Overtly Organized

Can anyone share some good ideas on organizing clothes in dressers and a closet?

laurajaneralston:

I have SO many clothes, and I’ve already gone through them twice to get rid of stuff I don’t wear anymore/doesn’t fit and I have no idea how to try and organize it all. I have jeans, skirts, tank tops, tube tops, tshirts, dresses, etc…pretty much you name it, I own it in some style or another. And I do have the space for it (2 dressers with a total of 11 drawers plus a decent sized closet.) Help?

Hi!

My blog is just the place to find the steps needed to get your space looking and working just the way you need. There are lots of rebloggings and photos for advice and inspiration as well, which might be where you need the most help.

The best part is that you don’t need money to organize a space! I really emphasize on repurposing items that you already have to organize a space. This way, you’re staying financially responsible by not buying things you might not need, going green, and making your space work for you rather than the other way around. There’s nothing wrong with buying the things you want to make your space just how you like it, but it’s always good to repurpose what you have to make sure you like the system you started with before you really invest money into it.

Here’s the link to my blog page explaining the Life Rules for Organizing. Don’t worry, I’ll go over it with you in this post; it’s that easy: http://overtlyorganized.tumblr.com/Liferules

I’ll also give some suggestions as far as what types of items are popular for organizing closets and dressers and give links from Amazon at the bottom for you to check out.

So here we go:

1. Purge Consistently and Efficiently. It seems that you’ve already gone through all of your items that you’re planning on putting in your closet and dressers. If you have other things you’re planning to put in your closet or dressers like shoes and bags, go through them as well. This way you know you have everything that you really want and need and not wasting space with the things you don’t love any more.
2. Prioritize Your Belongings. Usually this applies more to things you keep backups of like cleaning supplies, so this isn’t very applicable to your closet and dresser. If you do have extras or backups of certain items, make sure that they’re stored in a place where they won’t be in the way of currently used items. Try not to store them where you’ll forget about them either.
3. Repurpose Items to Your Advantage. For me, this is the best thing about organizing, aside from the fact that everything is organized. Repurposing items to help you organize is a great way of finding out a lot about your style and the things that you can invest money into for the perfect set up. Using left over shoe boxes, unused drinking glasses or vases, etc. to store your things just right is a big help to your pocket. If you decide to ditch an idea and try a new set up, you won’t lose any money in the storage items you won’t use anymore. Once you find the perfect set up, you can invest in your space however you choose.
4. Store Items to Save Space. This is the most strategic and important part to organizing. Work with your space to store the most items while making it easy to access. If you’re having trouble finding space for a specific item, you may want to rethink whether or not you really need it. Otherwise, you’ll make a point to adjust your storage to accommodate that item.
5. Label Items. When in doubt, use a label. When it comes to clothes, label items that are seasonal and stored away where they aren’t used often. I personally find that most things in closets and dressers don’t need labels because they’re used regularly and/or are stored in a way where you can see every item clearly, but it’s an individual preference.
6. Maintain. Keep it up! It’s so easy to keep with a system once it’s started. It’s much harder to reorganize everything once you’ve left it get really messy. Simply don’t let that cycle start, and you will be a happy camper.

Now that we’ve gone over the basics, let’s look at how you want your clothes stored. What do you prefer folded or hung up? By separating the clothes into those categories, you can eyeball how much room you need for each set up. For example, maybe you like a lot of your clothes hung rather than folded, so focus on saving a much space as possible in your closet. 

The next step is to decide how you want your clothes hung. I personally store my hung items by sleeve length and each section is in color order. If you have a lot of clothes to hang, I suggest buying the flocked space saver hangers. They work well to keep your clothes from sliding off and they’re also thinner than the basic plastic tubed hangers, so you’ll save more space without cramming your clothes together to where they crease or wrinkle. If you have enough of clothes to take up two clothing rods, think about installing a rod higher up and a rod lower to utilize the height of the closet. This depends on your space and whether or not you need shelving for storing non-hanging items like shoes, folded sweaters, etc.

If you have shelving that you’d like to use for folded items, it’s a good idea to use dividers to help keep the stacks from toppling over. There are also hanging shelves available. They come in different sizes and colors, so you have a good chance of finding one that will complement your decor.  

When it comes to dressers, It’s all about the way you fold and how you divide the space. I personally use boxes from items I’ve purchased monthly because they were all the same size and fit in my drawers well. They sell drawer dividers too.

Here’s a link to see how to fold your clothes to save space: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rbogDaB-n0

Here are some links to the items I’ve mentioned:

Double Closet Rod: http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6021-378-Chrome-Collection-Double/dp/B000QWKP7K/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1341939079&sr=1-3&keywords=clothing+rod

Flocked Hangers: http://www.amazon.com/Closet-Complete-Ultra-Velvet-Hangers/dp/B0037KMSRI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341938976&sr=8-1&keywords=clothes+hangers

Hanging Shelves: http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6351-1234-JAVA-Organizer-Collection-Accessory/dp/B001KMRZ0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341939002&sr=8-1&keywords=hanging+shelves

Shelf Dividers: http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-77100-Over-The-Shelf-Divider-1-Pair/dp/B000MSAHWG/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1341939035&sr=1-1&keywords=Shelf+dividers

Drawer Dividers: http://www.amazon.com/Expandable-Dresser-Drawer-Divider-White/dp/B004T8NR7C/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1341939147&sr=1-5&keywords=drawer+dividers

Of course, there are always extra goodies available like scented sweater boards and sachets to make your clothes smell great and protect them from moths. Hopefully this helped you get an idea of where to start and how you want to use your space! Happy organizing and have a good one!

