Tag Archives: organizing products

Become an Organized Maxxinista! Shop T.J. Maxx for Inexpensive Organizing Tools

Part of the job description of a professional organizer is to know where to buy various organizing products for the best possible price.  When you’re in search of containers and tools for corraling your clutter and maximizing your space, some typical places that you might shop for these items include Target, The Container Store, and Lowes.  But did you ever think to scour the back aisles of your local T.J. Maxx?  You might be very surprised at the treasure trove of organizing goodies you will find.

Of course, there are the “usual suspects” that you might expect to find, like this smorgasbord of attractive baskets.  The possibilities for organizing with open-top baskets such as these are endless:

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 9

Looking for a way to contain your kids’ toys in a stylish way?  Why not pick up a few of these large containers…

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 4

Now for the unexpected…

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 14

Search those back aisles and you will discover organizing products for every room in your home!  For example, in the aisle featured above, I spied a rack to use in the kitchen cupboard for vertical storage of cookie sheets/cutting boards, a drawer organizer for dressers, a shoe organizer (this product offers a universe of organizing possibilities), as well as a closet organizer for sweater storage.  Can you say SCORE?!?

So let’s say you are in the process of organizing your bedroom.   What might you uncover at T.J. Maxx that would be useful for your project?  Let’s start out with your closet.  Non-slip hangers are a must for maximizing space in a small closet.  In fact, these hangers made my “Top 10 List of Organizing Products”.

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 3

If you are a regular reader of the Refined Rooms blog, you may remember these cute little numbers that were featured as part of the Refined Product Best Pick series.  These jewelry and scarf organizers might come in handy as part of your closet organization process as well.

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 2

You might also find bed risers and under the bed storage containers; these tools would enable you to take advantage of the square footage under your bed for storing off-season clothing, or other items that you access infrequently.

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 8

The Cap Rack is another useful gadget for organizing baseball hats in your bedroom closet (or on the back of any door or wall space for that matter).

Got a kitchen organizing project in your future?  Move one aisle over at T.J. Maxx and you may uncover some hidden gems, such as these plastic dry goods containers for your pantry (although I would recommend avoiding the round containers and selecting the square/rectangular containers instead, since they waste significantly less space).

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 5

I must say that my heart went pitter patter when I discovered one of my absolute favorite kitchen organizing tools…Fridge and Freezer Binz!  Compartmentalizing the food in your fridge and freezer is an easy, yet super effective way to facilitate finding the items that you need quickly.

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 10

Here’s another nifty kitchen clutter control tool…an over-the-cabinet basket.  I love to free up drawer space in the kitchen by using the backs of cabinet doors for storage.  This tool makes it easy.  (I actually purchased one of these to use in my bathroom to store my hair dryer and flat iron).

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 12

Last, but not least, are these colorful sets of drawer organizers, which can be used to organize virtually any drawer in your home.  As the packaging states, they “make organizing as easy as 1, 2, 3.”!

TJ Maxx Organizing Products 13So go ahead and explore your local T.J. Maxx (or Marshalls for that matter, since they are basically the same store) and report back to share the treasures you discover on your hunt for inexpensive organizing products.

Want to learn more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms?  Visit RefinedRoomsLLC.com

The Professional Organizer’s “Top 10” List of Helpful Organizing Tools

go month white with napo landscape
 
January is national Get Organized (GO) Month, and members of the National Association of Professional Organizers (including me) have been celebrating all month long across the country by providing tips, tricks, advice, and information on all things ORGANIZATION!
 
Since I know that many of you will be hard at work this month attempting to bring order to the chaos that lurks in your closets, pantries, cupboards, file cabinets, and drawers, I thought it would be a good time to talk about products that you may find helpful as you tackle these areas.
 
Today, I’m sharing a list of “Top 10” picks from my arsenal of most frequently used organizing tools and products.
 

1.  Adjustable Shelving

 
Adjustable shelving systems aren’t just for closets!  Use them in the laundry room, your home office, kid’s rooms and craft rooms.  These systems enable you to maximize vertical space and create a fully customizable storage solution that can change over time as your needs change.  In this illustration, we made full use of this office nook by installing adjustable shelving to house office supplies.
 
Adjustable Shelving
 

2.  Hooks

 
I use hooks anywhere and everywhere throughout the home.  Use them in the mudroom to hang coats and keys, or in bedrooms to hang belts and scarves, or jewelry.  I especially love to use Command Hooks on the inside of doors (including cabinet doors) to add storage space when needed.
 

command hooks

 

3.  Glide-Out Shelving

 
If I could install these in every bathroom and kitchen cabinet across America, I would. Glide out shelving makes every inch of your lower cabinets and deep pantry shelves accessible. Check out my client’s pantry here; can you imagine what is what like for her to access items in the back of the pantry before we installed these? They are a terrific investment and I recommend these regularly when organizing kitchens and bathrooms.
 

Top 10 Glide Outs

 

4.  Over the Door Shoe Organizers

 
Use these for everything EXCEPT shoe storage! They are great for storing lots of small items. Use for craft supplies, toiletries, hair accessories, etc.  I recommend the clear organizers so that your small items are easily visible.
 

Top 10 Shoe Organizer
 
5.  Drawer Dividers

 
Drawer dividers are a must for organizing small things within a larger space. I routinely use them in dresser, kitchen, and desk drawers.
 
Top 10 Drawer Dividers
 


6.  Desk Top File Box

 
The desk top file box is one of the secrets to banishing those paper piles in your home.  I instruct my clients to place it in a central location in their home and use it to corral their “active” papers.
 

Top 10 Desktop File Folder

 

7.  Stackable Bins

 
Bins are the quintessential organizing product!   I use these in all shapes and sizes and for countless purposes.  Stackable bins are even more awesome because they enable you to maximize vertical space (do you sense a theme here?)
 
Top 10 Stackable Bins
 

8.  Door Rack Systems

 
Adjustable door rack systems magically increase your storage space by utilizing that oft-forgotten area on the back of your doors.  Not only have I installed these in client’s homes on the backs of doors, I’ve also used them on wall space in the basement stairway and in garages.  My favorite is the Container Store’s Elfa Door and Rack System.
 

 Elfa Door Rack

 

9.  Slim Profile Hangers

 
 Short on closet space? These non-slip felt hangers keep clothes in place with an ultra-slim profile that uses less space than conventional hangers. I love the ones that come with hooks that enable you to cascade hangers for even greater clothing storage capacity.
 
Top 10  Slim Hangers
 

10.  Magazine Files

 
Another great tool for banishing those pesky paper files!  Use these to store magazines, catalogs, periodicals, manuals, etc.  Face the spine outward in order to eliminate visual clutter.
 
Top 10 magazine files
 

BONUS PICK!

 
No list of essential organizing products would be complete without the Organizer’s Best Friend…the Label Maker!  Labels make returning items to their homes (an essential step in maintaining an organized space) a no brainer.
 
label maker
 
So there you have it!  Can you think of a way to incorporate these organizing power houses into your next home organizing project?  Leave a comment and tell us all about it!
 

Interested in learning more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms LLC?  Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com