Author: The Organizing Lady (Page 9 of 11)

25 Absurd Ways To Put Old Stuff To Creative Use As New Treasures

July 6, 2015 / The Organizing Lady / 24 Comments

When it comes to re-purposing old stuff, there endless ideas to reinvent an item and give it a new purpose. Call it up-cycling or recycling, it’s all the same – we’re taking something old and giving it a new purpose in our life.

In compiling some of my favorite re-purposed items (like I had done in my past article “25 Creative Ways To Turn Old Junk Into New Junk“), it was difficult to stop because there are so many creative ways in which something can be transformed. So my focus in this article is to take really old stuff (yes, even stuff that’s junk) and turn it into a new treasure. Even then, it was hard to stop at just twenty-five, oh my!

1. Old Books

Old books can become really cool vintage bookmarks

(via justimagine-ddoc.com)

Old books can be turned as a storage box for old love letters, jewelry, you name it.

(via justimagine-ddoc.com)

Old books can be made into a bird feeder (and turn your outdoor birds into book worms!)

(via craftionary.net)

Old books can be used as wall shelves that display your cool nic-knacks ( or more old books).

(via justimagine-ddoc.com)

2. Old Upright Bass

An old upright base (or guitar) instrument can be gutted out into hip bookshelf display.

(via boredpanda.com)

3. Old LP Records

Old LP records can be warped into a wall magazine holder

(via dishfunctionaldesigns.blogspot.com)

4. Old File Cabinet

An old file cabinet can be used as a garage utility storage

(via vitamin-ha.com)

5. Old File Cabinet Drawers

Turn old wood file drawers into a coffee table that has storage

(via vitamin-ha.com)

Spiff up an old wood file drawer into a dog feeding station

(via etsy)

6. Old Window Shutters

Old window shutters can be converted into a table

(via vitamin-ha.com)

7. Old Chairs

Display part of your old chairs as a wall bathroom wall rack

(via etsy)

Turn an old chair into a comfy dog bed

(via upsocl.com)

8. Old Table

Old coffee table treasures can be turned into a wall shelf

(via inspirationsandwich.wordpress.com)

9. Old Ladder

An old ladder can be used as a decorative piece to frame your framed photos

(via dishfunctionaldesigns.blogspot.com)

10. Old Rake

An old rake can easily be converted into a kitchen utility holder

(via loveinamasonjar.wordpress.com)

Old rakes can also be used as a wine glass holder

11. Old Drawers

Old drawers can serve a new purpose as a wall memo board

(via brit.co)

Old drawers can also be used as a wall shelf for books or things

( via HomeTalk)

You can also turn an old drawer into a bookshelf

(via loveinamasonjar.wordpress.com)

12. Old Pillowcase

An old pillowcase can be utilized as a laundry hamper

(via brit.co)

13. Old Ironing Board

Take an old ironing board and make it into a thread spool holder for the craft room

(via recyclart.org)

14. Old Dishes

Stack up some of your old dishes into a jewelry or makeup holder

(via HomeTalk)

15. Old Kitchen Graters

Old kitchen graters have been found to have another use – as ceiling light

(via vitamin-ha.com)

16. Old Cutting Board

An old cutting board is transformed into wall art which also functions to hold kitchen items

(via HomeTalk.com)

17. Old Luggage

An old luggage case could be turned into a bathroom mirror cabinet

( via dukesandduchesses.com)

18. Old Spring Frame

Old baby crib spring frame is turned into a ceiling hanger

(via itsy-bits-and-pieces.blogspot.com)

19. Old Jeans

Stuff old jeans with dirt and use as a planter

(via littlepieceofme.com)

20. Old Tires

Take old tires and paint them with color as new garden planters

(via mom.me)

21. Old Tire Rim

Use an old tire rim as a garden hose holder

(via viladoartesao.com.br)

22. Old Car Side-View Mirror

An old car side-view mirror can serve another purpose as a wall display shelf

(via etsy)

23. Old Game Boards

Old game boards can be turned into wall shelves

(via ThriftCore.com)

24. Old Crates

Old crates could be used as an outdoor bar

(via thegardenglove.com)

25. Old Globe Stand

An old globe frame can make a great paper towel holder

(via lovelyetc.com)

As I said, it was difficult to stop looking at all the vast creative ways people have transformed old stuff into useful, functional new treasures. So, if you’ve been storing inherited heirlooms in your garage (or storage place) or having trouble letting go of certain things you no longer have a use for, try giving them a new purpose in life that will give it new value to you.

They Got Organized And Guess What Happened Next? You Name It

July 3, 2015 / The Organizing Lady / 0 Comments

When they say bad things happen to good people, I must say I’ve witnessed many instances of this in my line of work over the years (21 years, to be exact). Here are some of those horror stories, but be warned, these are not fiction (just the photos, which depict scenes from fictional movies).

A Bad Shoe Day

I had a new closet system designed and installed in a woman’s closet. It was pretty spectacular and would even make Carrie Bradshaw envious with all the shoes so glamorously on display. There hadn’t been too many opportunities where I could design and organize a closet, so I left quite proud, as if I had just won a World Cup award or something.

After a couple months of enjoyment, the woman called me. At first I thought, “Great! She wants me to do another closet!” But no, she called to tell me she just had a flood in her bathroom that seeped its way under the flooring and into her closet. Some shoes that had been left on the floor were destroyed – her favorites – which she just wore and had not put away yet. The entire closet had to be ripped out to fix the flooring and walls.

Happy ending though … she got a brand new closet system from her insurance company.

