May 16th, 2009 by ClutterBunny

So I have been sick… yet again and this time the house is a disaster. What kills me is that when we get to much stuff things find a home that is not their own. Like fish food on top of the tank, coupons on the counter or a toy that now resides next to the fireplace.

Here is my own checklist to bring it down to a manageable level.

1) Pick one room to clean at a time. No more I want to clean the whole house this moment. Simple tunnel vision that allows me to focus on one room and its entirety.

2) Identify the items that don’t yet have an established home. Make sure these items get a place to live or they will come back and back again.

3) There are corners that haunt me. Dust balls behind the tv or sitting on the trim molding, dirt that rests in the window sills or dust on the ceiling fan.

4) If there is too much stuff toss what is not cherished. If it does not serve a purpose and warm your heart, then it does not belong in your home. (Please make sure it doesn’t warm someone else’s heart before you throw it out.

5) Before moving on to the next room, slow down and take a moment to enjoy what you have accomplished.

April 9th, 2009 by ClutterBunny

1. Find an inspiration point. Buy one new organizer, or box or shelf. Incorporate it into the design of your room. I bought 5 blue boxes that were covered in Fabric at Ross. I used the to store DVDs, and PlayStation Games. I place the boxes on the shelves where these items are usually stored and the results were fabulous. A less cluttered entertainment center.  Here is a great example of a beautiful inspiration item.

2. Choose one room. It can be overwhelming to start spring cleaning on the entire home. Make a goal of one room a day. De-clutter the room and then you can do deep cleaning. The home will be done in no time.

3. Paint. The easiest way to make a room feel fresh, clean and new is to change the paint color. Even if it is just one accent wall or trim the results can be amazing. Here is an accent wall we did in our first home. I was so proud.

4. Let in the Light. Never underestimate how much energy you get from being in the sunlight. When you wake up to start the spring cleaning open all the windows and blinds, let the breeze in. It changes the whole environment.

5. Remember that outside is a living space too. Don’t confine spring cleaning to the inside of the home. Put out flower pots, an herb garden, add some solar lights to a walk way or patio. These small tasks will make you feel very accomplished.

6. Switch around the art on your walls. Often times we decorate with our pictures and become bored in our environment. Just moving pictures into different rooms will make the space feel brand new.

7. Try innovative ways to hide common “Uglies”The litter box, toilet bowl brushes, diapers. Look for ways to hide these items and incorporate it into the design. Here is a great example.

8. Get some mood lighting. Find the corners and areas that need accent lighting. We have a cubby above our fireplace that is decorated. We added a rope light to the back and plugged it into a timer switch. Now in the evenings, automatic ambiance.

9. Photograph the before and after. Often times after cleaning and working all day we may not see our own progress. Take pictures of the before and after so you can really see the difference when you are done. Upload the pictures here for bragging rights.

BEFORE

AFTER

10. Let it go. This is your space, it is not a competition with another mom. It is not supposed to inspire others. It is meant for you and your family to enjoy. So relax, sit down and enjoy your own space. If you can’t cut out the competitive spirit, your pictures are always welcome here.

April 3rd, 2009 by ClutterBunny

Okay so I have been trying to find the ideal way to organize my jewelry forever. I used to have a big free standing box, and then I tried several little boxes.

The dilemma is I need to see all my jewelry. If I can’t see it, I don’t wear it. I also don’t want it to be glaringly obvious that it holds all my jewelry for theft reasons.

Drum roll please….

Three different types of wood with an amazing look. Hangs like a picture collage on the wall and inside it perfectly stores necklaces, rings, bracelets. It allows me to see everything all at once and when I need more space it is easy to just add another frame.

I love it!

March 18th, 2009 by ClutterBunny

There were not so many post this week, not an fresh cool new organizers posted, no books on what to do. The reason is simple “Cluttery Bunny was sick this week. Not that oh well I hope it goes away soon sick. More like the “argh I wish I could just pass out until this goes away stomach flu”.

Have you ever noticed what happens to your home when you are sick. No matter who you are, how well organized you are if you are sick the house is some how destroyed. Plus in a family one person sick at a time is a rarity it frequently becomes multiple member of the family.

Here are a few tips to help keep you healthy. Lets face it we all get sick, but it never hurts to minimize it where ever possible.

1) Get your flu shot - many believe this is not necessary, but it is a safety precaution.

MSNBC - ran an article about when to replace these. Here are facts from the article. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25516515/

2) Replace pillows once a year (You can do this when the time springs ahead for day light savings time when you replace you smoke detectors too (if they are older than 10 years old.)

3) Replace your tooth brush 3-4 months - I like to replace mine after an illness too.

