5 Clever Tips to Organize Your Child’s Play Area

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It has been a long winter so far, and depending on where you live perhaps a little colder than normal, so the kids have likely been indoors more than usual. Are they, and perhaps even you, getting a little stir crazy? Do their bedrooms or playroom look a little out of control because of the extra time spent indoors? There is still a bit of winter left so here are a few clever tips to organizing your child’s play area.

1) Get it off the floor

Do you have one of those kid’s rooms where you cannot see the floor for all of the toys thrown all over the place? If so, have you provided your child with the organizational tools to keep an organized room?

Storage bins for organizing toys

Many parents wonder why the child’s room is in such a disorganized mess and the reality is that they may not have provided them with the necessary organizational system and containers to properly tidy up. Drawers, bookcases and shelves are a must for any child to keep their room organized and for you to show them how to designate a space for each type of toy. Electronics are especially important to get off the floor to teach the children about value and to prevent tripping hazards.

2)  Be Creative

I have often talked before about the many uses of hanging shoe bags for storage beyond the storing of shoes. I recently saw a shoe bag used for the storage of Barbie dolls and thought “what a clever idea”. Not only can the dolls themselves be stored in these but also the doll clothes and accessories.

Organizing toys

Don’t forget your little guy with his play figurines (do they still have GI Joe?) or for his cars. These bags are easy to hang on a wall, on a closet rod or on the inside of a door.

3) Milk Crates

Milk crates make for great storage and even though it may be difficult to get the old fashioned milk crates from the grocery store, there are now several different variations available everywhere from IKEA to Canadian Tire to just about any other store that carries storage bins. They are great for stuffed animals, balls or even the larger dolls that will not fit into the shoe bags.

milk crates for organizing

4) Use Clear Containers

I have said this many times in the past – use clear storage containers. It is so easy for both you and your child to find what you are looking for and if you can see what belongs in the container it makes putting it away so much easier for both and your child. These containers can be stored in a corner, in a closet or under a bed but once seen you will easily recognize what is inside.

5)  Edit & Liberate

Kids grow quickly and outgrow toys. At least twice a year spend some time with your child going through their toys to determine what is not being used any longer. Arrange for the donation of these toys and take your child with you so they can participate in the giving process. Or, if you are holding a spring yard sale let your child participate (if old enough) with their own table and all proceeds can either be donated or put away for them for new toys. Want to discover some on casino apps on mobile? Casino specialists at exycasinos.in wrote an article about the subject on their website. You are going to find much helpful info about the best gambling platforms, developers, common games, and remaining atributes of mobile gambling apps.

donate toys

However you choose to store your child’s toys make sure they are involved in the process so they learn the importance of maintaining a safe, trip free and organized environment. If your space is just too overwhelming for you to handle at the moment, call me now at 905-642-5669 for your free telephone consultation.  We are here to ease your chaos.  Your chaos.  Our solution,  Your peace of mind!

6 Perfect Home Office Spaces That Will Make You Jealous

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Whether you are need a home office for your business or a workstation for your home, there is always a solution to get your home office organized and on track.  With many variations of home offices available, ranging from a simple desk to a more complicated built in system  the most important aspect is to make sure you can put your work away easily when the day is complete, as well as retrieve the information you need with ease and simplicity.

These 6 organized home office spaces offer lots of options for home organization.

Custom is cool

This first space is perfect use of a small niche in your home with custom cabinets and desk space with plenty of storage for books, files and supplies.   Well worth the price point if you work from home and require a functional space.

Built in home office

Basement Beauty

This next office in the basement is a creative use of the often under appreciated under stair space. Precious real estate is uncovered here and becomes useful.

 

Basement Office

Light & Airy

We love this use of space with the desk facing outward as opposed to working directly in front of a wall.  Lots of storage and good functionality and organization in the home office.

Home office desk door

Window side

Situating your home office desk in front of a window with a streamlined look and feel is a great way to work clutter free, enjoy nature and get your creative juices flowing for an organized work day.

Home Office desk

Dual Office Space

If you require a room with two work stations, this contemporary, streamlined design is the way to go.  We love the clutter free bookcase and clean, organized lines of desk space.  Lots of room to work efficiently.

L shaped home office

Tight on space

Just because you live in a smaller sized home doesn’t mean you can’t have a dual workstation or office.  This is a great office space in a small apartment, condo or townshouse.

Shared workspace in small area

Which work space do you love the best?