Life Changes Not To Look Forward To

I had the great pleasure once of doing a complete room makeover on a couple’s family room. They wanted Old World, Medieval-styled decor and furnishings, which happened to be my favorite period at the time.I spent days shopping for all the perfect items and even custom designed a desk unit for two with shelving for the home office section of the room. It was an elaborate undertaking and one that made all of us smile endlessly as everything fell into place.

Just as I was doing some finishing touches on the room, she informed me she lost her job – one that she had for ten years. Job security not so secure. She had just taken out a second mortgage to pay for home remodeling, so this had put the couple in a very bad situation (since the wife was the major income provider).

Very soon later, their house went into foreclosure, they got a divorce, and both had to move. I found out because she called to ask me if I wanted to buy the Old World candelabra I loved so much when I purchased it for her. I got it at half price, but it was her who had to pay full price on everything that unfolded in front of her life.

The good part of this story … she was happy to get rid of her dead-beat husband.

Robbed of Dignity

I had just finished packing and moving a woman into her new duplex unit. Apparently this was in a neighborhood she had not completely scoped out yet because she was in such a hurry to move.

Then, before everything could get unpacked, she came home from work to discover she got robbed. Neighborhood thugs were seen by neighbors carting stuff out of her place and police were called, but it was too late. They had gotten away with her TV, stereo, some jewelry, and other items (especially those I had unpacked and organized into their new home spaces).

She called the landlord to give a 30-day notice and called me to come back and pack up.

Good thing is, she still had plenty of belongings left to pack up and a lot of it was already still packed.

The Never-ending Boxes

This couple had just moved into their new home and I came to help them settle in and get everything organized into designated places. There were a lot of boxes and I learned that a lot of them had never been unpacked from their previous house (which they only lived in one year). This time they wanted to ensure that everything got out of boxes this time, and they called me to help accomplish this. So I did just that.

It wasn’t more than four months later that the husband got a new job transfer and they had to pack up and move again. Only this time it would be out of state. I thought their biggest disappointment would be the fact that they had to move again, but it wasn’t. Their biggest disappointment was that they got rid of all the packing boxes.

When The Heat Is On

At one time I organized a complete filing system for this small business that occupied three suites in the office building. The business owner kept a tight ship and paid a lot of attention to security, especially when it came to documents and computer files. He was meticulous in the way he liked everything organized, and was especially pleased that I had just established an enterprise-wide filing system for the company so that everyone could find and store documents easily.

Several months later the office building caught fire and almost everything burned in his offices. The document retrieval process was a slow and arduous undertaking, of which most records in the file cabinets were saved and business eventually resumed as normal.Well, as normal as could be given the fact that most of his employees had been used to working at home during the rebuild and then had to come back to the office.

Victim of A Reality Show

Me and my team were hired to organize a woman on a TV reality show who hoarded clutter. I was originally informed that the woman had a lot of clutter, but I wasn’t prepared for what I saw when I arrived.

After doing the dreadful task of sorting through mounds of the cockroach-infested piles, it seemed that the production team then misplaced a lot of her items after the organization when they were moving boxed up things to her storage unit. She may have sued. All I know is the show got canceled (which was no surprise to me since I experienced their field producer being nothing but trouble).

The end.

Now, if you are thinking, “This organizer must be bad luck!” let me remind you, this was happening in their life, not mine. And I want to add that the good luck I’ve brought to people doesn’t make interesting stories because there isn’t any problems. But maybe I’ll offset this and write about that next, who knows.

This just in!

A woman hires me and my organizing assistant to come pack up her condo and do home staging so she could sell it. So I promptly schedule and line up my assistant, blocking out a week of work. Just before we head out, I’m called and told she just sold her condo with all the furnishings in it. This was good luck for her … bad for me and my assistant.

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Getting Organized

July 1, 2015 / The Organizing Lady / 0 Comments

It seemed inevitable that someday I’d have to inform you about some of the pitfalls of getting organized. Even some doctors will eventually reveal how to stay healthy so you don’t get sick and have to call on them for help.

This type of information puts many types of professionals out of business, but it does become an ethical duty to inform. So, in view of my ethical duty, I wanted to share my observations and findings with you.

What Professional Organizers May Not Tell You

The top ten pitfalls of “When you are organized ….

1. Your family and friends may visit more often and stay longer.

Now that your place is nice and organized, you’ll notice that people stay longer when they come to visit. They might even like your place so much that they want to throw special event parties at your house. That could mean you’ll end up planning more gatherings at your house instead of planning more to-do lists.

Movie scene from Because I Said So

2. You will find things faster and end up saving time.

And we all know that saving time means that all the time you used to spend wasting it gives you more hours in the day. Then you’re faced with figuring out what to do with all that extra time you end up with (since you’re no longer searching for stuff). It might mean that you have more time for the kids or spouse, so you should know about this phenomena.

Movie scene from Adele Dazee

3. Your surplus of food in the cabinets will be diminished.

All that food once hidden in your cupboards will now be found more easily and you won’t end up buying more of something you already have. This could mean fewer trips to the grocery store, or even less food than you’re normally used to keeping around. And it could mean trying to cook up all the surplus of food you had lying around before it actually goes bad.

Movie scene from Cool Hand Luke

4. You’ll have less clothing.

That’s right. After you go through your clothes and get rid of ones you don’t like or don’t / can’t wear anymore, you won’t have the abundance you once had. But don’t worry – your closet will begin to look like it has space in it for more clothing. This should give you the satisfaction that you are now able to buy more if you continue to use the “Buy one, get rid of one” clothing rule.

Movie scene from Bridesmaids

5. You’ll end up in control.

Being more in control of your life has its plus points and minus points. One plus is that you can have more predictability in things around you. A minus is that you won’t get eaten up with issues that arise due to lack of control.

