Four Clever Ways to Contain the Clutter In Your Bathroom

1. Command hooks

from cosmopolitan.com

Pros:  Command hooks allow us to store things on walls, inside of doors, on the sides of cabinets and bookshelves, keeping things handy, off of counters, and sometimes out of sight.


Cons:  Sometimes they stick well sometimes they don't


TIP: Make sure you follow the directions carefully when putting on a command hook and stick to the weight limits.  We'd even suggest being on the safe-side and getting a weight limit beyond what you need to account for the weight from the force of you putting an item on and off.

2. Baskets

Found on shelleyjacobsendesign.blogspot.ca

Pros: Baskets make a great way for you to hide things that could potentially be unsightly.  It keeps things contained and if you're careful it can keep like items together (body care in one basket hair care in another).


Cons: Because most baskets are deep, the tendency could be to throw many things in them that are not categorized.  Eventually you can begin to lose things in plain site because the baskets become a dumping ground.



TIP: Label your baskets.  Although when you are first organizing it may seem obvious but after day 5 and early in the morning you may momentarily get confused what things go in which basket which can lead to frustration and an eventual disconnect from this way of organizing.

3. GlideOuts

Pros: It allows you to gain access to things that are in deep cabinets and use of your cabinets at two levels.


Cons: If you don't think your needs through correctly you could possibly be stuck with a poor design.


TIP: Think of how you use your things and store items in glide outs to a long-lasting benefit.

4. Shelving

Pros: Keeps things off counter tops and at arms reach.

Cons: Have to be installed; takes up wall space.

TIP: In small bathrooms, use shelving to take advantage of vertical space for storing extra toilet paper, hygiene or cleaning products that would otherwise take up space in cabinets or linen closets.


Need more help? Visit our website at www.dexterousorganizing.com

Five Things You Can Do For A More Organized Kitchen

We spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  We also spend a lot of money in the kitchen.  Think about all the food, appliances, cookware, flatware, and time we spend in the kitchen.

A contractor colleague of mine recently said a kitchen remodel should typically be 8% - 10% of the value of your home.

WOWZAS!

So I would assume that for such an investment, we would want to use our investment wisely.  Here are some tips to keep you from spinning your wheels and wasting a lot of time in the kitchen.

1. Out with the old.

This point may sound quite obvious but if you take out broken or unused cookware, expired food items, unused (especially the super bulky) appliances, you might be surprised how much roomier your drawers, cabinets, refrigerator, and pantry will be.

TIP: Before you go to the grocery store, make a list.  Raid your fridge and pantry and throw out all expired things, clear out and clean out the pantry or fridge.  Make this a habit and you'll buy less duplicates and have room for the items you are going to purchase.

2.  Keep items by category.  

If your pantry is divided by zones, it'll make things a lot easier to find.  Keep snacks together, baking items together, can goods together, and your brain will thank you and so will your stomach.

TIP: Keeping categories in bins or baskets make it easy to group categories. It doesn't have to be super pretty or polished but functional is better than nothin'

from unskinnyboppy.com

3. Keep items where you can see them.

Have you ever looked for something in the fridge and you couldn't find it because it was behind the milk? Well when we put things in the fridge, be mindful of putting short things behind tall things.  The goal when putting something in the fridge or pantry or cabinet is so that you can retrieve it later. 

TIP: Have a family member or roommate that doesn't follow that policy?  You can create sections in the fridge or pantry that make it darn-near impossible (binning everything pictured below) to do it any other way OR label it.  A lot of times putting things away is something we do subconsciously.  If we give our brains a visual cue, it might help.  Or strangling the offender.

from fitsugar.com

Dexterous Organizing does design work with ShelfGenie!

4. Empty that box or bag!! (Consolidate)

Many, many, many times when organizing pantries, we find a big ol' box with one tiny thing left in it. Once we threw away a lot of the excess bags and boxes we find awesome amounts of space for items. If you abide by tip #2 above you'll find that you can contain things by category and not need the bag or box.