3 Common Household Items You Should Toss

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It happens in every household. We accumulate so many possessions (food, makeup and otherwise) and then have so much trouble letting go of things. There could be a multitude of reasons. Perhaps you spent a ton of money on something, or maybe you just “love” it so much or maybe even you think that one day you will eventually use it.

One of the challenges with this type of thinking is that some things have a ”best before” date. This doesn’t necessarily mean it expires before that date or that you “best consume it” before this date. But for many items, food and makeup in particular, it speaks to a shelf life. Once you open the product that best before date goes right out the window.

Food – Does it need to smell funny?

packaged foods

Take foods for instance. That best before date we see on the pre-packaged foods means its taste, nutrition and safety are pretty much guaranteed before that date. But once opened, that date is irrelevant. Even if something doesn’t have a foul odor or still tastes fine, it doesn’t mean it’s safe to consume. Bacteria and other organisms can still be growing in the food before any foul odor or foul taste is detected. So if you are ever in a position when you are wondering if something is still okay to eat, it probably isn’t. Toss it and be safe.

Cosmetics and clutter

Makeup is another challenge. The amount of money the average woman spends spends on cosmetics makes it very difficult to toss that foundation bottle you bought last year that still has some left, or that mascara that you’re pretty sure you could get another few weeks’ use of. The issue is that liquids go bad pretty quickly once opened and exposed to air. Even those little samples you get at the store can go from nice to nasty pretty quick.

cosmetics

Pump style containers that hold your moisturizer or foundation tend to last longer than ones in a jar because with jars of liquid your fingers (that hold bacteria) are constantly being dipped into the container thus lending to faster contamination. The general rule of thumb is 6 months for moisturizer or foundations in a container, up to a year if you have a pump mechanism for either. Of course, if the product seems to smell a little funny all of a sudden, then it’s time to toss it.

Powdered makeup last the longest provided you keep your brushed clean.  You can usually count on two years for powdered products.

Mascara is the worst. Once you open that tube you should toss it after 3 months tops! Don’t play the chance game with your eyes! If you have ever had pink eye you know exactly what I mean.  Use a Sharpie and mark the date of that sucker so you don’t take the chance of keeping it longer than you should.

Bed pillows bacteria

This last one is something we see in almost every home we work in. Bed pillows. They have a shelf life as well, especially if you are not protecting them in a thick pillow protector. Without protection, your pillows should be tossed out after one year. The reason for this is that grease from your scalp and oils and bacteria from your face and mouth soak into the pillow leading to bacteria growth which yellows the pillow and is a wonderful breeding ground for dust mites. Yuck! Do you really want to take the chance that you sleeping companions are dust mites?!

bed pillows

With more expensive pillows you should be getting them professionally cleaned every couple of years. But if you see any yellowing on your pillow or have had it over a year without a pillow protector, toss that baby in the trash and give yourself and your family a nice gift of a fresh, new pillow to sleep on.

If you have any questions about the shelf life of any other items you may have in your home, just contact us and we will answer your questions.
In the meantime, play it safe and don’t risk your health and safety!

Year End Organizing Checklist

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Another year has come and gone. It feels like we just started 2014 and here we are entering 2015 already. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to either get or to stay organized here are a few things you can do to start the New Year in an organized state.

2015

Out with the old

The New Year is a great time to purge old files and make space available for new files. No need to hang on to the monthly hydro, cable, etc. bills (unless you are a business owner). Just keep the last bill or year-end statement and purge the rest. If you have legal or tax implications you would be advised to check with your lawyer or accountant before tossing any document that you may require but most monthly bills can be safely tossed. This would also be a good time to review your files and see if the categories are working for you and either delete or add as required.

Do you really need those presents?

This is a time of year that we receive a lot of gifts that are meant well but maybe just are not our style or fit in with our decor. Rather than putting them away where they will never be used why not re-purpose them now.

regift

Charities are always looking for donations and can find a good home for that item you know you will never use but you just couldn’t hurt the feelings of the giver. Now is also a good time to create a new “gift centre” for gift giving later in the year (but not to the original giver of course!).

Holiday decorations

Now is a great time to review the decorations as you pack them away. Do you have damaged decorations that did not get used but are holding onto for sentimental reasons?  Decorations that you “may” just use one year. How about the decorations that you just have too many of?

broken holiday ornament

The kids may want those to get a good start in their own home or for sentimental reasons themselves. In any case, now is a great time to take stock of what you have versus what you want or need and be prepared and organized for next season.

