ORGANIZE YOUR COSMETICS

Cosmetics have a way of accumulating. You buy a waterproof lipstick to match your new swimsuit and discover that there is no room to squeeze it in the cosmetic drawer. Worse, you reach for your special mocha lipliner and it is no where to be found. You know you will look good but you won’t look your best.

These aggravations are only the top of the iceberg for those of us who rely on a little cosmetic enhancement to make us feel pretty. We know that we will be less harried and have the look we want if we keep cosmetic products neat. But when we’re racing to get to work, to a date, to the gym, to a class, we do not do such a good job of putting things back where they belong.

The keys to keeping cosmetics organized are:

Keep it simple. You really do not need forty shades of eye shadow and twenty-five lipsticks. Choose the three or four that you use routinely and keep them close at hand.

Group items by application zones. Create a skin kit with moisturizer, concealer, foundation and powder, an eye kit with mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow, a finisher kit with lipstick, lipliner and blush.

Choose cosmetic containers that work for you. Clear plastic drawer dividers, acrylic shoe boxes and tackle boxes work as well as designated cosmetic organizers. Magna Pods have magnetized backing that allows them to adhere to metal cabinets and vintage train cases work well for gals on the go.

Keep it fresh. Cosmetics expire just like milk does and can cause skin reactions and infections if used after the expiration date. Make a date to review cosmetics and discard expired items.

It takes a little effort to keep cosmetics in order but the gains are worth it. Just think of saving time and money and looking beautiful. What more could a girl want?

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Bring Organization to Your Bedroom

Here are a few hints to bring a little organization to your bedroom:

List the things you do in the bedroom. Then determine the best place to accomplish that task, given the space available. Think of the bedroom in zones (Sleeping Zone, Dressing Zone, Play Zone, Study Zone, Relaxing/Socializing Zone)

Group the items that are needed for that activity together in that space as much as possible.

• Create a reading station near the bed that includes adequate lighting, book mark, and a place for book and glasses. Great reading lamps and organizers can be found at Office Max.
• Store children’s must have bed items in a bedside table or an under-bed rolling storage box that is easy for them to access. Underbed storage containers are available at Home Depot, Ikea, Lowe’s and Wal-Mart.
  

Use decorative pegboard with various size hooks to keep belts, scarves, small purses, and even, jewelry displayed for easy access. Local hardware stores will custom cut to your specifications or you can buy it in pre-cut sized. Pegboard and peg board accessories can be found at local hardware stores and Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Wal-Mart.

Simple, stacking, jewelry trays from places like Bed Bath & Beyond, Homestoragewarehouse.com and Lillian Vernon will fit in most dresser drawers.

Egg crates and ice cube trays also make good containers for small items (earrings, tie tacks), that allow the items to be easily seen and can be stacked in a dresser drawer.

Increase space in your closet by using thin, flocked hangers available at Bed Bath & Beyond, HSN.com, Target and Wal-Mart.

Store everyday and athletic shoes in rolling bins available at Lowe’s and Wal-Mart

Keep shoes accessible and easy to locate by storing in clear plastic boxes that are labeled or even have a photo of the contents attached. Clear shoe boxes are available at Bed Bath & Beyond and Dollar Tree. A clear shoe organizing system is available at Neatboxes.com.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize a Bedroom

Is Your Bedroom a Sanctuary?

We just celebrated Valentine’s Day. That led me to think about intimacy and, for some reason, I started thinking about bedrooms.

We often work with clients who want their bedroom to be a sanctuary, but the habits of their mate or the dictates of their living space present challenges to fulfilling their goal.

It is hard to feel tranquil with dirty socks on the floor and a pile of laundry at the foot of the bed. Sometimes the space must house a home office or a crafting station or fitness equipment. The reality is that the bedroom is often used for more than sleeping and intimate moments. Many folks find it the only place they can grab the solitary time to pay the bills, read a book, watch a favorite program, ready a project for deadline.or sweat to the oldies.

Here are a few suggestions for making the space more orderly and serene even when you have to deal with the realities of life.

Make the bed a no-drop zone. It will keep your bedding clean and you can rest without clearing a spot.

Create defined spaces for activities that must occur in the space. If you have to have an office in your bedroom, designate a small desk or table for the task and gather the materials you need close to that space. If you must house exercise equipment, put it in a corner farthest from the bed and use a folding screen to keep it out of sight when not in use. Put your ipod and earphones, shoes and other ancillary items in tote bags that can hang from the equipment and keep them handy. Use a small bookcase or decorative basket to hold books, music and DVDs close to the spot you use them.

Keep clothes off the floor and furniture by placing an attractive hamper in the room. A clothes valet or industrial three arm clothing rack can hold outfits for the next day or clothes waiting to be put away.