Movie scene from Jurassic World

6. You will no longer have your usual excuses.

All those usual excuses you’ve had for lateness or forgotten appointments because you didn’t write it down are obsolete once you’re organized and you’ll need to invent or have other reasons. Others will expect more of you and the days when people used to rely on the fact you would be late or not show up at all are gone.

Those expectations got you off the hook on numerous occasions, but not once you’re organized. They will probably count on you to be there when you say you’ll be there.

Movie scene from Her

7. You will accomplish more than you bargained for.

As if you didn’t feel you were busy enough throughout your day, now you’ll end up doing more since you’re getting more things actually done out of all that busy-ness. That’s because you’ll be dealing with being more efficient which leads to being more productive and doing more than you were before.

Procrastination may still exist in your life, but not to the extent it used to be. Those lists you’ve been used to staying stagnant will start to have things crossed off, giving the appearance that you’re getting things done you once had good intentions of getting done.

Movie scene from Be Cool

8. Your plans may go off without a hitch.

Surprise hitches often come about because you were not prepared, and these type of surprises become less frequent in numbers when you’re organized. This goes for in-expected guests who were actually expected.

Movie scene from Eating Raoul

9. You could end up spending less money.

Those days of fruitless spending on things you already have may end up being more fruitful because you’re not wasting money on fruitless things. What I mean is, you’ll save money by not spending it on things you couldn’t find before, like another ream of paper, or more pens, or cleaning supplies, etc., things like that.

Movie scene from The Office

10. Your lowered stress level changes your sleep habits.

Being stressed over disorganization and disorder is now a thing of the past and you could find yourself over-sleeping.

‘

Well, that’s about it. Or, at least all I could think of at the moment. I’d love to hear more from you of any pitfalls I missed. It helps other readers and may shed more light on what it’s really like to be organized.

25 Creative Ways To Turn Old Junk Into New Junk

June 29, 2015 / The Organizing Lady / 4 Comments

While I was writing the article on “30 Things To Remove In Your Home Sparing No Mercy” I found some cool things people have done to re-purpose old stuff (aka junk ), of which I had recommended tossing.

Although I still hold to my advice to toss old stuff, I felt obligated to also show you some of the clever and creative things people have done with old stuff instead.

And in the spirit of being creative, I named these re-purposed marvels. So here are some …

Creative Ideas for Old Junk

1. Turn old shoes into a SuccuShoe Planter

2. Repurpose an old Mac computer into a MacCat Bed

3. Display an old Mac computer as a MacMail box

4. Make an old dresser an Island o’Dresser

5. Use an old clamp as a BookClamp

6. File a drawer from an old file cabinet as a Bookshelf File Table

7. Transform old luggage into a Traveler Table

8. Transform old luggage into a Cat Traveler Bed

9. Turn mis-matched plates into a No-Match Desert Server

10. Serve up old record LPs as a Rock-tiered Desert Server

11. Turn an old tea cup into a Teatime Bird Feeder

12. Use old doors as a SpaceDoor Paneled Partition

13. Turn an old barstool upside down into a Giftwrap Stool

14. Put old chairs in place as Dog Chair Servers

15. Spin a bike tire into a Photo Bike Wheel

16. Spin a globe into a Photo Globe Trotter

17. Implant your headboard in your plant bed as a Headboard Trellis

18. Hang old bottle caps as BottleCap Charmer Chimes

19. Utilize old cookie cans as a Desktop CookieCaddy

20. Step up old stairs into a StairWay Wall Decor

21. Turn an old serving bowl into a tabletop Serenity WaterBowl Fountain

22. Toot your old trumpet as a Trumped Up Bird Bath

23. Sit on your stack of old magazines as a MagChair

24. Sweep that old broom into a Paint BroomBrush Holder

25. Use an old toolbox for a Tooltime Planter

Bonus item:

If you have old barrels lying around and you happen to be a drummer, there’s always this Barrel Drum:

The junk creations I found were endless. I hope you’ll comment on anything to add to these ideas!

[Source: Above ideas from Pinterest]

30 Things To Remove In Your Home Sparing No Mercy

June 25, 2015 / The Organizing Lady / 2 Comments

Let’s face it, there’s a time for everything to come into our life and a time for everything to go out of our life. It’s the cycle of stuff, so feel free to spare no mercy.

1. Old herbs and spices

(which actually has a shelf-life that’s been kept a big secret since very few people seen to know)

The thing here is, herbs and spices expire. The good part is, they actually last a long time, like 1-2 years. The bad part is, you’ve had these a very long time, most likely. And although these don’t spoil, they do lose their flavor and strength. So if you’re going to the trouble to give a gourmet touch to your food, this won’t be the way to do it.

2. Expired fridge food

(that got lost and forgotten behind other and newer food because you can’t see it anymore)

Depending on the food item, you’re looking at anywhere from a few days to a week, excluding condiments (which also expire, but not so fast). The shelf life of fridge food at StillTasty.com has guidelines you can check out if you want to be armed with information about the life of what you’re eating from your fridge. I’m sure some of you don’t want to know however, so you can skip this point.

3. Expired cupboard food

(that got lost and forgotten behind all the newer stuff shoved in there)

I think you’ve all known this but I’ll say it anyway – packaged food doesn’t live forever. FoxNews covered this topic on when does food go bad and you can hear for yourself (or not).

4. Old vitamins and medications

(which you don’t take anyway or they probably wouldn’t be old)

They say you can judge your age by how much dust is on your vitamin bottle caps. Now, you won’t find expiration dates on these bottles because the FDA doesn’t make them do that. But they do lose their potency, so what would be the point in taking them (which you’re not anyway).

