Tips

March 11, 2012
by susan
0 comments

Toiletry Zones

PROBLEM: I have a small bathroom and lots of toiletries. They end up all over the house. I can never seem to quickly find what I’m looking for.

SOLUTION: By usage and location place your toiletries in Zones. Zone A is highest usage (everyday) which gets best location (easy to access). Zone B is medium usage (few times a month) which gets okay location (less convenient). Zone C is low usage (few times a year) which gets worst location (hardest to access).

HINT: Examples of Zones:
A = top draw of vanity or basket on top of vanity.
B = closet inside or outside of bathroom.
C= hard to reach spot in closet or another part of house.

QUESTION: What are your examples of Zones?

 

 

 

February 26, 2012
by susan
0 comments

Want Less Mail

PROBLEM: I get so much mail. It takes too much time to process.

SOLUTION: This site allows you to stop your junk mail before it reaches your door.

HINT: If you prefer to register by mail go to the “get started” link.

February 17, 2012
by susan
0 comments

A Mail Mess

PROBLEM: The mail ends up all over the house. Someone brings it in, sets it down, things are placed on top of it, the pile gets moved, and I spend too much time looking for the bills.

SOLUTION: Have a home for the mail. It’s great to use a container because it clearly defines the home. The rim of the container can serve as an indicator – when the mail reaches the rim, it’s time to process.

HINT: Try to to wait to open the mail until you have time to deal with it.

February 9, 2012
by susan
0 comments

Grandparents’ Croquet Set

PROBLEM: I have an incomplete croquet set. It belonged to my grandparents but many of the pieces are rusted, broken, or simply missing. I don’t want to throw it away …I think the colorful balls are fun and I have fond memories of play croquet with my grandparents. However, I also don’t want it piled in a heap in my garage.

SOLUTION: Choose a few favorite pieces. Is there a way to bring them into your
space in a playful, artistic, or thoughtful way?

HINT: Here the balls live under the chair and when people sit, they tend to play with the balls with their feet.

February 3, 2012
by susan
0 comments

Collect, Collect, Collect, then what?


PROBLEM: I really like my Mac products, even the old boxes, broken computers, and outdated keyboards. The problem is, I’ve collected a lot of them. They get shoved here and there and they take up a lot of space.

SOLUTION: Make a display of your favorites and move the others along. By doing this, you can enjoy these Mac products everyday while at the same time freeingup space.

HINT: The display idea can be applied to anything that is meaningful to you and that is abundant in your space.

January 27, 2012
by susan
0 comments

Painted Cardboard Boxes

PROBLEM: For me, uniformity brings order but I don’t want to go out and buy a lot of matching bins. Also, my cardboard boxes are all different and they don’t look like a purposeful set.

SOLUTION: The solution comes from Babo Market in downtown Ann Arbor.
www.facebook.com/babomarket
As you can see, a quick paint application to cardboard boxes can give them a fun, fresh, and uniform look.

HINT: Great idea Babo Market!

January 20, 2012
by susan
0 comments

Receipts

PROBLEM: There are some receipts that I want to keep for awhile. I like to keep receipts to verify my bank records and credit card statements. I also keep some in case of returns. They are a big mess. Help…

SOLUTION: Be purposeful. Establish a place where you put receipts and guidelines for when you get rid of them. In the picture, all receipts for the month are paper clipped together. As receipts come in they are added to the paper clipped receipts for the month. With each new month go to the back paper clip (receipts from the 12 months ago) and quickly go through to see if there is anything you still need. Generally, it is a quick and easy process and most receipts have served their purpose and aren’t needed anymore.

HINT: Most recent month of receipts are kept in the front and so on until you have the oldest month of receipts in the back.

January 13, 2012
by susan
0 comments

Drawers – No more Scooting

PROBLEM: It is frustrating when everything scoots to the back of the drawer.

SOLUTION: Put something in the back of the drawer to hold this space… empty boxes or tupperware. You can put less used items in these containers. Or you can leave them empty knowing that their purpose is to make it easier to get things out of the front.

HINT: If the boxes move around, add non-slip drawer liners.

December 2, 2011
by susan
0 comments

Boxes inside Drawers

PROBLEM: I can’t find things in my kitchen drawer.

SOLUTION: Use smaller containers to group like items together. In this picture there are 6 different box bottoms: tissue, cereal, tea, and a box that came with a book in it.

HINT: Note the space created between the box groups – the whisk fits well here.