TIP: Jars, air-tight plastic containers, freezer bags and snack/sandwich bags are a life saver in helping to consolidate half-empty boxes and bags.  Also use rubber bands to get the air out of snack bags and roll them up tightly for more space.

5. Stacking and Nesting

When you can take advantage of vertical space by all means do so! Many of the containers we buy in the stores are build for stacking and they are also built for nesting.  Usually with the lid is on a container, we can stack something on top of another without it falling off.  Conversely without the lid we can nest things inside one another (like bowls or containers).  This helps to conserve on the space.

TIP: Buy bowls and containers that all stack or nest together.  Trust me, it's worth it.

Stacking Containers

Nesting measuring bowls and cups!

If you repeat these tips constantly and consistently you'll work your way to a more organized kitchen. 

If you need help to make decisions or get stuck in ways to organize, give us a shout! Visit our website at www.dexterousorganizing.com for more information.

Kitchen Organization: Wire Shelving driving you crazy?

Some of us have wire shelves in our pantries and find them hard to use to store things. Those slots on the shelves make it hard for smaller items to be level, and for the use of shelving organizational products.  Try getting shelving wire liner. 

Better yet, replace your wire shelves for beautiful ShelfGenie glideouts.

Organizer Humor: Seinfeld's Kramer vs. Junk Mail!

So I was watching an old Seinfeld episode that was hilarious and something I think many of my clients deal with regularly.



I went on YouTube and found this well-done faux-trailer that made the same episode even more awesome.



Enjoy!

Organizer Humor: Procrastination is an art.

So...even if you're a "get-it-done Donna" or a "put-it-off Paul", you'll appreciate these!  Because at some point or another, we all procrastinate.

I think I'm about 7 of them at different times and depending on what I'm avoiding...like...writing in my blog! *gulp*

Enjoy this funny infographic I found on Pinterest via The Meta Picture.

Guest Blog Post: Garage Organization Made Easy

By Stephanie Hanson of Monkey Bar Storage

Organizing the garage can seem completely overwhelming. In fact, so many people avoid cleaning out their garage because they just don’t know where to start. Use these tips to get your garage organized in a flash!

Pull It All Out: That’s right, the moment that you’ve been fearing for so long is here; it’s time to pull all the junk out of the garage. Do this will make you physically look at all your items and part with the items that you don’t need anymore. Make piles of items that you would like to sale, donate, keep and throw away. Having multiple piles will help you to categories things more effectively. If you can divide your stuff into even more piles, feel free. The more the merrier.

Determine Function: Everyone uses their garage for something different. What is the garage to you? Is it a place where you park your car? Do you use the garage to store old Christmas decorations? Do you use the garage as a craft room? Determine what you want to use the garage for, multiple functions are ok!

Create Spaces For Functions: Divide your remaining items into piles based on their functions. Then create spaces in the garage for those different functions. If you’re looking to use the garage as a storage space, consider utilizing shelving and overhead storage to free up floor space. If you are looking to use the garage as a craft room, then try out a workbench. There are many unique tools made for your unique hobbies and interests.

Decorate: Just because it is the garage, doesn’t mean that you don’t get to decorate it. There are many different colors and patterns of flooring and cabinets to choose from that can help you achieve the look that you want.

No matter the amount of stuff you have in your garage, you can organize it!

Stephanie Hanson is the Director of Community Relations at Monkey Bar Storage. She enjoys DIY projects, and playing with her pet lab, Oakly. 

Saving Space: Tiny Dining Room? No Problem

I was in Costco recently and I saw this beautiful compact dinning room table and chair set. I love that it takes up so little space yet has seating for four.  Most dinette sets (like the one we own) have only 2 chairs.  I love the dark wood stain, it brings a simple elegance to the space and for under $400, I think it's a deal!

Good job Costco!