Category Archives: Organizing

Clutter-Free Options for Displaying Your Holiday Cards

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One of the things I most look forward to each Christmas season is the daily arrival of holiday cards from friends and family. As the official household card maker for my own family, I understand firsthand the time, energy, and thought that goes into creating these cards each year. So I do my best to carve out a prominent place in my home to display the cards for everyone to enjoy throughout the holiday season.

Each year, I try to come up with a new and creative way to display holiday cards that doesn’t clutter up any of the flat surfaces in our home and that serves as a festive addition to the holiday decor. This year, I’m hanging them vertically on doors located in our foyer by attaching them to a long piece of ribbon that’s affixed to the door on the reverse side via duct tape (fancy, I know, but it works for me).

Clutter Free Holiday Card Display 2

If you are looking for some creative ways to display your holiday cards in “clutter-free style” this year, I pulled together this collection of great examples from around the web in order to provide you with a little inspiration.

Clutter Free Holiday Card Display

1.  Use garland and ribbon to create a hanging card display across a window or above a door, like the pom pom garland display featured on Bob Vila’s blog.

2.   Repurpose an old shutter to create a cardholder by tucking your cards in between the slats, as demonstrated by Courtney from A Diamond in the Stuff. Not only is this option fantastic for holiday cards — you can use it year-round to organize bills, coupons, invitations etc.

3.  Create a card wreath (or several!), using a wreath form covered in decorative fabric. Use clothespins to attach cards to the wreath form.  Genius!

4.  Use cards as Christmas tree ornaments! This is what I call “killing two birds with one stone”. See the simple tutorial at Better Homes and Gardens for how to pull this off.

5.  Don’t have a Christmas tree? Create a Greetings Tree, Martha Stewart-Style, using some dried winter branches, a bucket, and some ribbon.

6.  Hang cards vertically on doors and cupboards using pretty holiday ribbon like this example found on the Greener Grass blog  (great minds think alike!)

7.  Create a Card Garland on your stairway banister ala Martha Stewart.

8.  Create a Washi Tape Card Tree like the folks at the Thyme is Honey blog did. A conversation-piece indeed!

Now it’s your turn to share…got a creative way to celebrate those holiday cards? Let us in on it in the comments section below.

 Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Bringing Order to a Home School Space with Ikea Products

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IKEA Home School Room Cover

As a rule, professional organizers tend to have a love affair with Ikea…and I am no exception! You’d be hard-pressed to find a better “one-stop-shop” for value-priced organizing and storage products anywhere. Spend a few moments on Pinterest searching for organizing ideas, and you will invariably come across countless illustrations of Ikea products creating organizational bliss in homes all across the globe.

Recently, I came across a blog post on BuzzFeed that showed some great examples of how a simple shopping trip to Ikea can enable you to organize just about any area of your home. It prompted me to think about the multitude of times that Ikea has come to my rescue when tackling various client organizing projects.

Perhaps the best example of this is a home school room that I designed last year. My client home schools her 4 children in an 11 x 11 foot room on the 2nd floor of their home. Given the small size of the space, I needed to use every the trick of the trade to meet all of my client’s objectives for this redesign. One “trick”that I definitely needed to implement was to maximize storage space by going vertical. What better way to do it than with trusty ol’ Expedit shelving units?

IKEA Home School Room 2

My client was lucky enough to purchase these units before they were (sadly) discontinued (FYI, Ikea’s replacement line of shelving is called Kallax, which is almost identical to its predecessor). The shelving units provide storage for teacher manuals, classroom manipulatives, student books/workbooks, and general teaching tools. We used Drona storage cubes in various colors to provide closed storage, and Kassett magazine files to corral teaching manuals and student workbooks.

IKEA Home School Room 3

The larger unit houses teacher materials, manipulatives and tools, while this smaller unit is designated strictly for student books and workbooks. The candy-apple red color really adds a fun element to the learning environment…you’ll notice that this accent color is repeated throughout the room. I love the fact that each child has their very own set of cubbies!

