Everything Old Is New Again

Its springtime folks! And that means it’s time for a little Spring Cleaning. Time to fling open the shutters and roll up your sleeves and reclaim your space as a home, and not the den of hibernation you spent the winter in. Perhaps a light cleaning will do the trick or maybe an overhaul is in order. Whatever the case may be I thought I’d share some of my most favorite new uses for old things with y’all, so while doing your spring cleaning you can keep your eyes peeled for some of these otherwise overlooked items.

A Tape Cassette Case

if you haven’t shipped all of these off to the Smithsonian yet, you can repurpose it as a fantastic storage case for your earbuds. A great way to keep them neatly stored away and knot free.

Rubber Bands

I am a super fan of the rubber band, it is my MacGyver go to. But my favorite use for it keeps closets looking spit spot. Slipping a thick rubber band onto each of end of a hanger will keep those strappy little tanks and summer dress from slipping off and becoming unsightly heaps of strappy things.

Magnets

For those little metal office trash bins that seem to always lose their plastic liner at the bottom, try using magnets as trash bag holder! Just pull the trash liner over the rim of the trash bin and set at least 4 magnets around the edge to keep the liner in place.

So, those are some of my favorite new uses for old things. What are some of your favorite new uses for old things? Be sure to share them with us!

Post authored by Josh Schulteis

The Recipe for an Organized Life

I just so happen to come from a family of extremely talented female cooks: my mother, my grandmother, my aunt, my cousins, my sister. I’m not exaggerating when I say every woman in my family has been blessed with the Kitchen Gene… except me. To be fair, I’m not horrible in the kitchen (in fact, I’m pretty skilled when it comes to making scrambled eggs), but I definitely spend more time collecting recipes than I do testing them. I’m constantly bookmarking ideas or e-mailing them to myself—all tagged in Gmail with a “Recipes” label, of course. Then there’s my manila folder full of ideas: pages torn from Real Simple and Women’s Health mixed with handwritten recipes scribbled on scraps of paper, and, for good measure, a few childhood favorites Xeroxed from my mother’s cookbooks. The only problem? I love feeling organized, and I hate not having one consistent means by which to keep track of all my carefully collected recipes—you know, the ones I’ll probably never make.

Needless to say, I’ve given this recipe situation a lot of thought. Here are a few (hopefully helpful) suggestions for storing and keeping track of your favorites:

Create an online cookbook. Sure, the Internet is full of databases like AllRecipes.com and virtual cookbooks like MyCookbook.com, but I’d rather have more control over the layout. My solution is a blog called “The Blogged Cookbook” (creative, I know)—a password-protected collection of recipes. The best part? My mom and sister have the log-in information so the three of us can share family recipes and build a comprehensive database of all our favorites. We tag each dish with keywords ranging from “cold weather” and “baked goods” to “healthy” and “side dishes”. The best part? Your recipes are accessible wherever you go.

Save your recipes in a Word document. One of my coworkers saves all his recipes in one document so he doesn’t have to store cookbooks in his apartment. I still prefer to save my recipes in a blog so I can access them remotely, but saving recipes in Word is a great way to eliminate clutter and save paper, especially if you use the “Notebook Layout” view and assign a different tab to each food category (Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Entrees, etc.)

Create a recipe binder. If you’re the hard-copy type, you can always buy a three-ring binder and some plastic sheet protectors with holes.  Whether your recipes are ripped out from magazines or typed neatly, storing them in see-through covers keeps them legible and clean, and you can always add and delete recipes as needed. Use dividers to create customized sections—it’s like your own personalized, constantly evolving cookbook.

Go the Martha Stewart route. What’s wrong with a good ol’ fashioned recipe box? Handwrite your recipe on an index card and file it. You can always re-purpose a shoebox (I’m personally not crafty enough for something like that), use a photo-storage box, or look for an actual recipe box. Store it in the kitchen for easy access.

Use Pinterest. Oh, Pinterest. My new obsession. I just can’t get enough. If you’re already on Pinterest, you can probably relate. A virtual pinboard that allows you to organize and share images you find online, Pinterest is both useful and addictive. You can browse other people’s boards and then re-pin images you like (make sure to cite your sources and link back properly!) You can also install the “Pin It” button on your toolbar—just click it whenever you come across a delicious-looking recipe that you’d like to save for future reference. The end result? A visually stunning collection of images that would have otherwise wound up in some never-visited Bookmarks folder.

How about you? How do you store your recipes? I’d love to hear your ideas! Happy cooking!

