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!
Guest Post at The Confident Mom!
February 17, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
This month as a guest blogger for The Confident Mom, I wrote about different ways to store board games and puzzles. This can be an area in all of our homes that can really become out of control. Nothing is more frustrating than putting a puzzle together, and not have the last piece to finish! Or having box after box with tape on the corners, and the pieces still manage to fall out.
I have provided different solutions and I would love to hear your ideas and thoughts. As we know there are many ways to do one thing! 
The last sentence in the post, I encourage you to turn the TV off and make it a game night! It really is so much fun and a great way to bond with your family.
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!
Organizing Products For The Utility Room!
February 5, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
We have a schedule. We know how and what to delegate to family members. The next step is to talk about organizing products for the utility room. I have seen a lot of utility rooms in my business. I have seen large rooms, small rooms, closets, and garage walls being used.
No matter how big or how small your area is there are some essentials in every utiltiy area. If you have anything to add to the list, please share!
Trash can – For the tags, dryer lint, and the misc. trash you may find in pockets. I was surprised how convenient it is to have a trash can in your utility area. I believe it is a must have! 
Bins to contain laundry supplies- Depending on your space, these can come in all shapes and forms. The point is to keep all like items together in one spot. For example one bin may contain all stain removers, one bin may be all laundry detergents. 
Lazy Susan – Can be very useful in utility rooms for items used frequently. It is an alternative from using a bin.
Think up- If you are working in a small space, look up, adding a couple of shelves can really make a difference in your storage space.
Think thin- The portable stacking shelves to the right can easily fit in between the washer and dryer. It doesn’t take much space, however you can fit all of the essentials.
Sorting Hampers – If you have the room, sorting hampers can contain your laundry. Rather than having a bunch of clothes on the floor, you can sort and put them in the hampers. If you are not able to finish all of the laundry like planned, it looks more contained and tidy.
Hanging Rack – You can buy inexpensive hanging racks for your utility room and then when you are done they fold easily in between the washer & dryer. 
Iron Organizer - You can find these that go on the back of the door or on the wall. Very handy to keep the iron and board together, without taking up a lot of space.
There are many great products available. The most important thing before buying product is to assess your needs and your space. Measure and know what is going into the product then buy.
All of the products shown can be found at The Container Store.
Happy Organizing!
Coming Up at TCO!
January 31, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
I am trying something new. I wanted to bring a little more structure to my blog posts. So for the next few weeks I have chosen different themes to talk about for the week.
This week, I am going to be discussing The Laundry Room! When I asked mom’s to tell me their biggest challenges, this was one that came up over and over again!
Starting Monday, February 1st, read about: Laundry Systems. Coming up: Family & The Laundry, and Recommended Products.
If there is a particular topic you would like to see … Please let me know…You can comment on this post, you can send me a note on my site, you can send me a direct message at nikki@takecontrolorganizing.com, or send me a direct message on Twitter@TCOrganizing. Let me know! And I’ll keep working to make this site a destination for organizing tips and tools that help you keep your house in order!
Happy Organizing!
Great Organizing Giveaway!
January 29, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Did you know January is “Get Organized Month”? To honor the Organizing Industry, Professional Organizers around the nation worked together to deliver the Great Organizing Giveaway!
What is the Great Organizing Giveaway? Organizers compiled a number of different items to be given away. This event is open to anyone who wants to be more organized! It doesn’t matter where you live, many of these gifts are downloadable from your computer. Participates are able to sign up to get FREE e-books, audio downloads, organizing tip sheets, complementary consultations, and much more!
There is great information for almost any aspect of organizing you may be looking for. Take Control Organizing has contributed an e-book, titled; ” Getting Started: 10 Key Principles You Need to Know Before Starting Your Organizing Journey!” This e-book is available on my website.
Here are just a few of the items to look for:
- Getting Things Done- How to set up chores
- 9 strategies for Simplifying your Life today!
- 112 tips to Organize Your Workday
- Mess is stress!
- Finally Filing Made Easier
- It’s Time… Stop Procrasinating Now!
- Timely Tax Tips
- 51 Creative Organizing Solutions Found in Every Day Items
- Getting Started: 10 Key Principles You Need to Know Before Starting Your Organizing Journey!
- And Much, Much More!
Happy Organizing!
the Confident Mom – Controlling Toy Chaos!
January 18, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Last November, I found a tele seminar series through Twitter about Parenting. It was through the Confident Mom. Susan Heid, the owner, is a Parenting/ Family Manager Coach in the Seattle area. The tele seminar is based on the book, Screamfree Parenting, Raising your kids by Keeping your Cool, by Hal Edward Runkel. 
I highly recommend it for any parent, who is looking for tips and ideas from a real parenting coach who can specifically give you ideas on issues you are having in your home. Parenting is hard and at times can be very frustrating. I learned new techniques to use with my children that has kept the calm in our household. The best part of the series was being to able to talk to other moms. We all had stories to share and we all learned from each other. Click here for more information about upcoming tele seminars.
After the series was over, Susan asked if I would be a guest blogger for her blog. Of course I was honored and my first post came out this morning. Controlling the Toy Chaos! If you have kids, you have toys, which often means chaos. Here are some great tips on how to contain the chaos, it won’t ever go away, but we can make it easier to live with! Enjoy!
Happy Organizing!
Organize and Save Money!
January 13, 2010 by Nikki · 1 Comment
Organize and save money. It’s that simple!
