getting organized | Claire Kurtz is The Well-Organized Woman

Best Organizing Products for Small Spaces

July 10, 2012 By Claire 2 Comments

Urban living can sometimes mean that space is at a premium. If you are limited on space in certain areas of your home, we’ve got some product recommendations that will help to organize your stuff and keep clutter from getting out of control.

Underwear Drawer: The SKUBB storage box set from Ikea is great for organizing underwear and sock drawers. The variety of sizes allows for simple rearranging, thus letting you to easily move your mittens box to the back and bathing suits to the front when the season changes.

Under the Sink: Purchase a cleaning product caddy and your sprays, powders, and sponges will have a designated home that’s also portable for ease-of-use.

In the Kitchen: The kitchen often has many drawers containing small items. Some of our favorite products for organizing include, the in-drawer spice rack, the expandable bamboo cutlery tray, and the bamboo knife dock.

Under the Bed: An often under utilized space, under the bed can store quite a lot. Rubbermaid lo w profile boxes are perfect for slim items and shoe storage bags can hold all of your out-of-season shoes, thus freeing up room in your closet.

Junk Drawer: Junk drawers can contain such a wide variety of items that it can be difficult to find one storage product that works for everything. We love the Godmorgon stacking trays from Ikea, because they have several space sizes thus accommodating all types of items.

Office Drawers: Organizers with longer compartments for supplies like pens are ideal for office storage. The expandable variety can fit a range of drawer sizes and adjust for your needs.

What are your favorite organizing products for small spaces?

Good Luck!
TWOW

Wedding Registry: Do’s & Dont’s

July 6, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

The Well-Organized Woman often sees households in which the family has an excess of belongings that originated from the couple’s wedding registry. The items are usually still in their original boxes or stored on top shelves due to their uncommon use. These collections inspired us to develop some WOW tips for creating a registry that won’t leave you with unneeded belongings following the wedding.

Needs vs. Wants: When creating your registry discuss with your significant other what items are truly needed in the household. If you currently have a nice set of dishes, does it make sense to register for a set of fine china that will only be used once per year? Instead, take this opportunity to add items to your list that may not be considered traditional, but will go to good use in your life. Ideas include home improvement items, a computer, a washer/dryer set, or a new mattress.

Mini Dessert Serving Sets & Glass Punch Bowls: For some, wedding registries are an opportunity to stock up on all that Bed Bath & Beyond has to offer, but the reality is many of the more random gifts will go unused. Consider skipping these frivolous items and you will avoid having to donate them in the future.

Forget the Guilt: Some guests will stray from the registry and gift you something that’s not right for your lifestyle. In cases like these, don’t feel guilty about returning the items for credit towards something that you will use. As much as you would like to think Aunt Betty is going to ask to see the vase she bought you next time she’s in town, the likelihood is low.

Alternative Options: In alternative to the typical fine china registry style of earlier generations, there are now many options for receiving contributions towards larger goals, such as honeymoons (honeyfund.com), home purchases (depositagift.com), and investments (giftsofstock.com). Adding one of these to your registry not only helps lower the potential for clutter, but it can also help set you up for the future.

Cull & Donate: After the wedding, review your loot and determine if there are any duplicates either in the gifts or in your current belongings. If you ordered a new set of pots and pans, it likely makes sense to donate or discard the old ones to ensure clutter does not begin to build.

We wish you a happy & organized wedding!
TWOW

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Time Management: Working From Home

June 27, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

As the popularity of home-based jobs and telecommuting increases, many people find themselves struggling to maintain time management. The flexibility of working from home can have potential difficulties, but with a few basic strategies the arrangement can produce much success.

Establish a Schedule: Setting up time parameters for when you will work and when you be off will help you maintain the necessary mindset for professional activity. If you are able to set your own schedule, attempt to keep the same hours each workday to ensure optimum productivity. Whether you are a morning person or a night owl does not matter; what is important is that you commit to starting and stopping at the same time each day.

Minimize Distractions: Working from home can produce distractions that may otherwise be avoided in an office. Maintaining a space that is dedicated to work can help minimize the possibility of wasted time. If you have an office, excellent, but if not choose a location that is separate from obvious distractions such as t.v., household chores, or kids, etc. Your work area should also be well-stocked with all necessary supplies and electronics.