Start the New Year off right with an organized outlook and you will be surprised how it will transfer over to other aspects of your home and life. If you feel anxious getting organized for the new year or need some assistance, contact us here for your free telephone intake.

5 Tips to Organize Your Linen Closet

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With the seasons changing it’s time to think about switching up your linens to something warmer and that means opening up your linen closet. A linen closet may be one of the last places you may think to organize solely because it is one of those out of the way places where the door is almost always closed.

messy linen closet

Besides linens, we tend to store a lot of other items such as toiletries and other stuff that may get used in that part of the house.

It is therefore easy for it to become a very disorganized mess taking a lot of time to find what you need. Or you may end up purchasing items you didn’t require because you couldn’t find them.

Here are 5 tips to keep your linen closet neat and organized.

Baskets & containers

Use baskets or containers to keep corral smaller items and label them for easy identification and locating. Separate all of your toiletries, dental items and first aid supplies. Keep them in separate containers and label them so when you need that bandage you are not searching through other items to find it.

Bundling

organized linen closet

Bundle sheet sets together keeping sheets for different bedrooms separated.

When doing laundry fold the top and bottom sheet and one pillow case.

Stack them or bundle them together and place them inside the second pillow case.

Now you can easily see what you have and you won’t have everything topple over on you when you are removing them from the closet for use.

 

Label shelves

Label the shelves that the linens are placed on.Once labelled everyone will know where the sheet sets are for their own beds and if you have help doing laundry or putting laundry away there are no questions as to where something needs to go.

labels for linen closet

 

Seasonal switch

Keep your seasonal linens (heavier bed spreads and comforters) up high. The larger and warmer bedspreads or maybe even flannel vs. linen sheets tend to get rotated only once every six months or so.

Therefore, if you have the space, keep these on the top shelf as you only need access to them a couple times a year.

basket linens

Face cloth frustration

Facecloths are always the most trouble. We all have a lot of these and they tend to fall over when they are put away.

Try putting them in a wicker or cloth basket to contain them or roll them up rather than fold them to prevent toppling. Besides, they will look neater when you open the linen closet door.

Try these ideas to keep a neat and organized linen closet and if you need assistance with this or any other project, simply contact us here.

Your chaos. Our solution. Your peace of mind.

Tips for Organizing the Kitchen Junk Drawer

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If I asked you what the most disorganized place in your house is you would probably tell me your basement, your bedroom or maybe even a closet. Not too many would think about the kitchen junk drawer even though many of you have one. And where did we get this term from? I don’t recall picking out a “junk drawer” when we picked out our cabinets for our home.

junk drawer

The kitchen is the focal point of the home with constant activity. With meal preparation, entertaining, school work and other activities all taking place there it is an area that needs to be clear and organized at all times.

It’s no wonder it’s so easy to designate a drawer and toss everything into it when tidying up.

Neat and organized

But trying to find something in there can be a challenge at best! To organize this drawer we first have to take everything out and sort it. This is a great time to look at what you have, when you used it last and decide whether it goes back in – neat and organized – gets tossed, or finds a new home.

Those screwdrivers, 3 pairs of scissors, batteries and shoelaces can all be assigned a new home. You know I am a proponent of “if something has not been used then it isn’t needed” so take an honest look at it before deciding you need it.

Containers are essential

junk drawer containers

Now make sure you have some containers to store like items with like items before placing everything back. Rubbermaid and Ikea are great at supplying these types of small containers as are the dollar stores.

Have separate containers for writing implements, pads of paper, magnets or paperclips, etc. It will make the world of difference when you are looking for something.

Dunk the junk

Once you have done this you are left with a pile of miscellaneous items. Hey! Let’s call this junk. You should be able to pare this junk down to almost nothing once you give it a final review. If you still have items you wish to keep get another container and place these leftovers in it. Now you have one container with true junk and the rest of the drawer is truly required items.

organized junk drawer

Upkeep is important. Go through this one “junk” container periodically and the rest of the drawer at least once every three months and you will find retrieving items from your “junk drawer” a lot easier.

If you need assistance with getting your organizational task started, contact us for a FREE telephone consultation to get you on your way!

Organizing for Winter – Get Ready Now

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Oh, how I dislike winter. I am not one of those Canadians that enjoy the cold. I do not skate, ski, snowboard or toboggan. I look awful in winter hats. My feet are always freezing.

people in winter clothingSo, I hibernate on my couch under a cozy blanket and stay warm. The only thing good about winter in my mind is that it’s followed by Spring.