On that note, have you seen those new tooth brush organizers. I keep toothbrushes in our home separate. You can call me OCD, but have you ever watched what children do with tooth brushes! I love the sanitizer idea.

I love this wall mounted one that sanitizes the razor and toothbrushes. It is only $16.99

I love this UV sanitizer that handles many tooth brushes at once.

Okay that is all for today, Clutter Bunny need to take a nap and get better.

March 15th, 2009 by ClutterBunny

Everyone is trying to save money. I used to believe that coupons were just a waste of time. Once I calculated how long I spent cutting them out and finding ones I would use and filing them away, only to find one I had saved was now expired. I hated them.

Here is how to organize coupons to your advantage without feeling like you are wasting your time or ending up with a pile of Jasmine Tea that you hate, but got a great deal on. First grab the circular out of the Sunday paper. Clip coupons for the basics, meat, rice, etc. Make a meal plan for one week using the coupon you clip as your guide. I have some strong brand loyalty, but it pays off to go with the coupon brand rather than always buy the same one. If let say you cannot force yourself to buy a different kind of toothpaste or deodorant, visit their website. Often times these personal products have websites that not only will let you print a coupon out, but you can request free samples too.

Coupons in hand, have a list prepared so that you know exactly what your buying. No impulse buys, stick to your list. If you find you have forgotten something, jot it down to ad to you next list, remember you are only getting items for one week.

When you are all done look at your total before handing over the coupons. If you can swing it find a store that matches other store promotions and coupons, or double coupon days.

Once you get into the swing of things you will be blown away by how much you have saved and your can show all your sloppy friends why it pays off to be organized after all.

March 11th, 2009 by ClutterBunny

I love to scrapbook. It really brings me so much joy to see the pictures all put together and how much they have changed. The major challenge is finding organizers to keep all the diverse products within reach, clean and undamaged. It also doesn’t hurt if I can store them so my little ones don’t get a hold of them and use them for their own fun.

The 12 by 12 paper looks so lovely in an album, but storing the paper can be really tricky. These stackable trays will allow me to store and sort base on album or themes. Only $12.99.

I love this bag, all the style of a purse, and the ability to tote around projects to all those parties and shops. The size is perfect the pockets are made to work with all those 12 by 12 pages.

There are about a million scrapbook tote bags on the market. This one is my favorite for several reasons. I love the huge variety of colors it comes in, the fact that it roles and that it can even hold those 13 x 15 albums. I like the loops for scissors and pens instead of digging through pags. It comes with a 4×6 photo organizer and has 31 total storage pockets. It measures 10×17x19 and the price is $134.99

This Grab and Go organizer is great. Only 24.99 it allows items to be sorted and stored in drawers, it is all the genius of a tackle/tool box, but ideally built for scrapbooking.

I always end up coming back to these bags. The person that made them should be rewarded. I love that they work so easily desk top, and yet travel so well.

Many times the ideal organization involves thinking creatively too. This shelf is for media storage, but is ideal for stamps, pens, punches, etc. All in plain view and easy to access.

I love this desktop carousel, the small drawers are perfect for storing all those little embellishments and there is plenty of room for tools. Very stylish for $26.15.

Enjoy you scrapbooking. Also if you have any of these already I would love your comments.

March 8th, 2009 by ClutterBunny

I am the first to admit that I would love everything to be organized, but sometimes it is more of a benefit to have something within an arms reach during a busy day. The following items come from various companies. I have found these to be a great help in reducing stress and anxiety in finding what is needed at when there is so much chaos that every minute counts.

Put everything that you need as you head out the door - at the door. This door knob hanger holds keys, checkbooks, notes, glasses, phones, all those little miscellaneous items that you don’t want to forget when your leaving, but don’t always have time to track down. My favorite use for this item is to use it with teenagers, keeping the cash and items you want to make sure they have, without having to chase them down as they come and go. You can buy several for every member in your family at the price of only $6.99 each.

Mobile office - Any good mobile office will keep everything together in the car, but also be easy to take with you into the office. Priced at only $26.95. In those crazy times of trading vehicles or car pooling the on the go worker has everything they need. I especially love the luxury of being able to have my office with me and easily taken into a coffee shop for some quite work time.

A Mail Station - How can any one get all their bills, birthday cards and watched DVDs shipped without a mail center. This one is great, because it is wire - it is stylish and nothing gets accidentally left behind because it can’t be seen. The key holders are also great. Clean up that junk drawer, leave spare keys for the babysitter, keys to the deep freeze or labeled keys for you neighbors, friends and family where you can find them quick without carrying 12lbs of keys on your person at all times. The cost is only $10.99

I love this next item. Often as we are getting it all together and heading out the door we find our little ones with a pile of toys that they want to bring along. With this already attached to the seat and everything needed in it, it provide and entertainment center without more hours staring at a movie screen. Plus clean up involves a quick fold a zipper. It is a must have.

