Organizing Discount at the Container Store for Teachers

Attention all teachers..

My favorite store, The Container Store, is offering a %15 off discount to teachers. The discount will offer educators %15 off when shopping to help organize their classrooms.

I think this is an amazing discount! As a NAPO Professional Organizer, I always receive a discount for my clients and any little bit helps!

Teachers, run do not walk to your closet Container Store. Or, you can just shop online!

Container Store 25% off Shelving Sale!

As many of you know, I am obsessed with everything about the Container Store. Twice a year they also hold a 25% off Elfa and other shelving sale that I tell clients to take advantage of while they can. It is an amazing sale and I can't say enough wonderful things about Elfa for any room in a home. Elfa has so many benefits which include (but are not limited to!): being adjustable, easy to customize, easy to use and great for organizing any space! Happy 25% SALE!

Day 2: Touch Every Toy

It is Day 2 of Ohdeedoh's Toy Cure. How is it going? Are you following the plan and weeding out toys in your house?

I just love the comments about the psychology of the Outbox that they talk about:

Here's another excerpt from the Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure book which describes the psychology of the Outbox:

Most clutter clearers will tell you to sort through your belongings and remove a certain amount to the garbage, to recycling, or to a giveaway pile. This is a first-generation clutter-clearing approach. It focuses mainly on identifying clutter that will immediately be taken away. The problem with first-generation thinking is that it doesn't take into account that there are two problems: how to sort out the clutter and how to detach from individual items. Separation anxiety is the far bigger problem.

When faced with two anxiety-provoking decisions - where something should go (its value to the world) and whether one can separate from it (its value to the owner) - most people get stuck and simply hold on to things as a default. Second-generation clutter management unhitches these two stressful decisions. It deals with separation first and decides how and where to get clutter out of your apartment later.

The 7 Day Toy Cure

One of my favorite sites, Apartment Therapy Ohdeehoh is hosting a 7 day Toy Cure that I am absolutely obsessed with trying out! I figure I can ALWAYS be doing more to organize the toys in my home and I would love to see some of my clients and readers join in!

If you have toys in your home and want to get them more organized, check out the daily steps. I can't wait to hear and see any progress you have all made!

Day 1's assignment: Day 1: Create An Outbox & Touch Every Toy

Do you have YOUR calendar ready for back to school?

School has started in some parts of the country already and if it hasn't started yet, it will probably start right after Labor Day. Everyone has a hectic schedule, so keeping it all organized is especially important. I recommend taking the time before school starts or at the beginning of the school year to spend some time coordinating calendars (mom's, dad's, kid's, etc.) with the school year's events.

Taking time in the beginning of the year will pay off in the end. As soon as a school calendar comes out, update yours and update the "family" calendar. Include all days that kids will be out of school so you can plan ahead for alternative care and activities. Include all professional days for the same reasons. Also include all extra-curricular activities.

What calendar do you use? Are you more visual and like to write things down? Or are you more productive with an electronic calendar? I have realized that I am more "visual" and still write my calendar because I like to see my appointments and obligations. In year's past I have used the Mom Agenda but this year I am going to be switching things up! Stay tuned.

Organizing Outfits for Children

A great tip for organizing children's outfits (when the child can actually dress themselves!) is to organize the outfit by day of the week. By taking the time to place an outfit in each of the shelves, as the parent you are able to plan ahead and save the time in the morning running around figuring out what the child has to wear. This is also a great exercise to do with your child as it gets them involved in the process of organizing and planning ahead. In the end, it turns out to be a win-win situation as there is much stress, frustration and time saved.

For example, does Michael have soccer on Thursday? If so, we should place an extra pair of shorts and his soccer shirt in the Thursday shelf.

There is a great example of this project at One Step Ahead.

Dresser Drawers: Can They Ever Be Truly Organized?

Most of my clients have at least one dresser that they use for clothing of some sort. Usually the dressers are packed to the top of the drawers filled with things like shirts, pajamas, underwear/socks, etc. So, what is someone to do when they find themselves in this situation? 

I just read a great post that lays out a few tips on how to organize dresser drawers from Apartment Therapy. 

There were five tips that they mentioned:

1. Every few months, take everything out of your drawers and refold them. It's not a very fun job but it will keep your drawers tidy and organized. Plus, it's a good time to pull out stained or torn clothing.

2. Rather than stacking T-shirts, try "filing" them. As you can see in the after photo, I filed my color T-shirts so I can easily assess which one I want. When items are stacked it's invariably the one of the bottom that you want and getting to that one involves disrupting all the others…and that's what leads to a messy drawer.

3. Use containers in your drawers to hold the small stuff. In my drawer I've used a few containers. There's a small bank where I stow my collection of wheat pennies and other old money, a jewelry box for watches and necklaces, plus a large bowl to hold my bow ties.

4. If you have a particularly large drawer, consider picking up dividers or organizers. You can find organizers at stores like The Container Store which will help you keep things tidy by creating sections in the drawers.

5. Keep your drawer smelling fresh by storing candles in it. Whether it's a new or even just a little nub of a mostly burned one, a candle placed in your drawer will keep your clothes smelling lovely. You could also use bars of soap.

Make sure to check out the post here and see the before and after picture!