Multi-purpose furniture are ideal for small spaces, or if you don’t like to have a lot of furniture in your room.  When you can store a multitude of items in one piece, it can alleviate clutter in your room and make organizing a lot easier.  One of the most popular multi-purpose furniture pieces today is the Armoire.  Armoires are used to store and organize clothing and crafting supplies. They are also used as TV entertainment centers, or as a  small office that you fold away at the end of the day.

Another multi-purpose item that is perfect for both teens and adults is the Nightstand Valet (pictured above).  This valet stand comes with 2 shelves, a pull out drawer, a hanger for suit coat or shirts, bottom shelf for shoes, top shelf for personal accessories, side bar for trousers and the other side comes with hook for additional hanging storage.  It is the epitome of multi-purpose. 

CD organizer

Cosmetics organizer

Your teenager or pre-teen can get organized the night before school by choosing their outfit, including their shoes, packing their backpack and selecting the books and other items they may need for school the next day, and all can be stored in the Nightstand Valet.  On the left you’ll see some additional organization products that can help your children keep their rooms organized from Home Storage Warehouse.

 Visit Home Storage Warehouse to learn more about the Nightstand Valet and other organizing products to help kids keep their rooms organized and clutter-free!

Find more organization product ideas and back to school tips for your kids here.

Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and President of the NAPO Baltimore Chapter, she helps homeowners to clear their household and paper clutter and organize their home or home office.  Jacquie also offers home organizing workshops to the general public and brief time management classes to businesses. Jacquie is the author of Take Control of Your Clutter Before it Takes Control of You: 101 Tips to Success.  If you want to take control of your clutter, visit CastAway the Clutter to get Jacquie’s free organizing goals worksheet when you sign up for her organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com

Closets come in all shapes and sizes and are one of the first things that prospective homeowners look for when searching for a new home.  Walk-in closets are what’s expected today, but are not always available, especially if the home buyer is looking for an older, more classic home.

Custom closet installation is not in everyone’s budget, so it’s always good to know what organization products are available to help homeowners to maximize the space that they currently have.  Worrying about the lack of closet space, without the means to make structural changes isn’t going to make the problem go away. As a professional organizer, when working with a client, I recommend that we start by going through all of their existing clothing first to determine what they are actually wearing now.

At the end of the day, you want to be able to access the clothing that you’re wearing and eliminate the rest.  This task alone can relieve some of the problems of not having enough closet space and the frustration of not being able to find the clothes you need. 

If you are currently living in a home with a small reach-in closet, you can still have an organized closet, without the expense of a remodel.  By educating yourself with what’s available in the marketplace or getting the help of a professional organizer, you will discover a myriad of inexpensive closet organizers that will maximize the space in your closet, without spending a lot of money.  Here are a few to consider:

Swivel Tie Hanger

Handbag organizer

Shoe and Sweater Organizer

Revolving Shoe Stand

Shelf organizer bin

Scarf Hanger Organizer

 

For Mother’s Day, what do you give to the mom who appears to have it all?  What do you give to the picky mom?  What do you give to the mom with a lot of clutter? 

Mother’s Day is a day to say thank you to a special mom, but sometimes it’s hard to know what to buy.  A trip to the salon to have her hair or nails done is nice, but maybe she already visits the salon regularly.  

Giving a gift certificate to a store that carries a wide range of goods is a great way to let her decide what she needs, or would like to have. Even if the mom doesn’t have a lot of clutter, almost everyone can improve organization in at least one area of their home, so think about a gift certificate to an organization product store like Home Storage Warehouse.  Home Storage Warehouse offers organizing products for every room in the home that meets the needs of most households.  The mom can then shop when she is ready and find something that she will truly love or need, instead of accepting a gift that could otherwise end up as clutter.

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

Desktop File Letter Stand

 

Desktop File Organizer

Desk File Tray

For tax related papers that you may be receiving now, consider filing them in a desk top file organizer or letter stand, like the ones shown here.  Paper trays may also work. At the end of the day, the key is to be able to find your papers when you need them!

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

The typical bathroom cabinet is cluttered and disorganized due to the abundant amount of items typically used in the bathroom.  Toiletries, make-up, hair appliances, linens, medicine and other personal items are often used on a daily basis, yet the average bathroom has very little efficient storage options.  The average bathroom cabinet is deep and tall, but due to large protruding plumbing fixtures, there is usually no shelving installed inside to help maximize the available space.  

One way to solve this problem is to purchase organizers for use inside deep cabinets.  Stackable bins and containers are one option, or you can use a roll-out drawer. Roll-out drawers come in a variety of widths to fit most undersink cabinets and are available in either one or two levels.   The two tiered roll-out drawers can really maximize the space underneath the average bathroom cabinet and are also very easy to install.  Plus, roll-out drawers can also be used under kitchen sink cabinets to store cleaning supplies and in any other deep cabinet or shelf that may be difficult to access.