5. Old cleaning supplies

(that you obviously don’t use to clean with or they wouldn’t be old)

According to Good Housekeeping.com, ” Keeping cleaners beyond their recommended shelf lives can cause them to lose some efficacy while degrading plastic containers can alter their formulas.” In their article you’ll find how long to keep these type of products around, which range anywhere from 6 months to a little over a year or two.

My guess is, some of you don’t even remember buying the product, or that you now have hardwood floors instead of carpet and don’t need carpet cleaner anymore, and so forth.

6. Old makeup

(which is old after it expires, but no one told you that. Or told you that expired makeup is bad for your skin and eyes)

The problem is, makeup can do some damage to your face when it expires and all those nasty bacteria thingys start formulating in the product. It manifests on your skin with irritations and bumps, which totally defeats the purpose of trying to make ourselves look better!

7. Ugly unworn clothing

(which you’ll never ever wear again and not sure what you were thinking when you bought it – other than it was probably on sale.)

There is no scientific fact I can provide you with here. It’s just plain common law – if it’s ugly, don’t wear it and if you’re not wearing it, don’t keep it. Kappish?

8. Clothing that doesn’t fit

(which you’ve been saving for the day you loose enough weight to fit in them again, even though it will no longer be in fashion most likely)

Be real is all I can say. And when you do lose the weight, you don’t want old clothing anyway since you’ll be celebrating in the small size section of the retail store.

9. Single socks

(that lost its mate while being sucked into the dryer’s black hole. Sad)

It’s such a tragedy but this sort of thing happens to most all of us at one time or another. And for some, it happens with each wash cycle, and my heart goes out to them. Take them out of the drawer and give them final burial please.

10. Disgusting worn out shoes

(that you just forgot to be thrown away, right?)

But you can always turn them into a nifty shoe planter:

11. Accounting records dating back to the 1900’s

(which you kept just in case you wanted to refer to it someday, I’m sure)

That’s right, we’re in the 2000’s now, in the year 2015 to be exact. Boomers, it’s time to let go! The general rule is to keep tax related papers seven years (according to Nolo.com), so you can safely move supporting tax return papers earlier than 2005 into the trash can. The “keep forever” retention rule applies to your actual tax return documents, so don’t be tossing those, okay?

12. Junk mail

(that you’ve kept in case there was something important in them. Face it, there never is)

Essentially, all you’ll find in the junk mail you’ve been keeping around is expired shit. Period.

13. Expired coupons

(which you saved to save money, of course)

Why? Don’t answer, just toss.

14. Old celebrity gossip magazine issues

(which is out-dated every week when celebrities change partners)

That’s right, the last issue of People magazine is old news this week. Drop it off at your nearest hair salon.

15. Wire hangers

(that went out in the day “Mommy Dearest” entered our TV screens)

Personally, I was terrified to ever use wire hangers again after seeing this movie. But the fact is, I see her point. This clothing invention that is supposed to hang clothes in your closet causes more anxiety and messy closets than any invention I’ve ever come across. I’m sure a lot of you can relate with trying to pull one of those out of your closet, am I right?

16. Broken stuff

(that you had perfect intentions to fix on the “some day” which has never come yet and never will)

Another fact you need to face is that, if you didn’t fix it within a day or so after it broke, you probably won’t be doing so in your busy near future.

17. Antique technology

(that became antique when a newer model came on the market soon after you bought it)

But then again, people are getting creative with their old macs, since they can’t seem to get rid of them:

18. Electronic adapter cords

(which no longer go with anything that you know of)

Pictured above is a drawer of adapter cords. But there are probably more than a drawer-full of adapters you’ve kept around which belong to devices you no longer have – and don’t even know it because you have no idea what device the adapter goes to.

19. Broken electronics

(that no longer work and will never work again because you don’t have time or inclination to fix it. Besides you probably replaced it already.)

While a lot of you have tossed your broken electronics and already replaced with a new one, I suppose the only reason you kept the broken one is in case your new one breaks down? Just a guess.

20. Gadgets you can’t name

(because you don’t know what it is, what it is for, or what it does)

I have no idea what that is, nor do you probably. But there are many of these kinds of gadgets found in kitchen drawers and, when I ask what it’s for, the answer is always the same – “I dunno.”

21. Spare parts

(that you no longer know what it’s a spare part for)

I come across these all the time working with people and it’s always the same story – it goes with something. Good luck on ever finding that something it goes with.

22. Old keys

(that once opened something but you no longer know what it opens)

I’m sure that among all those keys you’ve kept around, that some of them could be used to break into your old house you used to live in ten years ago. But since you probably don’t carry those evil intentions around, the only thing you are opening is the drawer they are kept in.

23. Old user manuals

(of items you no longer have)

If you have this, or anything like it, bless your heart for keeping it. But there’s a time to say good-bye to stuff, and this may be the time.

24. Old batteries

(that won’t charge anything)

I should have said “expired batteries” because they do expire and rendered useless after time. Apparently, batteries generate energy and uses a chemical reaction contained inside the battery cell, whether it is being used or not (according to LifeScience). So if you want to charge up one of your devices, these old batteries won’t help you.

25. Mis-matched dish-ware and glasses

(which makes kitchen cabinets an eye sore and entertaining un-stylish)

Okay, even if you don’t entertain guests for dinner, get rid of them. They are now just loners in a world of plenty.

26. Used-up pots and pans

(where the only surface left is scratched)

There’s a fact I’d like to bring up here, is that scratched Teflon pots and pans are dangerous. The Teflon breaks up and seeps into your food, and that can’t be a good thing. I’m sure Martha Stewart agrees.