My client had her heart set on a reading nook in the new home school room. We created one in the corner using a Besta storage bench, which we topped with a cozy homemade cushion and pillow set. The childrens’ library books were stored in the cubbies beneath the bench, as well as on wall shelves that we fashioned out of inexpensive Bekvam spice racks (that were eventually painted red). The colorful picture books do double duty as wall art, adding a cheerful touch to the room.

IKEA Home School Room 4

Mom also requested that I create a designated place for the children to put their completed assignments. That’s where the Kvissle wall magazine holder came in! With five slots, there’s a place for each child’s work, as well as a bonus slot for Mom to tuck away her important papers.

IKEA Home School Room 5

Turning our attention to the other side of the room, we used this wall primarily for display space. We implemented one of my favorite solutions for displaying children’s art work…using a series of Dignitet curtain wires in conjunction with Riktig clips along the top portion of the wall. The lower portion of the wall was used to hang a fabric map and classroom calendar. A Kusiner wall pocket serves as a handy organizer for all of the various magnets and felt accessories that go with the map and calendar.

IKEA Home School Room 6

Last, but not least, let me show you where the kids spend a significant part of their school day…at this awesome “table” in the center of the room, which is actually comprised of 4 Micke desks. This space-saving desk configuration still enables each student to have their own individual storage space within their desk, even though it feels as if they are working together at a large table.

IKEA Home School Room 7

The Jules swivel chairs are not only appealing to the eye, they provide a way for the kiddos to burn off a bit of energy by engaging in chair twirling contests between lessons!

So…what did all of this Ikea organizational goodness cost my client?  Roughly $900. Money well-spent, don’t you agree?

What organizational solutions have you uncovered at your local Ikea store?

 Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Do These 8 Things NOW to Reduce Holiday Stress LATER

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Reduce Holiday Stress2
When it comes to reducing the sense of overwhelm that generally accompanies the holiday season, the name of the game is “Do Things Early”. Today I’ll offer up a list of items that may be on your super-sized Holiday To Do List that you can focus on knocking out in the next week or two, in order to carve out more time for the festive aspects of the season come December.

1. Do the Deep Clean

Now is the time to clean your carpets and refrigerator, dust the blinds and ceiling fans, and disassemble your family room furniture to vacuum under the cushions! If you tackle the deep cleaning now, you’ll be ready to entertain guests after just a surface cleaning of the common areas come December.

2.  Declutter

November is the perfect time to declutter your closets as well as the kids’ playroom, in order to make room for the influx of new items that will be arriving in late December.

Decluttering also comes into play as you begin the holiday decorating process. Take time to review your holiday decor; remove any items that you haven’t used in the past few years from your collection. You can either donate the items, or consider hosting a “holiday decor swap” with your friends.

During your declutter frenzy, don’t neglect the kitchen! Declutter the refrigerator, freezer and pantry by tossing unused leftovers and expired items.  You’ll need to make room for all of the yummy holiday party food!

3.  Take inventory of your food

As we all know, food plays a significant role in our holiday celebrations, so expect to devote a bit more time and energy during this season for organizing and maintaining the areas that serve as home to your food items.

Once you’ve cleaned and decluttered the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, take inventory of what food items you now have on hand. Knowing what you already have comes in handy when you begin preparing your holiday grocery shopping list. I actually recommend using laminated printable inventory sheets on a regular basis to assist with weekly meal planning (click on the image to purchase a set for yourself!).

Pantry Freezer Refrigerator Inventory Sheets

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4.  Prepare and freeze meals 

 During the holiday season, you may find yourself hosting an impromptu get-together with friends/family. It pays to cook and freeze a few one-pot meals now so that you’ll have an easy home-cooked meal on hand for these occasions.

5.  Organize your coupons

Go through your coupon collection and weed out the expired ones. Create a system for tracking expiration dates for those “great deal” coupons that you definitely plan to take advantage of as you begin your holiday shopping in the weeks to come.

6.  Take inventory of your gift wrap supplies

Now’s the time to ensure that you have a sufficient supply of gift wrap, gift bags, ribbon, and scotch tape on hand. If you don’t have a gift wrap station, go ahead and create one (see my previous post for ideas).