To Do List: At the beginning of each day, create or update your to do list with the tasks required of you. Tasks can be grouped together in blocks, including phone calls, emails, physical tasks, and needs from others. Grouping items can increase efficiency by having similar tasks completed while you are already in that mindset.

Breaks & Socializing: Working from home can at times be isolating. Scheduling plans for regular social interaction, be it happy hour or a quick lunch break with a friend, can help keep you from becoming too disconnected from the world. It will also ensure other forms of connection, such as social media or personal phone calls, are kept to a minimum during the week.

Timed Activities: Use a timer to ensure you focus on necessary tasks for specific amounts of time. For example, if you have a writing project to complete, set the timer for one hour and commit to dedicating your attention to that sole task. During the pre-set time, ignore emails, set your phone on silent, and let family members know you are off limits.

Everyone has personal tasks that come up during the week. In order to manage the draw to execute these immediately while at home, set aside a specific time each day to make your personal calls, get to an appointment, or handle other needs. If it is not your scheduled personal time, resist the urge to get off track.

By utilizing these strategies you will help to ensure your work-from-home arrangement is mutually beneficial for you and your employer.

Good Luck!
TWOW

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Guest Post: Tips for Cleaning in the Lazy Days of Summer

June 12, 2012 By admin 1 Comment

With the weather warming up, the last thing anyone wants to do is stay inside and do some house cleaning. It seems that once summer hits, everyone’s schedule begins to fill up and all they want to do is to hire the Pressure Washing Katy service. Here are a few quick tips on getting the house clean in no time by THE MAIDS.

Thirty seconds is longer than you think. You can easily maintain trouble spots or reduce pesky clutter by following these cleaning tasks:

Prevent soap scum buildup in your shower with a few quick squirts of daily shower spray.
Swipe the bathroom counter with a disinfectant wipe, clearing it of hairspray, toothpaste and soap scum.
Shake out entryway rugs to rid them of excess dirt and minimize traipsing it throughout your home, if they are not in good condition make sure to get new ones from https://nwrugs.com/blogs/loveofrugs/bring-the-style-of-joanna-gaines-to-your-home.

With two minutes, you can:

Gather stray clutter into a laundry basket. Just be sure to put everything in its proper place at a later time.
Sweep high-traffic areas, like the entryway or bathroom floor.
Spritz the bathroom mirror with glass cleaner and wipe dry with a microfiber cloth.
And at the expense of sounding like your mother, make your bed.
Drop off your carpet at an professional carpet cleaning station near you.

Are you lucky enough to have won a time windfall? Use your five minutes wisely:

Start a load of laundry.
Wash the bathroom floor. Clean-up is simple if you have already swept it during your two-minute hiatus.
Wipe down kitchen counter-tops. You don’t want harmful germs finding their way into your food preparations.
Sort through your pile of mail and toss the junk. Remember to shred and recycle!

Busy lifestyles necessitate taking small, time-efficient steps when it comes to maintaining an orderly and clean house. If you need an extra hand, call THE MAIDS and experience the healthiest, most thorough housecleaning in the industry.

This post was generously written by the folks at THE MAIDS, a trusted and respected residential cleaning service.

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Recipe Organization: Controlling the Clutter & Increasing Efficiency

June 8, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

One of the major organizational challenges my clients face during the week is finding and/or taking the time to prepare a meal at home. And when I do, it’s as if I (re)discover for the first time how wonderful it tastes and feels to eat homemade cooking – not to mention the cost savings per person on just one meal!

Though cooking at home comes with so many positives, there is one negative that comes to mind that. I’m talking about the clutter of all of those recipes you collect. These days, there are so many places where you can find a way to make a meal for yourself and your family, be it through cookbooks, a trusted friend or a recipe website. And with each of these comes a piece of paper with ingredients, directions and notes for next time you make it.

While it’s wonderful to build a collection of meals and experiences, it’s often hard to keep them all in one place – I know I’ve found myself searching for a needed recipe the moment before I’m heading to the grocery store, and if I can’t find it online again, it’s lost!

