Moms

November 19, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

As a professional organizer, I am often asked about the state of my own home. Is it perfectly organized? The answer is definitely NO! Although a good part of my home is clutter-free, I also have my share of junk drawers, out-dated clothes, and unused Tupperware, etc., etc. I also have four kids – one elementary-school age, one tween, and two teens. That amounts to a lot of stuff for a lot of people.

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And when it comes to their bedrooms I have one piece of advice – pick your battles! Their rooms are never going to look like a Pottery Barn Kids catalog – I would be scared if it did! They all have their “stuff” that they want in there, and as it isn’t trash or food-related, I am OK with that!

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My youngest daughter, in particular, likes stuffed animals. Lots and lots (and lots) of stuffed animals! At one time, they all lived in a very large clear bin in her bedroom closet with a few favorites on her bed. Now, they have escaped their closet prison and her room resembles a very small, crowded petting zoo.

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They are on the beanbag chair, in bins, on tables, and on the bed. Not my ideal scenario but not a battle I want to fight. She is a good kid who willingly cleans out her desk and under-bed area periodically. And in a couple of years, our whole house will probably be free of these furry toys. Maybe I am going easy on her because she is my youngest, but I am fine with that!

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These are photos of her room, posted with her permission. Not how I would keep my room but it isn’t my room, it is hers! And right now, it looks great to me!

May 5, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Walking into the house with little ones can be stressful. Everyone seems to need something at the same time and you have things that you need to do. The solution: the ten minute rule. Whenever I entered the house I would politely announce, “Ten Minute Rule!” My kids knew what that meant – don’t ask me for anything for ten minutes. This ten minutes gave me a chance to do the following:

Put my keys away on my key hook (maybe you have a bowl or a ledge) so they could be easily found later

Put my pocketbook away

Empty the dirty clothes out of my gym bag

Go through the mail – recycling unwanted mail, and filing my “to read” mail in my hanging file holder

Put any leftover dirty dishes into the dishwasher

Put away any items that I purchased from CVS, Target, etc.

Jot down any notes on my To-Do list

The kids were expected to put away their lunch boxes, emptying any leftovers. They could also get themselves a snack and a drink of water if they couldn’t wait. Sometimes I set the timer to remind myself (and them) when it was over.

It sounds simple but it let me get the house tidy and it put me at ease and ready to help the kids with their homework. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.

April 9, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.

I have worked with so many Moms over the years, organizing their toys, books, and clothes. I love it when I come across a new idea to solve an old problem. Here are some out-of-the-box solutions to consider.

Stuffed Animals

Stuffed animals can be a challenge. We have all seen the hanging, mesh holders and the hammock. But I really liked this DIY idea because the kids can grab just one animal without dumping the whole lot. They can see the animals and, most importantly, put them back! It reminds me of zoo!

This was made from a $15 bookcase, some bungee cords with the ends cut off and hooks removed, and a drill. Impressive!

Barbie Dolls

Consider using a clear shoe holder to store Barbies. It keeps them within reach and off the floor. And it looks great!

Craft Supplies

Use food storage containers to corral craft supplies. These are clear so your little ones can see what is inside. And it will make putting away these supplies a snap!

Bath Toys

A fruit basket can become a toy caddie in the bathroom. The toys will dry out and stay in one place. Inexpensive and useful!

Small Toys

Toys with small pieces can live in tool chest. One drawer for each type of toy. It gives your space a cool, industrial look!

Try one of these solutions and see how it works for you!

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February 28, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.

Spring cleaning your house can be rewarding but challenging. For some, deciding what to toss, what to keep, and what to donate can seem daunting. This stops some people in their tracks, causing them to give up their organizing project completely. After pulling all items out of the area that you are organizing and sorting them by kind (legos with the legos, cars with the cars, etc.), now is the time to make some decisions.

Although there is no one strategy that will work for all people, here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you decide when it is okay to let it go!

Consider these questions and decide which one(s) resonate with you. Ask yourself only the question or two that will move you into action:

Have I used this item in the past year?

If no, and it is not an heirloom, you should toss or donate it.

February 16, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.

As you try to conquer your clutter, it may help to think about your organizing style as a concealer – someone who likes items out-of-sight – or a revealer – someone who likes to keep their items in view. Finding your preference will help you decide where to keep items and what kind of storage containers and systems you should use.

How do I find my style?

Ask yourself these yes or no questions:

If I put something away do I forget where I put it or I forget that I have to take action on it?
Do I find that out-of-sight means out-of mind?
Do I gravitate toward clear bins so that I can see what is inside them?
Can I live with seeing toys, files, mail, etc., out in the open?
Do I prefer to use labels so that I can tell exactly where each item belongs?

February 2, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.

Sometimes we have good intentions – let’s get rid of some clutter this weekend! But then Sunday night rolls around and all you have are new piles of stuff and a few things thrown away. Here are some mistakes that people make when trying to declutter their homes (and how to avoid them).

Zig-zag – The biggest mistake that people make when organizing is what is called zig-zagging. You are planning on an organizing session in the kitchen, you find a book there, you go into the office to put it away, you find a toy there so you go to the playroom to put that away, then you start putting away toys and you never make it back to the kitchen. When organizing, keep an “upstairs” bag and an “office” bag, for example, near the door and put those items away after you are done in the kitchen.

Getting Distracted – Another common mistake is not making a commitment to focus on the organization without distractions – no kids, no phone calls, no emails, for a set amount of time. Set a timer if needed and keep working until the timer goes off!

January 29, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.

We all love a good DIY project and if it helps keep our lives organized, even better. Here are a few ideas. I have to admit, I have only tried the ribbon box (I made this one years ago for my mom). Let me know if you try them! Would love to hear some success stories!

Ribbon Box

I first made seven holes in one long side of the box with a utility knife. I then made one hole on each of the short ends of the box at the same height. I covered the bottom of the inside of the box with fabric, using fabric glue.

Then I covered the entire box and lid with fabric, wrapping it like a present and using more fabric glue to hold it in place.

January 16, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.

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.

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.

January 11, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.

Put your kids to work doing some tasks that are a big help to Mom and Dad, but that they enjoy too.

Organizing plastic containers. Sort the plastic containers: bottoms in one pile, tops in another pile. Then, match up each bottom container with the appropriate top.

Any top without a bottom, or bottom without a top can be recycled. (Where did those missing pieces go?) Also, consider donating or recycling any excess if you find that you have too many of one size. If you end up with one extra larger-sized bottom, it could be used to hold the tops. Stack smaller containers inside larger ones.

Replace the containers to your kitchen cabinet.

January 10, 2015 by Sara Chandlee

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.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.

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.

Moms

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