Packing School Lunches!
September 1, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Organized.com Lunch Box!
To continue the theme of Meal Planning from our podcast on Monday, I wanted to share with you some tips and ideas in preparing and planning school lunches. I have come across some great products and websites I wanted to share!
Goodbyn.com
Tip#1 – Have a bin ready to go for all your lunch ingredients! I have one bin that includes; bread, peanut butter, and snacks just designated for the school lunch. This bin is so handy, instead of grabbing all the ingredients and wasting time, you just have to grab the bin with everything in it, make the lunch and place back into the pantry until next time!
Tip#2 - Go green with your lunch box! There are wonderful products out there to use in the lunch box, get rid of the plastic sandwich bags and go green… Have a few containers on hand, so you are not having to do the dishes everyday. Pete Wright from Taking Control, The Home Organizing Podcast highly suggests Goodbyn.com. This product looks great! Instead of having a lot of different pieces, you have one box, one lid! Check it out!
Tip#3 - Have a drop off for the lunch box! Just like the backpack, make sure your kids know where to drop off the lunch box! It saves time in the morning looking for it and then finding old food! Yuck! It’s happened to us and it’s not fun! Make sure they drop off the box after school, so you have plenty of time to clean it and get it ready for the next morning!
Tip#4 - Explore different recipes and get out of the rut of PB & J! I have found some great websites with different recipe ideas and tips for healthy lunches. It breaks the monotony of the same old, same old stuff! Here are my favorites!
If you have any additional tips that makes your life easier, please share! The more the better!
Happy Organizing!
Back to School – Creating a Homework Station!
August 20, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Depending on the grade of our child, there is a good possibly they will have homework from day one! The best thing you can do is to be prepared and make sure you child has everything they need, when they need it. It will save time and keep them focused on the homework and not trying to find their pencils and erasers!
You can set up a homework station in a variety of ways. The student could have their own desk in their room or in a common area in the home. If they like to do their homework in different rooms around the house, a portable desk may be a good option. The study space should be a place where the student can think, focus, brainstorm, and if set up correctly, should make doing homework a little less painful!
These are the essentials you need no matter how the work station is set up:
- Kids will not work in a station if it’s not user friendly. You must get their opinions and thoughts about how to best set up a workspace.
- You want the station to have storage space and surface space, they need to have enough space to store all of their supplies, printer, computer, paper etc. You need to have the surface area to write, cut, paste etc.
- Good lighting- It’s hard to do your best work if you can’t see what you are doing!
- Make sure the student is comfortable- if they don’t like their desk chair, they will never sit it in.
- Let me them put personal touches around their workspace – just like if you were working in a cubicle, you want around you the things that make you happy.
- Include a bulletin board and calendar to the workspace – they need to see deadlines and bulletin boards are a great way to post reminders and other information your student may need. (Teach the child to go through the bulletin board on a weekly basis, so it doesn’t fill up with paper clutter)
- Make sure the station is stocked with everything they need! Nothing is worse than finding out you used the last staple. Keep up on the inventory of supplies!
Happy Organizing!
Back to School – The Daily Drop Off!
August 19, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Pottery Barn Entryway System
Back to School Organizing Tip: Create a space in your home for your children to put their stuff! The daily drop off occurs the same time, the same place, everyday!
Your children are going to need a place for their coats, hats, mittens, backpacks, lunch pails, shoes, and anything else that may come home with them! If you designate the same place every time, it will eliminate the running around in the mornings trying to find the missing shoe!
This is an easy organizing system to put into place in your home as long as you teach your children what is expected from them. You want the kids to put their jackets on hooks, make sure the hooks are at their height, make placing shoes in a bin or a rack easy and painless. Have a basket or bin accessible for the mittens and hats.
Make the drop off place as convenient and easy as possible to ensure success!
Practice! Before school actually starts, do a run through with your kids, and if there is anything that needs to change, now is the time to do it!
Happy Organizing!
Back To Campus- The Organized.com Way!
August 18, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Back to School!
Ready or not, school is just around the corner! For some of you around the country, it may have already begun! If you have any lessons learned this season, please share your wealth of information! We are always looking for tips to make our lives easier!
I will be the first to admit I am not ready to let go of summer. However, I do know it’s better to be prepared and plan for this upcoming season change. If you are not organized during this time, it can easily turn into chaos with a lot of frustration and stress!
So what can we do to make this time less stressful? Organized.com is one way for sure! The Back to Campus webpage is a great resource for great products and information all of us can learn from…
Here are just a few of my favorite articles and products:
How to Prepare for the First Day of Preschool
More Back to School Posts our on the way.. Visit our Back to School Central Link… This will take you to all the blog posts related to Back to School plus more products I recommend to get your season off right!