WrappyDeluxe-2T

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7.  Prepare holiday cards

If you choose to send out a holiday card, begin completing all of the sub-tasks associated with getting the cards in the mail…purchasing stamps, updating your card recipient address list, taking the family photo, etc. Even if you prefer not to send the cards out for another month, you can purchase/create cards, stuff and address the envelopes and have them ready for send-off now!

8.  Declutter your camera memory cards

Remove the memory cards from your cameras and video recorders, download the contents onto your computer and delete the images/videos from the memory cards in order to make room for all of the amazing images/video footage you plan to capture during the 2014 holiday season!

What other holiday tasks do you tend to complete in early November in order to get them off of your holiday To Do list?  Please use the Comments area below to share your tips with other readers!

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Is Paper Clutter a Problem? Start by Reducing What Comes In

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Tips for Reducing Paper Clutter 1

Image © Depositphotos.com /djarvik

With the advent of the digital age, many people assumed that we would naturally evolve into a paperless world. Nothing could be farther from the truth!

As a professional organizer, I can attest to the fact that paper clutter is a universal problem in our homes. Almost every organizing client I have worked with struggles with how to manage the constant influx of paper within their home and/or office. It comes at us from all angles…the mailbox, our kids’ backpacks, our shopping bags, and even our desktop printer. Paper clutter creates stress because it represents a plethora of unmade decisions and incomplete tasks that require our time and attention to process.

So what what’s a stressed-out paper clutter sufferer to do?

Begin by turning off the faucet.

Imagine trying to drink water out of a fire hydrant…pretty overwhelming, right?

powerful water flow coming out with impetus from a street red hydrant

Image © Depositphotos.com / FedeCandoniPhoto

In order to effectively take a drink out of the faucet, you first need to reduce the water flow to something that’s manageable:

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Image © Depositphotos.com / andrey1000

 The same holds true for paper! The first step in effectively managing your household papers is to reduce what’s coming into your home. The less paper that comes into your home, the less time required to organize and maintain your paper, and the more likely you will be to stay on top of your paper management system.

10 tips for reducing the paper “gush” to a manageable “drip”:

  1. Cancel subscriptions for newspapers/magazines/newsletters that you never read (research whether these periodicals are available online)
  2. Politely decline flyers and handouts offered by vendors/sales people (tell them your family is “going paperless”!)
  3. Avoid printing documents that can be accessed online
  4. Sign up to receive paperless bills/financial statements and take advantage of online bill pay services whenever possible
  5. Call your credit card companies and ask that your name and address not be sold to other companies
  6. Contact magazines/catalogs that you subscribe to and ask that your name and address not be sold to other companies
  7. When you donate money to a charity or order a product/service, ask that your name and address not be sold to other companies
  8. Don’t fill out warranty cards – they are a way to collect addresses for mailing lists. Your warranty is valid without submitting your information
  9. Avoid entering sweepstakes or contests. They are a way to collect addresses for mailing lists
  10. Take advantage of “Unsubscribe” resources devoted to reducing junk mail, including:

DMAchoice.org – Remove your name from the Direct Marketing Association’s marketing lists (represents approximately 80% of total U.S. marketing mailings)

CatalogChoice.org – Selectively choose the catalogs that you want to receive, as well as your preference for how frequently you receive catalogs

OptOutPrescreen.com – Opt out of credit card and insurance offers

Paper Karma app – Use this app to take a photo of unwanted mail and the app automatically contacts the sender and requests to them to remove you from their distribution list

paper karma

Systematically implementing each of these “unsubscribe” processes will require a bit of time and effort up front, but doing so will result in significantly less paper (and less stress) in your life!

 Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Bedroom Closet Makeover Reveal: Elfa to the Rescue (Again!)

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Closet Reveal CoverIf you are a regular blog reader, you probably remember my Guest Room Closet Makeover Reveal  post from February of this year. In that post, I confessed that there are several areas within my own home that are crying out for an organizational overhaul. One such space was my daughter’s closet.

