Marilyn Bohn | Creative Organizer

Did you know every 3 seconds a baby is born? My daughter had their baby girl April 16. We were glad she wasn’t born on tax day. Congratulations!! It wasn’t until the next day they decided on a name. It was hard for them to choose a girl name. Her name is now Addison Debbie and she weighed almost nine pounds. Mother, baby and father are doing well. In fact she has slept longer at one time than her two year old brother was doing at seven months.

To get ready for this new baby they borrowed a bassinette, bought a new dresser and added a bookshelf in the baby’s room. On the top shelf are her books, the other one holds toys. Their two year old was not ready to move to a less restricted bed. That is to say the parents aren’t ready for him to be in a regular bed as he is a ‘go getter’ and he would have too much freedom if he wasn’t in a crib at night and nap time. There is no rule about how long a child is allowed to sleep in a crib—relax, it is up to you.

The changing table has baskets which hold diapers, changing pads, burp bibs and other incidentals babies need. On the bottom shelf there are larger toys she will want as she gets older.

One tip is to keep the size of clothes the baby is wearing in the most convenient drawer or place in the closet. As they grow out of them rotate them out and put in the size they are wearing now. Label the containers with the size of the clothes in them so you don’t have to separate them again.

A friend of mine said “If I would have known grandchildren were so wonderful I would have had them first”.

I just have to say I go all agog when I go to The Container Store. (We don’t have one here in Utah). I know, it’s sad but true. I use containers all the time in every room. Maybe I could go so far as to say I love containers. They are great to store things in, contain things in, make things get magically organized and stay that way.

Having said all of that here are two containers I suggest not buying:

This type of shoe rack—-

The reason is: the shoes just won’t stay on, I finally figured out by putting them on backwards they will stay. Even then they have to be placed gingerly on the rod for them to stay on. Everyone in my home finds that to be a bother. They just want to slap them down and be done. Don’t get me wrong—I like shoe racks of all kinds. I just found one in The Container Store catalog that holds 30 pair of shoes and fits on the back of a door. There are other over the door racks that hold fewer, there are free standing ones that work great as well as some that hang from the rod inside the closet.

Here is my other container I say not to waste your money on:

Now these look wonderful and you can sort and file by month, date and alphabetically but they are a pain. Why? Because they take two hands and the chin and shoulder to get anything in or out of them. Knowwhatimean? It is a waste of time to me and I don’t like wrestling my containers. If I need a wrestling fix I will turn on the T.V..

In the February/March 20089 issue of Shop Smart magazine they list four NOT SO HOT organizing tools that just add to the clutter.
1.Accordion files. (enough said)
2.Space bags. (I agree)
3.Cardboard Boxes. (not good in humid climates)
4.Plastic containers with rims (can take up valuable space)
5.There are a plethora of containers for all of our wants and needs. Buy what you need and what you like, don’t just buy to buy as then it becomes clutter rather than containers.

Do you have a container you would recommend NOT buying and why? We would love to hear from you.

The basket on the right holds my quilt magazines. After I read them I store them in a magazine holder and place on a shelf. The basket on the left holds catalogs. I go through these pretty often, every time I get a new one from the same company I toss the other one. Or every three months, which ever comes first.

The current/most recent magazines or books actively being used by several members of the family live here. Again, they get tossed after three months, or put in a more permanent place.

I think thank you notes are pretty and it is a great moral booster to look back and reminisce about friends. I keep the notes in a book in this basket. (You can’t see the book right now but it is there). A friend called me one day and said she was reading her past you notes and I had written her one 20 years before and she was thinking about me. That was sweet to hear from her, I was glad I had sent her a thank you note just to hear from her again.

This basket holds the books in my queue I will be reading. I keep them separate from my book case so I remember to read them. Then they go back on the shelf. I keep this in a corner of the bedroom.

Baskets are easy to care for, just a dusting with a damp cloth when cleaning and they are also sturdy and attractive.

What is your favorite basket and where did you buy it and why?

When someone asks me what my favorite organization tool is I never think to say a timer, but I think it is one of my favorites. Why?

