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Friday, November 27, 2015

UHeart Organizing: That's a Wrap!

First, I am excited to give a warm congratulations to my friend and contributor, Chelsea of Two Twenty One. She recently announced they are expecting a wee one and I couldn't be more thrilled for her and her husband! I am already giddy for her baby organizing posts, since Chelsea always comes up with such creative solutions around her home.

Today she is here to share how finding out this news has already changed the way they look at and use their home. Starting with a beautiful dresser and a need to upgrade her gift wrap organization.

A couple weeks ago my husband and I announced our big news that I'm expecting our first child. And many of you know, when a new family member is about to join a family some rearranging has to happen in the house in order to make room. In our case, my husband's home office will become the nursery so we're having to move some of his things into our guest bedroom. Consolidating two rooms into one isn't going to be the easiest, but we're beginning to purge and reorganize our things.

One project I tackled this weekend was cleaning out this old dresser and the items we were storing under the bed in the guest bedroom. The dresser is one of a few family heirloom s we have in our home. My mom and aunt used the dresser as little girls, so the piece means a lot to me.

Now, I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I didn't use the dresser for anything. It basically acted like a glorified TV stand {we got rid of the TV during our weekend purge} and surface for our guests to use. But the drawers were empty.

At first, I didn't know what to put in the dresser. Our guests rarely stay longer than 2-3 nights, and I've never had anyone say they wanted to put their things in the dresser. I thought about using it in the future nursery but due to its age and depth, I opted not to go that route.

A light bulb went off when I came across two totes I use to store gift wrapping supplies under the guest bed. We have other things from my husband's office that can go under the bed so I decided to store all of my gift wrapping supplies in the dresser-- turning it into a gift wrapping station.

The bottom drawer of the dresser has seen better days so I decided to store my Christmas wrapping papers and bows in that drawer so I wouldn't be opening it very often.

I used the middle drawer to store gift boxes, larger gift bags, and birthday and other occasion wrapping papers.

The top right side drawer holds tissue paper and smaller gift bags.

The top left side drawer stores extra bows, shredded paper for gift baskets, scissors, gift wrap cutter, tape, and rubber bands.

Who knows if the dresser will remain a wrapping station for long, but it's working for now. It took me less than 30 minutes to organize and put everything in the dresser so I'm sure it wouldn't take me long to put the items somewhere else if we find a better use for the dresser down the road.

"Hey friends! I'm Chelsea from Two Twenty One! I'm a twenty-something living in Indiana with my husband, Brad, and our crazy mutt, Jack. My loves are photography, travel, DIY projects, baking, wine, sarcasm and my iPhone. The husband and I are attempting to make our home a little less cookie cutter and a lot more awesome. My little slice of the internet, Two Twenty One, is where I share my latest home improvement projects, furniture makeovers, crafts, recipes and home & seasonal decor ideas. I am beyond excited to join Jen and the rest of the IHeart Organizing team!"

UHeart Organizing: DIY State Inspired Cork Board

I haven't had a personal need to do any quick and crafty organizational projects for a few weeks, and it absolutely gives me a case of the sads! I really enjoy doing 15-minute fun projects that bring me smiles with a side of organization. Good thing Chelsea of Two-Twenty One blog is here to fill that void for me. I am so smitten with her DIY state inspired cork board; it is such a versatile idea that is perfect for kitchens, craft rooms and kid's rooms. Just think of all of the shapes you could create! Here she is now to share how she whipped up this darling little craft out of cork.

Hey, iHeart readers! I thought I'd swing by today and share a fun state-inspired cork board DIY with you.

Now, I'm going to warn you, some states are going to be easier to execute than others-- I'm looking at you Wyoming and Colorado.

Any guesses where I'm from?

In case you're bad at geography, I'll give you a hint: Michael Jackson was born here.

To get started with your state cork board, do a quick Google image search for the outline of your state and cut it out.

Grab one or two 12" x 12" cork tiles. My state fit onto one tile so I only had to use one.

Cut out your state and trace it onto your cork tile. I used some of the fancy schmancy thumbtacks that I made to hold the state in place while I traced it.

Use an Xacto knife to cut out your state. I found that small stabbing motions worked best. I was able to use scissors on the straight cuts.

Trace and cut out another state.

Twins!

Note: I took a few artistic liberties with the southern portion of my state.

Glue those puppies together with some hot glue.

I used Command Brand picture hanging strips to mount my cork board to the side of my home office workstation. I love those things.

And here's the final product!

I can never find my postage stamps so I decided to tack them up on the cork board. I also added some photo booth photos I took with one of my blog buddies at a conference and a photo of my brother and me when we were little. I'm particularly fond of this photo because I look like an unimpressed mob boss in a foofy pink dress. My "I'm not a player, I just blog a lot" button that I made and passed out at a blog conference also made its way onto the cork board.

If you're interested in learning more about the organization on the side of my home office workstation, head over here.