If you like in a multiple story home than you are aware of what I like to call the stairway anomaly. There is either A) a pile at the top and bottom of the stairs full of items that want to be on other floors. B) Items left on the stairs that someone meant to take with them. C) Floating objects that have multiple homes one upstairs and one downstairs. Usually it is located on the floor that you are not on when you need it. For all those issues I like to use this basket. It keeps the stairs safer than having items cluttered, plus it is stylish enough that it looks handy and well thought out, unlike those piles at the top and bottom. All this for only $29.99.

March 7th, 2009 by ClutterBunny

I am office supply junkie. Here is a collection of office supplies that will help keep you organized with their clever uses all for under $5.

The ultimate choice for every file drawer - do I used this for storage or files. Now you can do both

Efficiency for only $4.32. I love this, it is perfect for editing. The top twists to close up over the post it when I don’t need them. This is one of those pens I don’t let anyone borrow, because I know they won’t want to give it back.

The problem with so many of the desktop file organizers is that they are too small and papers and filed tend to bend over the top. This one solves that problem. Even better it is easy to pick up and carry to another location without dumping all the files

If a desk top organizer is your style this one is small while allowing for notes, paperclips, and files all in one little spot and for one little price. Only $4.76

I love little novelty supplies like colored staples and paperclips. Here are two of my favorite shapes of paperclips. Each is under $0.75.

Here is the perfect holder to keep them in. You can see all the fancy shapes and it is easier to grab. Only $3.11

My top quality but uber cost effective list.

March 5th, 2009 by ClutterBunny

Caboodles is the ultimate brand that everyone know for makeup storage.  I love their train case line, holds everything beautifully, functional, stable and a bunch of color options.

The other option that I love for organizing makeup is to buy the makeup kits, so that everything you need is always right there. All-in-one.

March 1st, 2009 by ClutterBunny

Do you remember being a child?  Remember your room.  I felt like a princess in mine.   My parents bought me a beautiful canopy bed.  I had a Mickey Mouse plastic tent,(plastic+children+tent=toy company needing to learn about safety recalls), so today I am sure you couldn’t find one of these.  I put my toys away in a shelf made of 5 boxes that were woven together with bread bag ties.  (My mom was a smarty and very economical).  I still feel cozy thinking about my space as a child.  I remember taking all my stuffed animals in bed with me and sleeping in the tiny part of the bed remaining from the pile.

Here are some photos to take you back to the 1980’s.  Get ready for nostalgia…

Remember The Smurfs. I think the reason they are no longer on TV for our kids is that there society just could not be perpetuated with one girl in the community.

My enter world revolved around “My Little Ponies” Who wouldn’t adore a rainbow horse that could talk?

Cabbage Patch Kids - Awhh, Dimples and birth from veggies, a clear winner.

All I have to say is “Care Bear Stare” Remember staring is done with your tummy, not your eyes!

She lived in the clouds in a world of rainbows and fashion that inspired all girls to look like Punky Brewster.

Back in the day if you tried to force the transformation you ended up with a very amputated Transformer.

Remember 6 sides composed of 9 cubes - organize this and you are clearly a prodigy.

Now that you have revisited toys and growing up. Take a moment, close your eyes, think about what your room looked like. What did you think you would be when you grew up? Where did you keep prized possessions? How did you keep you room, was it clever, clean, all items on display? How were you taught to clean your room. How did you organize yourself after play? Now open you eyes and think. It is important to think about how you felt when you had to clean. Example: My sister had to writer her name on every possession. Your fears of clutter, perfectionism, keeping your parents happy, growing up, are all still apart of your life.

Identifying these feelings will help you identify why you feel you have to organize, protect our belongings and clean. Often we want to return to the feelings we had about our room when we were kids.

Once this is done you can begin to decide what you desire in your space today to fulfill the goals, hopes and aspirations that you had as a child for the adult that you have become.

My favorite stores to shop at to achieve these childhood inspired - grown up rooms are Ikea, Target Amazon.com Pottery Barn an Pier One. Although I have found many of these stores have products also available on Amazon. Also I have found that now that we have grown up and have children of our own. The products of our childhood have been re-released so we can now share these affections with our own children.

If you have any emotions lingering about how you broke, lost or needed to organized. Look at the following toy holders, (also updated since the 80s) and see if you might want to store some of the newly released toys of the 1980’s

Kid’s Doll House Style Toy Book Shelf Organizer Chest

This runs about $160.  I have found them at Big Lots and at Amazon

This pocket wall storage is priced great at $5.99, but if there is not an Ikea near you here is other options.

Here are some darling shelves that are educationally themed