Buttoned Up » Cool Finds

Must-have organizational invention: Sugar Snap Files

Sarah — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:56:31 +0000

Disclosure: Scan Snap Files are a sponsor of ours. The views about the product are , of course, 100% my own & totally honest. As you’ve probably noticed by the dearth of product reviews on this site, I’m pretty picky about what products I choose to review. This made the cut!

Most moms I know with babies under a year old are pretty darn frazzled. Chronic sleep deprivation = mom brain. And mom brain gets in the way of being buttoned up.

Every Mom’s Organizational Challenge

Whether it’s your first or your fifth, juggling the million and one things that need to be ported everywhere (wipes, diapers, snacks, drinks, extra clothes, lotions, and potions) is mind-boggling.

I can remember staring in disbelief at my poor overstuffed Vera Bradley bag wondering how I could cram in a few more items. It was a total mess. When I needed something – a diaper, a new onsie – I would waste ridiculous amounts of time rooting around for it. Then I’d give up on propriety and dump out the entire contents so I could get to what I needed.

And on those days I had to leave the diaper bag packing in my husband’s hands? Fughedabboudit. The neurotic mother in me would get a little crazy making checklist after checklist for him. Because if I didn’t, we’d invariably be stranded somewhere without the exact item we needed and have to rush out and buy a quick replacement.

Our diaper bag was dysfunctional to the max.

The Cure For Messy Diaper Bag

I can’t quite remember where I saw the SugarSNAP Files for the first time. But one glance and I knew. To borrow a phrase from my favorite movie When Harry Met Sally, “I knew the way you know about a good melon.”

The founders jokingly refer to the typical diaper bag “situation” (like the one I described above) as the “Burmuda Triangle.” And they’re on a mission to save other moms from that fate.

So they created SugarSnap Files.

What are they? Quite simply – a filing system for all of those diaper bag items! There are five lightweight mesh bags with a patterned backing in each set. Each bag in the set acts in much the same way file folders act in your drawers. Only they hold baby gear. Each bag in the set has a labeled tab that makes it easy to see what’s inside when peering in from the top of a bag. They also can be hooked and unhooked from a master ring as needed.

Oh – and they have a laminated diaper bag checklist – ideal for dads everywhere.

I love enterprising women creating amazing new things. And this filing system for diaper bags is nothing short of amazing. I got one in the mail to test and it honestly made me very sad these weren’t around when my boys were still little.

If you are expecting or know someone who is — this is a must-have. I’m personally going to stock up on these as baby shower gifts. Unique. Beautifully constructed. And perfect for both Type-A AND Type-B moms.

What do you do to organize your bag?

Organize a photo “book” for a trip in a jiffy

Sarah — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:52:30 +0000

Do you have good intentions of making photo books for each of your big travel adventures? I know I do…but somehow once you’re back in “real life,” the task of putting one together can seem daunting.

That paralyzing feeling of “overwhelm” is the main reasons we’ve put together the Photo Organization Boot Camp. Because really, you CAN get your photos off of your hard drive and into the real world where you can enjoy them even if all you have is 15 minutes a day. The key is daily, bite-sized steps (and someone holding your feet to the fire to get it done).

Of course, it also helps to have some smart organizational shortcuts up your sleeve too — like these travel keepsake kits.

The genius team at Martha Stewart (who else!?) have a great idea for creating a displayable keepsake kit to hold maps, ticket stubs, and other fun mementos is an awesome alternative. Easy, gorgeous, and practical.

How do you organize your travel mementos and photos? Got any tricks or good project ideas?

Tired of “losing” your cell phone? 10 ways to keep it from happening

Sarah — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 22:56:28 +0000

Ever taken two steps out the door in the morning only to realize you’ve forgotten your cell phone?

Or thought you had your cell phone in your bag/pocket/briefcase/ but when you really needed it couldn’t find it?

PANIC! Right?

If you are not in the habit of putting your phone in the same spot each time you return home – and in the same spot in your bag when you leave…you probably waste countless minutes each and every day frantically searching for your phone. Not only is that incredibly inefficient (and depressing when you add up those minutes) – but it’s also making your life way more stressful than it needs to be.