If the laundry is inevitably going to land in the bedroom prior to storing, use a pretty hamper and designate a bench at the foot of the bed or under a window as its temporary home. It might not look beautiful, but it will look neat and not detract too much from the room’s order.

Real life bedrooms often do not meet the expectation for “sanctuary” promoted by Extreme Makeover and HGTV, but, with a little thought and organization, they can be orderly, tranquil places to escape for personal pleasure.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

AVOIDING BEDROOM CLUTTER TRAPS

We have bad news. The only way to avoid clutter in the bedroom is to put it away when you take it off or bring it into the room. The key to avoiding the “I’m too tired” and “I don’t have the time” piles of miscellany is to make it as easy as possible to tuck things away. That includes the bed linens.

Many of our beds look beautiful when made with matching coverlet and shams. The coordinating occasional pillows and cushions are scattered artfully and there is not a crease to be found. Much of the time, unfortunately, the bed is not made and the coordinating coverlet, sham encased pillows, and decorative pillows are scattered on the floor.

Consider an “everyday” bed look and a “company” look. For the “everyday” look use good quality coordinating sheets and pillowcases with a harmonizing blanket or quilt that can be folded at the foot of the bed or pulled up to the pillow line. It takes less than two minutes to tidy the bed when you rise and it is ready to jump in when you are ready to rest. Stack the beautiful coverlet shams and decorative pillows neatly on a quilt rack or in a nearby chest or decorative container. They will be ready to decorate the space when company comes or you have time for a more elaborate bed-making. Another alternative is to keep these items in an underbed storage chest that you can pull out when needed.

Furniture surfaces in a bedroom also become cluttered with jewelry, change, reading materials, bottles of medicine, and grooming products. The best way to keep clutter down in these areas is to use decorative containers and systems close to the point of use so that you can put things away as you use them. A valet or box for items you use everyday like your watch and keys should be placed wherever you dress and undress so you can easily retrieve them when you get ready to go out.

Clothes on the floor is another clutter trap. Sometimes we just don’t have the energy to walk a step further when we finally get home. Try putting two hampers in the bedroom where you undress-one for laundry and one for dry cleaning. You can easily throw your clothes there instead of on the floor. As a last alternative designate a “clothes chair” and put all items there. Clear out the chair at least twice a week. It will not keep clutter away but it will keep it at bay and manageable.

For those of us who like to read in bed, a bedside reading station can be created by putting a basket that coordinates with the bedroom next to the bed. If there is no room on the bedside table, it can be placed under or beside the table, on the floor. It will contain the reading light, book and bookmark that used to land on the floor.

These web sites might give you inspiration to better manage clutter traps in your bedroom.

www.lillianvernon.com
www.levenger.com
www.shopgetorganized.com


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organizing the “Guest Room”

Now that we have had time to recuperate from the holidays, many of us are looking forward to spending quality time with friends and family. Sometimes that involves having a guest in our home and that can be a pain or a pleasure. Take a look at you “guest space” and think of ways you can organize it to be more comfortable for your guest-and you.

Whether you have a master suite with bath, a foldout sofa in your home office or a blow up mattress in the den, there are amenities that will make your guest’s stay more pleasant for him and easier on you.

Just think about those times when you have been a guest in another’s home and consider what would have provided comfort and convenience during your stay. Here are our suggestions.

The first item of business is to make sure the space is clean and uncluttered. Dust vacuum, change the linens and clear surfaces of extraneous items.

Make sure you have space for your guest to store clothes on hangers in the closet or on a wrack and space to fold things in drawers. If that is not possible, have a sturdy surface on which to place a suitcase.

Gather clean towels and washcloths for your guest and place them in a basket or decorative box with some nice toiletry items. Milled soaps, lotion, mouthwash or aftershave are some ideas to consider.

Give guests an opportunity to take care of midnight munchies by providing a container of snacks and a bottle of water. Fresh flowers and some candy, fruit or cookies in the room are ways to let the guest know how special he is.

A comfortable place to sit, stationery and writing implements, an alarm clock, adequate lighting and a radio or television are nice to have available.

If the guest is going to be keeping a schedule that is different than yours, think about providing a house key, security codes, public transportation schedules and a list of taxi and limousine companies. A local map is also a helpful item for guests who are not familiar with the city.

When your guest arrives, give him a tour of the house paying special attention to location of the bathroom you expect him to use, the kitchen and location of the iron and ironing board. Explain methods of entry and any security issues as well as any house rules. Point out any computer connection he might use if he travels with his laptop.

Taking time to do the tour saves time in the long run and allows the guest to feel better able to take care of himself.

Hosting guests is supposed to be fun. So organize the space for their comfort and convenience, then sit back and enjoy the visit.

Finding Space in an Underneath Place

Small spaces are a real challenge. Even with creative use of floor space and wall space, there may not be enough room for the essentials. When the wall won’t hold another shelf and furniture has served as many multiple functions as you can think of, consider looking under things for potential storage.