For the budget-conscious consumer, roll-out drawers can be an affordable alternative to custom built-in organizational installations. Home Storage Warehouse has a couple of options to choose from.  

Roll out 2 tier organizer

Roll out cabinet drawer

Roll out undersink drawer

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

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 

The home office, often a clutter filled extra room in the house, is now more frequently used as a home office for a small business owner or telecommuting worker.   This is especially true today because many home owners are using wireless mobile laptops as their household computer, instead of a desktop computer, so are not really using their home offices as before.  

Working from home is convenient.  There’s usually no dress code, unless you use it for meetings, no office gossip and most work at home professionals have a flexible schedule.  However, even if you work from home only 2 or 3 days a week, having a dedicated home office space is important. If you don’t have an extra room, you can create a space within a room that is used only for business. Your office needs to be comfortable and functional.  A comfortable ergonomic chair and aesthetically pleasing environment will add comfort.  Good quality office equipment, file storage, desk accessories and lighting will add function.

When decorating and organizing your home office space, you have a lot more flexibility to decorate and organize it to reflect your personality, than you would in a typical work environment.  Have some fun with your home office accessories.  Choose colors you respond to and designs you love.  You’ll want it to be free of clutter so that you are able to stay focused.  Staying focused and motivated can be especially difficult when you’re working without a boss hovering over you! 

When choosing desk organizers, avoid purchasing several desk accessory items.  That alone can create clutter.   Also, avoid excessive décor items, like plants, family pictures and ornaments.  Pick one or two favorites and avoid clutter accumulation.  Try to keep your office space organized by imagining someone dropping in at a moment’s notice!  The thought of an unexpected visitor will keep you motivated to file away papers, shred what you don’t need and minimize paper clutter!

Check out some office organization products 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 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. Contact Jacquie here. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips and learn more about her presentations at www.castawaytheclutter.com 

Getting the kids back into a routine of homework and studying can often be a challenge, so having a dedicated place in your home for this purpose can make all the difference. Studies show that children develop good study and work habits and will stay more focused if they have a specific area to study and do their homework.

If you live in a small space and cannot sacrifice one specific area, try to determine an area where you can set up a temporary homework station or mini office. Add more lighting, if necessary and a comfortable chair are essential. It’s also important to try to keep distractions to a minimum, like TV and siblings.
Use organizing products and accessories to hold the supplies needed for homework, e.g. reference books, pencils, paper, etc. Here are some desk organizing product ideas that will help to keep the school supplies at bay:

Magazine Holders: Magazine holders can be used, not only for magazines, but also for books. Be sure to purchase a magazine holder sturdy enough for the books you will be storing.

Storage cubes: Storage cubes can also be used to hold books. If they are turned sideways, they can be used as cubbies. Or you can simply place the books inside with the spine facing outwards. Or use for any school supplies.

Bookcases: You may want to even consider adding a bookcase to the homework or study area.
Try a tall narrow bookcase, like the one pictured on the right, which is less than 17” wide. This bookcase storage shelf takes up a very little wall space, but adds height and elegance to any room.

Folding shelves are a perfect temporary option, because you can simply fold them up and store flat whenever you need to!

Document trays: Document or paper trays can be used to organize school papers coming home. Teach your child to place incoming papers in the appropriate tray for you to review.

See the Modular Office System for some storage and organization ideas.

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

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

It’s no surprise to anyone that Americans are more overweight than any other industrialized nation.  According to a recent Gallup Poll, nearly 6 in 10 Americans (59%) would like to lose weight.  Americans live fast lifestyles, eat on the go, and many are no longer taking the time to eat proper meals.  Getting organized in the kitchen can make all the difference.  With some planning, preparation and the right equipment, it really doesn’t take that long to cook up a tasty and healthy meal.  Eating out at restaurants often take up more time than preparing a meal at home, and to make matters worse, we almost always eat more in a restaurant than we would if we ate the same meal at home.    

Take some time to find some easy, quick and healthy recipes and begin by preparing one or two meals per week.  Another way to really take control of your diet is to not only cook your meals at home, but to also weigh your food before serving.   Weighing your food will allow you to totally take control of your diet, instead of simply guessing your serving size.  For instance, the larger the dinner plate, the smaller the serving size appears, giving you the impression that you’re not eating enough.  So I recommend that you begin with using a smaller size dinner plate. 

Here are a few serving size recommendations:

 Meat, chicken, fish: 3oz

• Pasta, rice, oatmeal, potatoes, cooked vegetables: 4oz
• Bagel or muffin: 1oz
• Cheese: 1oz

Kitchen scales have become more popular in the U.S. and is the most accurate way to weigh your food.  It really isn’t that much trouble.  Keep your kitchen scale out on your countertop, ready to use at any time. There are many very attractive designs and some even measure calories.  Check out these and more at www.homestoragewarehouse.com.

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