The simplest way to keep track of paper recipes is to contain this potential clutter in one folder in one place in your home. Though it may seem counterintuitive to keep your recipes in your paper office files, you’ll be more likely to locate them given that ‘like is with like’. Try to alphabetize by name of dish so you won’t have to flip through the stack for too long!

If you want to take it one step further – you can also add additional folders to a hanging file separated by type of meat or type of dish. But again, only if you have the energy and organizational style to do so.

If you are a little more technologically savvy, most recipe websites, like allrecipes.com, have digital recipe boxes where you can store your favorite recipes with notes. Taking the time after you’ve prepared the dish to store the recipe online will give you the freedom to recycle the paper and cut down on physical clutter completely. Tastebook.com is a fabulous idea for compiling all of your random paper receipes into a digital and nicely bound book with photos. I also love the idea of using Pinterest to find and organize recipes. If you find a great recipe on another site, simply pin the photo to a board and you’ll have a photographic collection that is easy to access anywhere. Feel free to label boards by type of dish for additional organization. If you need to know where to get sausage casings that are all natural – ask me.

As you can see, just a few simple changes can help you take that one step towards a little less clutter in your house. Bravo to you for taking the time and care to cook at home. I’m sure your wallet and body thanks you.

Enjoy!
-TWOW

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Planning a Well-Organized Vacation

May 29, 2012 By Claire 1 Comment

Summer has arrived, and that means it’s time to start planning that well-deserved and well-organized vacation with friends, family – or both! Though the anticipation of getting away can be motivating and exciting, organizing a trip can be downright overwhelming. It takes a lot of time to get all of the moving pieces together, but with the right order of operations, you can plan the perfect getaway with an eye towards organization and efficiency.

Luckily, the fun part comes first – choose your destination and the dates you’d like to depart and return. When choosing a destination, be sure to take into consideration the weather, price increases for peak seasons, and any deals that you may have access to (airline points, hotel rewards, etc.). From there, your to-do list should be categorized simply: hotels first, then flights, followed by activities and finally, packing.

When searching for hotels at your vacation destination, do your research. If you’re heading to a less-travelled place, spend some time online reading reviews and travel blogs to get a sense of what types of lodgings there are to suit your style. Tripadvisor.com has an author Patrick, who does a great job of rating and reviewing hotels with plenty of real feedback from previous guests. Whether you book through a discount site like hotels.com or through the place directly, I recommend calling the hotel to speak to the reservation staff and can give you helpful advice on what airports and ground transportation options are best. They can also provide recommendations for dining and activities in the area!

Now that you have intel on the best lodging, I suggest heading to a site like kayak.com that searches a number of travel sites to find you the best possible deal on flights to your destination. If you are connecting to another flight or heading to another airport to catch a second flight, make sure to build in the extra time you’ll need to make that connection. If your flight gets in later in the day, give your hotel the heads up that you”ll need late check in.

You’re on your way! Now you should head back to the internet to learn more about what you can do while you’re there. Many hotel websites have sections that recommend local activities, and a number of travel blogs (Johnny Jet, Time Travel, Frugal Travel Guy) can give you insider insight into the best way to make the most of your vacation. For those activities that require advanced planning, go ahead and make those reservations, so that you’re guaranteed the experience.

Now that your itinerary is laid out, you’ll have a better guide as to what you’ll need to pack and for what days you’ll need it. Creating a packing list in an excel sheet by family member will help you track what you have and what you’ll still need to purchase before your departure. In our previous post, we break down the packing process in detail. Give it a read and apply the tips and tricks that work best for you.

And finally, make your vacation count-down calendar! You’ll have something to look forward to as the departure date approaches, and you’ll also be able to set a timeline for when you need to have all items purchased and packed. An app like TripIt can also help keep all of your reservations in one place while on the vacation.

Bon voyage and happy summer!

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Shoe Storage & Organization

May 8, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

We often receive questions about the best way to organize and store shoes. While there is no ‘right’ way, there are certain steps that you can take to ensure success when designing your shoe organization strategy.

First, take an assessment of your shoe collection and storage space and ask yourself the following questions.

How many pairs do you have?
What types do you have (heels, flip-flops, flats, large or small sizes)?
How many more do you think you will acquire in the near future?
Do you have a large space or small space for storage?
Is there a dedicated shoe area or will storage need to be creative?
Do you have space for seasonal shoe storage or does everything need to fit in one place?

