Pop & Store Document Boxes

I have really been working on streamlining our home lately. My goal at the beginning of July was to get rid of anything in our house that we did not use or specifically cite as one of our favorite things. So far it's been working pretty well! 

Since we don't have a designated office space like we used to, all of our office items are out in the living room... books, chargers, notebooks, papers, writing utensils... and ever since we moved in, it has been driving me absolutely crazy! 

I have searched and searched for a system, and I believe that I finally found one! Pop & Store Document boxes! They really streamlined the look of our living room. I love to keep all my old planners but I didn't love seeing them on the living room bookshelf every day. 

Some of the coolest features of these boxes are that they have scratch resistant surfaces on the bottom, that they are so durable, that the foldable aspect of them makes them reusable and super easy to store, and that the metal-enforced corners keep them from getting frayed!

Having a sleek way to hide those items has really created a more cohesive and zen little look in our living room. I also love these boxes because they are so sturdy and durable. They are perfect for stacking and storing heavy items like books or hiding stacks of paper. 

I went with document boxes because I have ridiculous amounts of paper to deal with. However, the Pop & Store system comes in several different sizes in order to help you store whatever it is that you need to store! Think: crafting supplies, magazines, electronics, etc! 

I recently made the transition from teaching in private schools to a public school and the thing that has just blown my mind is the amount of paper public schools use! Daily attendance, rosters, flyers, questionnaires, memos, reminders, schedules...

The list is literally endless (probably). I have  a nice little stack of paper that I'm so excited to get organized into these boxes. If I were using them in a dorm, I would probably create little "class kits" and keep unsightly textbooks, rough drafts, syllabi, folders, etc. in them! 

Additionally, these boxes come in a variety of (very collegiate) colors. I chose white since that goes along with the very bright and neutral theme of our living room. However, there is a blue that would have been perfect for my college! 

If you're interested in grabbing some for your dorm room or office this fall, you can find them here: www.popnstore.com 

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10 Steps to a Clean and Organized Fridge

The school year is upon us (sorry to bring that up) and it's time to get everything in place for the upcoming semester that is sure to be crazy-busy! 

One of my goals for this school year is to meal plan and eat healthier. And in order to do that, I have to start out with an organized refrigerator! 

My husband would jump at the chance to tell you how in-kitchen savvy I am, so today we have someone who is: Patricia from Domestic Cleaners Stockwell.

Here are her top tips for getting your fridge-life together! 

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10 steps To a Clean and Organized Fridge

When you are up to provide extensive cleaning of your fridge you need to keep in mind several important tips. If you want reorganize the fridge and to clean it in an effective way, you should make significant  changes there and rearrange pretty much everything.

Cleaning and organization of the fridge is not so difficult as long as you are well acquainted with the right instructions. After all, when you have a clean fridge, you can be sure that the food won't be contaminated and that you will be able to enjoy your fresh meals without any preoccupations.

Read the following lines to explore new ways in which to reorganize your fridge. Follow these 10 steps and you will easily put some order in your fridge, regardless of its size.

Remove all the ingredients from the fridge

Before taking up with any cleaning or organizing, you need to empty the fridge from all the food and other ingredients, situated there. This way it will be easier to apply the cleaning procedures and to decide how exactly you want to rearrange the things.

Provide Extensive Cleaning

After removing all the ingredients from the fridge, you can start with the cleaning. For the purpose you will need some vinegar, warm water and a suitable rug to wipe down everything. As far as the shelves and drawers are concerned, they also need to be cleaned carefully and one of the easiest ways to do this is by putting them in the dishwasher.

Check Out For Any Expired Food

Look carefully the food that you had taken out from the fridge and check out all of the expiration dates. This will save you up a lot of troubles and you will leave more free space for other ingredients.

Arrange the items according to their type

Imagine how easy it would be to have your items arranged in the fridge due to their type. You will spend less time wondering where your favourite salad dressing is if you have arranged all of them in one line.

Supply yourself with plastic containers

Storing your food in plastic containers is excellent option when you want to organize your fridge in a better way. Another advantage of the plastic containers is that they will keep the leftovers fresh for a longer time.

