Try using shelf dividers to keep sweaters, T-shirts and even towels neat on a shelf. It will be easy to find things and you will feel great when you look at the organized area!

Before investing in costly organizing solutions, create a mock up and test the solution first. (Such as shoeboxes and coffee tins before you buy the expensive, more attractive bin.) Then if you love the results, switch the mock up with real thing.

Store extension cords in pipe insulation. Simple cut a slit down one side and wrap it around the rolled up cord! Store easily on shelves, in drawers, or bins.

I absolutely love these LEGO storage boxes!

Not just that kids love LEGOs but they give nice pop of color to any room, and of course nice storage space. They are made by license from LEGO for a store in UK, A Place for Everything. Unfortunately, they are not available in the US but you might find them on eBay, and the head box is available on Amazon.com for $46.25.

(via Skimbaco)

Organizing Your Home Office/Guest Room

By Jessica Ackerman of WallDecorandHomeAccents.com

When space is at a premium and the guest room is also your home office, organization is the key to maintaining your sanity. While it may seem impossible to seamlessly transition the functions of the room, it is actually quite simple. Use the quick and easy storage and organization solutions below to get you started.

Out of Sight

The easiest way to create a home office/guest room is to invest in a piece of furniture that hides a main component of the room’s other purpose from sight. What that means is that instead of a big, open desk; invest in an office armoire that can be closed up when you are not working. It can also mean purchasing a sofa bed for the room as opposed to a large queen bed. When the room looks like it only has the one purpose, it becomes much calmer and more comfortable. The key is to make sure that the pieces coordinate with one another and also provide a sense of welcome in either situation.

Covered Storage

As tempting as it may be to store piles of paperwork on the desk or display guest towels on a hanging rack, in a shared space the best scenario is to store items out of sight. Decorative storage boxes are a great option for doing this. They boxes can be stored on a shelf or stacked beside the bed as an impromptu side tale. An armoire is a great piece for storing anything from office supplies to sheet and towels behind closed doors. Bed linens and tax paperwork can both have their space in the room, but no one needs to know. Be sure to label the boxes so that you can find the items that you need later on.

Comfort

When decorating a room that doubles as a home office and a guest room, be sure to consider comfort. While it may seem counterproductive to make a home office extremely comfortable, with soft furniture and calming colors, it will actually make the space a more productive area. While having a comfortable desk chair is essential, it is also appropriate to include a relaxing arm chair and ottoman if there is space. Design with comfort in mind to create a space that can be enjoyed no matter how it is being used.

Do not let your home’s small floor plan keep you from creating a shared space. A guest room and home office can co-exist peacefully with some pre-planning and creative storage ideas. Once the room is done, you and your guests may never want to leave.

About the Author:

Jessica Ackerman, writes for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com and offers aspiring home designers the opportunity to decorate with atomic outdoor wall clocks.

Got Kids? Then you’ve got clothes to organize!

Cycling through (and recycling) children’s clothes can be, well, a pain in the rear if you don’t have an efficient system down.

Use these downloadable labels to keep storage bins straight – and clothes orderly and ready for (re)use. They are designed to print out on Avery Shipping Labels (approximately 4” x 3.33”). Simply download the appropriate Word doc, put a sheet of stickers in your printer, and you’re good to go!

Click here for Girl’s labels
Click here for Boy’s labels

A new home for my earrings

By Cheryl Brazier of thebzhousethatlovebuilt.blogspot.com

I have this thing about losing ear rings. Yes, sometimes I’ll lose one while wearing them. That is because the hole in one ear is larger than it’s suppose to be, due to wrong instructions given to us by the store employee whom pierced my ears, so the earrings often work themselves lose or free.

But I also have problems with losing my ear rings, here at home, right in my bed room. Yes, I had designated one little drawer in the stand up jewelry box I had picked up for earrings. But sometimes I would be searching for one particular pair in a hurry, and in the process of trying to find the two matching ones, lay ones whom weren’t part of that pair out on top of my dresser. And it was from there they would vaporize. Yes, vaporize.

Sometimes I would gather them all up and dump them right back in their little drawer. But other times I was out of time and would just leave them there, figuring I could tuck them away later. Sometimes ‘later’ happened when I returned to my room. Other times a lot of time had passed till ‘later’ actually happened. And by then, this or that earring would come up missing. Not MIA, because what action do earrings have while sitting on your dresser?! They are just laying there doormet, right? I’m not so sure.

Let me interrupt myself right here and state that NO, I DO NOT THINK MY “BOYS” WERE WEARING THEM! True, Byron does have one ear pierced, but it’s high on his lobe, and while he has at times lost his and asked to borrow my tiny hoop one, he would never wear one of my dangling pink ones!!! Nor my pearls. Nor any of my other ones for that matter.