At this time you should also determine if any shoes can or will be purged before implementation of the new organization strategy. Once you have thoroughly assessed the situation, take a look at our list of favorite storage solutions below and select one that will work for your collection and space.

Our Favorite Shoe Storage Solutions:

The modular shoe organizing system can be scaled up or down depending on needs.
Clear shoe boxes protect shoes from dust and work well on built-in shoe shelves. For easy shoe identification, consider taping a photo of the shoes to the front of the box.
The 30 Pair Overdoor Organizer is great for those with limited space. Place on the back of your closet or bathroom door for discrete and space-saving storage.
Shoe cubbies are excellent for closets that only have room below the hanging racks.
Under-bed chests can be used to store out-of-season shoes in an efficient manner.
The 10 tier (50 pair) rolling rack may be a good solution for those with larger collections and amounts of space.
Boot holders are designed for hanging closet rod storage and help with shape maintenance.

No matter which storage solution you purchase, it’s important to take the time to arrange your shoes in a manner that promotes function and organization. Ideally, shoes that are worn most often should be stored in the most accessible space, front and center. Shoes that are seasonal or rarely worn should be housed in the less accessible spots (back, sides, high, low). If possible, group like shoes together. For example, all flip flops and sandals are on one shelf and all heels are on another. Finally, take care to protect your collection by utilizing accessories like cedar shoe trees, which help to retain shape and minimize odor.

Happy Organizing!
TWOW

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Organizing Your Crafting Area

May 1, 2012 By Claire 1 Comment

A recent trip to Michael’s reminded me of the popularity of crafting. While the hobby can encompass many different specialties, most have one thing in common – the necessity for large amount of supplies, tools, and accessories. Storing these items in an organized fashion can be a challenge, but with the right solutions you can easily create a visually appealing and efficient system.

When beginning the crafting organization process, first do an assessment of what the primary and secondary uses for the space will be. If you have a dedicated crafting room or area this will drastically change your options for organization than if typically craft on the kitchen table.

Next step is to take a general inventory of what items you have. Assess whether each item is actually being used or if it can be donated, re-purposed, or trashed. For instance it is common for crafters to keep every piece of cut ribbon, but they are rarely ever used. Culling these items will help your crafting space stay clutter-free. The other thing to keep in mind while you are reviewing your collection, is to determine if you have a certain types of crafts or tools, etc. that you use more frequently. Selecting final storage locations that are easily accessible for these types items can help to create a more functional system.

Once you have reviewed your collection, it is now time to group things together, like with like. This will tell you what size and type of storage containers you need. When shopping you should also consider if you are the type of crafter than likes to see items at a glance and thus would do well will clear containers, or if you like to be able to hide items when not in use. We have included below some excellent options for common types crafting storage.

Embellishments: parts storage bin units, clear jars, lazy susans & spice racks if using original containers, magnetic containers, interlocking storage cups
Pens, Scissors, tools: mesh desk cups, wall-mounted bins, modular storage cubes,
Scrapbooking Paper: Desktop bins, movable divided holders, wall-mounted magazine racks, filing cabinets with folders organized by the rainbow
Ribbons: paper towel holder, wall-mounted two dowel rack, stacking dispensers
Crafting Storage Systems: wall-mounted peg board system, shoe cubbies
Portable Crafting Storage: multi-drawer cart on wheels, locking portable art bin, gardening bag

If you have a dedicated room, many of the wall-mounted options will be desirable as they give you easy access to your items. For crafters that utilize common space, the portable options will offer more functionality. Once you have selected your storage solution there are still choices to be made. Popular organizing methods include by color, item type, theme, and crafting specialty. No matter your organizing preference, just make sure that your final choice allows you optimum accessibility for the things you determined that you use most frequently. After placing items in their new storage containers, play around with their final location to ensure the system will work for you.

Good luck & Happy Crafting!
TWOW

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Beauty Products: Organization & Storage

April 24, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

Last week our blog focused on the medicine cabinet. This week, we’ll discuss another area of the bathroom that can easily become disorganized and out-of control, your beauty product drawer. Just like your medicines, proper storage of your beauty products can ensure safety and longevity. First, we’ll start out with a few basic tips.