Hey friends! I'm Chelsea from Two Twenty One! I'm a twenty-something living in Indiana with my husband, Brad, and our crazy mutt, Jack. My loves are photography, travel, DIY projects, baking, wine, sarcasm and my iPhone. The husband and I are attempting to make our home a little less cookie cutter and a lot more awesome. My little slice of the internet, Two Twenty One, is where I share my latest home improvement projects, furniture makeovers, crafts, recipes and home & seasonal decor ideas. I am beyond excited to join Jen and the rest of the IHeart Organizing team!

UHeart Organizing: Practical Purse Organization

What we look for in a handbag or a purse is completely personal. Some people love shoulder bags, others love clutches. Some carry diaper bags and others carry cross bodies. Although I love different types of bags for different reasons, one thing I do appreciate is when my bag has a good system and it is not cluttered with receipts, coupons, gum wrappers, pens, hair supplies, etc... And while those things do tend to make their way into my purse along with random Hotwheels cars, Lego heads and crayon shavings, I prefer to keep things as simple and "dig free" as possible. Because ain't nobody got time to dig for keys or a pen... or a pack of Kleenex during an emergency nose run or leg scratch.

Just like purse type is personal, so are the items we opt to store within our purses. I am always curious how much or how little people can get away with toting around, and how they make their systems work best for them, although, I know much of it has to do with their daily lifestyle. IHeart contributor, Chelsea of Two Twenty One, is here today to let us take a peek into her handbag. Not only do we get to be nosy, she is letting us in on a few of her tips and tricks that keep her bag from turning into that dreaded endless purse pit.

Today I thought I'd share some purse organization tips. I don't know about you, but my purse used to be like a black hole. I could never find anything. It'd take me minutes to fish out my keys or phone because of all the random things floating around inside the purse. Well, those days are thankfully over because of some little changes I've made.

I found the best way to contain purse clutter is to compartmentalize things. Put the small things into bigger things -- like my cosmetic bag.

I picked up this little bag in the Target clearance section one day. I love how it has large and small compartments. I put all the things I don't use often and bigger items (bandages, hairspray, emery board, hair ties, extra contact lens, floss, eye drops, pen, medicine, bobby pins and safety pins, and lotion) in the large section and things I use often (lip gloss and hand sanitizer) in the small section.

I'm big on reusing containers. Seriously, why buy new containers when you already have some laying around the house?

One of my favorite containers to repurpose are old prescription bottles. I remove the prescription label (sometimes I have to use this technique to get the pesky labels off) so there's no confusion about what's actually in the bottle. I also like to use old prescription bottles to store things when I travel.

I use the larger bottle to store different medicines in my purse. I'm 28 weeks pregnant, so right now that's antacids, Pepcid, and Tylenol. I use the smaller bottle to store bobby pins and safety pins. And as you can see, I added a little flair to the medicine bottle with some washi tape.

I also love this cosmetic bag because if I'm driving and need something, I can just ask my husband to grab the bag and get me whatever I need out of it.

One of my biggest problems used to be paper in my purse. I would throw coupons, receipts, appointment cards, etc. into my purse. This was the biggest black hole problem.

So I invested in a coupon sorter. I put receipts in the front and coupons in their designated sections. Once a week, typically on Sundays, I go through the sorter. I throw out expired coupons, put in new coupons, throw away or file the receipts, and enter appointment dates and times in my phone. The whole process typically takes about 10 minutes, which isn't bad at all.

I make sure to always put my phone and keys in the small side pockets since those are the things I grab most often when I'm out and about.

Now it's so much easier to find things inside my purse. I don't have to fumble around because everything has a designated spot.

UHeart Organizing: Get Out of a Storage Jam with Jars

Chelsea is SO right. Jars are one of the hottest storage solutions out there right now. They are affordable, versatile, pretty, rustic, traditional, beautiful, simple, modifiable, current yet classic and just plain fabulous. The ways to use jars as storage are endless, and Chelsea from Two Twenty One is here today to share some of the ways she currently uses jars within her own home, and a few other ideas for ways you can as well!

Hey, IHeart readers! I don't know about you, but I feel like jars are everywhere right now. And they aren't just for jam anymore. People are putting desserts, flowers, candles, body scrubs, herbs, etc. in jars. So today I'm stopping by to share how I've used jars in my organizational efforts in my recently updated home office/craft room. I'm also sharing how you can use jars to organize other items in your home.

A couple years ago, I picked up a box of vintage Ball mason jelly jars at a thrift store for $1 each. They were too unique to pass up. When I purchased them I didn't have a certain use in mind, but I knew I could find something to do with them. Ultimately, I put most of the jars to use in my home office/craft room.

They're prefect for storing my bakers twine.

Buttons.

Washi tape.

And for displaying my late grandmother's vintage wooden thread spools.

But I know not everyone has small craft or sewing supplies to store. So I thought I'd share some other ideas of how you could put jars to use in your home.

Loose change a problem? Keep a jar in the spot where you or your partner tend to set down your coins.

Add some character to your bathroom by storing cotton swabs or cotton balls in jars.

Dog treats look better in a jar than in the box or bag they came in, don't you think?