In the bedroom, the bed is the largest piece of furniture that has potential for storage. Wooden drawers that stack and single wooden drawers on rollers are great places to store clothing that is looking for a home. Plastic rolling storage boxes with a low profile can hold children’s books and games, as well as art supplies or small toys. Several manufacturers make under-bed rolling trays and boxes designed specifically for shoes.

Another potential for storage is under a desk or work table. Rolling files are available that neatly fit into the unused space and an under-desk printer/fax stand can help free up flat surface space.

A decorative box or basket can be placed under a console or coffee table to hold books, magazines or a collection of shells or other memorabilia. Careful selection can create an interesting focal point

Some products to help stimulate ideas for storing underneath furniture may be found at the following web sites:
www.ultimatebed.com
www.abundantearth.com
www.homedepot.com
www.onlinesupplies.com
www.csnofficefurniture.com
www.lillianvernon.com
www.ballard.com
www.shopgetorganized.com


Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

The Old SOFT Shoe

I read recently that the average man owns five pair of shoes and the average woman owns fifteen pairs of shoes. In this instance, I am happy to report I am way above average. All the women in my family are above average and most of my friends are above average. Because of these associations, I have witnessed many struggles to organize shoes and have my own preferences for making it easy to find, retrieve and store those lovely little foot protectors.

When thinking about arranging shoes in an orderly fashion I recall the word SOFT (as in soft shoe - a dance step). That stands for Sort, Observe, Find, and Test.

The first step is to sort your shoes. Match up pairs and put them in categories. I prefer to use the categories of sandals, flats, heels, formal shoes and boots. Within these categories, you can continue to sort by colors or seasons if you like.

Once the shoes are sorted, observe their style, condition and fit. It is unwise to keep shoes that are terribly scuffed, broken or in disrepair. It is also uncomfortable to wear shoes that pinch, cause blisters or are ill-fitting. Also look for shoes that are out of style. Separate those shoes from the ones that look good, fit right and are stylish. Then discard or make arrangement to donate them.

The next step is to find out how many pairs of shoes you have left to store and find the organizing tool that fits your needs. I like cubbies for my flats and everyday shoes, bins for my athletic shoes, shelves for my boots and clear boxes for my heels and formal shoes. There are all kinds of solutions on the market from stackable shelves to free standing cabinets and shoe wheels that minimize use of closet space.

Once you have chosen your storage system arrange your shoes so that you can see them and you have access to them. If using boxes, you may want to take a picture of the shoe and place on the box so you can easily identify what is inside. If you have to seasonally switch shoes to more accessible places from less accessible places, you can use storage boxes that have a spring/summer picture on one end and a fall/winter picture on the other.

Finally, test the system. Are you able to easily find and retrieve shoes when you want them and easily return them to storage when you’re through wearing them? If not, tweak your system until you have a great fit.

Some sites with storage solutions for shoes are:
www.stacksandstacks.com
www.neatcontainers.com
www.clear-shoe-boxes.com
www.organize.com
www.homedecorators.com
www.lowes.com
www.homedepot.com

A professional organizer can help you choose the right systems for your organizing style and maximize the space you have available.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Bedrooms

Bedrooms are for sleeping, right? You would think a room with such a specific purpose would be easy to keep organized and uncluttered. That is not the story for most of our clients. The truth is that a bedroom is a multipurpose room and sleeping is just one of the functions it supports. The functions of a bedroom depend on the frequency of use and the age(s) of the occupant(s). So-called spare bedrooms often become the repository for homeless objects and unfinished projects so we are not talking about them today. They are a whole different challenge. We are focusing on regular occupied bedrooms where folks sleep, share intimacies with spouses, partners and friends, get dressed, store clothes and jewelry, read, study, exercise, sometimes have home offices and hobby stations. It is a truly multi-functional space. Often it is the only private space for individuals sharing a home.

Because a bedroom is used for more than one thing, the first step in removing clutter and organizing the space is to list the things you do in the bedroom. Then determine the best place to accomplish that task, given the space available. We find it helpful to think of the bedroom in zones. The most often used categories include:

- Sleeping Zone
- Dressing Zone
- Play Zone
- Study Zone
- Relaxing/Socializing Zone

Once we have established the zones, we group the items that are needed for that activity together in that space as much as possible. While we are completing that activity we assist the client in arranging, storing and purging items that go in the space.

Some hints our clients have found helpful include:

- Create a reading station near the bed that includes adequate lighting, book mark, and a place for book and glasses
- Store children’s must have bed items in a bedside table or an underbed rolling storage box that is easy for them to access
- Use pegboard or cork board to hang jewelry near the dressing area

An organized uncluttered bedroom is a worthwhile investment. Getting dressed in the morning is less stressful and going to sleep at night is more peaceful.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net