With winter and the onset of cold weather it seems to me that things are more cluttered and dirty everywhere.

The colder weather has already settled in here in Stouffville so I hope you have started to get ready for the next 5 months of boots, mitts, scarves and heavy coats.

Get your winter gear ready

If you don`t have the closet space to keep all your seasonal wear in one front hall closet (most people don`t), or you haven’t already rotated the summer and fall coats and footwear and have the winter goods into the closet by the door, now is definitely the time to do so.

pets in winter

The front hall closet, which is where most of us keep our seasonal outerwear, is not normally the largest of spaces and keeping 4 seasons of coats and footwear in there will typically lead to a lot of overcrowding and frustration.

Winter coats especially take up a lot of room due to their bulk.

Help always needed

Despite small front hall closets, many of my clients try to keep all seasonal clothing in the front closet and wonder why it is such a chore to find the coat they need, why it took so long to get the kids ready to go outside and why the closet and front entry way is always such a cluttered disaster area. In fact, this is the one area in the home that almost every one of our client`s asks us for help with. We are the closet masters!

Switch it up

If space is an issue I recommend switching it up twice a year – once in the spring to put spring and summer items in the closet and again in the fall to switch it to fall and winter items. Keep everyone’s coats together so they know to go to the same spot in the closet and not have to search through many other coats to find theirs.

Keep it separated

Wicker baskets are ideal to keep everyone’s hats, scarves and mitts separated and prevent them from falling on to the floor. Another option is a hanging shoe bag. One for each child can hold their own gloves, hats and scarves and also make it super easy for them to access and put away as well. front entrance closet

Mom and dad can each have their own bin or basket to contain their items separately.

Don`t forget a bin for your pets as well.

Pare down properly

And while we are making the switch this is an excellent time to take stock of the items that don’t fit any longer or are out of style or you just don`t seem to wear and know will not get any more use.

At this time of year there are many charities looking for warm clothing for the less fortunate and rest assured they will go to good use. So stay warm and stay organized!

If you find you just don’t have the time or skill to handle this project on your own, just contact us here for a free telephone consultation. We can achieve order with any organizational challenge!

Make Room For Santa: Pre-Christmas Toy De-cluttering

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Written by: Anne Gideon

The holiday is just ahead and will be here before you know it! About this time of year, it’s a good idea to contemplate the toy situation in your child’s room or playroom. Clear the decks and cut kid clutter with a pre-holiday toy clear-out!

too many toysIt’s a fact of modern life. Children’s playthings have exploded in number, size, and complexity, while children’s storage options have remained static. Just try storing a Happy Meal collection in the average toy box! Even the best-organized kid’s rooms can easily drown in today’s toy avalanche.

And nowhere is the clutter more apparent than at Christmas. Time for a sneaky/secret/flat-out toy reduction! OR get your kids involved to help other children and donate what you collect from their rooms.

kids donate

For very young children, it’s relatively simple. Corral and store several “big” items like Fisher-Price play sets, and cull the rest. Come a winter’s rainy day, you’ll be able to pull out the stored toys, their magic refreshed by a stay in the attic.

Replace them with other toys. You’ll cut clutter in the kids’ rooms, and give yourself a welcome “new toy” break from time to time.

Older children require more care and thought. Depending on your household’s customs, you can ask for toys for a charity toy drive (being sure they’re safe, complete and in good condition) or point out that Santa can’t leave new toys if there’s no room to put them away.

Get the children involved in the solution, and you’re ahead of the game.

Whatever you do, think ahead. You’ll need to clear the decks in the children’s play areas before Santa arrives!

Storage bins for organizing toys

Toys add and add and the clutter can be ridiculous. Cleaning up and donating every single year helps you with your all-year-organizing.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with any organizational task in your home or office and are looking to get organized for the holiday season, contact us here for a FREE telephone consultation to take you from clutter to calm!

Don’t Make These Mistakes When Organizing & Packing for Your Trip

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You know me. I am organized. But I did learn a valuable lesson on my latest vacation to Arizona.

packed suitecase
I do all the packing when we go away. If I left it to my husband he would throw things in a suitcase and realize what we were missing when we got there and then panicked.

So I packed. Everything was neat and tidy and in an organized manner.

Zip lock bags are a must.

All the shampoos and other liquids get packed in ziplock plastic bags in case they get crushed or explode in mid-air, which has happened a few times. It has been a blessing as it could have made a mess of our belongings.