Because it keeps me on track and I get busy and forget to move on to something else. I will give you an example. I bought a frozen Marie Calendar pie, my favorite razzleberry, and vanilla ice cream to go on top of the warm pie. I never eat ice cream except on this pie so it is really special to me. Anyway back to my story. I put the pie in the oven and I thought I had set the timer. When I started to smell the aroma of the pie I thought I would hear the timer. I didn’t ever hear it so I finally went to check on it and it was almost too well done. As in almost black but I am in denial.

I use a timer to keep on task when doing something I don’t want to do but I know I need to do. By setting the timer it changes my attitude about the task as I know it won’t last forever. If I want to keep doing what I am doing I can after the timer dings, it just gives me permission to stop.

Sometimes I set the timer about 9:00 in the morning for a meeting I have at 7:00 in the evening. I do this because that is a busy time of the day for me and the ding of the timer reminds me I need to go and get ready for the function and get out the door so I will be on time.

I use it also when I exercise in my home. I wouldn’t want to do that more than I have to.

A timer is a must in every home. And if you have more than one level, have one on each level. What do you use your timer for? Any crazy ways you use a timer?

Bookcases are wonderful pieces of furniture that can be used for more than books. This bookcase is used for:

•Nick knacks
•To hold homemade quilts
•Photo Albums
•Books

Be creative, think outside the box and load up your bookcase with anything you want. A few simple ‘rules’:

•Make it attractive
•Don’t stuff or clutter the shelves
•Line books up by height within categories

What do you use your bookcases for besides books? What is your favorite thing you put on your bookshelves?

My daughter bought these great organizing containers at IKEA and let me organizer her sock drawer. I was in my element, you know me I love to organize anything and everything in homes and offices.

Before: What a mess, a jumbled mess I must say. (She said I could say that). Not only do the socks need to find their mates but the old ones that are too thin or have holes in the toes or heels are tossed.

Containers used: Aren’t these nifty? They are collapsible too. Now I am not sure why that is a bonus unless it is because there is no bulk when bringing them home from the store. Because as soon as you get home you zip them up and start using them. They only cost for all of these $10.00.

After: I used the containers and divided the socks into sections. On the right are her everyday socks. The other two containers hold exercise socks and fun socks that she wears but not as often. She has quite a collection of fun toe socks for every season. The space on the far left is a place for the socks that don’t have mates but are here somewhere. If their mate hasn’t come home after three wash times it will be tossed.

As a professional home organizer I have found just a few little containers can make a big difference in any drawer in the home. They go a long way to keeping things organized.

About 2-1/2 million children are injured or killed by hazards in the home each year. The good news is that many of these incidents can be prevented by using simple child safety devices on the market today.

Our grandbaby is going to be born within the next couple of weeks so I am thinking of safety for her and her brother. Here are some child safety devices that can help prevent many injuries to young children.

1 Use Safety Latches and Locks for cabinets and drawers in kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas to help prevent poisonings and other injuries.

2 Use Safety Gates to help prevent falls down stairs and to keep children away from dangerous areas.

3 Use Door Knob Covers and Door Locks to help prevent children from entering rooms and other areas with possible dangers. Door knob covers and door locks can help keep children away from places with hazards, including swimming pools.
Typical cost of a safety gate: $13 to $40. Typical cost of a door knob cover: $1 and door lock: $5 and up.

4 Use Anti-Scald Devices for faucets and shower heads and set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns from hot water. Anti-scald devices for regulating water temperature can help prevent burns.
Typical cost of an anti-scald device: $6 to $30.

5 Use Smoke Detectors on every level of your home and near bedrooms to alert you to fires. Smoke detectors are essential safety devices for protection against fire deaths and injuries.
Typical cost of a smoke detector: less than $10.

6 Use Window Guards and Safety Netting to help prevent falls from windows, balconies, decks, and landings. Window guards and safety netting for balconies and decks can help prevent serious falls.
Typical cost of a window guard or safety netting: $8 to $16.

7 Use Corner and Edge Bumpers to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges of furniture and fireplaces. Corner and edge bumpers can be used with furniture and fireplace hearths to help prevent injuries from falls or to soften falls against sharp or rough edges. Be sure to look for bumpers that stay securely on furniture or hearth edges.
Typical cost of a corner and edge bumper: $1 and up.

