I ♥ coffee.
I ♥ organization.
It was only fitting that I create the perfect zone for coffee consumption.
As you are organizing your home, consider creating zones for activities and storage.
You'll ♥ the results!
Chalkboard Mason Jars
Maybe it's because they contain small items so nicely. Maybe it's because they have a wonderful vintage feel. Maybe it's because they are so inexpensive and reusable. Who knows? Either way, the blend of Mason jars and chalkboard paint makes for a FUN organizational project.
For around $9, I now have 12 VERY useful containers that will hold all the little bits and bobs that get in my way. Displayed on a shelf or countertop, these glass containers are the perfect touch of functional whimsy. Did I mention how easy they were to make?
If you are looking for a great way to store the little items in your life, check out the canning aisle at your market and try this project. You'll love the results!
For around $9, I now have 12 VERY useful containers that will hold all the little bits and bobs that get in my way. Displayed on a shelf or countertop, these glass containers are the perfect touch of functional whimsy. Did I mention how easy they were to make?
If you are looking for a great way to store the little items in your life, check out the canning aisle at your market and try this project. You'll love the results!
Please take a moment to visit Talent for Tidy on Facebook.
Remember to press the "LIKE" button for more Tidy Tips!
Regards,
Double-Duty
I love stationary, but I often find that all the paper and envelopes can be a challenge to store neatly. Using the same idea from the cord-clutter post, I give my favorite stationary papers a neat and tidy home. My stationary box can now sit cleanly on a shelf, in a deep drawer, under a bed, or can travel from room to room.
The idea here is simple: Things need a home. Compartments inside of a larger container allow you to organize and sort smaller loose items. Try this technique in ALL of your cabinets and drawers. You will NOT be disappointed!
Regards,
The idea here is simple: Things need a home. Compartments inside of a larger container allow you to organize and sort smaller loose items. Try this technique in ALL of your cabinets and drawers. You will NOT be disappointed!
Please take a moment to visit Talent for Tidy on Facebook.
Remember to press the "LIKE" button for more Tidy Tips!
Regards,
Cord Wrangling!
Storing electronics and their cords can be a real hassle. Sometimes, it can seem impossible to keep all those cords from becoming a tangled mess! UGH!
By reusing an old shipping box (thanks Mom and Dad for the care package) and a little ingenuity, I was able to tidy up while not spending one penny!
I may get a little crafty later and cover the box with pretty paper or paint. I will DEFINITELY be labeling each section so that I know what all the cords belong to (i.e. Audio, Video, Printer, USB, etc.).
YOU CAN BE TIDY! If you need help, call me!
Regards,
By reusing an old shipping box (thanks Mom and Dad for the care package) and a little ingenuity, I was able to tidy up while not spending one penny!
I may get a little crafty later and cover the box with pretty paper or paint. I will DEFINITELY be labeling each section so that I know what all the cords belong to (i.e. Audio, Video, Printer, USB, etc.).
YOU CAN BE TIDY! If you need help, call me!
Please take a moment to visit Talent for Tidy on Facebook.
Remember to press the "LIKE" button for more Tidy Tips!
Regards,
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Please take a moment to visit Talent for Tidy on Facebook.
Remember to press the "LIKE" button for more Tidy Tips!
Regards,
Lovely Lines
One of the nicest things about getting organized and purging through useless clutter is the ability to discover and feature new treasures.
Look at the lovely graphic posters from (http://www.etsy.com/shop/lineposters); you'll LOVE them!
Simple, clean, and direct, these posters will make the PERFECT addition to the walls of a modern, tidy home.
Enjoy them!
Regards,
Look at the lovely graphic posters from (http://www.etsy.com/shop/lineposters); you'll LOVE them!
Simple, clean, and direct, these posters will make the PERFECT addition to the walls of a modern, tidy home.
Enjoy them!
Please take a moment to visit Talent for Tidy on Facebook.
Remember to press the "LIKE" button for more Tidy Tips!
Regards,
Dumpy Drawers in Denver
Friends,
I am THRILLED today! Not only have I been preparing for the launch party on January 13th, but I ALSO received my very first "Dear Jarrod" letter. I can barely contain (pun intended) my joy!
Are your seat belts fastened? Here we go...
Dear Dumpy,
Let me start by first saying thank you. Your email is one of what I hope to be many to come. I am grateful that you took the time to visit my page and send me your cry for help. Your question is a PERFECT example of the kinds of problems I seek to solve for my clientele. Now let's talk about how to solve that issue in your drawers!