Although the closet is quite spacious, the space wasn’t being utilized to its maximum potential. Storage containers consisted of a mishmash of old, inherited furniture pieces, random plastic drawers, and cardboard boxes. To make matters worse, all of the clothing hangers were inherited from retail stores who give you their hanger along with your purchased garments.
Bedroom Closet Makeover (11)

Since the closet was fairly functional, redesigning/organizing it was a home improvement project that stayed on the back burner, until…
Bedroom Closet Makeover (3)

Once the front drawer of this 50-year old hand-me down piece fell off, I took it as a sign to move the closet makeover to the front burner. So the first task was to examine what I call the closet “skeleton” (a.k.a., its basic infrastructure) to see how I might improve upon it.  Here it is in all o

Bedroom Closet Makeover (12)Once again, here’s where the Container Store comes to the rescue! As you all know, I am a huge fan of the Container Store’s Elfa storage systems (read my Elfa post to learn why). I spoke with an Elfa design consultant by phone, and together, we arrived at a design that would work for my daughter’s storage needs. Her need for drawer space trumps her need for hang space, so our design incorporated a whopping eight Elfa Mesh Hanging Drawers. Our design also included an additional shelf that allows for out-of-the-way storage of items that are seldom accessed (e.g., memorabilia).

Container Store Sketch

So the transformation began with the removal of the builder-installed stationary shelves. I prepared myself for the inevitable ginormous holes that result from this process. Nothing that a lot of spackle and some paint can’t conceal!

Bedroom Closet Makeover (13)

Yes, that’s right. I said paint. I took advantage of the opportunity to add a fresh coat of paint to the closet walls when it was emptied prior to installing the new shelving.

Installing an Elfa closet system was a piece of cake; the Container Store walked me through each step of the installation process via their online video tutorials. I installed this on my own over the course of approximately 2 hours.

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Ready for the “Before & After” shot?

Bedroom Closet Makeover (1)

By far, my favorite part of the “makeover” is the Elfa drawers. Unlike the drawer systems that I used in the guest closet (which were the freestanding type), these mesh drawers are built into the wall track system via a hanging drawer frame.

Bedroom Closet Makeover (5)

They glide open effortlessly, and provide more than enough space to store my daughter’s pajamas, t-shirts, sweatshirts, off-season shoe collection, and her assortment of purses and tote bags.  As you can see in the photo below, there was just enough room to squeeze in a cool square mesh hamper that I purchased on clearance at Target (score!).

Bedroom Closet Makeover (8)

We made use of the walls on either side of the closet system by installing several Command Hooks.  The hooks are used to hang my daughter’s scarves, robe, and Girl Scout vest. The right wing wall contains a cute cork board for her to use as additional display space in her room.

Bedroom Closet Makeover (10)

Did you actually think I was going to use that mismatched collection of plastic department store hangers?  Surely you jest. Who could pass up these adorable kid-sized huggable hangers?

Bedroom Closet Makeover (4)

One vestige of the original closet set-up that continues to work like an organizational charm is this over-the-door shoe organizer. This tool is one of the most versatile organizing products available. For this space, the many compartments are used to store small toys and trinkets that would normally invade all of the flat surfaces of my daughter’s room.

Bedroom Closet Makeover (9)

I typically opt for the clear shoe organizers, but I couldn’t pass up this opaque one when I found it on clearance. It was just a matter of labeling the compartments to ensure that items are returned to their proper home.

My daughter was so ecstatic about this closet makeover that she asked me for a bedroom “makeover” for her birthday gift earlier this year. It only took me 10 months, but I finally completed that project!  Be sure to check out next week’s blog post to see the Before and After photos…

 Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Redundancy and Automation are Key for Your Digital Photo Backup System

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September is National Disaster Preparedness Month, and it’s that time of year when photo organizers everywhere are posing questions such as…
Digital Photo Backup
Did you know that September 27th is Save Your Photos Day? As a member of the Save Your Photos Alliance, I feel that I have a mission to educate folks about the importance of having a system in place to protect your digital photos/videos in the event of a catastrophic data loss. A catastrophic data loss can take on many forms, including the accidental loss/theft of your computer, the destruction of your computer as the consequence of a natural disaster, hard drive crashes, or even an epic computer hack.
Save Your Photos Day small
Creating a backup system for your digital photo and video collection does not have to be complicated or time-consuming.  When creating your system, you should  keep in mind the two key features of an effective backup:  redundancy and automation.