Use Baskets To Keep The Things

Keeping the fruit and vegetables in baskets is always more hygienic decision that leaving them directly on the shelves.

Label the containers and the baskets

Labelling the baskets and the containers is a wonderful idea � this way you will easily find all the ingredients that you need.

Use a dry erase marker to write on the fridge door

Instead of labelling all the containers, you can simply use a dry erase marker and to write down some brief notes on the fridge door.

Keep the Fridge Organized

Once you reorganize your fridge you need to maintain it that way and to check out the expiry date of the ingredients.

Do not forget to clean on a regular basis

 Make sure that you provide a regular cleaning of the fridge and check   every side for accumulated mould.

These are the top 10 steps to follow when rearranging your fridge. Do not hesitate to experiment and to organize everything according to your taste and preferences. You will feel more comfortable when you get rid of the spoiled food and when you can find your food in the fastest possible way. Experiment with different containers and baskets to use the space in your fridge in the best possible way.

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The article is contributed by Patricia J. Cornwell. She runs the company DomesticCleaners Stockwell which is situated in London.

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5 Ways to Use the Duo 2-in-One Binder

Have you heard of the Duo Binder by Samsill? It's nothing short of organization perfection. Seriously. It is (are you ready for this?) a 3-ring binder and a filing system. Yes, you read that correctly. And I have to say that it really is the coolest invention for organizing that I've seen in a really, really long time! Traditional 3-ring binders are awesome... but this is even better because it allows you to file away papers you may not need frequently. Best of all? It comes in a super wide variety of colors AND there is even a trio with a hanging file option!

    

The greatest thing I've discovered about this binder is how super easy it is to transition it between different categories in your life! So, maybe you're using it for school this semester but next year you're coaching a soccer team and will need a place to store all of your rosters, schedules, etc? It works perfectly for both! Or you're working on a HUGE project at work right now, but in 6 months you'll be planning a wedding? Yep, it would be absolutely essential to both things! As life shifts and changes, you can use a Duo to keep it organized! 

Here are 5 ways I'm currently using Duo binders: 

1. Career Portfolio

Job searching is no fun. And job searching in a different city is even less fun. Job searching as a teacher also includes keeping up with a ridiculous amount of paperwork to prove that you are actually capable of doing your job. To keep track of it all, I created a career portfolio! I used the filing system to hold all of my state documents, Praxis scores, employment evaluations, copies of my resume, references, letters of recommendation, etc. The 3-ring binder holds all of my research, like potential schools and dates I send out documents. 

(Shameless self-promotion: I'm job searching in Nashville, by the way! If you hear of an elementary school that needs an excitable, perfectionistic, elementary teacher who gets really into dressing up for spirit days and organizes for fun, please let me know!)

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2. Lesson Planning Binder

Teaching makes you a hoarder. This is an absolute truth. Even I, the writer of an organization blog (where I constantly preach on the importance of getting rid of clutter) have fallen victim to this hoarder-ism. Why? Ask any teacher you know how much of their own money they spend buying supplies for lessons, decorating their classrooms, or printing papers off of their home computer... and they probably won't even be able to tell you. Because it is THAT much! 

If there is a way for us to save ourselves time/money in the future, believe me, we are absolutely going to try it! 

It is for this reason that we start to collect junk trash things that we "might need one day". Graphic organizers (because they're Common Core), lesson plans (because maybe I'll teach 5th grade and need this lesson plan one day), old magazines (because students could cut those pictures out for an activity on... something). So where to keep it all? I filed all of those handouts, articles, standards, and forms in the filing system and the 3-ring binder section is where I pull all of that information together to create the actual lesson plans! 

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3. Moving Folder

I mean, you can't move to a new city without the move itself having its own folder, right? So I also have a moving folder (similar to the one I wrote about last year). Right now, it is mostly full of pictures I ripped out of the Pottery Barn and West Elm catalogs. However, as we get closer to our move, we will use it to keep comparison charts, flyers, moving/packing notes, and eventually our new lease agreement! Moving is something that I *definitely* enjoy because it offers a chance to clear out and really analyze every single item we own! 