Have identifiers on your bags

On this recent trip we took three suitcases, two of which were checked baggage and one was a small carry on. The carry on had a few things I didn’t want to lose, so having this with us would be safe, right? For our two checked bags have put a special identifier on them for our easy retrieval off the luggage carousel. I have a bright red sock tied to one of them and on another we have a colourful ribbon.

lost and found
So we get to the airport and board the bus to pick up the rental car. We get to the rental car building, we depart the shuttle bus and when the two suitcases come off the bus we head in to get our car. Once we arrive at our destination we ask each other what the other did with the carry on. Oops! It was left on the rental car shuttle bus!! No identifier, no tag, nothing on it. Panic set in pretty darn quick.

We called around frantically and find the number to the lost and found for the Phoenix International Airport but it is now Friday at 4:00 pm and they close for the weekend at 5:00. Just our luck. We spent the next two days of our vacation wondering if an honest driver or passenger would turn in our suitcase. You just never know these days.

Luckily they did and on Monday afternoon we made the drive back to the airport to claim our suitcase. Phew!

Travel case for your underthings

bra travel case

Now, because we did not have anything on our carry on to confirm it was ours the lost and found staff had to open our suitcase for us to describe the contents, some of which were of a private nature. For your information, the woman at the lost and found counter was quite amused by my contents.

I happen to have a travel case for my bras so they don’t get crushed en route. It’s a hard case, shaped as a brassiere with pretty polka dots on it. The lost and found lady wanted to know where to purchase such a thing! Lol. The male attendant at the Lost and Found couldn’t stop smiling. I was a tad embarrassed but what the heck. We got the case back so it was all good.

Don’t forget your tags!

luggage tags
Next stop for us is off to the luggage store to purchase some permanent tags for each of our suitcases and carry on’s and on our next vacation we will stop at every turn to ensure that all bags are present and accounted for.

If you are dealing with an organizational task and don’t know where to start, contact us here for your FREE telephone consultation.

5 Best Kept Secrets for Kitchen Organizing

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The kitchen is the one area of the house that everybody uses and is usually the focal point of the house where conversations are held while cooking or where we eat together as a family.

sparkling kitchen

That makes it especially important to keep organized so you are not wasting time looking for things and getting frustrated rather than enjoying family time.

Follow these 5 simple tips to stay organized in the busiest part of your home.

 

Like with like

Keep like with like. Sounds simple but it is easy to get away from. Organize and keep all of your spices, food containers and pots together. And when you are storing your food containers keep the lids on the containers if you have the room. How many times have you found the container you need but just couldn’t get your hands on the lid for it?

Just this one simple tip will keep you from running from cupboard to cupboard or drawer to drawer looking for something.

Clear is better

Use clear containers. Now that you have sorted like items with like items, use clear plastic containers to keep things in. Just by opening the cupboard you will see that all of your sauces and gravies are in one container and perhaps all of your desert packages are in a larger container. In our house we go through a variety of cereal type snack bars.

When we get home from shopping they come out of their box and are placed into a clear container so we can see the choices we have, quickly grab the one we want and be able to keep everything in one place.

Risers for your shelves

spice shelf riser

Be able to see everything. Storing and organizing your spices may just be the biggest challenge. We all try to organize by alphabetical order but when things get put back everything is thrown off. Purchase an inexpensive tiered rack (riser) so the rows of spice containers are stepped behind each other for easy visibility. Just like tiered seating at a sports event. Keeping them in alphabetical order when putting them away will be a lot easier.

A Lazy spin

Purchase a Lazy Susan or have one installed. Don’t feel bad about using something with the word lazy in it. This item can be an organizing life saver. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Spin the shelf and what you need comes to you!

No more having to reach to the back of a cupboard or take everything out to find what you need.

cupboard lazy susan

These are especially great for corner cupboards or those lower cupboards with hard to reach spaces or hidden corners.

Clean out your refrigerator.

This seems obvious but we all put items in the fridge and just forget them. Have you ever found that green surprise in the back of your fridge or that container of salad dressing with a best before date older than your kids? I have.

Organized-Refrigerator

Diarize the cleaning of the fridge and you will always have room for groceries when you get home from shopping and not find those nasty surprises.

Follow these secrets and you will have a well-organized kitchen.

If getting your kitchen organized feels overwhelming to you or you just don’t know where to start, contact us here for your free telephone consultation and we’ll work it out with you.