8 Use Outlet Covers and Outlet Plates to help prevent electrocution. Outlet covers and outlet plates can help protect children from electrical shock and possible electrocution.
Typical cost of an outlet cover: less than $2.

9 Use a Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector outside bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning.
Typical cost of a carbon monoxide (CO) detector: $30 to $70.

10 Cut Window Blind Cords; use Safety Tassels and Inner Cord Stops to help prevent children from strangling in blind cord loops. You can get window blind cord safety information and free tassels by calling 1-800-506-4636 or visiting www.windowcoverings.org

11 Use Door Stops and Door Holders to help prevent injuries to fingers and hands. Door stops and door holders on doors and door hinges can help prevent small fingers and hands from being pinched or crushed in doors and door hinges.
Typical cost of a door stop and door holder: less than $4.

12 Use a Cordless Phone to make it easier to continuously watch young children, especially when they’re in bathtubs, swimming pools, or other potentially dangerous areas.

Using safety devices will protect our children and give us peace of mind.They are not 100% fool proof so we as adults still have to be mindful of where children are at all times and what they are doing. If it gets quiet that is the time to investigate.

I found this web site to request pamphlets: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission We can obtain this publication and additional publication information from the Publications section of CPSC’s web site or by sending your publication request to info@cpsc.gov And the publications are free.

Okay, this might be nit picky but it is a ‘thing’ of mine. Everything we buy has a tag on it. Look at this towel. I always cut off the tags that come on towels. When drying my hands or using a body towel I dislike the feel of the rough tag.

Cut off the tag with a pair of scissors

•Look how much better the towel looks. I didn’t fold it so you could see it with the tag cut off.

•Now there isn’t a front and a back so the towel doesn’t have to be folded a certain way as there are no tags sticking out.

I was helping my daughter change sheets on the bed and there was a big ole whopping tag on the sheet. I asked if we could please cut it off and my son-in-law (tounge in cheek) said “but it says on the tag do not cut off under penalty of the law”. But if you read further it states it can be cut off by the consumer. (People actually used to believe there was a penalty and left them on because they thought they were breaking the law if they did cut them off. Finally the manufacture changed the labels to say except by the consumer it could be cut off). I never thought it made sense that they couldn’t be removed. I knew there were no tag police.

If you do cut them off, label the tag with a permanate marker with the name of the item it was cut off from. You may need to know how to care for the product later.

It is just another way to simplify life and get rid of clutter to cut off tags. I know it is a little thing, but there you have it. Oh, have you purchased an extension cord lately? Those tags are huge and they sure do stick out. It has good information on it but after using cords for a grundle of years I think I know not to throw it in water and not to do all the other things they say not to do. I don’t know about you but I don’t want white tags on brown cords (or on white ones for that matter) that draw attention to the floor. I don’t want people looking at my plugs).

How about you? Do you cut your tags off things? What is your reason for cutting them off? Inquiring minds want to know.

I was out walking this morning in a different neighborhood as I am in Washington State helping my daughter organize from their move from one house to another house. I was struck by how many homes are strictly organized. They have large windows and their curtains were open. The spices in the racks were perfect, the photos lined up on the cork board, the hot pads hung perfectly and the outside landscape I think have been manicured. I thought, WOW.

Then one house jumped out at me as there were four bouquets of very old looking plastic flower arrangements by the sink. They looked out of place. I wonder if these are a joy to the woman living there or has she had them so long they have just become part of the background and her surroundings.

I was thinking; is this like it is in our own homes–we have things we have just held on to for no good reason and it is time to let go? Old pillows for instance, nick knacks that no longer bring us pleasure, books we will never read, dishes we don’t like that are just cluttering our cupboards, or old towels that need to be torn up and used for rags.

The list could go on and on. When I get home I am going to take a look and see if I am saving clutter just because I have had it so long it has become part of the woodwork surrounding me in my home. (I do this every time I return home from a trip; I dig into something to organize).

I challenge you to do the same to your home—lighten up and get rid of clutter. As a professional home and office organizer I know this is worth your time and creates a great new feeling in your home. Tell me what you have been saving that was part of the woodwork in your home and what you did to let go of it.