Here are some other things you could store in jars:

extra paint for touch-ups • clothespins • safety pins • sewing supplies • makeup sponges • nails • crayons • tealight candles • flatware • matches • cupcake liners • pencils • pens • markers • wine corks • cake decorating tips • candy • baking/cooking ingredients • golf tees • yarn • costume jewelry • makeup brushes • homemade laundry detergent • pushpins

Really, the list is endless. And remember, jars come in all shapes and sizes so you're not limited to storing only small items in jars.

How do you use jars in your home to stay organized?

Uheart Organizing: Smart Storage for Small Toys

I think we can all high-five to organizational solutions that are inexpensive, quick, easy and effective. That said, Chelsea deserves some major high fives and low fives and on-the-side fives! She is stopping by today from her blog, Two-Twenty One, to share with us her brilliantly simple solution to all of those toddler toys that contain multiple pieces. It leaves me wishing I would have done something similar when my boys were younger. Here she is now to spill her secrets.

Today I wanted to stop by and show you guys how I'm organizing some of my son's toys; specifically toys with small pieces like puzzles. Because there's nothing more annoying than trying to complete a puzzle and you're missing a piece.

My answer to the where'd-that-puzzle-piece-go conundrum? Mesh lingerie laundry bags. That's right. Lingerie bags aren't only for your unmentionables, friends.

I use two different sizes of zippered, mesh bags. These larger bags, which I purchased from Walmart, hold larger puzzles and the pieces well.

While these smaller mesh bags are perfect for smaller puzzles. Plus, I scored them from the dollar store - 3 for $1.

But I didn't stop at puzzles, I kept the mesh bag party going and used it for other toys with small pieces.

Now, I must also add that before I became a mom, I worked as an infant and toddler developmental therapist (DT). And the basis of the therapy I did was play therapy. So while using the bags and teaching your kiddos to clean up after themselves, you can also throw in some educational components. For toddlers, you can sing the "Clean Up" song, and teach words like "in" or "put in". The kiddos I worked with also loved when I would say "boom" every time we put a toy in the bag. And then you can say "zip" when you or your kiddo zips up the bag.

And instead of giving a child all the pieces at once, I would give them the puzzle board first and withhold the rest of the pieces. We would work on either signing or verbally saying "more" or "more, please". Once the kiddo would sign or say "more" or "more please", I would give them one piece at a time.

While we're on the topic of mesh laundry bags, I also use one in our bathroom for Owen's bath toys and cup. I used a Command Brand bath hook to hang the bag on the side of the shower.

Now all of his toys can dry while staying out of the way.

I've seen other bath toy storage organizers for $13-$15. I'm happy to report that my solution cost less than $5.

Now, let's talk about bigger puzzles with more pieces. I picked up some pencil cases from the dollar store to organize those puzzle pieces.

And back to referencing my DT days, zippers are great for strengthening fine motor skills.

Plus, there's an added educational aspect because kiddos have to match the correct bag to the puzzle when grabbing the puzzle piece bags.

I store the puzzles and other toys in fabric bins in my son's nursery closet shelving system. I love using fabric bins because they're easy to grab, play with the toys inside, and then slide them back into the cubbies.

UHeart Organizing: Delivering Crafty Clothing Dividers

Today is a very special day! Contributor and friend, Chelsea of Two Twenty One Blog, is due with her very fist baby! Let's all take a moment to send her happy and healthy delivery vibes.

To prepare for her sweet little boy, she whipped up some quick and easy clothing dividers. She is here today to share all of the details, which anyone can easily re-create and use for babies, kiddos, teenagers or even as adults.

Today is my official due date. It's crazy to think I could go into labor any minute and have my first kiddo (a boy) in my arms in the matter of hours.

In celebration of my due date, I thought I'd share a small nursery organization project with you guys-- baby closet dividers. These are super simple and inexpensive to make.

Here's what you'll need to make the closet dividers:

Wooden O's
Scrapbook paper
Number stickers
Paint
Mod Podge
Foam brush
Scissors
Pencil

Our closet clothing rods are metal with a shelf attached to the top, so I needed to cut a space in the O's with a hack saw so I could slide the dividers onto the rod. After I cut the dividers, I lightly sanded the jagged parts left by the saw.

If you have a rod that can be removed, you can just slide the O's on without needing to cut them.

Then, I spray painted the dividers.

You can use any paint you have handy-- spray paint, craft paint, latex. It doesn't matter.

I grabbed my scrapbook paper, turned it over, and traced the dividers with a pencil.

Next, I cut the paper out with my scissors.

Then it was time for the Mod Podge to adhere the scrapbook paper cut-outs to the wooden dividers. Make sure you lay your paper on top of the divider first to make sure it's lining up correctly.

After the paper was dry, I stuck the number stickers on. And that's it!

I think I'll whip up some extra closet dividers and save them to give as baby shower gifts with my DIY burp cloths and applique onesies.

Take Photo

Friday, November 27, 2015

UHeart Organizing: That's a Wrap!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

UHeart Organizing: DIY State Inspired Cork Board

Sunday, November 22, 2015

UHeart Organizing: Practical Purse Organization

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

UHeart Organizing: Get Out of a Storage Jam with Jars

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Uheart Organizing: Smart Storage for Small Toys

Saturday, November 14, 2015

UHeart Organizing: Delivering Crafty Clothing Dividers