To answer your question fully, I am going to apply the ORGANIZE method I introduced earlier. This method is effective for all types of organization and will definitely work on "dumpy drawers." We'll start with O: Out and Off...
O - OUT AND OFF:
I like to think of drawers as a shopping bag or a purse. Sure, they hold a lot of stuff, but they are also a large space that things tend to get jumbled around in. In order to really know what is in your drawers, you need to pull EVERYTHING out of them and start from there.
Getting your items out of the drawer will do two things for you. First, the process will allow you to clean and sanitize the drawer. After all, how many dirty hands have been in that drawer and touching the junk in it? Dumpy? Try DISGUSTING! Second, the process will allow you to give new options to the space. You might try moving the items in the drawer to another location or installing some efficiency devices.
When you begin with a blank canvas, it's much easier to paint a pretty picture.
R - REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, REPAIR, RE-GIFT:
You shouldn't be surprised to learn that it is easier to clean and organize a space that has less in it. I am not claiming that this step will be easy, but the purging step is one of the most important to the organization process.
Wait a second, there, Dumpy! Before you pull up the dimpsty-dumpster to your digs in Denver, consider what you have and think about the PROPER way to purge it from your life. Can the item be reused in another part of the house? Can the item be given to a charity? Can you make some money by selling the item? Reduction is not about killing the planet and being wasteful, it's simply about reducing the number of things in your home.
When I am in the reduction process, I like to work in piles. The first pile is KEEP, the second TRASH, and the THIRD donate. I also use the 10 Second Rule --- no matter what it is, you should be able to determine the pile it belongs to in about 10 seconds. Don't over-think the purge. All you need to do is decide if the item is worth your continued frustration. Often, I find that the editing process is most effective with a neutral buddy. You need someone tough who is going to tell you what is too outdated, gross, or just silly to keep. Partners DO NOT usually make good reduction buddies.
Once you have reduced, reused, recycled, repaired, and re-gifted you can move onto the next step in the process.
G - GROUP LIKE-ITEMS TOGETHER
One thing you will come to learn quickly about me is that I am not perfect; I am real. I will admit to you my flaws and failures and share the ways that I was able to get past them. One example of this is my lip balm snafu.
I was actually cleaning out some drawers not too long ago and came across a few sticks of lip balm. I decided to start going around the house and collecting all the sticks I had. I found at least 20 different tubes of the stuff. Can you imagine? All those little sticks of chap-free goodness filling my drawers and out of my reach. Worse still, think of the money I had been wasting buying more of the stuff when I couldn't locate one of the free-spirited chaps floating around my home. Grouping like-items together showed me exactly what I had, how much of it I had, and how I needed to deal with it.
Whether it is Chap-Stik or chopsticks, GROUP things that are the same together!
A - ASSIGN APPROPRIATE CONTAINERS
Containers and dividers are great tools for fighting chaos in drawers because they transform free-form stuff into neat little packages. Containers can usually be labeled clearly and have the pleasant side-effect of keeping your belongings cleaner and more sanitary. You can NEVER have too many containers.
Speaking of containers, I HAVE to tell you about ModularMates by Tupperware. You can find them on my Tupperware sales page here: (www.my.tupperware.com/jarrod). Not only are ModularMates excellent containers, they are also practically indestructible, air/liquid tight, stackable, and available in a variety of shapes. If that isn't impressive enough, Tupperware also backs the product with an unmatched lifetime warranty that includes full replacement if the product is ever broken or damaged. AWESOME!
For your littlest items (earrings, necklaces, medications, etc) you might try the Tupperware Midgets. Midgets are air and liquid tight cups about the size of a shot glass. They are wonderful for containing the tiny items that always seem to get sifted to the bottom of drawers. I know some people who will even pack their novelty undergarments (thongs, g-strings, and/or posing straps) in them. They are fantastic for your suitcase!
Another tip for containers is to...well...contain them. What I mean here is that smaller containers holding smaller items can be fit together in a larger easier-to-manage container. The larger containers can then be stacked for MAXIMUM SPACE EFFICIENCY! Ummm...is it getting hot in here or is that just me?
N - PUT WHAT YOU NEED NEAR YOU
Dumpy, I am going to suggest that as you are placing your well-contained groupings of items back into your drawers that you really consider what is in the containers. It makes no sense to put things that you use everyday in the back of a drawer. Give your items priorities. Things you use less to the back, things you use more to the front. It REALLY is that easy.