Post authored by Lia Zneimer

Originally from Colorado, Lia is a Junior Publicist at Scholastic with a love of all things organized, color-coded, and grammatically correct. When she’s not drooling over sites like Praxis and Real Simple, Lia can be found working on her own blog, Simplicity. You can follow her on Twitter @liazneimer. (And be sure to check out Scholastic’s official blog, OOM.)

Stylish Organization for Small Space Living

Hello, all! My name is Nikka, and I’m a performer, style blogger, and inhabitant of a 300-square-foot studio apartment in New York City (that’s REALLY tiny, trust me!). Having been in such small quarters for 3+ years, and now sharing it with my boyfriend as well, I’ve learned a few things about living stylishly while staying organized!

My Small-Space Philosophy

• Have patience with your space. It’s going to take awhile before it truly feels at home, and that’s okay. Have forgiveness for yourself, and move as slowly as you need to.
• Know your limitations/willingness. Really assess your levels of organization, cleanliness, and what you know you’re like at your busiest. That will help in the planning of your spaces. Are you a neat freak? Open storage might be an option, because you’ll take care of the visual clutter. Are you a bit on the messy side? Bins and cabinets will be your best friends.
• Spatial awareness is key. Think above and beyond the basics of furniture. What else can you do to make sure you’re living in a space you can truly call home? Little things like photos on the wall can help make anything more comfortable while living in flux.

Here are a few ideas about organizing a small space.

Before Buying Furniture

• LIST while living: it’s important to live in your space a bit to get inspired by it. As you figure out your way of life, think about these questions:
  • What do you want your space to accomplish?
  • What kind of a vibe are you after?
• Find some online inspiration. Here are my favorite places -
  • Apartment Therapy has an amazing archive of small space ideas.
  •  houzz.com has an incredible archive of thousands of photos
  • decor8 is a fantastic blog run by Holly Becker
  • I love Pinterest.com for inspiration across the board – for home ideas for anything of any size!
• Delineate your spaces. Find the function in every corner. For example, my apartment, although it is a studio, is divided up into four distinct spaces: kitchen, living room, bedroom, and office. There is, of course, overlap within the spaces, but I try to keep them as separate as possible. I found this to be key while decorating, and it also enabled me to exercise my style in different ways!
• Measure/tape everything. Before I buy a new piece of furniture, I look at its specifications online and tape them out on the floor with blue painter’s tape. Then, before I lay any money down, I live with it for about a week, practicing moving around my apartment and seeing if it would be an option. I also have an idea of measurements in mind when looking for new furniture, even if I’m not looking at anything specific. I write down measurements and keep them in my wallet. That way, if I see an amazing piece at a flea market, I know if it’ll fit in my apartment before I take it home.
• Clean out your closets. Yep, now. Do it twice a year, at least. Keep cleaning things out. I’m sorry, it must be done.

Living in a small space has taught me a lot. Here are some actual furnishings and ideas that have  saved my life in my small space.

• The Elfa Closet System at The Container Store. Worth. Every. Penny. I have it done in every single closet, and I will for the rest of my life.
• Shelving. Wall-mounted furniture. Furniture with legs. All of these things have small footprints, enable storage, and keep things looking light.
• Fabric Bins. I can’t live without fabric bins. I store everything in fabric bins – linens, sweaters, spare cables and cords, scarves and hats – anything I want to keep hidden but also need easy access to- fabric bin!
• Clear plastic shoe boxes. Easy organization, easy storage, plus they make you look really cool, like you have the kind of shoe collection that needs to be in shoe boxes.
• Lucite storage – a lot of my jewelry is in Lucite drawers from Muji. I can see what’s in there, so I don’t forget about it, but it’s contained so it doesn’t look messy.
• Mirrors! It’s a tried and true design element for a reason. They make every space feel bigger, bounce light to make it brighter, and you can always find cool mirrors on the cheap at flea markets.
• Storage Bed. Mine is from Gothic Cabinet Craft, and it has eliminated the need for a dresser, making space much easier to come by.
• Drawer Organizers – these can be found at IKEAfor about $6, and help keep small things organized in small spaces. I use them both in and out of drawers.

Post authored by Nikka Graff Lanzarone 

Nikka is a dancer, singer, stylist, blogger, and constant redecorator. She would like to be better at cooking, but cannot find the patience. She lives in New York City with her boyfriend and a lot of shoes. You can see find out more about her at www.nikka-graff-lanzarone.com.

Check out Nikka on Tumblr and follow her on Twitter @nikkalanz

Desk Attack: 5 Minutes to Presentable

People around me tend to be astonished at my ability to clear a deeply disturbing, buried in paper, seemingly alive, nightmare from hell desk in about 5 minutes flat. “How did you do that?!” they gasp, while I calmly sip my latte and settle them in for whatever the day has in store. How do you move the mountains squatting on your workspace? It’s simpler than you think.

Start at the top of the heap and start sorting into three categories – only these three please, don’t over think it:

To File (this pile includes all bills already paid, notes you are done working with, receipts you are saving, etc.)

To Deal With (this pile includes unopened mail, current paperwork you need for the day’s work, unpaid bills, reminders, etc.)

Things That Do Not Belong in My Office, Never Mind on My Desk (this pile includes gloves, sunglasses, tampons, empty cans of diet coke, snacks, lipstick, scratch tickets, your kids’ toys, etc.)

As you go, put the trash in the trash (novel idea, I know).  EVERYTHING fits into one of those categories. It really does. No, just do this and you will see – it REALLY does.

Put the To File Pile off to the side and schedule into your calendar RIGHT NOW (seriously write or type it in) a half hour at the end of the day to file all of this paperwork away. If it will take longer than a half hour call Brooke Stone Lifestyle Management because you have a situation on your hands.

Put the To Deal With Pile directly to the left or right of your keyboard. Schedule an hour into your calendar RIGHT NOW (seriously write or type it in) to in fact DEAL WITH this pile. Pay the bills, write the emails, etc. If there is something in the pile that will take more than 15 minutes to complete, schedule time into your calendar RIGHT THEN to do it later that day or week. Put everything you complete into the To File Pile and keep pending items in the To Deal With Pile.

Put the Things That Do Not Belong in My Office, Never Mind on My Desk Pile to the side. Schedule a half hour into your calendar RIGHT NOW (seriously write or type it in) to put everything in the proper room or place.

Simple right? Get to it!

Post authored by Brooke Stone

If You Can’t See it, You Can’t Wear it!

Have you ever looked into your closet and made the realization that yours is a black hole simply by definition? Items go in, but never come out. Don’t worry you’re not alone. Here are some ideas to help de-clutter and make sense of the abyss that has become your closet.

Good Lighting

If you are blessed with a light bulb in your closet, try adding an adapter that can create up to 2 more light fixtures for you. These can be found at your local hardware store. If a light fixture is not in the cards, get one that is battery operated. They are easily installed with either adhesive or by screw and come in all shapes in sizes.

Label, Label, Label

Instead of just piling items on top of one another, try bagging or boxing like items together. Label them for quick access and watch your closet transform. For example, pair cardigans with cardigans and V-Necks with V-Necks… you get the gist.

Jewelry & Accessories

Looking for a necklace in a rat’s nest of tangled baubles and beads? A clear hanging accessory sorter is the solution you’re looking for. It’ll allow you to separate and see all of your pieces and your bling should be shown off!

Belts

A 6-prong belt hanger will stop the madness and is a quick fix for this storage issue. If you have the drawer space you might try a sock organizer as a new way to bring order to your belt collection, simply roll and sort.

Scarves, Gloves and Hats

Why not use an over the door shoe organizer to store these small, but very important items.

And let’s not forget the finishing touch, a dryer sheet. It’ll leave your closet smelling fresh and clean every time!

Post authored by Maria Skopas

Keeping Up With Cashmere

Who doesn’t love a great cashmere sweater or scarf?  Most of us read those bossy labels that tell us to “Dry Clean Only” and obey. However, the harsh chemicals in the dry cleaning process will actually shorten the lifespan of this very delicate (read: expensive) yarn.  Instead, try hand washing your cashmere in cold water with mild baby shampoo. Rinse with cold water and DO NOT TWIST! Gently wring out dripping water and lay flat on a towel.  Begin to roll the towel/sweater into a wrap until you have soaked up all excess water, then lay your cashmere flat to dry. Once your cashmere has dried, store your pieces in freezer ziploc bags or plastic containers (we love The Container Store Sweater Boxes) to keep safe from snags, moths and odors.  Your investment will last a lifetime! This method can be used for wool as well.

If you are thinking “Who has time for this?!” try putting an eco friendly tote in your bathroom, depositing the to-be-washed items within as the week goes on, and washing out your bag full of woolens IN your shower on Sundays while your deep conditioner is taking effect! Wring dry when you get out of the shower while your lotion dries.

If you MUST dry clean from time to time, remember to immediately remove the plastic and move garments to felt hangars. This will allow your garments to breathe. Don’t forget to recycle the outer plastic and wire hangars.

Dry cleaning junkies be warned: you will begin to notice a “shine” on wool from pressing and fraying in fabrics after repeated exposure to chemical cleaners.

Post authored by Maria Skopas