Your collection needs to be backed up in multiple places

There’s a saying in the industry that your data should not be considered backed up until it exists in at least three places. Redundancy is your insurance against Murphy’s Law and just plain bad luck. Hard drives go bad, devices fail, and cloud services go out of business. If one, or even two of these things happen to you simultaneously, you’ll still have a copy of your precious memories in back up #3.

Keep in mind that your backup copies also need to exist in at least two physical locations so that the offsite copy can serve as insurance in the event that your house burns to the ground or is leveled by a tornado.

The back up process needs to be automated

The more you can create a backup system that doesn’t require any manual processing on your part, the less opportunity there is for human error to enter into the equation. We are busy, overwhelmed, and (let’s face it) lazy at times. So using backup methods that work in the background without any effort on our part sets us up for success!

My 4-pronged approach for safeguarding your photo/digital collection

1.  EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE WITH BACKUP SOFTWARE

Purchase an external hard drive that includes pre-bundled automatic backup software. Your hard drive should remain continuously connected to your computer so that it maintains a consistent, real-time backup of your files (your digital photos/videos, as well as all of the other files that live on your computer’s hard drive). A typical 1 terabyte hard drive will cost approximately $100.
Hard Drive

2.  ONLINE “ALL PURPOSE” CLOUD SERVICE

There are many online data backup services to choose from, including Carbonite, Backblaze, and Mozy. I’ve used Carbonite for years and have been very satisfied with it.  I’ve experienced two catastrophic hard drive crashes in the past few years, and was able to retrieve my data seamlessly from the Carbonite cloud service both times. Take some time to research the options; just be certain that the one you choose backs up your files automatically.

3.  ONLINE DEDICATED PHOTO STORAGE SERVICE

I know what you’re thinking…a second cloud service? The all-purpose cloud services are great for a nuts and bolts backup, but if you have any desire to edit, organize, and share your photos, then I highly recommend uploading your photos and videos to a dedicated photo storage and sharing site as well. The only disadvantage is that for most of these sites, you’ll have to manually upload your files (but you’ve got an automatic backup in 2 additional locations, so it’s all good!). When choosing a service, here are a few important questions you may want to ask:

  • What is the cost involved for the size of my digital collection?
  • Are there any file size limitations?
  • Can I download my images in full resolution?
  • Can I control the privacy settings for my collection?
  • Do I retain ownership of my images?
  • What organizing and editing features are available?
  • Can I create photo gifts, products, and prints directly from the service?

Some of my favorite photo storage services include Forever and SmugMug.

4.  PRINT COPIES

Creating printed copies of digital photos counts as a back up method…believe it or not! Remember that a print photo can be scanned to create a digital photo in the future.

printed photos

Some might consider my backup method “overkill”, but when it comes to my family’s memories and our legacy, I feel like there is no such thing as being too cautious. If this 4-pronged approach feels like too much to take on, or if you are not the type who spends a lot of energy fussing over your photos, just complete #1 and #2 and consider your back up system complete.

If you’d like hands-on assistance with implementing your photo backup system, schedule a free phone consultation to learn how I can be of assistance to you.

APPO logo

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Organizing Kids’ Art

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Organizing Kids Art1

Now that the school year is in full swing, it’s the ideal time to set up systems for processing the various types of paper that you’ll begin to find in your child’s backpack on a regular basis. In a previous post, I proposed a system for handling school memorabilia.  Today, we’ll tackle the vexing problem of what do with all of that artwork .

Create an Art Gallery Wall

Find a place in your home where you can prominently display your child’s best pieces of art. Your kids spend a great deal of time and effort producing these gems; creating formal displays that go beyond the front of the fridge demonstrate to them that you value their hard work and creativity! Switch out the pieces on a regular basis as new art comes in.