At times I have seriously questioned Rascal about messing with stuff in my room, but he just gives me these “I can’t believe your saying such a thing human” looks.

Sometimes I have found the missing one lying on the floor, or under the dresser or bed like they had gotten kicked there (or Rascal had dropped them there after playing with them?), or down in a basket of laundry sitting in front of the dresser. But other times, like I said, it’s like they have totally vaporized!

I know that part of the problem comes with how full the top of my dresser is. My small TV is on there, and the stand up jewelery box, and our alarm clock (didn’t work having it next to the bed). So it’s a full surface, and things can be bumped around unknowingly. But having earrings totally disappear really bothers me.

Rather recently Brent’s girlfriend Kayla had brought over some older magazines she thought I might enjoy. It took me a while to be able to, but I am now enjoying them.

One of them was the January 2009 issue of Family Circle. Starting on page 23, they had a feature article titled “55 Ways To Clear The Clutter”. Seeings how such articles always intrigue me, and these were all suggestions/ideas sent in by readers, I slowly started reading through them. I got as far as number forty one (41) and got all excited!!! I was inspired by the idea that ‘Alicia Rockmore, founder of Buttoned Up, Inc.’ had submitted. Her idea read, “Turn clean cardboard egg cartons into drawer organizers for jewelry and other small things that tend to get misplaced.” The editors must have really liked this idea too, because they included a quarter page picture of the idea in use.

Due to our recycle bin not having been put out in awhile, I was able to retrieve a couple of institutional sized cardboard egg trays (they hold two and a half (2 1/2) dozen eggs). Armed with those and a box opener, I headed up to my room to put the idea to use. I had decided that since what I stored in one of the small upper drawers of my dresser was easily stored elsewhere, I would try converting it into a ear ring drawer.

There really wasn’t much in the drawer, but Kate, you know that CD you made me back when, which I had looked for and could not find? Yeah, it was in there. Yes, I had looked in there. Again, I blame Rascal o;-p.

Turned out, I didn’t have to do any cutting what-so-ever . It was like the egg tray had been specifically designed for that drawer. As the Colonel would say, “I love it when a plan comes together!”

While I don’t wear larger sized hoop earrings, I did use one of the pairs out of the dress up stuff to show you how the trays would easily work for that style too.

I know that most of you do not have the perfect size drawer to implement this idea in. I’m sorry! However, I bet you could find a way to use the idea anyways. Perhaps just sitting in a larger drawer with other stuff beside it. or perhaps on a shelf in your closet or bathroom. Or… … Think!!! I know you’ll be able to come up with something!!!!

Author Cheryl Brazier (PinkBunnie) and Brian (a Muppets fan as Kermit the Frog)(they have to do with ‘sanity’ issues ;-p)

Organizing – 5 Gift Wrap Solutions

By Cristin Bisbee Priest of www.simplifiedbee.com

Keeping gift wrap supplies neatly organized is a year-around task, but during the holiday season it can get out of control. Here are five different gift wrap storage solutions designed to help you organize all those pretty tags, papers and ribbons.

1. The Wall-Mounted Craft Organizer from Pottery Barn is one of my favorite. This space saver is designed so you have all your gift wrap supplies in easy reach.

2. Ballard Designs’ Wrapping Cart is very comprehensive. I love how it has hidden casters and can be rolled away when not in use. Thanks to Deliciously Organized for pointing this one out!

3. Organize.com’s Underbed Storage Chest for gift wrap is an affordable solution for those with limited storage options. Having a pair of these storage chest would be ideal – one for everyday gift wrap needs and one designated for the holidays. And of course this storage solution doesn’t have to go under your bed – it is also suitable for the closet, garage or attic.

4. Another affordable and space saving gift wrap solution is the Hanging Gift Wrap Organizer from the Container Store. Perfect to hang in a closet or on a door or wall hook.

5. For those of you with very limited storage space, a series of stacking vintage suitcase would cleverly store gift wrap. Thank you Apartment Therapy for this fun idea!

Which solution is right for you and your space?

So many photos, so little time.

We all feel guilty that we’re behind the eight ball when it comes to organizing the family photos. All these important events we took the time to attend and record, and yet the photos languish in our digital cameras, on internet storage sites, or in envelopes and boxes. Plus, once you’ve fallen behind, it seems impossible, and embarrassing, to catch up. (It’s hard to admit you still haven’t organized wedding photos when it’s your ten-year anniversary.) One problem stems from the desire to organize photos thoughtfully and perfectly, and since there never seems to be time to dedicate to such an in-depth task, we often never get started. What can you do to take on years and years of photos, when you don’t have hours and hours to devote?

