, Personal, and Financial. It is one sheet of pretty paper that I keep with me to remind me of what my plan was. Sometimes it really works. In 2004 I actually wrote, “Meet My Husband” as a goal. I met my future husband at a Christmas party with 2 weeks left of the year. Now this certainly doesn’t always work. I have some variation of “Work Out 3x a Week” almost every year and for some reason that has yet to occur! I have to keep trying to accomplish that one. At the end of the year, I write some notes on the sheet of paper to sum up what I did and did not accomplish. It ends up being a nice little reminder of where I was during that year and helps shape the next round of goals.

Here are some helpful tips for writing New Year’s Goals:

Make them specific and measurable. Write “lose 14 pounds” instead of “lose weight”. Write “purge file cabinet” rather than “get organized”. The more specific and measurable they are- the easier it is to know when you are done and can cross it off your list.
Don’t overdo it. Goals are not a To Do List. Goals are not a bucket list of everything you ever wanted to do. Pick a few things you want to focus on or accomplish in one year- not a lifetime.
Goals don’t have to be all work and no play. Maybe you always wanted to take a dance class or learn to sing. Make time for fun! It is good for you.
Don’t be hard on yourself. If you didn’t accomplish some of your goals by the end of the year, don’t beat yourself up. Perhaps they weren’t really that important or necessary. Maybe they needed to be smaller and more specific. Be proud of the fact that you took time to figure some things out and and give yourself permission to try it again next year.

Happy New Year! Happy Goal Setting!

Categories : My Blog

Too Many Toys!

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on December 17, 2013 No Comments

I saw this interesting fact on the Container Store website. Wow! That is shocking but believable. I have kids and I don’t buy them many toys- but they have a lot anyway. Toys have been passed down from relatives and friends- which is my favorite way to get toys. And of course the birthdays and Christmas that often bring excess. So what do we do?

1. Pre-holiday Purge to Donate- A week or so before a gift receiving holiday or birthday, go through your child’s room WITH them. Not for them. Not when they are at school and can’t see what you are doing. It is extremely important that children learn the concept of letting go of things they no longer use or need. Donating also teaches them to share with children less fortunate than them.

2. Set limits- Sometimes it helps to create a certain amount of space for toys- and that is it. Cubbies, shelves, bins under the bed- whatever you decide is a good amount for toys. If there is no more room to fit new toys that are coming in, then something else has to leave. It is kind of like the one in- one out rule, but this helps kids prioritize what toys are most important to them. They may decide that getting rid of a huge stuffed animal is worth it if now 6 smaller toys fit in that space.

3. Trade- Ever notice that when you take your child to someone else’s house- they absolutely loves playing with all their friend’s toys? Organize a little trade amongst some families. Gather up the toys you want to let go of and come together in one place with all your give-aways. Then shop amongst the toys your friends no longer want. Just this weekend a friend mentioned her daughter wanted the Barbie Dreamhouse for Christmas- and sure enough another mom sitting right next to her was planning to get rid of the Barbie Dreamhouse her daughter no longer played with. Perfect! What a wonderful and green way to shop!

4. Buy less- Ever spend lots of money on a present and then watch your child have more fun playing with the box it came in than the actual toy? Have you watched your kid race through opening presents and they only want to play with one of them? More is overwhelming. Less helps you appreciate the special things you got.

Our children really do not need nearly as many toys as we get them. So buy less toys. Trade or give away the toys they have outgrown. Be selective of the toys that you do buy. Don’t go crazy for the hot new toy which usually turns out to be a flash in the toy hall of fame (or shame). Have more family experiences. Go for a walk together. Play at the park. Kids will remember the fun times they shared more than the toys they played with for 4 minutes.

Happy Holidays! May they be full of fun and loved ones.

Categories : Donating & Recycling, Kids

Organizing the Desk Junk Drawer

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on December 2, 2013 No Comments

Before

Just for fun, I thought I’d organize the junk drawer in my husband’s desk with my 5 1/2 year old daughter. These are the crazy things organizers do for fun! When a desk drawer is jammed full of seemingly random items, the drawer loses all functionality. Searching for items lost in the drawer just makes it more of a mess- and you probably won’t even find what you thought was in there.

My daughter and I pulled out the desk drawer and put it on the floor. Then we quickly got to work. Here is what you should do:

Empty the drawer putting everything in groups of like items. All the pens together, receipts, coins, etc.
Throw out/recycle any broken or no longer useful items. (Donating useable items if possible of course!)
Purge or at least organize your business card collection into a more useable system- even if that just means putting all the restaurants in one pile and colleagues in another.
Relocate any items that don’t belong in the desk drawer.
Use small baskets, check boxes, extra food storage containers, ziploc bags- whatever you have on hand- to separate and store each grouping of items.
Like a puzzle, fit all the small storage pieces you are using back into the drawer with things used most in the front and things used least in the back.

After

My daughter enjoyed sorting things and figuring out what would be best to store each category. In less than 10 minutes, we had a beautiful looking desk drawer, my daughter learned some valuable organizing skills while having fun with mommy, and my husband got a desk drawer he can actually find things in!

Categories : Before & After Photos, Kids, Simple and Organized