27. Plastic containers without lids

(rendering the container completely useless thereafter)

You’ll be pleased to know there are no lurking dangers of containers without lids (or lids without containers). Although they won’t harm you in any way, they will eventually do a hostile take-over of your cabinet space. So, you’ve been warned.

28. Leftover pet paraphernalia

(for pets you no longer have)

I didn’t want to include this subject point, but there have been a lot of people I’ve worked with that still have dog leashes and dog toys for dogs long gone and don’t have intentions of getting another dog. Same for fish stuff – fish long gone yet tons of aquarium stuff stored away. Either get a new pet or start playing with the toys yourself to make use of them.

29. Old water kept stored in plastic bottles

(for your emergency prep kit, however dangerous when stored in heated sources)

Bottled water is considered a “shelf stable” product, so it does have a shelf life, although the FDA has not determined what that shelf life is for it. At room temperatures, it can last a long time, but in heated temperatures, not so long and not so good since unknown chemicals seep in from the plastic. The unknown health risks of drinking warm water tells me to advise you to use precaution.

The only thing they would be a good use for is for though is if you need an emergency bath.

30. Old paint

(stored in case you might ever need to do touch-ups – however these will never match the color again)

Paint cans are not labeled with expiration dates, but someday they won’t do you any good. According to HomeGuides, “Painting a room with bad latex paint can cause it to have an offensive odor that becomes progressively stronger. Bad latex paint also can leave a visibly rough finish on the painted surface and may quickly begin to peel.”

So, unless you want to mask your own odor with offensive paint odor, go buy new paint for touch-ups.

45 Ways Pets & Kids Give New Meaning To Home Organization

June 22, 2015 / The Organizing Lady / 0 Comments

When I first started The Organizing Lady Facebook page I thought it would be fun to post humorous things I found relating to organization. By far, animals led the way for having other uses for our organizing solutions (mostly cats), but the kids did come in second.

It is because animals and kids seem to enjoy pitching in when it comes to home organizing, it seems that they should be given some credit.

So, with the new meaning our kids and pets have given to organization and our organizing solutions, it was also appropriate to name them.

(Lots of pictures loading, so be patient!) …

Animal Organizers

1. Cat Organization Shelf

I must say, I was impressed with this cat organization method, which would be needed when you have too many cats. How you get them all to take a nap at the same time still has me awe-struck.

2. Cat-tiered Shelves

Instead of organizing your stuff, organize your cats on this tiered metal shelf rack. Each rack comes supplied with shelves that barely fit a cat lying down, but it could be a way to force cat naps.

3. Cat Accordion File

Accordion files have many uses. This file organizer comes with a deep pocket for the cat to nap in, which is way cool.

4. The Cat Bucket

A useful cat organizer, or great holiday gift for cats. All it takes is a cheap bucket pail that is almost deep enough to fit a cat in sitting position. It’s a perfect fit if they should decide to squish up their bodies to lay down in it. So put this on you “bucket list!”

5. The Pet Basket

Once used to hold our laundry, this basket now features a new use for your cat (or dog).

To be smart about its placement, the desk cabinet is a perfect choice for keeping your pet off your desk.

6. Dog & Cat Nap Desk

But then again, you can’t always keep them off a desk … because when your pet has to sleep, there is no stopping it.

7. Cat File Box

Now this handy file box works wonders when you want to store your cat. It comes with enough room to combine your files and your cat, even though it’s a bit squishy for the cat.

8. The Puppy File

File away your puppy so you can find them easily in any file cabinet drawer. Just like your papers, you can always find them easily when you want to retrieve your pet.

9. Kitten Hangout Folder

Over-stuffed hanging files don’t always crowd a file cabinet with cuteness but this folder definitely comes with a load of cuteness.

10. Cat File Drawer

This type of cat cabinet drawers are the most popular of all for cats. If you have a drawer, no matter what type of drawer it is, a cat will occupy it.

11. Cat Drawer

Again, if there’s a drawer, a cat will be in it, like these dresser drawers just made for cats. With all the uses drawers have to organize our stuff, cats have found the best use of them.

(see hundreds and hundreds more photos of cats in drawers on the Internet).

12. The Dog Drawer

You won’t find this too often, but drawers are even good for small dogs. This dog drawer comes lined with a soft towel to add comfort for the dog, even though a dog bed would probably be a lot more comfy.

13. The Cat Filer

Cats like this want to know what their “kitty treats” are filed under. So when you store your kitty treats, be sure to incorporate them into your filing system because that’s where they’ll be looking when your file drawer is opened.

14. Cat Rod

There are some cats who will find this type of rod (or rack) useful to just hang out. Most cats are good at chilling out so this rod, placed very strategically, will find your cat on it.

15. Small Cat Appliance

Although microwave ovens are usually good for heating your food up in a hurry, don’t be surprised when your cat has found another use for it.

16. The Cat Hanger

Plastic or wire hangers don’t matter to a cat. And although I usually advise, “No more wire hangers!” (from the movie Mommy Dearest), after seeing these uses for them, I say keep ’em.

17. The Cat Shoe

Keeping shoes organized in a closet is good, but you should always leave a shoe out in the room somewhere so your cat will find its new resting place. This cat shoe is designed to almost fit any cat.

19. Dog & Cat Desktop Tray

Just like mail desktop tray baskets, these trays are put to another use for your pet, allowing your pet to just hangout and watch while you work and slave away.

20. Dog Desk Chair

This work area is organized with a chair that is equipped for doggie nap-time. It doesn’t come with wheels, like for the ease an adult would need, since we don’t want our pet sliding away from its nap position.

21. Dog Nap Table

It can be a dining table (like this one above) or any table surface – the Nap Dog Table is very useful to your pet (whether dog or cat) whenever they feel the urge to sleep.