I - IDENTIFY EVERYTHING WITH LABELS
I cannot stress this point enough---you absolutely must introduce labels into your life. LABEL EVERYTHING. Use a piece of tape, use your computer, hand-write something, whatever; for the love of all that is tidy, LABEL YOUR STUFF!
Get labels on your drawers. Get labels in your drawers.
Labels are the first step to a really successful organization system. Remember, the key is not to "get organized," it is to STAY organized. Effective label usage will help you do that very thing.
Z - CREATE ZONES
One reason that you may be facing organizational dilemmas is that you may not have properly assigned zones for your things. Try this. In your kitchen, try very hard to break the room into defined areas based on what you plan to do in that area. "This is my baking zone. Over here is my coffee zone. Here is my chopping zone." Now take the contained groupings of like-items that you created earlier and start to put them into the zones. You should be noticing a big difference.
In my own kitchen, I know that I enjoy a bagel with my morning coffee. Naturally, I placed my sugar and cream canisters with some coffee cups near my coffee maker. I went a step further, though, and also put my bread box and toaster in this zone. I refer to this as my breakfast area. Although I don't have a drawer available in the breakfast area, I definitely know that if I did I would only put coffee and bagel related items in it. Are you starting to follow how this all works?
Although a kitchen is a great place to see zones in action, the zoning process can take place anywhere a task happens. I challenge you to create zones in your bathroom, closet, and office. You'll be glad you took the challenge.
E - MAKE IT EASY AND EFFICIENT FOR YOU
For an organizational system to be truly effective, it has got to be easy. As you are putting your drawers back together, really ask yourself how you typically do things and try to find ways to incorporate your inherent behavior into your system. If you try to become something that you are not, your system will fail. Make sure that whatever you choose to do that it is 100% effective for YOU.
Dumpy Drawers, I hope that my guidance will help you gain the confidence to welcome organization into your life. If you need help on your journey, feel free to use my Consultation Concierge and set an appointment with me directly. I will be pleased to look at your situation more closely and design a solution especially for you.
Regards,
I am THRILLED today! Not only have I been preparing for the launch party on January 13th, but I ALSO received my very first "Dear Jarrod" letter. I can barely contain (pun intended) my joy!
Are your seat belts fastened? Here we go...
Dear Jarrod,
No matter how hard I try not to, I always seem to have a "junk drawer" (or three). My problem first started in the kitchen, then moved to my dresser, and now to my bathroom. My drawers are so crammed full of stuff that I now can rarely even open them. How can I stop doing this or at least make it manageable?
Signed,
Dumpy Drawers in Denver
Dear Dumpy,
Let me start by first saying thank you. Your email is one of what I hope to be many to come. I am grateful that you took the time to visit my page and send me your cry for help. Your question is a PERFECT example of the kinds of problems I seek to solve for my clientele. Now let's talk about how to solve that issue in your drawers!
To answer your question fully, I am going to apply the ORGANIZE method I introduced earlier. This method is effective for all types of organization and will definitely work on "dumpy drawers." We'll start with O: Out and Off...
O - OUT AND OFF:
I like to think of drawers as a shopping bag or a purse. Sure, they hold a lot of stuff, but they are also a large space that things tend to get jumbled around in. In order to really know what is in your drawers, you need to pull EVERYTHING out of them and start from there.
Getting your items out of the drawer will do two things for you. First, the process will allow you to clean and sanitize the drawer. After all, how many dirty hands have been in that drawer and touching the junk in it? Dumpy? Try DISGUSTING! Second, the process will allow you to give new options to the space. You might try moving the items in the drawer to another location or installing some efficiency devices.
When you begin with a blank canvas, it's much easier to paint a pretty picture.
R - REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, REPAIR, RE-GIFT:
You shouldn't be surprised to learn that it is easier to clean and organize a space that has less in it. I am not claiming that this step will be easy, but the purging step is one of the most important to the organization process.
Wait a second, there, Dumpy! Before you pull up the dimpsty-dumpster to your digs in Denver, consider what you have and think about the PROPER way to purge it from your life. Can the item be reused in another part of the house? Can the item be given to a charity? Can you make some money by selling the item? Reduction is not about killing the planet and being wasteful, it's simply about reducing the number of things in your home.
When I am in the reduction process, I like to work in piles. The first pile is KEEP, the second TRASH, and the THIRD donate. I also use the 10 Second Rule --- no matter what it is, you should be able to determine the pile it belongs to in about 10 seconds. Don't over-think the purge. All you need to do is decide if the item is worth your continued frustration. Often, I find that the editing process is most effective with a neutral buddy. You need someone tough who is going to tell you what is too outdated, gross, or just silly to keep. Partners DO NOT usually make good reduction buddies.