In today’s world, we all want to save money. Putting just a few organizing systems in place in your home can achieve this goal! This will not only save you money, but you save you time.
1. Create a system for your bills- Have you ever paid a bill late, because you can not find it? I have. And it’s frustrating.. Have one place where all the bills go. For us it’s a file on our desk that says “Bills To Pay”. Go paperless- pay bills online, do automatic deposits, look at your options, ask your bank for details.
2. Stop buying repeat items- being organized means knowing what you have and where it’s located. This is especially true for the grocery store. If your refrigerator and pantry are organized, then doing a quick inventory check before heading to the store will be easy. Have an ongoing list for items you run out of it, again not forgetting anything but not buying what you don’t need. I have found planning a weekly menu for dinners is a great saver of money. I only buy what I need for those meals, no more wasted food.
3. Gift Cards- Have one central place for gift cards. Many people forget they have them or loose them. You could use a special box, a drawer, a file, something so every time you receive a gift card it goes in there immediately. There is never any second guessing on where it could be.
4. Create a budget- Know your money and where it’s going. Know how much it costs to run your household and how much extra you have. Knowing your money will help prevent buying unnecessary purchases. And everything you do buy, think about it where it’s going in your home. Every item in your house needs to have a place to live.
5. Sell your “Stuff” – There are many ways to sell your items. Craigslist, eBay, consignment shops, garage sales. Clean it up and present it well and you’ll make an extra buck or two.
Happy Organizing!
Organizing Children’s Clothes!
January 11, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Children grow up so fast! I remember people telling me this when my first child was just born. At the time, especially during those sleepless nights, I wasn’t really sure I believed them! Here we are now, 7 years later, and boy do I believe them! I am reminded of this often, when I see my son or daughter walking down the stairs in pants that look about 2 sizes too small… ”Wait, didn’t those just fit, last week?” Crazy!
Keeping on top of the growth spurts can be challenging… Here are some tips to make it a little easier:
1. Periodically, whether it’s seasonal or every 6 months, go through the closets, dresser drawers and sort out the outgrown clothes. There is no reason to keep them in the room. Don’t forget about the PJ’s, socks and underwear!
2. It’s helpful to put clothes away as you notice they are too small. If you are doing a load of laundry and you notice these are the shrinking pants, take care of it then, don’t place them back into their room.
3. Have a place to put the clothes, a bin designated for donation.
4. Be choosy about the clothes being passed on to younger siblings or family members. Keep only the ones in good shape. Place clothes by size in a clear labeled container with a secure lid to prevent damage in storage.
5. When organizing children’s clothes, organize by type of clothing. Double rod hangers are great to utilize the space in a closet and kids love the access to their clothes. With this said, I have gone into my daughters room before, and all of the clothes are off the hangers! This is a great time, to teach them how to hang back their clothes.
6. Use the dresser for clothes like PJ’s, Pants, Shorts, Undergarments. Teach your kids where the clothes belong. At a very young age, they can help you put their clothes away.
7. Have a hamper in their room. Get them in the habit of putting their dirty clothes in there every single time.
Donation Resources: Every town has the Goodwill’s and St.Vincent De Paul, but there are other organizations who need donations, especially for children.
In the Eugene / Springfield area, here are some of my favorites: CASA of Lane County, 541-984-3132, White Bird- 541-342-8255, and Relief Nursery, 541-343-9706.
Check with your local schools and churches, often times they will take donations as well.
Happy Organizing!
Top 5 in 2009!
January 7, 2010 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
In the last year, I have taught my clients different organizing systems, offered organizing tips and tricks, provided product suggestions, all in the hope to help make their lives easier! I have added a couple of new systems in my own home too!
Trading chaos for freedom!
I decided to share with you my top 5 favorite items for the year 2009! These items range from one very small helpful organizing gadget that works in every home, to a more complex computer program to help organize your “To Do” list…
1. The Hit List – This changed my life! I love this program… I already wrote a blog post about it and it’s worth mentioning again! If you haven’t already checked it out, you need to! It’s free to download for now! But who knows this could change… it’s that good!
2. The Family Calendar ( Erase Board ) – At the beginning of the school year, I bought a weekly dry erase board that is hanging in my kitchen. Every Sunday, I write our family schedule for the week. It’s color coded – work schedule in green, kid activities in blue, family is in red. I love being able to see a week in advance and I love seeing a visual of what is going on during the day. Next to the calendar, we also have a bulletin board, which consists of our chore chart, rules of the house, school lunch menu, and a few art projects!
3. Lazy Susan – This is the small organizing gadget which is oooh so helpful! I often tell my clients to use these for medicine cabinets, pantry’s, bathrooms. Really anywhere. It’s a great way to contain like items together with easy access. I currently use mine for our medicines. If I have a headache, I turn this around until the Excedrin is in front of me!
4. Shoe Organizer in Hall Closet to Store Hats and Mittens! This is great, because they are slim, so they do not take up a lot of space, and just knowing where all of the hats, mittens, and scarves are saves so much time. This is a perfect example of having one product but using it in different ways!
5. Ornament Organizer- This is such a great invention… No longer are the days where ornaments are broken
or scratched. This handy case carries several ornaments, and there is flexibility with the dividers depending on the size of the ornament.
What were your favorite items for 2009? Was there a particular product or system instilled in your home this year that made such a difference you can’t imagine how you ever lived without it?
Please share! We would love to hear from you!
Happy Organizing!