That’s why the habit is worth cultivating. Immediately.

Where do you start?

Docking Stations at Home

Ideally, pick a spot near the door…

…Or in your most trafficked room – the kitchen

If you’re lacking counter space – hang a spot on the wall (preferably at eye level)

3M Command Pouches are not only inexpensive, but practically invisible when the phone’s not there.

Or create a pouch that hangs off of a power cord

This DIY project from Damask Love looks doable…

…or you could always buy a cute one on Etsy like this one from Anna Tere Designs.

Then (if you’re not using a pouch) add a charging station – so it’s ready to go when you are. Here are four gorgeous options that would look great on a console table or a kitchen counter.

Keep it sleek with this tilted charging tray {via A+R}

Mixing the high-tech with natural materials is always stylish {via: Etsy}

Keep it on a kitchen counter without looking cluttered with this floating plexiglass station {via Etsy}

If you’ve got lots of techies in the house – you might want something that can hold everyone’s devices, like this rack system {via: ioo mobile}

Keeping your phone while you’re on the go

By far the easiest way to keep your smart phone from getting lost in big purses, briefcases, messenger bags, or backpacks is to get a small clutch or organizer that can double as your wallet and your phone’s home. If you can find one with a hook or leash, you can hook it to the side strap or interior loop – making it extra easy to locate.

This unisex option is great for any techie on the go {via Etsy}

I personally love this stylish wallet/smart phone combo – which could also double as a clutch for evenings {via Etsy}

And of course, I’ve saved the best for last. Genius Liz Ormesher, who I might add is under 30, invented a small purse – yes a PURSE – that wirelessly charges your cell phone. It’s called Everpurse and it comes in an array of stylish designs.

Just drop it in a fashionable little charging clutch and not only will it be easy to find when you are looking for it, BUT it will also charge it right up.

Where’s your smart phone drop spot? Do you have a compartment in your bag for one too or are you always searching for it?

10 of the cutest free Valentine’s Day printables evah

Sarah — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:16:41 +0000

My oldest is now in first grade, and I asked him why we celebrate Valentine’s Day.

His answer (emphasis his): To celebrate CANDY!!!

Well…maybe some of these cute printables will help him wrap his head around the real meaning of the day.

1. Craft Paper Goodie Bag Labels

{Download yours via: Shanty-2-Chic}

2. “Wheely” Cute Car Cards

{Download your via: Paloma Paper Designs}

3. Bring it Gangnam Style

{Download yours via:Just Married with Coupons}

4. A Valentine that’s just write

{Download yours via: Positively Splendid}

5. Popcorn Valentine

{Download yours via: Our Best Bites}

6. 100% boy notes

{Download yours via: One Charming Party}

7. Notes for best girlfriends

{Download yours via: One Charming Party}

8. Stylishly sweet notes

{Download yours via: Andres Ruff}

9. Aaarrrrgh-guably the cutest cards ever

{Download yours via: c2marcano}

10. And, of course, don’t forget our very own Hollie’s lovely creations!

{Download yours via: GetButtonedUp.com}

My two guys have picked their favorites from the set and I’ve sent them to our local Staples to be printed. We plan to spend some quality time this weekend putting thoughtful Valentine’s Day packages together for their classmates (after sledding through the snow Nemo dumps on our area, of course).

What do your little ones think Valentine’s Day is all about?

Rx for an organized desk

Sarah — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:26:59 +0000

Sometimes all we need is a little pretty to keep us motivated to maintain an organized desk.

Here’s a little inspiration for you.

Skirt the Issue of What’s Actually Under Your Desk…

Use tension rods to hang gorgeous fabric “curtains” to hide filing boxes and other goodies you might have lurking underneath.

Load Up on Files That You Actually Can’t Wait to Use

{via the Container Store}

Get a slew of folders that make you happy just looking at them. The stronger your positive association with filing, the more likely you are to actually do it.

And Invest in One or Two Special Accessories

{via: Animi Causa}

{via: Neiman Marcus}

{via: The Utility Collective}

What’s your absolute, favorite item on your desk?

