Grrr.  So annoying!  If there is anything I’ve learned in the last couple of years is that small frustrations like these can be toxic if we consistently let it bother us without doing something about it. Luckily, for the most part, there is almost always a way to solve the problem.  I knew there had to be a solution out there and you all had many suggestions to offer up.  Thank you!

However as I sat here one night I happened to glance over at where I keep my stash of 3M Command products and saw one of their products I hadn’t put to use yet.  Which product am I talking about?

3M Command Brand Picture Clips

These are designed to hold pictures but I thought, why not labels instead?  So I tried it and it worked beautifully.  I can easily snap in a new label (I just printed off cardstock labels on my printer) whenever I need too and they stay put!!  You should have seen how excited I got about the whole thing.  I was jumping up and down and all around.  Seriously it takes so little to amuse me…ha!  I also new it was the end of an annoying problem and I was not going to be irked no more.  Take that you labels that don’t stick.  Whoot!!

Let me show you some pictures:

Want a great way to organize your fridge?  Add a basket or two to contain “like with like”.  I was tired of my condiments all over the place.   A beautiful basket to the rescue!

Of course the fact that I have an 11 year old son means the word condiments gets a giggle every time he sees it.

It’s one of those things where I wonder why I didn’t think of it sooner.  It’s such a perfect non-permanent solution.  I LOVE versatility in an organizing product!!

3M asked me to do a video for them of my experience (which was also very exciting as you can imagine) so I calmed myself right down and gave it a go.  You can see that video clip by clicking below.  I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to embed it into my blog.

Picture Clips_052311

So there you have it.   An inexpensive (you get 6 clips to a pack) organizing solution to a terribly annoying problem.  Yay!!

3M provided me with a selection of products but the creativity?  It’s all mine baby! :)

Solving my label problem with 3M Picture Clips! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

This past week I’ve had so much fun checking out the newly re-designed Better Homes and Gardens site.  Talk about organizing eye candy…seriously I got lost on there soaking it all in.  I’m such a visual girl and as a result am so inspired by big, bright, colorful pictures (it’s also why I love Pinterest so much).  The BH&G site has a TON of organizing tips, printables, plans, videos and of course pictures which are just stunning. The new design also includes a new slideshow feature and an easy to use navigation bar and search tool.

So today I thought I’d share some of my favorite BH&G organizing finds with you (pictures used with permission of course).

A neat way to label your dollar store baskets:

Fun portable storage:

Personalized buckets for kids or pets:

I love this idea of using a hanger to hold magazines.  I’ve got a spot perfect for it on the side of my bathroom counter right beside the toilet :)   I’ll throw up a Command Hook to hold it and I’ll be all set!

So many fun and free printable storage labels (when over there be sure to click on view all thumbnails to see them all):

Love this ottoman storage for all the gaming stuff:

Another neat bucket idea for organizing school papers:

Dressers are so functional…why not one in your entryway:

Month-by-month storage project guide (including printable):

I also took their fun organizational personality quiz.  I don’t think it’s any surprise that this is what my result was:

You are the Librarian. You like everything in its place.

Key Traits:

Detailed and a taskmaster

Energetic

A perfectionist, sometimes to a fault

Shocking I know! :)  Although I’m definitely what you would call a recovering perfectionist.  I’ve learned to let many things go.

Giveaway:

The fine folks at BH&G were very kind to offer up FIVE 1-year Better Homes and Gardens magazine subscriptions as giveaway prizes for FIVE of my lucky readers.

To enter, please go to BH&G and take their organizational personality quiz (it takes maybe 30 seconds to do) and then come back here and leave a comment with what you are.  They did not ask me to do this, I just thought it would be neat to see the variety of answers.  Entries must be in by Wednesday, June 1st at 2:00 pm PST to be eligible. This one is sadly only open to US residents though (sorry!).

Good luck!

Organizing Tips from Better Homes & Garden + Giveaway! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Are you feeling a little cramped for space?  How would you like to literally double the amount of space you have in your cupboards?  Here are some ideas using inexpensive wire shelves that will help you do just that.  These shelves can be purchased at most department stores and I’ve noticed that the dollar store in my area has even started selling them.

Add a Shelf

They can be used in cupboards as an extra shelf for dishes or even in your pantry for your cans and other non-perishables.

Another neat trick is to use them in deep bookshelves to create two rows of books and still be able to see what you have in behind that first row.  If you find they are too tall you can always cut them down to fit.  You may find it necessary to put a simple piece of poster board on top to keep the books from falling through.

Add a Drawer

In one of my bathrooms I don’t have any drawers, so adding these pull out wire shelves increases my bathroom space greatly.  I’ve added some dollar store baskets to the shelves to further help me keep items sorted and organized.

Go Vertical

I also really love these wire dividers that work wonderfully to organize cake pans, pie plates and cookie sheets.  Rather than having everything all stacked up on one another, storing them vertically like this makes it super easy to grab what you need.

