Tag: home organizing tips

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Professional-Organizer

Kitchen Organizing – Creating A Drink Zone

Create a “drink zone” in the kitchen that includes everything you need to make your drinks: coffee, tea, various drink mixes, sugars, honey, mugs, glasses, coffee and tea maker, blender, juicer…

I LOVE when people move! Fresh start! I get to design, set up and organize home offices, living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens. I always have so many IDEAS.

The first thing that needs to be put together is the kitchen. Of course you have to eat and drink coffee and tea in the morning. I put together a series of photos of what I call a “drink zone” from the last home I lived in. I work with clients on kitchen organizing regularly, so these photos give examples of what I’m always talking about with them.

An organized drink zone is a place to store everything you need to make your favorite “for here” and “to go” drinks: coffee, tea, and their implements, cocoa, various drink mixes (such as emergen-c), sugars, honey, mugs, travel mugs, glasses, coffee and tea maker, blender, juicer, etc. Keep in the upper shelves things such as platters and baskets that you will use for serving drinks or drink-related tools and accessories.

Decanting & Labeling

Everyday drink glasses should be placed on the lowest, most reachable shelf, and less commonly used glasses up higher. Here I used a chrome expandable shelf riser/extender purchased from a local home store. The cabinet shelves are adjustable, so I adjusted the area to have enough space to add the extender so that the glasses stack and a hand can comfortably grab and put things away.

kitchen cabinet organizing – everyday drink glasses (or mugs) on lower shelf

Lining kitchen cabinets is sometimes necessary. I like to line the lower, most commonly used dish cabinets. Why? Because it protects glasses from sliding around, from clanking and chipping on the cabinet, and it protects the cabinet from water damage if you put away things without completely wiping them dry. If you rent or are detailed about the resale value of your home, take care of the cabinets. One of my favorite’s is spongy no-slip liner because it’s easy to measure, cut, and place, unlike sticky liner. The brighter the liner color, the brighter it makes the inside of the cabinet, the easier it is to see what’s inside…works especially well in dark spaces.

Shelf liner protects the surface of your cabinets, adding to the resale value of your home.

We move up to the less-commonly used items…the wine and “special occasion” cocktail glasses. Alway have a small step-stool nearby for when it’s time to bring these babies down and par-tay.

Less commonly used glasses go higher up in the cabinet.
Love the tiki cocktail glasses.

We move over to the upper right where the coffee and travel mugs live. Six travel mugs is more than enough for two people.

Coffee and travel mugs.

Many moons ago I had a thrift store collection of cute mugs, but have since pared down to three: the skinny blue one with flowers that I love for hot chocolate, my little sombrero man, and my mama buzz mug. Mama Buzz was a hip local coffee and sandwich shop on Telegraph Avenue in the Temescal District of Oakland back when I first started this business. They were popular for showcasing local art & music before First Friday’s began. It’s since changed hands and is now a beer garden and bustling social hub during the First Fridays Art Murmur. Mama Buzz will forever live in my heart and kitchen cabinet.

My favorite mugs are simple treasures.

The lower-right side of the cabinet is where the coffee, tea, honey, sugar, mexican hot chocolate, mulling spices, emergen-c, coffee filters and drink implements live.

Coffee and tea drink zone.

I like to store loose leaf tea and bags in small, stack-able mason jars where they keep fresh longer and are easy to see. I simply cut the label off and place it in the jar so we can see and read what it is, and know when it’s time to buy more.

Store loose tea bags in mason jars to keep them fresh longer.

The counter top below is specifically for drink-related machines and gadgets: the electric water kettle and coffee maker. The large cabinet below the counter houses the juicer and blender which are too bulky and heavy to keep on the counter but used often enough to store nearby.

I keep mint with its roots in a glass of water by the sunlight to pick when I’m craving fresh tea. Mint is invasive in the garden, so pulling a little out at a time by the roots will keep them thinned. There’s no better tea than fresh mint tea. 

Fresh mint ready for picking.

This is our kitchen drink zone. We add to it only when things break or run out, so that it doesn’t get cluttered. We keep in it things we love, cherish, and use regularly…things that make us happy when we open the cabinet and see them.

