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Crafts

January 16, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

 

Laine Hardman can be reached at TidyUp.Laine@gmail.com, 703-401-4829 or http://www.TidyUpNow.com.

Reesegirl

 

We all love our kids’ artwork. The tiny handprints, the sun with the face, the macaroni skeleton. But saving it all is impractical. As a professional organizer, I am constantly being asked: With all these piles of masterpieces, how do we decide what to keep and how do we store it?

Here are some ideas to help you and your child proudly display, sort, and store those works of art.

Display It

Designate one high-traffic area where you can display the newest, favorite works immediately. A clothesline can be strung high on a wall with clothespins to hold the art or clips can hang from the ceiling.

thermostat camoflauge with IKEA RIBBA shelf   kids art hanging from ceiling

Photos above courtesy of  www.DIYDelRay.com

A hinged frame from hearthsong.com is great. Newer works are placed in front; up to 50 older works are stored behind it. This allows for easy display and storage.

[Read more…] about Children’s Artwork: What to Keep and Where to Keep It

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alexandria, Art, Artwork, Children, Clean, Clutter, Crafts, Kids, Kitchen, Laine, Laine Hardman, Mom, Moms, Northern VA, Organize, Organizer, Organizing, Professional organization, Professional organizer, Sort, Tidy up, Tidy up now, Tidyupnow, Virginia

January 10, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at TidyUp.Laine@gmail.com, 703-401-4829 or http://www.TidyUpNow.com.

For those of us making the best of small-space living, furniture that doubles as storage can be a godsend. You don’t need custom-built or pricey pieces. Finding furniture that increases your home’s storage capacity without gobbling up tons of square footage can be fun! Here are some creative examples of furniture that doubles as storage.

I found this old pie safe on the curb nearly twenty years ago. It was yellow and had glass panes with ducks painted on them. I painted it blue and removed the glass, replacing it with chicken coop wire. It now stores the kids’ arts and crafts supplies, my cookbooks, trivets, etc. I use this piece so much that when I renovated my kitchen, I left a space for it.

cabinet

This next piece is a refinished trunk. It was a wedding gift from my uncle and aunt (he re-finished the outside, while she fixed up the inside). The possibilities here are endless. I use it as a coffee table and I store lesser-used board games here. But, you could use it to store extra linens, out-of-season clothes, or wrapping paper.

chestclosed2

games2

[Read more…] about Furniture as Storage – Double Duty Pieces

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alexandria, Clean, Clutter, Crafts, Furniture, Kids, Kitchen, Laine, Laine Hardman, Mom, Moms, Northern VA, Organize, Organizer, Professional organization, Professional organizer, Sort, Tidy up, Tidy up now, Tidyupnow, Virginia

January 10, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at TidyUp.Laine@gmail.com, 703-401-4829 or http://www.TidyUpNow.com.

Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions I receive from clients about how to clear out our houses without filling up our landfills.

What can I do with all these books, DVDs, and CDs?

Schools often have used book sales to benefit their PTA and would be happy to take used books off your hands. If you’re in Alexandria, you can donate books for the George Mason Elementary school’s book fair through Sarah Goldstein. Mount Vernon Community School just launched their Alexandria Book Shelf in the front lobby which enables kids to take as many free books as they want. You can contact the PTA for information about how to donate your used books.

books

Books, CDs, and DVDs can also be donated to your local library to be placed in circulation or, more often, to be sold at book sales. If you’re in Alexandria, contact your branch’s Friends of the Library. It is helpful to the library if you call ahead of time with information on the materials, the amount of the materials, and the estimated time of the drop off.

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[Read more…] about Cleaning Out Clutter: Where Can It Go Besides the Curb?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alexandria, Clean, Closet, Clutter, Crafts, Donate, Kids, Kitchen, Laine, Laine Hardman, Mom, Moms, Northern VA, Organize, Organizer, Organizing, Professional organization, Professional organizer, Recycle, Sort, Tidy up, Tidy up now, Tidyupnow, Virginia

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