Cool Find: Swoop Bags

Sarah — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:16:00 +0000

Readers of our book, Pretty Neat, already know how critical portable, lightweight bags are for keeping toys from taking over. Kids just aren’t wired to limit their toy-play to one room, so inevitably piles of Legos, blocks, dolls, trains, Hot Wheels…you name it, make their way to the main areas of the house.

That’s fine in the moment, but is a real clutter headache over the long run.

Smart moms use lightweight bags as clutter hacks because they make it easy for kids to carry toys they’ve brought into a main room back to the toy chest when it’s time to clean up.

But now you no longer have to sacrifice your Vera Bradley® bags to Hot Wheel toting toddlers.

SWOOP–a new, stylishly designed bag that doubles as a circular playmat is just the thing to contain all the stray Lego® or Polly Pocket® pieces in your life.

The bag’s creator, Sarah, is a graphic designer and a mother of two busy boys, who has lived through the Lego® problem first-hand. Her experience led her to create a bag that not only makes clean up time much easier, but fabulous to boot. Her Swoop bags are durable, simple, colorful, fun — and stylish enough to stash in any room. Price $48.

You can purchase them at Swoop.com’s online shop!

3 new appliances that will actually improve your organization

GuestBlogger — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:46:07 +0000

On one of the hottest days of the year—and the first official day of summer—the New York ButtonedUp team took a stroll across the city, down a narrow road, and into a large ritzy building to attend a press event for Samsung’s 2012 line of home appliance.

I’ll be honest, we were expecting the usual fare. Nice enough products…but…nothing amazing.

Boy were we wrong! What we saw from Samsung blew our organizational socks right off.

Kevin Dexter, Senior VP of Home Appliances for Samsung opened by explaining the team had been working really hard to deliver an “AH-HA!” factor for their products, not just a “wow” factor. Elaborating on what he meant by that he described a time when refrigerators were released with televisions in them. “Those wow’d people,” he said, “but they really didn’t have a purpose. The customer didn’t get an AH-HA moment.”

Bring on the Ah-Ha’s!
Samsung’s new line of products are noteworthy because they actually use innovative technology, not for technology’s sake, but to save you time and money.

(Re)imagine your refrigerator as an organizational hub

Noteworthy Organizational Features: A built-in computer and touch screen LCD help you create a neat central hub for everything from family calendars to photos. A scanner helps you minimize food spoilage, and the size…well it’s amazing.

Bottom line: this is one refrigerator that will keep you on schedule, tell you when your food is bad, and help you run your family’s life more efficiently. The 28 cubic foot fridge is equipped with an LCD screen set to run apps like Google Calendar, AP news, Weatherbug, Epicurious, and Pandora.

You’ll also be able to schedule food shopping and fridge clean-out with a new Grocery Manager app that tracks perishable items to minimize spoilage. When organized effectively, the refrigerator is extremely kid friendly with a lower, more reachable “FlexZone” compartment that can be stocked with snack foods for easy access.

Beyond the innovative technologies, the interior layout of the fridge is deep and shelf heavy to store of a large array of groceries in an organized fashion.

Cut cooking times in half with Samsung’s Flex Duo oven

Organizational Benefit: Decrease Cooking Time through Multitasking, Warming Drawer Allows for Flexible Cooking Times.

You don’t need two ovens to cook dinner and dessert at the same time anymore. With Samsungs Flex Duo oven you can simultaneously make multiple dishes at different temperatures when the user inserts what Samsung calls a Smart Divide—a thin sheet of metal that splits the 5.9 cubic foot oven in two.

The sleek oven also contains a warming drawer to keep food table ready post-cooking. Importantly, Samsung states that there is no flavor transfer or noticeable aroma caused by clashing dishes.

Imagine doing the laundry from work!

Organizational Benefit: SpeedSpray reduces normal cycle time by up to 25 percent. Special cycles make washing clothes more convenient. Troubleshooting and washing can be done via cell phone.

Even though Sarah’s a freaky laundry-lover, we think she might just fall for Samsung’s Smart front load new washer dryer combo. The washer’s SpeedSpray technology is more efficient than an average washing machine, cutting down the time for a normal wash by 25% – so if your current cycle is 45 minutes, you can now get it done in about 33.

