Search Results for: organize

An Easy, Inexpensive, Organized, Chic Vanity.

March 9, 2016 -

Here is the deal. I feel as if I have hacked the whole vanity situation. While the dresser it sits on was in my nursery and my girlhood room and the beautiful mirror above it lived not only there too but in my own mother’s as well, I have a special affection for everything here. That’s because, yes, there is nostalgia but also because I’ve made things so easy for myself. So here is how I created an easy, inexpensive, organized, chic vanity.

I believe in a grab and go jewelry situation so what I wear most often is on the three-tiered plate system (Target) and also the cutest giraffe dish (Anthro). I’m more likely to amp out an outfit or you know, my yoga pants.

I also have recently talked about how much I love and adore trays. Guys, can I just tell you this is a game changer? I can pick it up and easily wipe down the area where I do my makeup. I can also carry that acrylic tray (Target) and my gold hand mirror (Target) to other parts of the house, like the front room where I can watch Bravo and put my makeup on there. It’s also important to have some organization within the tray for two reasons. First of all, it would be a hot mess if everything was just thrown in there. Secondly, it helps me keep the makeup I use on the daily in a kind of capsule makeup situation. I use these copper/rose gold organizers from Target. To be fair, I have a ton of other makeup stored in the top drawer of my dresser, along with everything I use to blow my hair out.

It’s truly a one-stop shop…but one that I can move too.Because I kept it pretty minimal on the top of the dresser, I chose three of necklace that kind of pull colors from the rest of my room and laid them out. It’s kind of a glamorous touch to me. It’s like I am Elizabeth Taylor picking through my diamonds except these are from H&M. Ha.

For more tray options, check out that specific post.

What’s your vanity situation? Did you pull any tips from me and do you have any tips for me?

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Lifehacks: 5 Tips for Staying Organized.

April 24, 2015 -

So last week, I told you what you already knew: I am not good at keeping my living space organized. So I turned to my mom with where to start, 5 things to do when organizing doesn’t come naturally. You can be sure that I am taking her advice or trying to. I wish I was more like her. This week I just wanted to follow up because I also have this problem: I organize and clean and before I know, things are back to the old standard. How to maintain? Here are Lifehacks: 5 Tips for Staying Organized with some massive help from my mom:

1. A Catch-All Basket

This is great if you have an upstairs to set on the stairs or to put some place in the living area of your single level home or apartment (like me). Throughout the day, or when you come home from work, items that need putting away go in the basket. At the end of the day, you do a kind of backwards grocery store shopping, taking your basket and putting the items inside of it away where they belong. Then you start over the next day.

This helps keeps all those misplaced or unplaced items in one place instead of randomly all over the place. It overwhelms me to see it around my place and it also makes it seem like there is more to do than there actually is. By putting everything in one place, it’s not only hidden if people stop by, but it takes five minutes to put everything back in its place.

2. Have a Place for Your Things When You Come Home

Hooks are my go to for my purse and for my jacket. My keys always go in the same place. This is a system my mom implemented for me (I’m a total adult, swear) and it keeps me from throwing everything on my couch (something I am prone to do).

If you’re prone to do something that creates a mess, consider a system that stops you from doing that. Maybe you throw all your mail on your kitchen counter. Find a container to place it in. Or I don’t know, ask my mom what to do.

3. Keep a List of Things You Need

Whether it is on the fridge or on a chalkboard keep an ongoing list. Here is where my mama blew me away: if it’s a chalkboard, take a picture on your phone and save the trees (she’s brilliant, I tell ya). I’m going to have to get her a byline here or something.

How am I supposed to remember that I am out of toilet paper and stevia? I remember one when I am in the bathroom and the other when I am making coffee–two very separate times. A list to the rescue which keeps me organized and the house (apartment) running smoothly.

4. When You Come Home, Put Your Clothes and Jewelry Away

I feel like she wrote this one exactly for me. This is definitely where I struggle. But mom says whether it is hanging up a dress to wear again or putting it in the laundry just freaking do it! Also, if you take off your earrings or bracelets or watch, put those away too.

