There are many organization solutions in the marketplace today that can help keep closet clutter under control without spending a fortune on high-end custom closets.  Outfitting your child’s closet with a custom solution may not always be the best idea when they still  have a lot of growing to do.  It might make more sense to use less expensive organization products that can be changed and adjusted as the child grows.

Here are a few ideas that can be incorporated into your child’s existing closet, assuming you do not already have built-in shelving installed:

Hanging organizer shelves for clothing
Storage cubes to corral small toys
Hanging shoe organizer to keep shoes off the floor
Shoe stands, also to keep shoes off the floor
Quality hangers to take better care of clothing

Closet hanging shelf organizer

Magic toy pop-up cube

Closet hanging shoe organizer shelves

Stackable shoe shelf organizer

Childrens' wood hangers

Folding canvas bins

Rolling bins or carts to hold folded clothing or toys can also be helpful.  Find more closet organizers at Home Storage Warehouse.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie is also the author of Take Control of Your Clutter Before it Takes Control of You: 101 Tips to Success.  Visit CastAway the Clutter to get a free organizing goals worksheet when you sign up for her organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com

Does your children’s clothing spend most of the time on the closet floor or hung on the clothing rod?  If your child is too small to reach the rod, you may find that you’re spending way too much time picking up clothes and trying to keep the closet organized.  Many closets consist of a single rod and shelf, but there are many affordable closet organizing solutions to help with eliminating closet clutter. To begin with, store their most frequently worn, or favorite garments at their level so that they can be responsible for putting away their clean laundry and choosing their outfits for the day. 

By incorporating some additional storage options inside the closet, you can also teach your child to be responsible for keeping their closet neat and organized.  Set up an easy organizational system so that they can select their outfits each day, with very little help from you.  One way to do this is to install a hanging pocket shelf organizer. Hanging shelves, which usually include at least 5 pockets for each weekday, are a great way for them to feel grown up because they get to pick out their pre-selected outfit for the day, without help from you. 

Now that we’re officially in the New Year, many of us have goals and resolutions in place for a better year.  One of the top 5 New Year’s Resolutions is getting organized and the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has named January “Get Organized Month(SM)”. When you’re more organized you can get things done in a timely manner, find the things you need and generally feel less stressed.  So who wouldn’t want to be more organized? 

Although containers, bins, shelves and baskets won’t make you organized, they can certainly help you to contain all of the important things you need.  Containers will also help you to create the systems you need in your home so that you’ll be more organized, and more importantly, remain organized!  Here are a few organizing products and organizational systems that may help you on the road to organization.

Food dispenser

Wicker storage chest

Jewelry organizer

Laundry sorter - 4 bags

Handbag purse organizer

Wall cubby organizer

So, when do you plan to start decluttering?  Pick one space today, and focus on getting that one space decluttered and organized.   Starting with one space helps to prevent overwhelm.  But if you feel overwhelmed regardless, enlist the help of a friend or hire a professional organizer.  According to NAPO, “Professional organizers can help you deal with everything from your paper to your professional responsibilities and give you parameters on what to keep, what to toss, and where to take action.”

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007 and is presently the “Ask the Organizer” expert. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie is also the author of Take Control of Your Clutter Before it Takes Control of You: 101 Tips to Success.  Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com 

We have observed that being organized comes more naturally to some, than to others. For some, it makes perfect sense that there should be a place for everything and everything in its place.  Yet to others, this idea would never even cross their minds. That’s why it important that children be taught organization skills from an early age.  If you are the parent, and also disorganized, then use this as an opportunity to learn together!  Plus, showing your children how to take care of their room from an early age teaches them responsibility. 

If your child has space issues in their bedroom and you find that clothes aren’t being put away and clutter is accumulating, most often than not, the child doesn’t know where things go. 

So what can you do to help?  You may begin with a task as simple as showing them how to put their laundered clothes away.  Begin by sharing with them how it makes sense to store tops with tops and bottoms with bottoms.  If they are early elementary school age, you could show them an example of how mixing tops with bottoms, socks and undies would result in confusion and disorder.  They will probably be amused by the mess and be happy to help you fix it!  

There are many inexpensive organizing products available for kids’ rooms that will help them to keep the clutter at bay. Here are a few useful products, including ideas on how to use them:

Hanging Accessory Shelves:  Hanging shelves have cubbies or pockets and attaches to a closet rod to store tops, sweaters, shoes or smaller items stored in baskets.  Some shelves come with drawers.