Once you have reduced, reused, recycled, repaired, and re-gifted you can move onto the next step in the process.
G - GROUP LIKE-ITEMS TOGETHER
One thing you will come to learn quickly about me is that I am not perfect; I am real. I will admit to you my flaws and failures and share the ways that I was able to get past them. One example of this is my lip balm snafu.
I was actually cleaning out some drawers not too long ago and came across a few sticks of lip balm. I decided to start going around the house and collecting all the sticks I had. I found at least 20 different tubes of the stuff. Can you imagine? All those little sticks of chap-free goodness filling my drawers and out of my reach. Worse still, think of the money I had been wasting buying more of the stuff when I couldn't locate one of the free-spirited chaps floating around my home. Grouping like-items together showed me exactly what I had, how much of it I had, and how I needed to deal with it.
Whether it is Chap-Stik or chopsticks, GROUP things that are the same together!
A - ASSIGN APPROPRIATE CONTAINERS
Containers and dividers are great tools for fighting chaos in drawers because they transform free-form stuff into neat little packages. Containers can usually be labeled clearly and have the pleasant side-effect of keeping your belongings cleaner and more sanitary. You can NEVER have too many containers.
Speaking of containers, I HAVE to tell you about ModularMates by Tupperware. You can find them on my Tupperware sales page here: (www.my.tupperware.com/jarrod). Not only are ModularMates excellent containers, they are also practically indestructible, air/liquid tight, stackable, and available in a variety of shapes. If that isn't impressive enough, Tupperware also backs the product with an unmatched lifetime warranty that includes full replacement if the product is ever broken or damaged. AWESOME!
For your littlest items (earrings, necklaces, medications, etc) you might try the Tupperware Midgets. Midgets are air and liquid tight cups about the size of a shot glass. They are wonderful for containing the tiny items that always seem to get sifted to the bottom of drawers. I know some people who will even pack their novelty undergarments (thongs, g-strings, and/or posing straps) in them. They are fantastic for your suitcase!
N - PUT WHAT YOU NEED NEAR YOU
Dumpy, I am going to suggest that as you are placing your well-contained groupings of items back into your drawers that you really consider what is in the containers. It makes no sense to put things that you use everyday in the back of a drawer. Give your items priorities. Things you use less to the back, things you use more to the front. It REALLY is that easy.
I - IDENTIFY EVERYTHING WITH LABELS
I cannot stress this point enough---you absolutely must introduce labels into your life. LABEL EVERYTHING. Use a piece of tape, use your computer, hand-write something, whatever; for the love of all that is tidy, LABEL YOUR STUFF!
Get labels on your drawers. Get labels in your drawers.
Labels are the first step to a really successful organization system. Remember, the key is not to "get organized," it is to STAY organized. Effective label usage will help you do that very thing.
Z - CREATE ZONES
One reason that you may be facing organizational dilemmas is that you may not have properly assigned zones for your things. Try this. In your kitchen, try very hard to break the room into defined areas based on what you plan to do in that area. "This is my baking zone. Over here is my coffee zone. Here is my chopping zone." Now take the contained groupings of like-items that you created earlier and start to put them into the zones. You should be noticing a big difference.
In my own kitchen, I know that I enjoy a bagel with my morning coffee. Naturally, I placed my sugar and cream canisters with some coffee cups near my coffee maker. I went a step further, though, and also put my bread box and toaster in this zone. I refer to this as my breakfast area. Although I don't have a drawer available in the breakfast area, I definitely know that if I did I would only put coffee and bagel related items in it. Are you starting to follow how this all works?
Although a kitchen is a great place to see zones in action, the zoning process can take place anywhere a task happens. I challenge you to create zones in your bathroom, closet, and office. You'll be glad you took the challenge.
E - MAKE IT EASY AND EFFICIENT FOR YOU
For an organizational system to be truly effective, it has got to be easy. As you are putting your drawers back together, really ask yourself how you typically do things and try to find ways to incorporate your inherent behavior into your system. If you try to become something that you are not, your system will fail. Make sure that whatever you choose to do that it is 100% effective for YOU.
Dumpy Drawers, I hope that my guidance will help you gain the confidence to welcome organization into your life. If you need help on your journey, feel free to use my Consultation Concierge and set an appointment with me directly. I will be pleased to look at your situation more closely and design a solution especially for you.
Please take a moment to visit Talent for Tidy on Facebook.
Remember to press the "LIKE" button for more Tidy Tips!
Regards,
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