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4. Schoolwork Organizer

I know that this is what y'all are waiting to see! I have received so many requests recently on how to organize school things and I have a couple of posts coming up to delve way more into that topic! BUT for now, here are some reasons that I think the Duo would be the perfect way to organize your high school/college/grad school work:

-The cover is durable, great for sticky notes (or washi tape quotes), and available in many colors

-The filing section is big enough to hold calculators, flash drives, paper, pens, and Post-Its!

-The 3-ring binder section is perfect for notes and Semester Assignment Spreadsheets! 

-This system would work well for several different classes or for a semester research project

  

 

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5. Scrapbook Organizer

Finally, I filed all of our little momentos (photos, tickets, etc.) into another binder. If you are into scrapbooking at all, the Duo was practically made for you! It provides the perfect way to collect all of those tiny little things until you have time to arrange them onto your pages! I divided mine into Journal Pages, Photos, Post Cards, Stickers, Tickets, and Vintage Photos. This turned out the be the perfect home for those meaningful things we gather: silly photo booth pictures, printed Instagrams, game tickets... everything is organized so neatly now! 

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So, those are 5 ways that I've been able to put these binders into use in my life! :)

Now it's your turn! Because, guess what?! We are giving one away! YAY! Starting on Sunday, you'll be able to enter for your very own Duo Organizer in your very own color! 

How could you use this to better organize your life?! What color would you choose? Which of these binders would you be interested in seeing a tour/tutorial of?

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8 Ways to Start This Month ORGANIZED

• Check out your entryway/front door area. 
• Gather up all of the things that tend to linger in this area. 
• If it�s by the front door because it needs to go somewhere, then put it in a bag to grab the next time you�re walking out the door! 
• And speaking of bags, take a minute (or 10) to clean out your purse / laptop bag / backpack / etc. No need to carry around a bunch of excess junk in this new month! 

• Move on to your bedside table. 
• For me, this is always a place where random tiny things accumulate. 
• I�m talking 39 bobby pins and ponytail holders. 
• Take a second to remove anything that doesn�t belong there, so that you can go to sleep and wake up to a simple and streamlined space!

• Make the bed. 
• And I mean really make the bed. 
• Use all of your decorative pillows, throws, whatever you need to do to make it look/feel like a hotel bed! 
• You�ll thank yourself when you go to get in it tonight!

• Make sure your "getting ready space" is in order.
• Make sure that every hairbrush, bottle of nail polish, tube of mascara has a home. 
• I bought 3 bins at Target�s Dollar Spot to keep under my sink: 
• 1 for nail polish, nail polish remover, cotton balls, etc. 
• 1 for skin care related things like lotion and face wash. 
• 1 for toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss. 
• Everything doesn�t need to be arranged perfectly, but it does need to be categorized in a way that�s easy enough to follow every day! 

• Round up all of your clothes. 
• Here is the simple rule for clothes, every item of clothing should either be�
• �clean and hanging in the closet or folded in a dresser
• �dirty and spinning in the washing machine
• �unneeded and in a bag to donate / sell
• Round up all of your towels.
• They should either be�
• �clean and ready to use
• �dirty and ready to wash
• �old and ready to toss

Almost done!

• Now, let�s move to the kitchen! 
• Really clean out the coffeemaker 
• Wipe down the counters
• Wash ALL dirty dishes (either in the dishwasher or by hand)
• Spray and wipe out your newly-empty sink
• Deal with every piece of paper in your home.
• Either recycle or toss all unneeded paper
• File and organize every piece of important paper
• If a piece of paper has been lingering around for a while because it requires some type of action, go ahead and take that action so that you can file or toss the paper!

And hell-o to a fabulously organized start to February! :)

Do you have any suggestions or tips to help start a cleaner and more organized new month?! Add them in the comments below!

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Room-By-Room Home Organization/Staging

In the grand scheme of Januarys, this one has actually been pretty pleasant. I actually have my windows open right now and there isn't a cloud in the sky! And even though I KNOW that it will inevitably get cold and gloomy and rainy again soon... I am choosing to completely ignore that reality and starting to focus on spring cleaning! There is just something about the spring... you know? It just makes me want to get rid of every ounce of junk that piled up over the winter and create the most zen-tastic living space ever! You, too? YAY! 

