Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend, But Only if You Can Find Them! A Guide to Organizing your Jewelry

Photos courtesy of Erin Markland with Stella and Dot www.gotstella.com

Whether you are dripping in diamonds or collecting costume jewelry, it does you no good to have it if you don’t wear it. Most women don’t wear their jewelry because it is just too complicated to find it. There are the balls of necklaces that are so complicated to untangle you would rather write a thesis on nuclear fusion than deal with it, the lost earring collection, and bracelets that need repair.

The proper storage of your jewelry is not only important to keep it in good condition, but also so you can wear what you have. Even if you spent $5 on a pair of earrings, it is a waste of money if they sit in a drawer or box.

Drawer:

You can use containers specifically for jewelry as shown below, or even kitchen/bathroom drawer organizers work well too. The benefit of the ones designed specifically for jewelry is the lining keeps the jewelry protected, but the cost of the standard drawer organizers can be significantly less.

Wall:

With how beautiful jewelry is today, you can treat it like art and decorate a wall with it. Use bulletin boards to hang and display. Keep it simple though. Decorative bulletin boards will look cluttered and confusing and will not show off your treasures, nor will you be able to quickly see what you have. Also, consider peg racks or hooks. I great way to separate your necklaces and bracelets. Utilizing both is great. Earrings just poke into the cork, smaller necklaces and bracelets can be hung on the board with push pins (stick to clear so you it doesn’t interfere with the color/design of your jewelry. Then hang the chunkier necklaces and bracelets on the pegs. Arrange by color or style, which ever way makes most sense to you.

Closet:

The Container Store and Ikea, among others, sell closet organizing systems with portions of the closet designated for jewelry. They have beautiful “trays” that pull out like a drawer and allow you to see your jewelry up close. The only problem with these trays is that they only work if you have a large closet to designate that much space to. If space is an issue, try going vertical with hanging jewelry organizers. These allow you to see what you have, but keep items separated for ease in retrieval.

On Top of Dresser or Counter Top:

Decorative storage is widely available to hold your jewelry. Keep in mind though, what you wear. If you are trendy and wear the large chunky necklaces, traditional jewelry boxes won’t do. They are built for small delicate jewelry and you will only fit one necklace inside. Make sure the items you choose will fit what you use!

Cabinet:

Drawer organizers that stack are useful in a cabinet, but you will have to pull it all out to see what you have. . Also, any of the counter top containers mentioned above will work as well, but since they will be out of sight, the expense for the beautiful containers is somewhat wasted. 3M hooks that are removable can be attached to cabinet doors that are not opened more often than looking at jewelry. Otherwise the necklaces and bracelets will bang against the door and risk damage. Also, clear acrylic containers are great because not only can you stack them, but you can see through them to know what you have! I have used clear double sided adhesive tape to hold them in place when stacked.

Accessories are the finishing touches to your outfit. You have spent money on jewelry, organize it so you can see what you have and actually use it. No more tangled messes – get out there and look like the super model you were meant to be!

Simplifying Your Kitchen Clutter – Keep the Plastic Containers from Taking Over

At the recent National Association of Professional Organizers annual conference, I signed up to give a review of the latest lines of Rubbermaid food storage containers. I was excited as a child on their birthday when I received my package of containers in the mail. My children were looking at this package I received like what is the big deal, but I was quick to open it and pull out everything to see what was inside.

Rubbermaid sent four types of food storage containers for review. I have to say, I am not big on too many choices, so I was a little disappointed at first that I had to review four. But after playing around with them are reading more about each, they all make sense and I can see why they have each line. The best feature of all these lines is the lids lock together and then lock to the bottoms of the storage containers, keeping your storage containers organized in your kitchen cabinets and drawers!

Let me explain, I did not need new containers, but I am a bit unhappy with the ones I choose for myself. The problem I find with the ones I own are that they are hard to store in my small space designated for storage containers. The lids have flaps and take up so much space! Other than that, they serve my purposes, so I needed Rubbermaid to win me over!

The first is the Easy Find Lids line. I would say for the most basic storage containers, these rock. I had already owned the smallest version of these containers and I love the way the lids stay together. I will say they can be a bit hard to open for my youngest child, but other than that, I love these. I use them in my children’s lunch and mine, and can’t think of anything more I would need for everyday use for lunches. (Can you say so long to Ziplock bags?!?)

The second is the Produce Saver. I have been using the Tupperware line of Fridgesmart for all my produce, so I was a bit skeptical of how these would compare. I really like the Fresh Vents to allow airflow which keeps the produce fresher for longer! Also, the Crisp Tray keeps the produce up with vents underneath to keep the produce from sitting in moisture. I love my Tupperware, but they don’t have a great line for taking produce in your lunch or on the go. I would use the smaller versions of this for our lunches and taking food on the run. I like the way the lids, containers and vents all stack and lock together, which the Tupperware Fridgesmart does not. If I need to replace my Fridgesmart, I could be swayed over to this line pretty easily!

The third line is the Lock-Its. I will say I was disappointed in this line because it is very similar to my current line of storage containers. If you have a lot of space to store your containers then I can see purchasing this line. The claim is that if has Locking Tabs to provide an extra seal. I would hope that the other lines have a strong enough seal that I don’t need an other set just for a stronger seal, so in my opinion, I would skip this line all together! (No offense Rubbermaid, you know I love you!)