Storage Cubes: Very versatile storage that can help to organize clothes, toys, books, CDs, accessories and magazines.

Pop-up Hamper: Teach your kids to put away their dirty laundry in their own hamper or use for lightweight toys and stuffed animals

Under the Bed Storage Bag:

Take advantage of the space underneath the bed to store off season clothing or bed linens.  Bags zipper shut to keep out the dust.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips and learn more about her presentations at www.castawaytheclutter.com

They say that practice makes perfect, meaning the more you practice a new skill or habit, the better you become. Learning how to be organized from an early age is a valuable and necessary skill that can be learned over time and taken into adulthood.  When a new college student begins dorm life, it will most likely be their first time living away from home.  It is also the perfect opportunity to practice being independent as they embark towards adulthood.

Parents are often dismayed at the total lack of organization in their child’s dorm room when they visit their new college student after they have settled into dorm life.  They often wonder where they went wrong!  However, it’s never too late to learn how to be more organized.

Planning ahead before your child goes off to college is key.  As you shop for products for your child’s dorm room, think of items that will make it easy for them to be more organized.  Dorm rooms have the additional challenge of being a small space, sometimes shared with one or more students, so multi-purpose furniture and space saving organizers will help to control the clutter.  When your student is organized and able to find what he needs, he will most likely be more successful later in life. 

Take a look at the many spaces saving organizers that can control the clutter in your child’s dorm room. You can find organizing products for toiletries, make-up, bath products, shoes, clothing, magazines, laundry and more, that fit over the door, in the closet and under the bed.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips and learn more about her presentations at www.castawaytheclutter.com  

Father’s day is coming up soon on Sunday, June 21^st.  So there’s still time to get dad a great Father’s day gift. 

Dads can be hard to buy for.  They tend to live a little simpler than us ladies!  However, there are still plenty of gift ideas that dad will love, but may not think to buy for himself.

If dad tends to be a bit of a clutter-bug, consider the gift of organization.  Men often need help with keeping their clothes and accessories organized. Closet organizing ideas included elegant and faux leather tie racks, chrome tie and belt holders, over the door pocket shoe holders, baseball cap organizers and much more.           

You could even surprise dad with a quick closet makeover!  No custom built-ins here.  You really can completely change the look of a closet in one day or less, by adding the various tie, belt and cap holders already mentioned, plus storage bins for tops and sweaters, a hanging sweater or shoe shelf, cedar hanging blocks and a valet stand.

Transforming a closet in a day is easier than you think!

 Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com and register for an organizing workshop.

Whether the man in your life wears business attire every day or is strictly business casual, busy mornings are always going to be easier when his clothing is prepared and laid out the night before.  So, wouldn’t it great to set him up with a perfect, easy to use system that organizes and stores his outfit, ready to wear and without the worry of wrinkling?  A valet stand is the answer and will likely be a welcome gift for your father, husband, brother or friend. 

So, what is a valet stand?  According to the dictionary, a valet is a man’s male servant who performs personal services, e.g. taking care of clothing.  This would be nice, but not very realistic in today’s society!  So a valet stand is essentially the “do-it-yourself” version of a real valet. 

Basically, a valet stand is a wonderful organizing tool made to hold a suit, jacket and pants or other personal accessories.  There are also valet chairs which have storage inside the seat, or a drawer beneath the seat.  Some valets even have built-in charging stations for your cell phone, iPod or other mobile electronic device.

Valet stands are usually stand-alone items, so it’s important that you have additional space, ideally near the closet or dressing area. However, if space is an issue, try a folding valet which will fold flat when not in use.  

With Father’s day only a few weeks away, this is the perfect time to purchase this wonderful and practical gift for dad, or another man in your life.  Plus, there are plenty of options to choose from, in many different finishes.  You’ll find a selection of both traditional and modern styles and designs to suit all tastes. Check out the following.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com and register for an organizing workshop.

Are you frustrated with your jewelry always in a tangled mess? Like your clothing, your jewelry should be organized and ready to wear at a moment’s notice. If you love to buy jewelry and have a large collection, then it’s even more important that it’s kept organized and tangle-free. Fortunately, there are a lot of options available in the marketplace for organizing your jewelry. There are jewelry organizers for drawers, jewelry organizers for vanities, plus jewelry boxes for men and women, jewelry armoires, jewelry trees, jewelry trays and jewelry bags. There’s truly no excuse for not having organized jewelry!