Organizing Kids Art1
In addition to using traditional frames to create a kids’ art gallery in your home, you can get creative!  One of my favorite methods for displaying art is to use a simple wire and clip system on a long wall. I also love the Lil’ Davinci Art Cabinet, which provides another hassle-free way to frequently change out your art display.

 Designate a Temporary Holding Container

For artwork that isn’t quite “gallery-worthy”, designate a container for each child that will serve as a temporary place for all incoming art to be stored until the end of the school year. Make sure that the container is sufficiently large to accommodate oversized paintings and 3-dimensional pieces. I like to use under-bed storage boxes, since that’s where the holding containers live at our house.

Organizing Kids art 3

Review Your Collection at Year’s End

At the conclusion of the school year, take some time to sort through the holding bin with your child and determine whether the collection needs to be culled down prior to “archiving” it. As you review the collection, you and your child will likely identify pieces that are not significant to either one of you (e.g., coloring pages, etc.).

Give yourself permission to discard these and keep only the pieces that reflect your child’s talent, creativity, and interests. I recommend conducting this end-of-year review with your child; that way, you won’t be tossing any piece that is important to her (even if you don’t attribute any significance to it).

Archive and Share Each Year’s Collection

Once you’ve culled your collection, you may choose to keep the original art and store it in an archival quality container. Alternatively, you can archive the collection by creating digital images of each piece of art. I am a huge fan of this method.  Not only does it eliminate the necessity of devoting space in your home for storing tons of artwork, it opens up so many possibilities for sharing your child’s precious creations!

Artsonia

Artsonia enables you to upload your digital images to create an online art gallery to share with friends and family. It also serves as a “virtual museum”, in which your child can display their artwork publicly on the web. This service is available to parents, as well as school teachers!

Organizing Kids Art 4

Artkive

The Artkive app is another option for creating an online art gallery that can be shared with family and friends. Artkive is a free app that boasts some great organizing features, including the ability to categorize your art by school grade, child, and child’s age. You can even name each piece of art. In addition, you have the ability to produce a photo book of your child’s art collection with a few clicks of a button.

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Photo Books

Creating digital images of your child’s art work enables you to take advantage of the dizzying array of online resources for creating digital photo books. Sites such as Shutterfly, MyPublisher, Snapfish, and Mixbook make it easy for anyone to create a photo book these days.

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You can create a digital photo book for each school year, or create larger books that curate art across several school years. I’ve created photo books for my children’s artwork using Artkive, Shutterfly and MyPublisher. These books can get pricey, so I suggest searching Groupon for current deals when you are ready to create your books.

Organizing Kids Art 7

Photo books are a terrific way to enjoy your child’s artwork for years to come…

Organizing Kids Art 8

 Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Organizing School Memorabilia

Organizing School Memorabilia cover

School memorabilia and art are common clutter culprits across many of my client’s homes. If you are a parent, you know how easy it is to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of keepsake papers, awards, drawings and progress reports that enter our homes each week. As the new school year begins, I highly recommend setting up a system to process and manage these papers NOW before the deluge reaches full force!

Don’t have a system? Here’s the one I recommend…

First, head down to your local office supply store and purchase a portable file box for each child (the 12-gallon Flip Top File Box from Staples is the perfect size), a box of hanging files/tabs, and some shipping labels (I recommend Avery 3 1/3×4″ labels).  You’ll need 14 folders/tabs/labels per child.

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Designate a file folder for each school year (including preschool and kindergarten) using the clear file folder tabs to label each folder (this is where a label maker comes in handy!). In addition, affix a label to the front of each folder that provides a bit more detail regarding each school year. For example, I chose to include the year(s), school, and teacher(s) for that particular grade. I also like to affix a school picture to the front of each folder…cute, eh?

organizing school memorabilia3

If you use Avery shipping labels, there’s a handy dandy online tool for creating custom labels. I recommend creating and printing all 14 labels at one time, even if your little cutie is only a preschooler this year. That way, you’ll have consistent labels across the folders and won’t have to worry about trying to recreate the labels if your digital file somehow gets misplaced in future years. As you can see below, my label sheets for future grades are all ready to go for my 3rd grader.