Happy Organizing!
Best Products for Small Spaces!
August 4, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
In the Organizing for Small Spaces Podcast, we talk about utilizing furniture and other organizing products to get the most out of the space. I looked around and here are some of my favorite products! Remember, be careful when you are buying new product, make sure you have sorted through all of your belongings and know exactly what you need and don’t forget to measure your space! This will save you time and money!
Storage Ottoman
This is a great product for a living room, it doubles as an ottoman, however you can place blankets, board games, video game equipment and other items for extra storage. I have also seen these kinds of ottomans in the hallways at front entrances to use as shoe bins. You could have your coat rack hung up above. It’s an attractive way of keeping your shoes hidden, yet you can use the ottoman to put your shoes on! This product is available at Organize.com.
Leaning Bookcase and Desk
What I love about this kind of product is it at so many uses. You can use it as a bookshelf, a place to put your mementos and it as a small desk area with a smaller size storage ottoman.
When you are working with small spaces, it is important to look up, floor to ceiling and look for the potential! This product is available at the Container Store. The elfa system at the Container Store gives you fabulous options on shelving that is freestanding like this one or custom built onto your wall.
When working in small spaces, you do not have any room to spare. So before buying any kind of new system, make sure you have really thought about your needs and what you really want in your home! With any Organizing Product, make sure you measure your space first!
Under the Bed Storage!
These are Bed Risers! You can find them at Organize.com. Basically they do exactly what they say, they lift up your bed just enough for extra storage. 
The storage bin to the right is the perfect size for underneath your bed. You want something flat but big enough to hold out of season clothes and other items you do not need on a daily basis but need to keep in your home. Make sure just like any space in your home, this storage area actually has a purpose, avoid shoving items under the bed and think “out of sight, out of mind”. You have to be very mindful when working in small spaces.
Stacking Shelves! 
Again, when working in small spaces, you have to utilize your vertical space. By using stackable shelves, you are creating space in your kitchen cupboards and pantry. Both of these shelves are available at Organize.com.
If you have any other items to suggest, please let us know!
Happy Organizing!
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words!
July 28, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
In Monday’s Podcast we talked about Garage Organizing. For many of us the garage becomes the place where unwanted items tend to accumulate. Maybe you no longer want the item in your home or maybe your intention is to donate the items but you just haven’t found the time to do so. In a recent blog post, A New Perspective, we talked about how we can become numb to our surroundings. The same idea goes with our garages and other storage areas. You become so used to seeing it, you actually stop seeing it and go on with your normal day to day business. You avoid making the decision that needs to be made.
In working with clients who are downsizing, I have seen a lot of items left from their children. These kids are now adults and many have children of their own. It could be an old dresser, an old rocking chair, old toys or a toy chest. These items are hard to let go of because they hold a certain memory or time in their lives they do not want to part with. Logically you know the item is not being used nor will it probably ever be used, but you just are not sure what to do with it. Does this sound familiar? It may not be your exact story but it might be close to what you are going through.
I have a couple of suggestions. First, if the item belonged to an adult child, ask them if they want it… Give them a timeline of when they need to pick it up by, if they don’t want it or do not pick it up within the reasonable amount of time then go on to my next suggestion…
Take a picture of the item and then let it go. This is a great solution to those who scrapbook, you can take a picture and journal in your scrapbook what the piece means to you, your memories of it, etc. If you don’t scrapbook, you can still take a picture and go back to it later and recapture the memory. The picture is your reminder!
You actually can use this strategy with a lot of different items in your home, which hold some kind of memory. For example; take a picture of your child with his favorite toy or a favorite outfit, then when they outgrow the toy or the outfit, give yourself permission to let go of the item.
You do not need to keep the item, to keep the memory!
Happy Organizing!
Spring Clean Your Car!
May 12, 2010 by Nikki · 3 Comments
A year ago I wrote a blog post on how to clean out your car… I think this is a great reminder as we go into summer. Here is a repost of the article…. Enjoy!
With children in tow or maybe you work out of your car, our cars can sometimes be and is a dumping ground for many things! If I don’t make a conscious effort to keep my car clean, then in a matter of days it can become filled with baseballs, toys, books, garbage etc! I have come up with some tips and tricks on how to Organize your car and maintain it! It’s not magic, it does take time, but I find it is well worth it!
Car Organizing Tips: 
1. Ask yourself, what needs to be in your car? This is especially important if you do a lot of work out of your car. What office supplies needs to be in there, if you have kids, what essentials need to be in your car.