There are so many benefits to having your earrings, necklaces, bracelets, bangles, watches, rings and chains organized. This is particularly important if you purchase matching sets like I do. I love buying the earrings to match the necklace. It makes dressing so much easier. But it’s no good if I can’t find the set when I’m ready to wear it!

So what jewelry organizers should you choose? There are dozens to choose from, but today I’m going to talk about acrylic jewelry organizers. Acrylic organizers are extremely sturdy and are perfect to store and organize jewelry because you can quickly see what you have. They are attractive enough to be stored on top of your dresser or vanity and can be easily cleaned with soap and water. There’s an acrylic jewelry organizer for any type of jewelry and some combination organizers. A jewerly organizer is also a great gift idea for Mother’s Day. Some acrylic organizers are classically designed and almost look like crystal. Here’s a few Mother’s Day gift ideas to consider.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com and register for an organizing workshop.

With the spring months upon us, and summer on the way, it’s safe to say that the days of wearing boots of any kind are officially behind us. Still, what to do as we transition from the cold and snow to sandal wearing weather? At home, you could get organized (or even more disorganized) by throwing the winter footwear into a closet or back room, but what about sandals, and summer shoes? What if you have guests in your home, or if your kids invite five of their friends over to hang out? As they all take their shoes or sandals off, you’re stuck with a big pile of summer footwear, and you still have that messy storage closet with all the winter footwear.

There is a better and more efficient way when it comes to shoe organization. One at home solution is stackable shoe racks. With a durable steel and plastic construction, our storage racks are expandable, and they really make sense. Also, we have a shoe rack that is a tower and holds 50 pairs of shoes. These storage racks can be organized by season or by the differing rooms in your home.

Another great idea for avoiding a mountain of shoes, and a big mess, are our over the door shoe racks. With twenty pockets holding ten pairs of shoes, this is an easy solution for a big family looking to stay organized with shoe storage during any season. This is also great for freeing up a ton of space in your house, and you are no longer stuck searching for you or your family members shoes.

Lastly, if you still have a thing for racks, but are looking for something that hangs, then take a look at our hanging shoe holder. With a hanging shoe holder, you can truly be able to tidy up your home’s closet or personal space, and you will have your shoes available to you in a convenient and accommodating area. You can avoid the hassle and headache of scrambling and searching to find two shoes that match as you are getting organized and ready for work in the morning. Also, with summer coming up we have a flip-flop holder that holds 18 pairs, so you can quickly grab what you need at home and have a longer day of relaxation at the beach or pool.

It’s tiring, and frustrating after a long day to come home, and find that everyone has kicked their shoes off by the front door or to find shoes in random places all over the house. Why not simplify your shoe storage and get organized at the same time? You can do that by racking the shoes up, or by hanging them in our shoe holders. This is a guaranteed way to take care of the shoe storage details for all seasons, and for your home and happiness.

Here in the mid-Atlantic area, it’s about that time of year when the weather begins to warm up and time to pack away the sweaters and lighten up.  I’m a bit of a wimp where cooler weather is concerned, so I tend to keep my cardigan sweaters out year-round!  However, for the warm blooded, simply thinking about a sweater may make you sweat!  Anyway, I digress.  Switching the closet from winter to spring/summer is an event in my home.  I love rediscovering clothes that I had forgotten about and creating new outfits that I hadn’t thought of.  For me, I always feel as though I have a new wardrobe again, especially if I had purchased a few items on clearance at the end of the season.  

This is also a great time to purge items and to really think about whether or not you will wear something again.  I use this time to be honest about whether I love an item, or if I’m keeping it just because I’ve spent X amount of dollars on it. 

Taking the time to review your clothing from last year will also save you money.  Try some items on and mix and match separates that you hadn’t thought to put together before. You’ll find that you needn’t rush out to stock up on new summer clothes after all!

What if you live in a year round warm state, like Florida or Southern California?  It’s still a good idea to take the time to switch your closet.  Even if you don’t have dramatically changing seasons, it’s simply a good habit to go through your closet once or twice a year. 

So, schedule a weekend morning or afternoon, put on some music and dance your way from winter to summer!