Kitchen cabinet organizing – drink station

Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your kitchen and pantry organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.

Keep up with Bella Organizing on Facebook and Instagram.

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Professional-Organizer

How To Fold and Organize T-Shirts

I get lots of questions from clients for tips and techniques for keeping clothes organized in closets and drawers, including ways to handle the oodles of t-shirts collected from concerts and work conferences.

Does this t-shirt drawer belong to someone you know?

Here’s what it can look like in just 20 minutes:

A tidbit of information I share with clients during a closet organizing consultation: The way items are hung and folded makes a HUGE impact on how neat they look, accessible they are, and HOW MANY will fit into their allotted space. For more about hanging clothes, see my CLOSET ORGANIZING BLOG. For now we’re going to focus on folding and organizing t-shirts.

Simple steps to neatly fold t-shirts:

Let’s start. Choose one t-shirt and lay it down on a flat surface. Smooth out any wrinkles.

TIP: Cotton t-shirts have less wrinkles when fresh out of the dryer. To quickly de-wrinkle, pop them in for 8-10 minutes on a medium or high setting. Or iron them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, choose what side of the t-shirt you want to see when folded. This will help the owner to know what’s what so she can go right to it in the drawer. In this case, we want to see the front design of the shirt since there’s nothing on the back.

Once you’ve chosen the side of the t-shirt you want to see, put that side face down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, fold one side of the shirt over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then do one nifty little fold at the bottom (about 4 inches).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, fold the remaining of the shirt up in half.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then fold that up and in half once more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turn it over, and you have a neatly folded t-shirt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now he looks good enough to join his friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s do this one more time.

Choose a t-shirt. This is the backside, which we want to see once folded:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we turn it over, and start folding on the side we don’t want to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold one side over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold the bottom up about 4 inches (give or take, depending on the size of the person. We’re working with a men’s size large here).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, fold the remaining t-shirt up in half.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then fold that up in half again, turn it over, and you have a neatly folded t-shirt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place t-shirts back in the drawer by color or style, plain or printed, whichever suits your fancy. You can also use baskets to store your neatly folded t-shirts on closet shelves or under the bed. Maintain the neatness of the drawer or basket by folding t-shirts in this manner when fresh out of the dryer.

Does keeping your t-shirt drawer neat and organized seem unrealistic to you?  Practice makes improvement. Getting organized is a process, a “lifestyle change” that develops and improves over time with regular commitment, much like eating healthy and getting physically fit. Organize a drawer or entire chest of drawers using the simple process of “zone” organizing I explain in this blog. I had a groovy time organizing this t-shirt drawer, thanks for visiting!

An organized t-shirt drawer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your closet and drawer wardrobe organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.

Keep up with Bella Organizing on Facebook and Instagram.

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Professional-Organizer

Keep Tights, Leggings, and Long Socks Organized

Socks rolled into their own compartments.

When cold weather arrives, winter clothing and accessories need to be ready and within reach. Do you have a handful of tights, leggings, long socks, or thermal underwear you depend on for warmth and comfort this time of year? It’s easy for them to get lost and tangled, especially deep inside drawers. Here are simple steps to keep them together, organized, and accessible using hair ties or rubber bands. This idea works well for kids rooms and adults always on the go.

Step One

Gather and roll them up! Use a thick rubber band to keep in place. Extra hair ties and the thick rubber bands that hold fresh broccoli stalks together at the grocery store work great.

Organize socks tights 1

Step Two

Place the rolled and banded tights, leggings, or long socks upright in a drawer, basket or bin. I call this the “Cinnamon Roll.” In this view you see exactly what you have, how many, then pick and choose as you please without having to dig through a tangled and mis-matched mess. Rubber bands hold things together, so in the midst of the morning rush when changing your mind as to what color to wear, simply toss back what you don’t want without fear of unraveling…then grab another.

Organize socks tights 3

Step Three

As you grab to wear, toss the rubber bands back in to use again when laundry is done.

Organize socks tights 2

Read more cold weather closet organizing tips.

The fold and file method for thicker leggings and slim-fitting yoga pants.
“Filing” folded clothes allows you to see everything you have in a glance.

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Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your wardrobe and accessory organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.