Like I mentioned before, these things tend to end up on the couch and then suddenly I can’t sit on it and it takes me 40 minutes to do what I could do in 60 seconds every day. Also maybe I wouldn’t be scrambling and screeching where is my black dress to myself. Just a guess though.

5. Don’t Let Anything Sit

More wisdom from mama: when the garbage needs to be taken out, do it. Not when you feel like it. Go through the mail everyday. Don’t let it sit. Do the laundry once a week, not when the pile resembles Mount Everest. Wash dishes when you make a mess. Load the dishwasher. Run it when it’s full.

Bonus Tip from both of Us: Get some Clorox Wipes and use them throughout the week. I live for these wipes. I introduced them to my friend, Lis, in SF and they are life changing. They can work on all surfaces and as my mom says “a little spit and polish in between major cleans.”

Any other tips? Thank my mom for me.

(I’m linking up with Darci, Christina, Natasha, April, Karli, Amy.)

Anything that helps you get organized in the first place?

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5 Tips for Getting Organized When it Doesn’t Come Naturally.

April 17, 2015 -

If you’ve been around for awhile you may gotten the distinct impression that I struggle to be organized in my home/apartment. Business is different and so is writing. But my apartment…You also may have gotten the impression that even though being organized in my living space doesn’t come naturally to me, I desperately want to be organized in this area. I come from an amazing mom who happens to excel in this area. So I went to her/facetimed her. This woman has seen my living space mess in all its glory. I asked her what five tips she would give someone like me. She came up with some awesome ideas. I just kept nodding and saying, “Uh huh, Uh huh,” writing in my notebook. Because I want to be organized. Maybe you do too. Here are my mom’s 5 tips for getting organized when it doesn’t come naturally:

1. It took you time to make the mess, it will take you some time to unmake it.

2. Take it a section at time, in manageable bites.

I asked her where one should start and she said start with the most important, the space that you need to use, or the space that is going to make you most happy/less anxious to have cleaned and organized. For example, if your kitchen is a mess and you need to cook, start there.

3. Create four piles: Keep, Throwaway, Giveaway, Not Sure

The Not Sure or Maybe Pile helps you get through the rest more quickly because you don’t have to hem and haw over something. You can debate with yourself later.

After you’ve created these piles, get rid of what you can. Toss the throwaway. Donate the giveaway ASAP (For example, I know myself. If I waited for a garage sale that stuff would be sitting in my apartment forever. Goodwill is the quickest solution for me.)

Now you have more space. It’s time to attack the Maybe Pile. In my experience, at this point, I am inspired by what I have been able to let go of and have a clearer idea of what is important to keep so I can go through this pile more quickly than if I started here. Also, I have more space to go through it.

4. Contain Your Piles.

I love that when my mom gave me this tip she told me that Pinterest is a great place for ideas on how to contain your things (P.S. I have a whole board on this topic called Organized Chaos. I am very good at Pinterest. Haha. But really). In all seriousness, she recommended using Crystal Light Containers for make up brushes and said, “Recycle for yourself.” I use coke bottles and small wine bottles for bangles I dressed up, for example. If you love the Container Store and have the money, go for it. Also look for sales at places like Target or Bed, Bath, and Beyond because…I mean, why pay full price?

My mom lives for a label maker and recommends labeling these containers (clear containers if possible because it makes your life easier). There are also soft storage options like ziploc bags as tall as I am and flat plastic bags for under the bed. Speaking of which, she said to use that space you can’t see like under the bed or the six inches between my kitchen cabinets and the ceiling.

5. Everything should have a place…

because then you can always find it and you don’t drive yourself nuts. She may have been thinking of me and when I called her in the middle of the night. But who can say for sure? Haha. Mom also mentioned how she switches out her meaningful knick knacks. They are stored in one place but she will switch out the espresso cups I gave her from Rome for the clay owls my brother and I made in grade school (and she isn’t talking about seasonal decorations, obviously). Everything stays fresh and uncluttered, and you actually appreciate the things you have.