Organizing School Memorabilia2

Below, I’ve shared some examples of the types of things that can live in the memorabilia folders.  For example, my daughter’s 4th grade folder contains key projects for that grade, papers that represent proud accomplishments (e.g., passing the timed test for division!), programs for school-related events, and assignments that reflect her current thinking and interests.

organizing school memorabilia

You can choose to include other non-school memorabilia items accumulated during the year as well, which is what I’ve chosen to do. For example, my daughter’s swim team ribbons and Girl Scout memorabilia are contained in these folders as well. Depending on how selective you are when it comes to retaining your child’s art work, you can choose to include a few key pieces of art in the folders as well. I generally recommend a separate method for organizing and storing art, which I will outline in a forthcoming blog post.

The beauty of this system is that it puts a limit on what you can keep.

This process serves as a great example of using what we call in the organizing biz a “limiting container”. By choosing this container, I’ve set a limit on what is an acceptable amount of “real estate” for school memorabilia to occupy in my home. This volume is what feels comfortable for me; of course, you may be willing to accept a much larger real estate footprint in your home if you have great difficulty parting with sentimental items OR you have a significantly larger home.

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  Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

Using the Right Tools is Key to Maximizing Dorm Room Storage

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College Dorm Organizing Product Roundup

A universal truth about dorm dwelling is that you will be living in much tighter quarters than you are accustomed to at home, AND you will likely be required to share your tight quarters with one or more roommates.  For these reasons, you will need to maximize storage space in your small corner of the campus.

Luckily, there are some great organizing and storage tools out there to assist you in taking advantage of every square foot of real estate within your dorm space. These tools will enable you to find storage space you didn’t realize you had in unexpected places, such as:

In The Desk “Zone”

1.  Rolling Drawer Cart:  One area that you may not have considered when hunting for additional storage space is the area under your desk. Use a rolling drawer cart to store everything from office supplies, electronics, to food.  Simply roll it out and slide it over temporarily when you are seated at your desk.  Sterilite 3-Drawer Wide White Cart

2.  Desk Hutch:  An add-on desk hutch (specifically sized for a dorm desk) takes advantage of vertical space above your desk, without the need to fasten something to the wall (which is typically prohibited).  It provides a place to house your text books, notebooks, etc. without sacrificing work space on your desk surface.  Classic Dorm Desk Bookshelf

3.  Desk Chair Storage Pocket:  When space is at a premium, you need to “think vertical” and store items in creative ways. For example, using a chair storage pocket takes advantage of the “dead space” on the back of your desk chair, which can be used to store small items such as notebooks, pens/pencils, and electronic devices.  Aussie Pouch Chair Pocket

 On the Back of Doors

4.  Over-the-Door Shoe Organizer:  The backs of doors are the most overlooked area for finding hidden storage space. One of my favorite general organizing tools is the over-the-door shoe organizer. It can be used to store just about anything…food, jewelry, accessories, electronics, and yes, even shoes. Be sure to opt for one that has clear pouches, since visibility is key. 24 Pocket Blue Shoe Organizer

5. Over-the-Door Towel Holder:  Dorm dwellers need to store their wet towels in their dorm room. What better place to stow them out of the way than on the back of your door!  4-Swing Rack Towel Holder

In the Closet

6. Double Hang Rod:  New dorm dwellers will likely be shocked to discover how tiny their dorm room closet is. Take heed! There are a number of ways to maximize space in the closet. If you hang the majority of your clothes, you will definitely want to take advantage of a double hang rod. It does precisely what its name implies…it literally doubles the size of your hang space.  Closet Doubler

7. Slimline Hangers:   Slimline or “huggable” hangers are a must in your dorm room closet. Their ultra-slim profile will enable you to maximize the number of garments you can hang in that tiny closet.  Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers

In the Bed “Zone”

