Marilyn Bohn | Creative Organizer

You are in for a real treat. These women aren’t professional organizers, but they have great tips on how to organize for women using both fabric and notions.

Do you have a gift closet? My daughters used to ask, “Mom do you have a present I can give to…..” Even when they went to college they would sometimes come home and ask me. You probably know how poor college students are. It was nice that I had a little stash of gifts so I could help them out. (They still had to buy them, but I would give them a good deal).
When I teach others how to organize I encourage them to have a designated place in their home for gifts, whether it is a closet, under the bed in a rolling bin, in a container in the garage or in a cupboard. As a professional organizer I recommend having a gift ‘closet’ for four reasons:
•You know where to find gifts you’ve purchased when you need them.
•By keeping gifts on hand you can save money as you can buy gifts ahead that are on sale.
•You have a gift on hand when you need it.
•Because they are contained in one place you can take a quick inventory of what you have.
Keep wrapping paper, tape; gift and all occasion cards on hand. Have them conveniently located to make gift wrapping fast and fun.
Where is the most unique place you have kept extra gifts?

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.

I was looking in the linen closet downstairs thinking I wanted to get in there and organize some things. What I really want to do is get rid of some of the sheets as I have too many and someone else might as well be using them.

On the top shelf was a checkered blue bag. I took it down and looked inside. There were doll clothes and a really old orange (ugly) apron my aunt had made eons ago. (I’m not even sure it was my aunt). I had no attachment to it.

At first I thought I ‘should’ keep the apron and then realized I didn’t want to so it went into the donation bag. (Always keep a donation bag going). And then the doll clothes from the bag I was folding neatly —I have no idea if the doll they belong to even exists any more. I stopped, realizing those could be donated too. Yeah for me! I did it.

The last thing in the bag were these cute little salt dough ‘dolls’. For years I have held on to them because my daughter who is now in her 30’s made it when she was in pre-school and I just had to keep it. You will be proud of me—I took my own advice and took a picture and threw them away. The next day I remembered I needed to send the photo via email to Costco so I could put it in my photo album. I didn’t do it!

I hadn’t remembered I even had the dolls and it doesn’t matter if I have that memory. There are so many more things worth remembering in the last 30 plus years of her life. I feel such freedom that I let it go. What do you have in your closets you can just let go of? Tell all please.

This closet is where I keep some of my quilt patterns and directions for quilts in 3 ring binders on the top shelf. I also have quilt basting spray, bottles of buttons and various quilting and sewing notions. In the opaque boxes I have things like snaps, hooks and eyes, appliqués, ruby beholder and other supplies. Each drawer is labeled so I can find things quickly.

In the filing cabinet below I keep more quilt patterns and soft back quilting books. I thought it was pretty organized. But I organize, that’s just what I do (sometimes I drive myself nuts) so I opened the closet and set about organizing. Not until I saw a picture of what it had looked like did I realize how dreadful it had become.

This is the Before:

It took me over five hours to go through this closet and file drawer. I gave away every pattern I knew I would never make again, and patterns I had but had never used. I got rid of the burden of having them around saying, “make me, make me” and me never finding time to answer their call.

I was unrelenting and merciless to myself. It feels so good not to have all that extra baggage stuffing my drawers so I couldn’t hardly even get in them and now look at the difference:

This is the After:

It feels good to have everything neat and tidy and in it’s place. I put things away that didn’t belong there and I also organized my greeting card box. (The turquoise box you see) I even organized my buttons. Now I know what I have and it is manageable and I feel good helping someone else who can use what I gave away. I also tossed out so many copied patterns that were given to me that I know I would never make I actually got rid of an entire 3 ring binder. (It is on the shelf with other empties waiting its turn again).

When you organize a drawer, shelf, or closet ask yourself :

•Do I need it
•Will I every use it (be honest)
•Do I like it
•Do I have a purpose for it

By asking these questions clutter clearing becomes much easier and the results are wonderful. Organization takes care of itself and emotionally it is a breath of fresh air.

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.

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.