Avoid Piles

Similarly I also use one of these dividers in my office to separate my notebooks and other papers.  This is a terrific way to avoid piling which usually only leads to buried papers that are hard to find.  No more piles!

And my latest one that I just recently purchased to help me corral my hair dryer and flat iron.  It’s attached to the inside door on the cupboard underneath the bathroom sink.  It’s not 100% ideal but it’s working for now until my oh so coveted Styling Station becomes available for purchase :)

Do you think any of these ideas would work for some of your trouble clutter spots?

Double your space with wire shelves & dividers is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

They make a difference.

They simplify.

They set limits and boundaries.

They contain.

Take for example my snack basket on my shallow cupboard shelf.  I could pull out many different boxes of treats and pile them high in my hands or I can pull out one basket with ease.

Need to organize your Tassimo coffee discs?  Use baskets.

Need to organize your tea?  Use baskets.

Need to organize and contain your spices?  Use baskets.

Need to organize and contain your baking supplies?  Use baskets.

If you’ve got deep shelves, store infrequently used small appliances at the back and baskets in the front.  Easy to pull out and grab what you need.

Plastic baskets.

Wicker baskets.

Cardboard baskets.

It doesn’t matter.

They are all lovely and functional to me.

Organizing a Snack Basket is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

I’ve been wanting to add a buffet of some kind to my dining room to store these things but I haven’t been able to find anything that wouldn’t break the budget.  Then the other day as I was strolling through Wal-Mart as I tend to do I found this awesome bookshelf on sale.  I loved it immediately and while it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind I knew I could make it work.  Especially at the price of $39.00, sweet!

(the glass canister holds the dog treats)

It even came with those two fabric bins you see, perfect for storing my tablecloths!  I really do love it.  In fact I love it so much I bought a second one to use as a TV stand in the basement.  The two bins work nicely for corralling all the Wii stuff that never seems to end.

Now that they’re in my dining room, I’d really like to replace the colorful striped magazine holders with something a little more classy but it’s tough to beat 99 cents :)  If I had more inclination or even more patience I’d just cover these myself with pretty scrapbook paper but nope they don’t bother me enough to do that…hahaha.

If you’d like to print off this FREE God is Great Prayer Wall Art for yourself, visit Simply Awesome Printables!

If and when I ever do get an actual buffet I can use this piece just about anywhere in the house.  It would make a great nightstand in my daughter’s room or in my office as a printer stand.  I don’t have room for it in my entryway but I wish I did because it would look great there to house hats and mitts and all the other stuff that needs a home as you walk in the door.

Oh and if you’re curious about my recipe binders check out how I organized them: Part One and Part Two.  As you’ll see I did a little purging when we moved :)

A Fun & Functional Bookshelf is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

This method won’t work for my youngest though as he has a mates bed.  I guess I could have used the drawers for Lego but we already use those drawers for other things.

You can see the old tiny tote we used to use there on the floor:

I love Lego I really do.  I love that it never gets old.  My oldest still loves it at 11 and my youngest is just as passionate about it at 5.  It’s a toy that doesn’t lose interest after a couple of weeks (at least in my house) and that makes this momma happy.  It’s also pretty easy to organize :)

Canadian Tire was having a sale on their plastic rolling drawer units (19.99) so I picked up one of those to switch over to.  I’ve used these types of drawers in the past with my oldest and really liked how it worked.

I moved the cubbies over and tucked it into the corner.  The beauty of this is that it’s easy enough for my son to roll out when it wants to get into it and because the Lego is spread out over 5 drawers it’s not too hard for him to find what he needs.   We use the cubby holes as a place to display some of his built pieces :)

As new stuff comes in and needs change it’s important to re-evaluate storage solutions.

The other thing that needed attention in this room were my son’s books.  When they start piling up on the floor I get a little cuckoo.

Before:

and as well his headboard was getting a little over run with them:

A cluttered room makes for cluttered sleep.  I blogged about this before as it’s especially a problem with my daughter.

One of my tricks for organizing any space is changing around some of the furniture at the same time.  It really helps to freshen the space up and kids get excited because it makes their stuff seem new again.  Even if it’s only one or two pieces it really works!

In this case I simply turned the bookcase onto the other wall along with moving the cubbies over.  Not big changes but enough to make it seem new and it helps my son better able to access his books.

Don’t be afraid to try a new room configuration or storage solutions!

and his headboard:

The basket you see on top of the bookcase is where my son keeps his LeapFrog TAG Reading System.  He can just grab the basket when he wants to read on his bed or in the living room.  Keeps everything together and makes clean up a snap.

Next up was this little alcove with shelves that’s in the corner.   When we first moved in I had put all the workbooks and craft stuff in here but you know what?  It wasn’t getting used.  Crafts happen at the table and with these stuck in the bedroom my son had forgotten about them so they were neglected.

Store stuff where you use it.