1) Keep makeup in a dark, cool, and dry place in order to minimize degradation.
2) Hold to makeup expiration guidelines and you’ll decrease your risk of infection and/or undesirable effects (sunburns from use of expired sunscreen). An easy way to remember when products will expire is to label the product with date it will go bad (see photo). Use this list by Good Housekeeping to determine opened product expiration time-frames.
3) Don’t forget about applicator cleanliness. Just as makeup can harbor dangerous bacteria, so too can your brushes and sponges. Make sure to set aside time every couple of weeks to clean these items with appropriate solutions.

Once you are ready to organize your makeup, we recommend the following strategy. First, remove all products from your storage area or container. Review the contents and determine which to keep (currently in use), trash (expired/empty) or donate (unopened/new products). It’s common for women to stockpile beauty products, particularly freebies from hotels or gift-with-purchases; the problem is that most go permanently unused. Use this organizing process as a chance to clear these types of items out of your storage space.

The next step is to group like items together. Brushes with brushes, face products with face products, and so on. If you have different types of beauty products for different seasons, group them together and consider storing out-of-season items in a less accessible spot. For instance, you may not need your bronzer taking up prime real estate during the summer months when you have a natural glow.

Once you have categorized your collection, determine what type of containing system will work best for you. There is no perfect solution, but popular options include small drawer systems, trays, stacking bins, apothecary jars, chests, and bags for women who frequently travel. Ideally, the storage system should have multiple compartments to house your various categories. After organizing everything in it’s new homes, consider labeling the compartments for easy-returning of items.

This process should ideally be conducted once every 2-3 months to maintain continued organization.

Good Luck!
TWOW

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Managing Your Medicine Chest

April 20, 2012 By Claire 1 Comment

It is often easy to let your medicine cabinet get out of control, because the items are tucked away behind the mirrors over your sink or the door of the linen closet. Sometimes we say, ‘If I can’t see the mess, it’s not there, right?’ Wrong! It’s a good idea to give a bit of thought and structure to the medicines in our lives because they contribute to a very important aspect of our lives, our health. With a few simple steps you can avoid missing doses, taking expired pills, and losing prescriptions.

First, let’s talk about purging the old prescriptions that you no longer use. Go through each of your bottles and pull out the ones with expired dates or any one-time prescriptions that you won’t need again. Place them in a bag and put them aside for a weekend day when you’ll have time to donate them. That’s right, I said donate! Just like your old clothing, you can also give your old prescriptions away. Most cities have drop off events sponsored by the DEA where trained staff members collect and dispose of your medications in a way that complies with Federal regulations. As long as you keep prescriptions in their original bottles and do not mix pills, you are able to donate. Check this site for rules and information by state.

Now, let’s organize the medicine cabinet itself. I like to recommend to my clients that they reserve a separate shelf or space each for morning meds and evening meds, and then alphabetize the prescriptions for ease of use. If you are managing the prescriptions for several family members, try keeping each person’s meds in different bathrooms or shelves to avoid confusion. And of course, keep bottles out of reach from small, curious children.

Once you clean out the unnecessary and old items, use small containers to organize the everything else housed in the space. For added storage, I love magnetic or adhesive bins that affix to the back wall or door. They utilize regularly unusable space and offer additional storage in a fun way.

For medicines or vitamins that you take when you’re on the go, consider buying a pill box that is separated by day of the week and/or time of the day. Take a few minutes on Sunday evening to dole out the pills in their proper slot and stick the pill keeper in your purse. If you have meds like birth control pills, for example, that must be taken at the same time each day, place that pack in your purse, on top of your toothpaste, or another place that you visit daily to keep it top of mind.

If forgetting your doses is something you struggle with, try placing a note on your bathroom mirror for a week to remind you to open the cabinet – this will help to make it a part of your morning or evening routine. You can even set a reminder on your smartphone if you are particularly busy or forgetful.

Taking a few moments to set yourself up for health success will make quite a difference in your home and your life. Spend a few minutes and take control of your medicine chest this week and you’ll be glad you did!

Happy organizing!

-TWOW

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