Alicia on ‘Working Backwards’

‘One big question looms over the task of organizing photos. Where do I start? Or, more precisely, when do I start? We’ve found that time tends to be an excellent filter as far as weeding out the photos you don’t really need to put in albums. (Sure, that series of pictures of your sister fitting 20 grapes in her mouth was funny 5 years ago, but maybe you only need one to remember the event.) Start with the oldest event and work to the present, making sure to leave a few spaces for any pictures that may pop up later in the process.’

Sarah on ‘Memory Lane’

‘One of the bonuses of organizing your photos after having delayed it for a while, is that it gives you a chance to take a trip down memory lane. Make it a fun family event, where each member of the family is in charge of putting pictures in order for different events. Not only will things get done much quicker, it gives everyone a chance to laugh together, shake their heads in disbelief together, and most importantly, point out the terrible choices in fashion and hairstyles together.’

Here are a few picture perfect ways to start organizing your photos.

#1. Photo Boxes
Even if they’re not in albums, an easy way to start the process of organizing your photos is to create boxes for different vacations, holidays, school years, etc. As different events happen, and you get more photos, just make another box and set it aside. That way they’re at the ready when you do want to make an album.

#2. Online sites
Online sites like Kodakgallery.com and snapfish.com are great and easy to use. Not only does it make it easy to share photos, but you can also access pictures your friends and family took that you may have missed. It’s just as easy, however, to forget to make prints from these sites for your albums. Try to put an hour on your calendar one month from now, and take that time to go through and organize and print some of your favorites. There’s something about a printed photo that seems more special than just looking at it on a screen.

#3. The Perfect Gift
When you’re in the process of putting pictures into photo albums, you always come across photos that remind you of certain friends or family that you either miss, or haven’t talked to in a while. Take this opportunity to take some pictures that otherwise may not have made it into your album and send them to someone special. Whether it’s a duplicate photo at your wedding for a bridesmaid, or an extra picture of your kids for a faraway aunt, every picture you send will bring someone an unexpected smile when they go to open their mail.

Be honest: is getting through your garage a little bit like completing a difficult obstacle course?

Somehow garages just seem to attract a disproportionate share of sports equipment, furniture, gardening gear, firewood, and other random, stray items. If you’re constantly tripping over things on your way to the car each morning (that is, if you can even fit your car in the garage), you might be wondering how on earth you can tame the chaos. It is possible to get it organized enough so you’re not mortified every time the garage door is open. It simply takes a little dose of imperfection and a lot of teamwork.

Alicia on ‘Imperfect Organization’

‘So, where do you start, what is most important, and what do you need to throw out? When you look at the whole garage, those questions can be intimidating enough that they keep you from taking action. Instead, focus on the ’80/20 rule.’ Zero in on the 20% of things that are creating 80% of the clutter and chaos. Those elements are usually very easy to spot — and diving in and tackling something right away gets momentum working in your favor. For me that means I focus on getting all of our family’s sports equipment into baskets and onto racks. Sure there are still some things that aren’t perfectly put away, but the bulk of the mess is gone.’

Sarah on ‘Bringing in Backup’

‘Going to town on the mess in the garage all alone is a thankless task. You’re not the only one who contributed to the mess, so why should you be the one responsible for cleaning it all up? Working by yourself takes longer and actually hurts your chances of keeping the space clean for long. Why? Because nobody else has a vested interest in keeping it tidy since they didn’t help clean up the mess! In order to make real progress, you’ll need to bring in backup support. Dad and the kids can turn a ten hour extravaganza into a two hour one. So don’t be shy in enlisting help — the more hands on deck, the sooner you will all be outside enjoying the weather and the more help you’ll have keeping it clean over the long run.’

Here are three easy tips that can help you get that gorgeous garage in no time!

#1: Pitch It
Realistically, every garage has old roller skates that are too small, flat tennis balls, and newspapers tucked away collecting dust. Figuring out what items need to be tossed or donated to charity should be your first order of business. Make 3 piles: keep, toss, and give away. Follow the rule of thumb that if you haven’t used it in 18 months, it should be tossed or given away. Before you know it, you’ll have room for the things you actually want to keep.

#2: Up in the Air
In order to optimize space and give your garage an organized look, install a few hooks and shelves. They are an effective way to organize a wide variety of items — and they have the added bonus of keeping things off the floor. Hang a row of hooks along the side of the garage to neatly store bikes, rakes, shovels, sleds, and all other items that easily get in the way. If you place these hooks close to the front of the garage, it makes them easier to use and you’re probably less likely to scrape the car.

#3: The ‘Kid’s Corner’
Designate an area of your garage as the ‘kids’ corner’ to store all of your children’s bikes, sports equipment, pool toys, and arts and crafts. This will make it easy for them to get what they need without calling for your help to find their favorite blue soccer ball or other ‘lost’ item.