Last spring, we had our house for sale and it seemed like every weekend was a balancing act between completing schoolwork and prepping the house to be inspected ravaged viewed by potential buyers. Living in a house that's for sale is stressful. Like, super stressful. Like, stressful enough that I only want us to rent until we find the house that will be our "forever home". However, even though I love to be dramatic and talk about how annoying it is to have strangers in your house every weekend... there was also something pretty cool that I took away from the experience: Home Staging. 

I am all about it now! The declutterization. The warm and cozy feeling. The shiny counters and amazing-smelling kitchen! And just because we're renting a loft now, doesn't mean that we aren't still implementing all those super-cool tricks that we learned! As far as I'm concerned, staging is pretty much like creating the most ultimately-organized and welcoming home ever. My attention was recently drawn to this infographic (found on moshells.com) and it easily outlines the basics of staging and how to do it without spending a ton of money! 

If you have your windows open and are looking for something to organize today (like I am), then this is a pretty perfect guide to follow as well! 

So, let's go ahead and get a head start on spring organization this weekend! :) 

Do you get excited to clean out your home as soon as it gets warm outside? Could you use any of these rules for organizing? Or do you already? OR do you have any to add?! 

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Home Tour

Well, yesterday was the closing day for our house! YAY! It has been the longest, most frustrating ordeal in the whole world but it is finally all over!

Even though selling the house was stressful, it will still always be a place full of memories of our first years of marriage! It is the house my husband lived in while we were dating, the place where we had our engagement party, Super Bowl parties, Christmas Eve celebrations, and countless other wonderful memories. While I am {sooooooooo} relieved that it is officially not ours anymore, a little part of me is still sad to see it go.

When Derek and I started dating, he had one thing on the wall: A Fight Club movie poster of a bloody, shirtless, sweaty Brad Pitt with all of his Fight Club bros hanging right above the living room sofa. Charming, right? At least it was framed.

We put a lot of time and work into making that house �ours� {aka: I threw away all of his stuff}. And we really enjoyed the time we spent there.

So, in honor of all of our memories, here is a little tribute to that house on Tributary Lane!

{This was our Herb Garden and I wish I had taken a picture later in the Spring when everything came back to life. We had Lambs Ear, Lemon Balm, Chives, Mint, Rosemary, and Thyme. It was the most precious little garden ever!}

{These are all from our Living Room. Derek framed some 8x10 photographs of our favorite travel destinations like, Puerto Vallarta, Rome, and Capri, and hung them one day while I was at work. And that turquoise table was my first ever furniture-painting project!}

{This was our dining area in our eat-in kitchen. That table used to be brown and those chairs used to be black before we gave them all a makeover. Oh, and all of the walls used to be the color of cardboard.}

{This was our bedroom which is another room that got a total makeover. When I moved in, the walls were a brownish color and Derek had a black bedspread. This room turned out so bright and cheery and was one of my favorite spaces in the house!}

{Of all the comparisons of our old house and our new loft, the only one where the old house wins is this whirlpool tub. It was the best, seriously. You will be missed.

{For the first two years of our marriage, we hung up clothing racks and I used one of the bedrooms as my closet/dressing room. Last year, I made the command decision to try to share a closet with my husband. It meant getting rid of a lot of clothes but now I�m down to just my favorite pieces and it�s a great feeling!}

{Finally, the office. The last time we were out of town, I let my husband be in charge of deleting some photos in my phone so this is the only office picture I have left! We spray painted our old pasta sauce jars to use as pencil/pen/scissor holders and that little jar was originally filled with candied ginger from a Thanksgiving party we attended last year. 

{oh, hi there. don�t mind me. just working away, over here!}

Yesterday, we drove away from this house for the last time. Since I don�t think we�ll go back to it (or even the neighborhood) ever again, I wanted to preserve my memories of how it looked when it looked my favorite. Goodbye, little house! 

What is your favorite part of the place that you live now? Are you moving soon or have you moved recently? If you�re selling a house, has it been an easy experience or have there been a lot of challenges? 

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