22. Cat Cubby Cabinet

This elaborate cat cabinet is custom made for the curious cat (and, as we know, ALL cats are curious!). However if you have any of your stuff organized inside, it will probably be put to different use by your cat.

23. Dog Interior Decorators

If you’re thinking of redecorating, call these guys. They can take any room and make it a mess in no time.

24. Dog Toy Downsizing

Don’t mess with an organized dog’s stuff. Period.

25. Dog Fridge Shelf

If you’re tired of your dog getting into your fridge and emptying your shelves, just make a shelf for it. It’s a nice place for those really hot Summer days.

26. Dog Dishwasher

Who needs to use up their water (especially if you live in California and have the drought to contend with) when you can just use your dog to clean up all the dishes. You’ll need to stack all the dishes neatly inside the dishwasher, but then all you do is call your dog in to finish the clean up.

27. Cat Keyboard

When your cat wants to take its nap on your computer keyboard, it has now become theirs. Forget about using it until they awake because any keys you try to push will only piss off your resting cat.

28. Computer Mouse-Chinchilla

This isn’t your typical computer mouse – it’s a computer chinchilla. And you don’t use it the same way you use a regular mouse – it is designed to scroll directly on your computer screen instead.

29. Cat Dryer Rack

This nifty rack will dry out any cat in hours. Just set it up in your laundry room (or wherever) and let the cat dry itself.

30. The Bobcat Paper System

The news headline read “Bobcat gets into office and destroys filing system”. My question was, did those papers on the cabinet look like there was a filing system in the first place? To get your own Bobcat Paper Filing System, you need to consult with your nearest Park Ranger.

31. The Critter Lid Organizer

This critter will try its best to re-organize your container lids, bless its heart. It’s a bit sloppy in the process, but eventually you’ll have all your containers in clear view (even if they are all over the floor).

32. Cat Jar

Not only can you store food in used food jars, but apparently cats too.

33. Cat Container

Just like a Cat Drawer, cats will fit into them. And these handy containers come in all shapes and sizes – so it doesn’t matter what shape or size it is to please your cat either.

34. The Cat Button Organizer

Organizing all your buttons in nice boxed containers within a drawer is perfect for the button cat who will nap soundly over them.

35. Dog Mover

When it comes to moving, these self-movers figured out a way to take their dog with them. The Dog Mover comes with open air ventilation and great views.

36. Kitty Super Organizer

The main super-power this cat has, like all of them, is that he can move things with the slight of one paw.

37. Cat & Dog Blinds

Okay, this really doesn’t have anything to do with organization but … they are useful for pets who just want to hang out near the window.

38. Dog Bucket

This could be a helmet, but any dog that can fit into it doesn’t care what it is or what it’s for other than it must be for them.

Next up … when kids want to help you get re-organized, you’ve got …

The Kid Organizers

Now we’ll see how kids fit into the scheme of home organization …

39. Kid Pantry

The food pantry is the perfect place if you keep food low enough for kids to help with pantry re-organization.

40. Kid Cabinet

There’s nothing better than a pots and pans cabinet without a kid-proof door opener. Therefore, if you want all your pots and pans re-organized on a daily (or hourly) basis, this is the way to do it.

41. Kid Toy Buckets

I think this might be one of those “find a child in this picture” photos. But when you do, you’ll realize that this is one kid that didn’t want to donate his toys so he must have decided to tow away with them.

42. Kid Pillows

Sofas with detached back and seat pillows are great for kids because they can occupy themselves for hours by removing them from the sofa.

And then there’s always making snow out of those pillows …

43. Kid Toiletries

Kids are like cats – they like toilet paper. After all, they create an endless stream of decorating fun.

44. Kid Kubby

This could be a useful place to store your kid while you’re busy cooking in the kitchen.

45. Kid Chefs

An organized kitchen is a good thing, but when you have kids who want to be chefs, you may need a full-time professional organizer around.

And lastly, in the news …

The Gnomes Organized Protest

Neither an animal or a kid, it still goes without saying that Gnomes don’t like junk … especially the Got-Junk Trucks. Pictured here is the invasion of Gnomes taking over Got-Junk trucks in protest of being considered as junk”

Check out my Pinterest Animal Funnies Board for more animal funnies.

DISCLAIMER:
No animals were harmed in the posting of these photos – although I don’t know where any of them came from except through Pinterest and Google Images. If I’ve used anyone’s picture without credit, please let me know!

Stylish & Lavish Ways Celebrities Like To Be Organized

June 19, 2015 / The Organizing Lady / 0 Comments

I get so inspired when I see stylish room designs that double as functional compositions in the space. And better, to see how people style their surroundings to reflect who they are.

Celebrities seem to do that quite well with slick, high class rooms that represent not only their design taste but their personal character. As an Organizational Lifestylist, I went to scour the Internet to find ways they do this, and I came across some great celebrity spaces that showcase the beautiful ways they stay organized.