The forth line is the Premier. This is the top of the line so to speak. The lids are partially clear so you can see what you have inside from up above. The line is stain resistant and resists odors, which is huge when you have stored chili in a container, and then you want to store leftover pancakes in it next. Chili flavored pancakes do not go over well in my house! Also, it is pretty gross to see the red stain from sauces after you have washed the container! Makes you not want to use them again, which is very wasteful. This is my favorite line by far for meeting my needs and wants. For long term storage, and storage of leftovers that stain and

When I feel the need (and have it in the budget) I will add to my new collection of Rubbermaid. I would think a few more of each, with the exception of the Lock-it, would make me a happy camper!

I know, who cares that much about food storage containers, but really we all use them and use them often! Not only do these storage containers work for food, but they are valuable in many other areas of the home, like in the garage, the bathroom, and the office. Because they stack and are see through, these are a great investment for organizing your home!

For more information regarding these products visit:

http://www.easyfindlids.com/

These products are available for sale on http://www.rubbermaid.com/. Use coupon code 0902 to save 10%!

Unburying Your Makeup Treasures

As I talked about in the last post, containing your makeup so you can easily get ready is important in reducing the chaos of your morning (or evening) routine.  If you can’t find the makeup easily, you become frustrated and may wind up reaching for the last resort makeup you have.  Your makeup should enhance how you look and give you a sense of confidence, not give you a sense of panic as you try and find what you are looking for.  The right containers for your lifestyle and storage space is important in how easily you get your makeup routine finished, so you can get on to more important things!

First, think about where you do your makeup.  Is it in the bathroom, on the bed as you watch TV (yes, I know people who do this), at a vanity in your bedroom, in the car, at the gym?  A combination of some of these?  This is important to establish where you do your makeup for the majority of you days.  Do you have limited drawer space in your bathroom?  Do you have limited counter space and keep it in drawers?  These are questions you need to ask before you invest in any makeup storage.  You may love the idea of a pretty tray with all your makeup in porcelain boxes for your bathroom, but if you have no counter space, this dream probably won’t come true!  Packing your makeup every day for the gym, only to unpack it at night doesn’t make sense either. 

Here are some container suggestions for different scenarios of storage situations:

Counters

 

An acrylic makeup organizer such as this makes it very easy to store your makeup and see what you have to work with.  If this look is a little to open for you, try a tray or mirror with jars, boxes or baskets.  You can have one for face products (fountains, concealers, blushes, powders), one for eye makeup (mascara, shadows, liners, pencils), one for lip products (liners, lipsticks, lip-glosses) and one for brushes.  These can be a beautiful way to decorate your counter-top as well as keep your makeup routine easy to do.

Drawers

  Drawer organizers are a fabulous way to contain your makeup in a drawer.  This picture here shows the drawer organizers for office supplies, yet this is a fabulous way to contain your makeup as well.  Keep like with like.  Similar to how you could use the containers on the counter, group face, lip, eye and brushes together as you see fit.  Purchase and/or use containers that are easy to wash.  Makeup gets messy, no matter how much of a neat freak you are.  I would avoid mesh containers only because the makeup mess can fall through the mesh openings and you not only have to clean the container, but the drawer as well.

Makeup bags

We have all been given or purchased a makeup bag that has no separation inside of it.  You wind up digging for what you are looking for or dumping out everything just to find your eyeliner!  Find a makeup bag that has dividers in it.  This one has slots for your brushes as well as different types of makeup as well.  Your eyes makeup can be up in one part and your face makeup in another. 

You can also use smaller bags inside a larger one.  This will allow you to group like with like and keep you from digging for what you need.

 

If you travel frequently, you may want to have one set of makeup for travel and one for home.  There is nothing worse than being away from home and not having what you need.  If you do use two sets, make sure you only purchase the smallest size available.  Makeup does expire, so if you are not going to use up what you have, you will be wasting money!

There are many other ways you may need to store your makeup.  Before anything, make sure you have sorted and purged as I recommended in my last post.  Replace when needed, toss expired makeup, and be careful when you purchase.  Not everyone looks good in blue eyeshadow!

 

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

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Product Purging

How many of you have spent time and money purchasing the latest organizing products only to find they didn’t help?  Like those who spend money on the latest diet products and fitness equipment, we try and solve our problems with products.  The problem is that not every product works for every person.  We all have our own unique ways of organizing.  Before spending a lot of money on a product, you need to discern whether or not is is going to help. 

If you are an out of sight, out of mind person, a pretty container that you can’t see in is probably not the best purchase for you.  If you like to put stuff away and out of sight, then a clear container may drive you crazy.  Before purchasing any new organizing item, think about how it will work.  You can purchase a great filing system, but if you never go through the papers to be filed it is money down the drain. 

Before purchasing, ask yourself questions, such as:

• Who will use the product?  If kids, how easy is it to open and close? 
• What room will it go in?  Does it fit on the shelf you intended?  Is there enough wall space? 
• How often will it be used?  If often, then spending more money on a sturdy product will be a wise investment.
• Are you trying to put “lipstick on a pig”,  and make something you don’t like work or look better?  Will anything make you like it better or will you still wind up hating it in the long run?
• Are you duplicating a process?  Such as, are you using two calendars? 
• If you purchase one organizing item, will it require purchasing others?  Is there a domino effect that you aren’t willing to or able to invest in?
• Is it easy for you to use?  Will it help you to remember where you put things?
• Are you truly willing to make a change in your habit to use it?

The list could go on and on.  You need to be a cautious product purchaser.   A great organizing product is only valuable when in use.  Just because your sister swears by her PDA for scheduling, you may feel more comfortable with an old paper calender that just shows a month at a time.  If you aren’t going to use an organizing product, it is just clutter! 

If you have any questions as to whether or not a product will work for you, leave a comment.  We can work together to see if it will be a wise investment. 

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

And get daily tips delivered to you through Twitter.  Follow Me