Combining households can be a difficult process. One area in particular that can quickly get out of control is the bathroom. I recently worked with a couple to merge and purge their toiletries. First we sorted everything into "his" and "hers." They both then sorted out expired medications, products no longer used, and empty containers.Admit it – you’ve got one. And it’s full of…junk? Not necessarily! There are probably many useful items in your junk drawer but you’d never know because its a black hole. Things are put in and they never come out. But what if you could have a “junk drawer” and still find what you need? There’s nothing wrong with having a drawer for all those things that have no where else to go, but why not be able to find what you need?
Here's how: Take everything out of the drawer and sort. Get rid of the real junk and put the rest back in your new drawer organizer. Using small containers breaks up the larger space of the drawer so the contents aren’t just floating around. Whether it’s a tray or a set of small bins there are many styles to choose from to help you customize the junk drawer of your dreams!
I am not a painter by trade, not even close – but with a little research and a small learning curve I was able to do a professional looking job, with minimal mess.
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About a year ago I was offered the opportunity to interview for the Japanese magazine, RECRUIT. Apparently professional organizing has become a popular career choice for young Japanese women. RECRUIT was looking to speak with a young American professional organizer in organizing school. Well, there is no such place as “organizing school,” but I am young (thank you) and a professional organizer, so I accepted. The interview took place in my home and I was photographed “working” in my office and “organizing” a (my) closet. If you look closely you’ll see my cat, Little T, in a few pictures as well.
Oh, just so happens that I don’t speak or read Japanese, so if anyone can translate let me know!
Next time pack with a plan. Leave at least a day or two for packing before you leave. Get your suitcase out and start thinking about what you need to bring. Make a list. Write down everything: clothing, toiletries, equipment, chargers (even socks and underwear – you’d be surprised how often such basic items are left at home!) This gives you time to put thought into what you’ll really need and may help prevent over-packing. It will also give you time to make last minute purchases for toiletries you’re out of. Check items off the list as you pack them. When the list is all checked, you’re done! Have a great trip!
*For quick clean-up around the house, keep a basket with handles in each room. At the end of that day, quickly go around the room and toss toys/items you were used during the day into the basket. The basket can stay for tomorrow’s use, or be emptied as you put items away. Place a basket in your child’s room as well; for toys that are played with all the time, you can get them out of the way and off the floor each night, but they’ll be readily accessible the next day.
Ever been out running errands, drive by the dry cleaners and realize you left a whole bag of clothes waiting by the door at home? Ever get home from the grocery store and realize you’ve forgotten to get an important item? It happens to me and it happens when I don’t write things down!
When you run out of something, write it down. If you need to get stamps, write it down. If you need to make an appointment, write it down. Make a list. This list can serve as both a ‘to do’ list and a grocery list. Cross out items as you accomplish/purchase them, add new items as they come up.
Use a small pad of paper that you can take with you on your errands, and always put it back in the same place when you get home.
Are you a collector? It’s okay if you are, you’re not alone. We all know someone with a baseball card collection, or stamp collection, and that “little black book?” – a collection of phone numbers, of course. But a collection of chap-stick? Yup! It was a first for me but my client has been collecting them for years. Her collection, however, was buried under mountains of clutter in her bedroom. She was determined to find them, and find them we did. In all, we uncovered 72 sticks of chap-stick in 10 hours of sorting and purging. 72! I was inclined to see if she could purge some of them, but after talking to her about it I realized that this collection really meant a lot to her – it reminded her of her childhood and brought back happy memories.
A huge part of my philosophy as an organizer is that I want my clients to enjoy their belongings. Collections in particular can easily get out of control, and there’s no reason to display EVERY piece of EVERY collection you own all at once. Display (and perhaps only keep?) your favorite pieces, and rotate different collections in and out of storage a few times a year. This will allow you (and others) to truly appreciate and enjoy the things you love. My client and I decided to take a photo of her collection instead of displaying it, to keep all 72 chap-sticks standing would be more trouble than its worth. She is keeping the chap-stick collection, but we stored it away in a plastic shoe box. Happy Collector and happy Organizer!