Celebrity Home Organization Gallery

Click on arrow to scroll through Gallery:

Kourtney Kardashian bookshelves

Kourtney Kardashian organized bookshelves

Jenna Lyons office

Jenna Lyons organized office

Jonathan Adler bookcase

Jonathan Adler bookcase decor and organization

Lauren Conrad office

Lauren Conrad office organization

Cat Sadler shoes

Cat Sadler shoe bookshelf organization

Cat Sadler drawer organizer

Cat Sadler drawer organization

Cameron Diaz livingroom

Cameron Diaz living room organization

Celene Dion kitchen

Celene Dion kitchen organization

Ashley Tisdale closet

Ashley Tisdale closet organization

See List:

Mayim Bialik

The Big Bang Theory actress hired a professional organizer to come and help her organizer her home. She got an organization makeover in her cabinets, clothes closets and drawers. (via Kveller.com)

Kourtney Kardashian

She organizes her books by color in a rainbow fashion. This kind of bookshelf display works as decor. (via MyDomaine)

Jenna Lyons

(J.Crew president) fashions her office using stylish vintage storage trunks and her wall moodboard that turns her wall into a real life Pinterest (via Huffington Post)

Jonathan Adler

(Designer, ceramic potter) organizes and decorates his living room bookcase in colorful fashion. (via Dwell Magazine)

Lauren Conrad

(Fashion designer, MTV Hills star) did an office makeover to create the look and feel of her youthful label giving the room a stylized, yet functional purpose. (via MyDomaine)

Cat Sadler

(E! News Anchor) had a bookshelf installed for her shoes. And even her drawers are stylish with fabulous drawer organizers. (via MyDomaine)

Cameron Diaz

She loves to fashion her Manhattan home by showcasing her love for fashion and jewelry and uses beautiful furniture pieces around her home for storage. (via Elle Decor)

Celine Dion

This singer has all the elements for entertaining with all white spaces and two kitchen islands that provide a lot of storage. (via Elle Decor)

Ashley Tisdale

Her closet occupies two of her four bedroom home. She organizes her wardrobe by item (pants, tops, etc.) and groups denim by wash and hue. (via InStyle)

Paula Abdul

She has a closet where her shoe collection spans most of the real estate in it. (via InStyle)

Mariah Carey

She shows off an extraordinary closet that features her 1,000 shoes.

Kimora Lee Simmons

(Former head of Baby Phat and the ex-wife of the mega-rich mogul Russell Simmons stated that she likes her closets to look like boutiques, and has over 500 pairs of jeans and 35 custom-made Hermes Birkin bags.

Tom Ford

(Designer-Director talks about his sleek office) “Every surface in his nearly all-black office is sleek and spotless. There is no clutter. In fact, clutter probably doesn’t exist in Ford’s world. On a shelf, there are five golden statuettes — not Oscars (yet), but fashion awards.” (via LA Times]

Michael Andretti

(IZOD IndyCar team owner declutters his garage in style) “Our garage was a mess, and our stuff was all over the place. Not only did we need to get our things in order, we wanted to do it with style. It was important to me and my wife, Jodi, that our garage could reflect the same level of style as the rest of our home…” (via OrgHome and OrganizingLA)

Taking The Stress Out Of the Stress of Moving

June 15, 2015 / The Organizing Lady / 1 Comment

Almost every time someone contacts me to help them with moving, there is a degree of stress in their communication about the move. Understandably so. There is a lot to do. And often times, there doesn’t seem like enough time to do it all.

After all, moving involves a lot of preparation – arrangements with a moving company (or moving transportation), deciding what you will be taking with you to the new place, deciding if you will need to have a moving sale, organizing and holding a moving sale (if you decide you’re going to do that) and then of course packing up the entire house.

This doesn’t include all the preparations you need to do at your new place, but we won’t get into that just yet. And it also doesn’t include selling your existing home before the move if you’re selling, or the task of having to find a new place to live.

Each one of those projects can carry stress with it if you let it. That’s right, I said if you let it.

Stress can be taken out of anything and there are various methods of doing so. Yoga, meditation, pills (which I absolutely do NOT recommend), and other sundry stress remedies. However, as a professional organizer who has worked with people in stress for 21 years, I’m going to throw in my own method.

Focus. Yes, focus. And don’t focus on a problem either. Instead, put your focus on tackling one thing at a time. List all tasks / projects into a project list but focus your energy on just one of those tasks at any given time.

One of the reasons a professional organizer helps remove stress from a person’s life is because an organizer steps in to help take care of all the things that are stressing the person out. Even so, a person can still experience stress because they are still focused on all the problems that a move is creating for them. I get them to use my method of focusing and it sure makes a difference.

One of my friends was planning a move and was completely stressed out. First she had limited time to find a new place (before her lease was up), then after finding a place, she faced extreme downsizing. And of course packing up everything was left to a last minute rush because she didn’t have time to pack while she was working long hours.

It was during the last minute rush when she called me in for help. Seeing how stressed she was, I had her focus. I gave her instructions to carry on her demanding work and I would take care of everything else. You should have seen her face light up.

So, I see my job as more than organizing. It is helping people get stress-free. And although that typically comes after I organize for them, to make that happen during the process is just as important.

Anyway, if I’m not around, just remember, focus.

The Trust Factor Of Home Organizers

June 9, 2015 / The Organizing Lady

Going into the home of someone we don’t know to provide a service to them is what a professional organizer does. Clients don’t come to us, we go to them. And a home is a person’s private place, unlike walking into their place of work or business.

My profession is unique because essentially I’m in the kind of business that gets into other people’s business – like they way they live. I often see what other people never get to see and find out about things they never shared with anyone.

I’ve walked into homes where I was the first “outsider” to step foot in it for years since they were too embarrassed to have any guests over. This included their own children. Granted, most of those cases had extreme clutter, but some places were not so bad. And the places I felt were not so bad, the person felt it was bad enough to them because of their standard of living.

So it’s my job to make them feel comfortable in their own home when I’m in it essentially. After all, they entrusted me to come into their home when they wouldn’t let anyone else in, or were too ashamed to allow people see it, especially an outsider like me.

Some people will even make an attempt beforehand to put things in order before I come to put things in order for them. But I always ask them not to. The reason is that I need to see the whole picture to get to the bottom of the problem. If things have been tidying up in an area, I won’t know that things ever get tossed and accumulated in that area. And then I won’t be able to assess a solution that can resolve an issue I don’t see.