The washer is also customizable to six specially designed cycles titled after the user’s activities, such as “gardening and yard work.” Don’t want your clothes sitting in stagnant water all day? The washer has the ability to be started, stopped, and paused from a cell phone, which means that you can throw a load in the wash before you leave for work and start it 30 minutes before you get home for fresher clothes. You can also diagnose and troubleshoot the washer from the phone to avoid lengthy down times.

Now THAT’S a washer-dryer after a working woman’s heart, isn’t it? Here’s to hoping the next AH-HA! tech tool they implement will fold & put away.

So how much technology do you think is necessary in home appliances? Should a refrigerator simply house food at a cold temperature?

Cool find: OneReceipt

Sarah — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:28:07 +0000

Anyone else suffering from the “George Costanza” wallet effect right about now? The flurry of receipts that come with Holiday shopping are enough to tip most wallets over into the overstuffed territory. {shudder}

For a refresher on what a Costanza wallet is, watch these hilarious Seinfeld clips (note: you have to view on the YouTube site as I think the owner of this video is afraid of getting in trouble & has disallowed embedded copies of the clips).

The Antidote to Your Exploding Wallet

If the girth of your wallet is currently challenged (or maybe permanently challenged), you’ll definitely want to check out this amazing new online service we found called OneReceipt. In a nutshell, it automatically looks through your email account(s) and creates searchable entries for the purchases you’ve made from online retailers like iTunes to Amazon. Although there are some stores it doesn’t recognize, all you have to do to capture those is email them to your OneReceipt account. Easy breezy.

If you are out and about and get a paper receipt for your purchase, just snap a picture of it and email it to your OneReceipt account. Then toss that paper version straight into the nearest garbage can without fear as the tech genies at OneReceipt will upload it right to your account.

Another feature to love is the fact that all of your data is stored securely in the cloud, so it’s there whenever and wherever you need it. Every receipt is indexed, so you can easily find specific purchases. The app also provides tags and categories to help you filter and file your receipts so if you’re wondering just how bad your shoe habit is, you’ll be able to see at the push of a button.

And finally, this nifty little program can actually help you save money. How? Well, have you’ve ever bought something that you wanted to return, but forgot to in time? OneReceipt will actually keep track of return policies that are about to expire and notify you before they do.

Cool find: secret-keeper

Sarah — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:13:49 +0000

Send Self-Destructing Notes with One Time Secret

Do you send passwords, login information, or other sensitive material via email? Are you really sure it’s going to stay private between you and the recipient? There are so many ways for that data to be compromised, it’s actually rather frightening. We’ve learned that the hard way here at Buttoned Up as we dealt with those nasty hackers back in October.

That’s why I got so excited when I came across this cool new program called One Time Secret. Enter your clandestine content in the site’s text box and with the click of a button you’ll generate a one-use-only link to your secret message.

Send the link to whomever you please; once it is opened and read, it disappears forever. If no one opens it within seven days, the link dies (your message along with it). For even more security, add a password that the recipient will need to know in order to access the self-destructing message.

Do you send sensitive intel over email? What do you think of this service?

Cool find: Instagram photo book

Sarah — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:00:26 +0000

Ever wonder what on earth to do with all of those instagram photos you take with your iPhone?

Me too. I have a few hundred lurking somewhere in the hard drive space on my phone. Their mostly candid snapshots I’ve taken while out and about with my phone, like this one of my oldest son in absolute heaven sitting in a real fire engine:

Or this adorable series of my littlest polar bear playing in the melting snow:

I love scrolling through them on my phone when I’m standing in line or waiting around. But it made me a little sad that these snapshots of random cuteness seemed destined to a digital existence only.

Now a neat little company called Keepsy makes it easy to actually DO something with all of those instagrams on your phone. With a few mouse clicks you can create a beautiful, glossy album of your favorite instagrams very inexpensively (starting at $30).

Here’s a little video from their site so you can see more.

This would make a great Holiday gift if you’re scratching your head & wondering what to get a spouse, roommate, or even a parent…