Keep up with Bella Organizing on Facebook and Instagram.

Categories
Professional-Organizer

Getting Ready for Winter: Wardrobe Organizing Tips for Cold Weather

scarves_declutter_decluttering_organize_bella
Roll scarves and place them in a hanging bin, basket, or drawer for easy access.

When it’s time to get organized for the changing season…

scarves_declutter_decluttering_organize_bella
Roll scarves and place them in a hanging bin, basket, or drawer for easy access.

If you’re like most of us and have limited closet space, you may need to store seasonal clothing. In preparation for cold weather, you might consider storing away the summery things and bringing out what you’ll need to stay warm and comfortable. It’s also a good time to purge.

Purging Tips

Say “goodbye” to clothing, shoes, and accessories when:

  • You have worn or used it to the point of fading, pilling, stains, stretching, or tearing
  • You have not worn or used it for an entire year or two
  • It is no longer your color, size, or style

 How to store off-season items.

  • Use containers with lids or large storage bags; cover to protect from dust, dirt, fluctuating temperatures, and little critters.
  • Treat them well. Clean, de-wrinkle, and fold or nicely hang before storing. Cared for clothing lasts longer, takes up less space, and can be worn immediately when it’s time.
  • Store items in a temperature-controlled environment, particularly natural materials such as leather, wool, and silk. Never store clothing in damp places that tend to breed mold or mildew, nor in extreme hot or cold temperatures.
  • Label bins or bags with a description of contents and store under the bed, high on a top shelf, in the guest room closet, on a garage shelf, or on a covered rolling rack.

Keep sweaters, jackets, scarves, warm hats & socks, cozy boots, gloves, and an umbrella within reach.

  • Sweaters keep their shape best when folded and stacked in dresser drawers or on reachable shelves. Lightweight sweaters do well hung as long as you wear often enough to retain their shape.
  • Roll winter scarves and place in a slim hanging canvas organizer  in the entry closet (which I also like for small purses, hats & beanies, gloves, compact umbrellas, and other accessories,) or stack them in a dresser drawer or bin on a shelf.
  • Keep gloves close to scarves or within coat pockets. I buy several sets of $1 gloves at CVS or Target and store a pair in the pocket of each jacket. They’re always there when I need them.
  • Keep long socks, thermal underwear, and cold-weather leggings together. More tips to organize tights, leggings, and long socks here.

Take the time to organize your closet and wardrobe for the changing season, and you’ll have what you need in a cold-weather flash.

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Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your wardrobe and closet organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.

Categories
Professional-Organizer

When is it Junk?

If you’re reading this it’s likely you are considering whether something you own is junk or worth keeping. Here’s an opportunity to figure it out:

When is it Junk?

When is it JUNK?

It’s JUNK if:

  • It’s moldy, mildew, stinky and growing spores
  • It’s broken or obsolete (and fixing it doesn’t make sense or is too costly)
  • You’ve outgrown it (physically or emotionally)
  • You’ve always hated it anyway
  • It’s the wrong color, wrong size, wrong style
  • Using it takes more time than its worth
  • You won’t really care if you ever see it again
  • It generates anger, bad memories or bad feelings
  • You have to clean it, store it, and insure it (but you don’t use it)
  • Storing it somewhere else would cost more than its worth
  • It will horrify, bore or burden your kids or the generation to come

If you can truthfully agree to one or more of these, it’s most likely junk. Do yourself, the people you live with, friends who visit and posterity a favor…get rid of it! It’s robbing you (and probably several other people) of space and mental clarity.

It’s not JUNK if:

  • It helps you make a living
  • It will do something you need done
  • It generates happiness, good memories and good feelings
  • It has high or significant cash value
  • It gives you more than it takes
  • It will enrich or delight your kids or the coming generation

If you can agree to several of the above without hesitation, it’s most likely good stuff. Enjoy, appreciate, take care of, and be sure to use it. You don’t need to re-assess its JUNKi-ness until next year.

Resources for consigning, selling, trading, donating and recycling your unwanted furniture, clothing, housewares and more can be found HERE.

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Isabella Guajardo, a.k.a. Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Profressionals (NAPO). She travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area while sharing simple and creative ways to stay organized while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. 

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone assessment.