2. Evaluate your current system in organizing your car. What do you struggle to find? Keep this in mind when figuring out where items are going to go.
3. Take everything out of your car and separate into piles. 1) Stuff you use all the time, 2) Things you use occasionally, 3) Things you need in an emergency. Anything left over gets placed outside of the car.
4. Clean your car inside and out. Start your organizing project with a clean slate.
5. Place like items together. Go through your piles and place them where they make the most sense in your car. For example; emergency kits can be placed in the back of the car, hand santizer and tissues should be in the front console.
6. How many CD’s do you need in your car? Start up a new rule with yourself, if you add 3 new CD’s, make sure to take 3 out.
7. Try to keep items off of the floor.
8. Look into Car Organizers- they have great solutions for over the seat and the trunk of cars. These are great storage solutions for keeping like items together and in one place.
9. Keep an extra tote bag to carry items from car to home.
10. Create a new rule – if you carry something into the car – you must carry it out.
11. Have a trash bag in the car and empty it regularly.
12. Make a monthly appointment to clean your car.
Happy Organizing!
Taking Control – The Home Organizing Podcast
April 22, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
TCO is going to iTunes!
I am so excited to announce, Taking Control- The Home Organizing Podcast! 
We have been working on this idea for some time now and it is finally a reality! In today’s busy world we don’t always have time to read a blog post or do the research necessary to do to tackle a project. Now there’s a different way to get the same great information! Subscribe to TCO’s podcast through iTunes and all you have to do is listen to your iPod! At your convenience, put on the ear phones and take a listen while your doing the dishes, the laundry, or when your stuck in traffic!
Every week you will get a new episode tackling some kind of project or question! The best news yet…. I want to gear these podcasts to what you need! So if you have an idea for a show, or need some tips on a project, email me, and let me know… Who knows, it may just be the next topic!
What to expect from Taking Control:
- A lively conversation with Pete Wright and myself… Who is Pete Wright? Pete is the Producer of the show and more importantly the face behind my website. I consider him a partner in my business and a huge influence in developing and telling the story of Take Control Organizing!
- Tips, tricks, and solutions to your everyday organizing issues
- One new episode per week
- Each episode will range anywhere from 10 minutes to 25 minutes (I know you don’t have a lot of time and I want to use it wisely)
- You get an insider look at how I work with clients and get to know me!
- A whole lot of fun mixed in with great education!
I hope you join me in my journey into podcast land! It should be a lot of fun and I look forward to tackling your issues. If you have an idea, send me a note on my contact page, or email – nikki@takecontrolorganizing.com.
You can catch the first episode now… The Office Closet!
Happy Organizing!
Guest Blog Post at The Work at Home Woman!
March 2, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Recently, I had the privilege to write a guest blog post for, The Work at Home Woman. This is a great website and I highly recommend you check it out! 
The article, Get Your Home Office Organized, is about giving your desk a makeover. Something we all should do from time to time! Just this past weekend, my husband and I cleared our office and recycled 2 bags of paper! No matter how organized you are, you always need to do a purging session every now and then!
When you get busy, and in our case we both share the same space, you must maintain the organization by taking time to file, purge, and rework your system. It makes a difference. It felt so good to get the office back to working for us and not against us!
Happy Organizing!
A Few of My Favorite Things!
February 12, 2010 by Nikki · 1 Comment
To keep with the theme of the kitchen, I have compiled a few of my favorite kitchen organizing products. All of these items can be found at the Container Store. There a lot of great products out there and this is only a sample… What are some of your favorite things? 
1. Junk Drawer Organizer – A must for keeping your junk drawer contained. It’s a great way to find what you need when you need it!
2. Plastic Wrap / Tin Foil Organizer - If you have the space in a pantry or cupboard, this is a great tool in keeping those long wraps under wrap!
3. Lazy Susan- This is a great organizing tool pretty much anywhere in your home but it is particullary helpful in the kitchen. By keeping all like items 
together it’s easy to turn and go right to what you need!
4. Freezer Containers – This is a product I have used for clients in the past. It helps contain like items together in your freezer. It keeps it all together but because it’s wire like, you can easily see everything too. 
5. Baking Pan Divider – This is a great way to organize the muffin pans, baking sheets etc. Sometimes it can become a real mess and difficult to pull things out when you need them. Not with this system, it keeps them organized and easy to get! 
There are so many great products out there and it’s very easy to get ahead of yourself and buy before you know what you need. Remember to take measurements of the space and only buy it if you will use it!
Happy Organizing!
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