Aside from me getting into other people’s business, I’m also in the business of help. And as such, when I walk into a a person’s home, I’m are there to provide help, not criticism.

When I walk into a person’s home, I bring with me my skills, knowledge and experience. And this how I can commence in the process of changing their life. I can’t change a person’s life effectively if I bring hostility toward their environment and become critical of the way they live or how they do the things they do that got them in a such a mess. This doesn’t help them.

It’s really comes down to my outlook and attitude when I’m in a person’s home. I don’t see the room as a disorganized mess. I see how the room can be made better. I don’t delve into how terrible a condition that a person is living in. I visualize a place of sanctuary for them. I think people pick up on my attitude and even start visualizing the space becoming what they want it to be. This motivates them even more.

Most all those organizing shows I’ve seen on TV upset me because I see the professional organizer become critical, even hostile toward a person they are there to help. Some of the remarks I’ve heard them make prompted me to change the channel or turn off the TV even.

Maybe it’s all about the drama. A show has to have drama. When I was doing a particular organizing segment on TV, the producer wanted me to berate the girl I was organizing to make it more entertaining. I said I wouldn’t scold her since it wasn’t my nature to do that sort of thing. With all the producer’s prompting and suggestions on what I could say, I ended up being playful with the girl I was organizing and even made her laugh. To me, that was entertaining enough. The show aired but I was never asked to come back.

Bottom line is, it’s my job to build trust with a person when I’m in their home. The same applies to being at their place of work, but even more so in their private space among their private belongings and private papers. And the best way I know how to accomplish that trust is to be a professional. That means to act in such a way that they feel comfortable enough to tell and show me their deepest, darkest organizing problems. It doesn’t mean to be critical of them or their space.

And this is how I have spent 21 years making a difference in people’s lives. Feels good.

Home Garage Sales With A Professional Organizer

June 5, 2015 / The Organizing Lady / 4 Comments

It’s that time of year when people want to do a little home clearance and get rid of things that don’t matter to them anymore. Garage or yard sales help accomplish this and helps in making some extra cash with their unwanted items.

I have two garage sales I’m helping to organize and help at for clients this month and I’m truly looking forward to it. Why? It could be it’s because I love going to garage sales and I get first dibs on buying their unwanted stuff!

Seriously though, I do love this kind of work and have gotten pretty good at pricing items to sell at garage sales too. I’ve been to these kind of sales where people don’t know how to price their things and think that their old sofa will sell for $400 or something when, in fact, no one going to a garage sale is going to pay that sticker price when they can get a new sofa at that price.

People want a bargain and that’s why they go to garage sales, so pricing stuff accordingly is important. However, you can place a higher value on something, but just be prepared to be bargained down from that asking price.

Organizing a garage sale often entails a lot of prep work, especially going through your stuff and sorting out what you want to sell.

Here’s some tips on how to plan and organize a garage sale:

Sort through stuff. Go through the house, room by room, and set aside items you no longer want or value. Make sure to go through any cabinets or closet areas in each room to pull out things to sell.
Categorize stuff. Collect up those items and sort into boxes or bins by “like items” – home decor, art, kitchen wares, small appliances, books, electronics, clothing, accessories, etc.
Price stuff. Everything should have a price tag on it. Make your own price labels or purchase price stickers.
Pre-sale items. If you’re planning to list any items for pre-sale on CraigsList, make a list of those items (with details of brand/ model, measurements, etc.) and price it. If it’s furniture items, be sure to measure them. Also, take photos of the items you are selling on CraigsList.
Post a notice. Post a garage sale notice on CraigsList a week before the sale. List any special items (with photos) you are selling.
Get display materials. Try to get some folding display tables to use for your sale items. Shelves also work nicely, too. And for clothing, use a clothing rod of some kind to hang clothes on because clothing sells better when they are hung.
Enlist helpers for sale day. Make arrangements with family and/or friends (and your professional organizer!) to help out on the day of the sale. This is NOT something you want to do alone! Depending on how large the sale is, I suggest a minimum of 3 people.
Get signs. Get or make garage sale signs – plenty of them. You’ll need to post these signs around your neighborhood to draw people to your sale. Post these the day before (or morning of) the sale. And be sure to have pins and clear packing tape with you!
Get cash and coins. You are now a retailer and will need some starting cash to give change when someone makes a purchase. You can go to bank and get a roll of quarters, some one, five and ten dollar bills.
Have a cash box. Be sure to also have something to keep money in – any kind of cash box of some sort will do. If you don’t have that, you can use an envelope. Keep this in a spot where someone is always on duty at the cash station. I also think it’s also a good idea to wear a waist pocket-purse to collect money when you’re away from the cash box mingling with customers.
Have a calculator. You’ll need to add up purchase items and it’s just easier to have a calculator on hand. Smartphones have calculator apps on them and can also be used instead.
Have bags on hand. This is optional but I find that it is nice and convenient if you have bags for customers who purchase multiple items and need to bag it.
Get a pocket apron. This is also optional although it does help if you don’t have a waist-purse, and it also signifies that you are a seller to crowds of people looking around. I find these at the dollar stores in either crafts, gardening or tool areas.

On the morning of the sale I bring the sale items out of the garage to display. Creating a welcoming display of things draws a crowd, especially people driving by, so make it look as nice as possible. You don’t want create clutter on your driveway or front lawn areas!

You’ll also need a cashier station of some sort where someone can sit and handle purchases and be the cash box security person. This should be sitting away from the sale area, but not far of course. And having chairs for helpers to sit on when things quiet down is a must!

Now you’re ready for the crowds of people to buy your unwanted stuff! Have fun!