8. Bed Risers:  My #1 piece of advice for maximizing dorm room storage space is to raise your bed off the floor so that you can utilize the space underneath it. The best case scenario would be to loft the bed high enough to create usable living space underneath it. If this is not an option, utilize bed risers to raise the bed high enough to accommodate under-the-bed storage containers. Colored Bed Risers

9. Bedside Storage Caddy:  You will likely need to go without a nightstand as a dorm dweller. The bedside storage caddy is your new place for housing those “nightstand” items, such as glasses, books, reading light, tissue, etc. Bedside Storage Caddy

On the Walls

10. Wall Organizer: Although you may be tempted to use your walls strictly for displaying decor, be sure to earmark some of the wall space for vertical wall-mounted storage solutions, such as a wall organizer. These can do wonders for keeping desktop paper piles at bay! Smead Cascading Vertical Wall Organizer

11. Adhesive Hooks:  One ironic aspect of dorm dwelling is that you’ve never needed to use wall space more, BUT you are typically prohibited from using any type of permanent fastener to hang items on the walls.  That’s where adhesive hooks come to the rescue! Be sure to pack a bucketful of adhesive hooks in a variety of sizes.  You will be shocked at all of the items you can hang on your walls and doors, as well as inside the walls of your closet (robes, jackets, belts, hats, keys, purses, totes, etc.) using hooks. Command Hook

 Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn

College Prep: How to Prepare for Dorm Room Living

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Photo © Depositphotos.com / Candy Box Images

Planning and preparation are the keys to success in so many aspects of our lives, and preparing for your new life as as dorm dweller is no exception!  Begin the planning process by gathering as much information as possible about your new “home away from home”.

Research Your New Digs

Luckily, we live in an age where new students can find out everything they need to know about their dorm space well in advance of move-in day.  Most colleges and universities provide detailed information regarding student housing on their websites (see my alma mater for example). In addition, you can usually visit an actual dorm room during a campus tour to get a first-hand glimpse of a typical dorm room.  Here’s a list of key questions to ask during this information-gathering phase:

      • What is the size of the overall space/common areas/private areas?
      • What furniture does the college provide?
      • To what extent can the furniture be reconfigured?
      • What storage space do I have for clothing (dresser and/or closet)?
      • Will I be sharing a closet?
      • What is the size of the bed (to ensure you bring the correct size of bed linens)?
      • Will I be allowed to secure items to the wall?
      • Am I allowed to utilize the backs of doors for storing items?

      College Dorm Floor Plan Flickr CC

      CC Image Courtesy of University of Tennesee on Flickr 

      Determine What to Pack

      Knowing what furniture comes standard with the dorm room is the first step in helping you determine what you need to bring along. The next item on your “to do” list should be to communicate with your future roommate(s) in order to iron out agreements concerning what items you are willing to share in your common area in an effort to avoid duplication and save space (do you really need multiple microwaves and televisions?)

      When you start to create your packing list, be realistic about what items will “make the cut”, since you need to operate in significantly less square footage than you have at home.  There are several great dorm room essentials checklists such as the ones provided by DormSmart and  RealSimple.  Once you review the extent of “essentials” on these checklists, you’ll soon realize that your drum set is not coming along with you.

      Dorm Room checklist_89Studio (2)

      When it comes time to pack your clothes, avoid the temptation to pack your entire wardrobe.  Instead, take only your in-season clothes and plan on swapping them out for your winter wardrobe during the holiday break.

      Organize While You Pack

      When you arrive on campus that very first day, there will be so much to do and discover.  The last thing you will want to devote time to will be unpacking and organizing your belongings.  Do yourself a huge favor by allowing plenty of time on the front end to pack your belongings in an organized manner.

      Group like items in storage containers (e.g., office supplies, personal care, electronics, linens) and clearly label your containers.  With the floor plan and/or room photos in hand, give some thought as to where you will store each group of items within your dorm room during the weeks prior to move-in day. By following these simple steps, your unpack process will be a breeze!

      College packing Flickr CC

      CC Image Courtesy of Sheila C. on Flickr

       Be sure to check back soon to read about the “Must Have” dorm room organizing products I recommend for maximizing space and corralling your essentials…

       Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com or connect via: Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | LinkedIn