So I went through, purged a bunch of it and then moved the rest back out to a shelf in my dining room where it’s already being put to good use.

Before:

After:

Ahh that’s better.

Anyone else working on a child’s room this week?

New Lego drawer storage is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Did anyone catch the season premiere of Homemade Millionaire, hosted by my BFF Kelly Ripa, last week?  I didn’t get to see it because I don’t have cable but I was able to find a clip of it on You Tube.  I watched this clip below and nearly fell off my chair.  One of the products featured is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for.  It’s the second invention you see in the clip and it’s hands down brilliant!

Did you see it?  Did you see the organizational power of the Styling Station.  Oh my word, I must get my hands on this product!

The bathroom in my new house has aggravated me since I moved in.  The cords of both my hair dryer and straightener hang down over the drawer making the drawer a nuisance to get into and you know how I feel about annoyances!  I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a solution and until now have been completely stumped.  This product will change my life.  My friends always laugh at me when I say that but nothing beats a fantastic organizing solution to make the world a better place :) From what I can tell the whole cabinet fits over the wall outlet (behind the drawer there) hiding all the ugly cords.  So brilliant I could weep.  WEEP!  That’s how badly I want this product!

From what I understand Marcy McKenna, the creator of this product, went on to win on the show which means her product will now go into production (!) and appear on the Home Shopping Network sometime soon.  I hope soon.  Seriously I can’t wait.  I’ve totally been stalking Marcy on her site and on her Facebook page and I won’t rest until I have the Styling Station in my hot little hands!

Please tell me I’m not alone in my hair obsessive ways. Would you buy something like this?

Updated:  Marcy herself sent me a message on Facebook, how exciting is that!  Unfortunately she did tell me that the wait for the Styling Station is expected to be about 3 or 4 months.  I’ll definitely keep you posted as I know more.  I’m going to try real hard to be patient.

Homemade Millionaire ~ Styling Station is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Look at all this wasted space.  It’s wrong I tell you, just wrong!  I’ve since found out that this is a pretty common problem.  Closets everywhere are missing a shelf.  Poor naked closets.

One shelf added = happy happy storage and happy happy me!

I use those larger bags to store all of our travel bags and backpacks.

We choose to simply add a wire shelf even though as you know I’m not a huge fan of them.  In this case though I just needed a shelf and the wire ones were on sale.

In our old house we had one shelf above the rod in my husband’s closet and then my husband went and added a SECOND shelf for even more storage.  It melted my heart and made me love him even more :)

Found storage is such a beautiful thing!

Now go check your closets….anyone short a shelf?

Maximize your storage…add a shelf! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

So want to know what is one of the most versatile organizing products out there?  The over the door pocket organizer of course because hello?  Pockets!  And lots of them!  Not only that but they are a wonderful way to take advantage of vertical space that otherwise might just be wasted.  They aren’t just for shoes anymore!

So how thrilled was I to find and source the Simply Stashed and Gear Pocket lines for my shop….because hello?  Pockets!

Ready for this?  Meet my new office supply catch all:

Isn’t that pretty!  This one is called the Mini Stash and I’ve got it hooked on the inside of my office armoire.  The pockets are of various sizes to hold all sorts of goodies.

I love smiley faces :)

Features of The Mini Stash:

• 19″ wide x 36″ long – perfect for smaller spaces
• Eco-friendly fabrics are coated for easy cleaning
• Crystal clear pockets for easy content viewing
• Built-in sleeves allow you to label pocket contents
• Versatile hanging options (use a decorative ribbon or hang on door)
• Hanging hardware included

Buy Now

The Stash line also includes a bigger one called The Original Stash:

Buy Now

and The Variety Stash:

Buy Now

There are so many ways to use these types of shoe organizers for storage as demonstrated in these terrific posts:

Becca uses a pocket organizer to house all her daughter’s stuffies.

Amanda uses one for craft supplies.

Leanne uses one for action figure storage.

Maple Memories uses one to store her family’s winter hats and mitts.

Wendy uses a pocket organizer to keep her jewelry organized.

Sarah uses one on her door for bathroom storage.

Jen organizes hair accessories.

and Mitzi uses the pockets to organize her pantry.

The possibilities are endless!  What makes the Simply Stashed line so great is that the products are not just functional but pretty too so you don’t just have to hide them behind doors.

Also by the same company is the more manly line called Gear Pockets.  See how I use mine here.

The Sportsmans Organizer

Buy Now

The Organizer Gear Pocket

Buy Now

The Original Gear Pocket

Buy Now

Do you use a pocket organizer in your house for storage?

Simply Stashed & Gear Pocket Organizers is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

I’m guest blogging again (I know!  What’s got into me!).  This time I’m over at the fabulous site How Does She?.  I’m talking about all the ways I use wire shelves and dividers around my house to create additional space.  Gotta love inexpensive organizing solutions!  Click here to read more.

Organizing with Wire Shelves & Dividers is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie