It's Time to GO! (Get Organized, of course!)

January is a great time to organize. Why? Because it fits right in with New Year's resolutions and plans for making 2009 your best year ever, that's why. There are so many great things going on during GO month. You can take advantage of the 30% off Elfa sale at The Container Store. Or look into hiring a professional organizer to get that tough organizing project you've been procrastinating off your mind once and for all. There are also lots of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) organizing events going on all over the country that you can check out too. No matter what you decide to do during GO month remember that getting organized is one of the best gifts you can give yourself this year. Whether you decide to organize a single closet or your garage just do the best you can! And feel free to call on me if you need some help reaching your 2009 organizing goals!

More stylish than Staples...

Sometimes you just need to get organized and it doesn't really matter what your paper tray looks like. However there are times when some stylish, fun, colorful organizing tools are just what you need to get motivated to keep things in order. For some fun ways to organize office supplies or just about anything check out the MacBeth Collection at themacbethcollection.com. A client of mine bought cute buckets and tubs for organizing her home office because she was going to be using them on open shelving to hold things like pens, pencils, ribbon, candy (every office needs candy!), extra office supplies and so forth. She wanted the visual display to reflect her business and her personality. Because she loves the way it looks she cares more about how it works--that happens sometimes! See, organizing is fun!

You can choose from all sorts of designs. I happen to like paisleys!

P.S. Sorry for not including links. I had to take them out due to "technical difficulties."

I want a messy house too...

...but only if Peter Walsh and the Oprah Winfrey show comes to my house and gives me a FREE organizing and decorating makeover!! How awesome would that be?

Don't you just love organizing shows? I do, I do! Yesterday, Oprah aired a show featuring organizing guru Peter Walsh who launched "Oprah's Clean Up Your Messy House Tour".

So I guess Peter Walsh is leading a convoy of VW bugs around the country for the next six months looking for messy houses to organize and clean up. I've considered messing up my house to see if he'll stop by...Yes, that's a fantastic plan!

Yesterday's show had some really great results (check out Oprah.com) and some fun ideas for displaying and preserving your children's art work. As an alternative to saving every piece of paper your child ever doodles on, take digital pictures of their favorite pieces and make a snapfish book out of them! How clever is that? To entice us all to give it a try, Oprah offered a free snapfish 8x10 photo book to get you started. But you have to move quickly since you have to get your coupon by Friday and redeem it by Sunday!

Oprah's website also has a link for a 20% off coupon at The Container Store which is good for one week. This offer ends Nov. 19th so check out your wish list and see what you need to help you get organized this week. I know I'm going to!

Even better, as part of this "tour" Peter Walsh is sending out a newsletter for the next six months designed to help you declutter. Follow this link to sign up and begin helping yourself!

Now, I have to get going--I have a house to clutter up! ;)

Your Busy Bee Organizer,

Melissa

Remembering to Recycle

In the course of any organizing project there is always a question raised about what is recyclable and what is not. I thought I would post a great one page sheet that I found on the Fairfax county website that helps you remember what is acceptable recycling material to put out on the curb come recycling day. Keep in mind that this information is for Fairfax County and your county may have different standards.

I'm going to keep my printed out cheat sheet near my trash and recycling bin as motivation to recycle more. I'm also going to go dig out the 6 metal cans I just tossed in the trash last night, clean them and put them in my recycling bin!

Picture Perfect Organizing!

I had the privilege of helping my fantastic photographer friend Virginia Payne organize her home office this summer. It was such a fun project (I think all organizing projects are fun!) and I was so excited when she offered to take the "after" pictures with her professional camera which, by the way, turned out so much better than the ones I took on my little red Nikon! To see a little bit of both our work check out this posting on her professional blog and for more information about Virginia Photography check out her website VirginiaPaynePhotography.com. She takes amazing photographs and is such a wonderful person to work with.

Introducing...The Busy Bee Toothbrush Holder!

This is so funny--I just had to post it!

It's the Busy Bee Toothbrush Holder.

Why didn't I think of that?!?

It actually has a little suction cup on the back so you can hang it on a mirror or in your shower. Tempting isn't it?

Vidcast: Refrigerator and Pantry Tips

If you are working on your refrigerator and/or pantry and want some great ideas check out this helpful vidcast from professional organizer Susan Stewart of Perfectly Placed.

Organizing Doesn't Have to Cost a Fortune

Although I love The Container Store as much as the next organizer, I am all about finding great organizing tools just about anywhere. Finding that perfect solution and finding it for a great price is just so rewarding! Last year I began receiving a catalog called The Lakeside Collection that offers a variety of household items for great prices. I even did some Christmas shopping with them last year and was happy with everything I bought. Recently, I was flipping through their catalog and found some things I thought were definitely worth sharing.

They protect their web images so you'll have to follow the links. Note the prices!!

Set of 3 Magazine Protectors for $6.95: I thought these would be particularly helpful for storing magazines in an attic or basement.

Set of 2 Woven Storage Trunks for $22.95: Cute and functional. They look really well made too.

5-Piece Space Bag Combo for $14.95: Just as a comparison, Bed Bath and Beyond sells a pack of 3 large, 3 extra-large and one jumbo bag for $39.99.

Closet Organizers for as low as 5.95 per set: You'll pay $9.99 for a set of two over the door purse racks anywhere else.

Set of 2 Canvas Storage Totes for $8.95: These are super cute for kids toys and stuff. They look like something the Pottery Barn sells.

I think you get the idea! Check out their website and happy hunting for that perfect and affordable solution to your organizing needs!

Fabric Wall Mount Magazine Organizer

I bought one of these a few months ago from The Container Store and just love it! I originally bought it for my kitchen to hold magazines I like to read while eating breakfast, but I recently transferred it to my home office to hold my Organize Magazines that I use for inspiration when working on projects. I decided to hang it over my supply closet door in my office from a couple of over-the-door hooks that I already had. It's nice to look at and because it's on my closet door it's not taking up valuable wall space in my small office. Has anyone else found a great use for this fun magazine organizer? I bought the brown one and the other colors are fun too! This style of organizer could be used just about anywhere you like to read magazines. I thought it could also be used to store office supplies, forms, paperwork, etc. in an office setting. Lots of potential!

Coupon Organizer

If you like to use coupons but don't have a good way of keeping them organized, you might like this product for organizing grocery coupons. For those of you like me who have found yourselves in a grocery isle wishing you had that coupon you left at home, or digging through your purse trying to save 50 cents this might help you put those coupons to use and save you some money. However, before you go to the trouble of organizing coupons (or anything) make sure you ask yourself if you really use coupons enough to make it worth organizing them to this extent. Some people need something as simple as an envelope because they only save and use a few coupons now and then. But if you use coupons regularly and need a better organizing system then check out Mrs. A's Grocery Coupon Organizer.