So there you have it. My mom has plenty of other tips but I asked for five because, for someone like me, I can’t be overwhelmed by this if I want to be successful. Next, I’ll be asking her how to stay organized. Give a big hand to my mama who has decided to keep me as a daughter after every mess I’ve made.

(I’m linking up with Darci, Christina, Natasha, April, Karli, Amy.)

Anything that helps you get organized in the first place?

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Operation: Get Organized

January 6, 2015 -

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I am not organized. Here on the blog? Yes. With my writing? Yes. With work? Yes. At home and in my personal life? No. It’s beginning to be a problem because due to some health issues, I can’t really do marathon cleaning sessions (when I say I can’t really do, I actually mean, I cannot do). I talked to my mom, the organizing queen, and she said implementing a few little things could help. I’ve been this way my whole life so the question I ask myself is: can a person really change? So once a month, I’m going to think of three things that I am going to do that month and hopefully by the end of the year, I will build up habits. I hope? Is anyone an organizing queen like my mom? Any tips?

So here are the first three things.Go through all of my old make up and old clothes and throw away/donate at least 50% of all of that stuff. Because here is the thing, when you move a lot, you suddenly are kind of like a gypsy with all these wares and you have no clue where you got them and the important things you need to find? Yeah, right. Those things are lost. So the bathroom and the pantry that I use as a closet. Because some people need clothes and some people need food.

Make my bed everyday. Yes, I know. This is so easy. For most people. In the mornings, I am lucky if I can stand up (no but really, there are health issues). But I am really going to try with this one. I really am. Twice a week, spend 30 minutes going through all the papers and files I have. And when I am through that stuff, move to the craft carts I have.

So easy, right? Can it be done? I don’t know. I really don’t. It’s time though, time to get organized. Those of you who are good at this stuff, do you have any tips? And does anyone else struggle like I do?

Am I alone?

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Getting Organized.

January 15, 2014 -

So, let me honest. I love to be organized but I am not good at organization upkeep. That’s code for: I intensely clean and then mess things up intensely. I don’t know how this happens. Well, technically I do know. But every time, I think: how did this happen?

But I realized I am happier when I am organized and so that is part of keeping healthy in this new year.

The only glitch is that I returned to an apartment decked out for Christmas and a messy mug factory. Usually, I always leave with a clean apartment and this time, with Christmas presents and packing, I just didn’t get to it. Well, now I know why I always leave it clean because it feels much better to come to that. So I’ve been working on cleaning that up.

But.

Also, I decided this would be a great time to purge my tiny apartment. So cleaning up and purging should go together but there is a moment when this complicated relationship comes to a pinnacle and the project of purging/cleaning looks like the biggest mess and you just want to call your mom.

So that happened.

And then four huge boxes arrived filled with my last things from Chicago (and some Christmas presents).

All of this took place, is taking place, in my very small studio apartment.

Now is time for transparency.

these piles make sense, i swear.

I live by the pile system while cleaning and organizing so that’s what those are. Now, comes the time to put things away which, as you can see from my tree and my mantle, I am in the middle of doing.

I am trying not to think I am in over my head. The worst is over; now I need only to climb down the mountain.

love my new pillows

my partner in crime this year…Whitney English Planner

Do you think I am nuts now? How do you guys stay organized?

The best is yet to come?

Search Results for: organize

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1. A Catch-All Basket

2. Have a Place for Your Things When You Come Home

3. Keep a List of Things You Need

4. When You Come Home, Put Your Clothes and Jewelry Away

5. Don’t Let Anything Sit

Subscribe to the Monthly Newsletter!

1. It took you time to make the mess, it will take you some time to unmake it.

2. Take it a section at time, in manageable bites.

3. Create four piles: Keep, Throwaway, Giveaway, Not Sure

4. Contain Your Piles.

5. Everything should have a place…

Subscribe to the Monthly Newsletter!

Subscribe to the Monthly Newsletter!

Subscribe to the Monthly Newsletter!