How to: Organize and Store Important Documents

How many times have you needed a specific paper in a pinch (like when you’re  getting a driver’s license) and end up tearing your house apart finding it? Then this post is for you!

This isn’t really about paperwork that you consistently work with like your bills, it’s about warranties and other important documents used as proof of validity and things like that. Here’s a guide to making your important documents easy to find and well protected.

When organizing your paperwork, it’s important to label and keep them in chronological order.

• Keep in mind that these are papers that you aren’t usually rifling through, so you’re just updating as more papers come along. This means you can store this in a place where you won’t be reaching for it on a regular basis.
• I keep my paperwork in subject appointed folders. Then I keep them clipped together in chronological order and labeled with a title and the relevant years. All of my folders are in a 3” 3 ring binder. It’s pretty simple.
• Highlight any important information like dates, amounts, or specifications. Seriously. It makes life easier.
• It’s good to keep a sheet handy in the central hub of the space. If you’re working on household paperwork, the central hub may be the dining room or the kitchen, for example. Keep readily needed papers like important numbers and other emergency information.
• If you have especially valuable items like jewelry, be sure to take pictures of the items to keep with its paperwork. This helps to provide proof of the item’s existence and condition should their be any damage or theft.
• Scan all of your paperwork and pictures and put into pdf files. Be sure to store this on an off site source whether it’s an external hard drive, jump drive, or a protected online source. This protects your information from being lost forever in a fire or other situation.
• To reiterate: Every space should have emergency contacts in their central hub. You never know when you’ll need them!
• Keep your appliance paperwork in the room it’s stored. Set it in a cupboard or other place where it’s out of the way but easy to find. I suggest a folder or three ring binder to store and protect the papers. When/if you have a problem with the appliance, it makes it that much easier to find the warranties and other information.

Try it out and see how it works for you. Hopefully you’ll feel relieved knowing that you have everything in order and backed up so everything is well protected. Have a Good one, Fellas!

Anal Retentive Tip: Clear Nail Polish

We all know what time it is: Anal Retentive Tip Time!

Here are some ways to prevent annoying happenstances with just a dab of clear nail polish:

• Seal bottoms of metal cans to prevent rust rings

• Prevent a run in panty hose from growing

• Seal a screw into place (ex. Glasses)
• Seal envelopes

• Secure buttons

• Prevent ribbon frays

That’s it! Simple, cheap, and a great way to solve stress inducing problems!

Have a great day, fellas.

The Magic of Task Lists

A really simple way to get things done and feel accomplished is to have a daily task list. It’s pretty cool how a list can motivate you! If you have large tasks, try making a monthly task list, then breaking it down to weekly lists. This helps make the tasks much more manageable for daily completion and makes it more enjoyable.

If you aren’t sure what approach would work best for you, here are different methods to try out:

• Post-its:

Try putting your tasks on individual post-its and place them in a portable folder or a board in a main room (kitchen, dining room, etc.) that is the central hub for most of your house traffic. You can remove the post its as the tasks are completed.

• The Scribbling Technique:

Some people work better by grabbing whatever piece of scrap paper nearby and writing tasks and ideas down. Keep these in a central area like a purse compartment or a specific pocket until you can transfer them down onto a task list or other “official” document.

• Organizing Your Task List:

Try writing down everything that comes to mind in no particular order, then assess the priority of the tasks. Organize them so that the most important tasks get done first in the most efficient way possible. Pretend you’re lightning; organize your path in a way that you’re taking the easiest route possible. For example, stopping by the post office may come before getting lunch if the post office is closer than wherever you’re getting lunch. This is my personal favorite way to organize a task list.

• Smartphone Apps:

There are apps out there specifically geared to make sure you keep your life in order…as long as you actually use it. Errands To-Do List is a free iPhone/iPad app that easily lets you put your task list together with various bell and whistles so you can keep on top of your work. It even syncs with iCloud and other devices.

Give it a try and see if it’s a good way for you to keep track of your tasks and ease stress. Tell me how task lists work in your life! Leave a message in my inbox! Happy task listing and have a great day, fellas.

Anal Retentive Tip: Happy Brush, Happy Hair!

A hairy and sticky brush is nasty. Don’t be a derper! Clean your Brushes! Here’s how to clean your brushes and keep them that way.

• Clean out the loose hair with a clean spooly/mascara wand to get in between the bristles easily.
• Fill a sink with hot water and mild shampoo.
• Swish the brush in the water, making sure to rub in between the bristles to get the base clean.
• Dry the brush thoroughly, letting it out to dry completely if it is padded.

For future cleaning ease, try putting a piece of panty hose through the bristles to protect the base from residue from hair products and to make it easy to remove loose hair.

Happy brush, Happy hair!

Anal Retentive Tip: Cleaning Erasers

I’m not referring to magic erasers, even though they’re pretty amazing. If you’re like me, and you probably are if you’re reading this, you’re a bit anal retentive. When cleaning out a simple drawer and reorganizing it to see everything I have, it gives me perspective on what I need and what I can get rid of or move to another area of my house. Once that is done, I tend to try to make it as pristine as possible. That’s when I see mangled and marked up erasers in my drawer. 

I. Must. Fix. This.

It’s simple, really. Just rub the erasers on a nail file or a piece of scrap paper. That’s it!

Have a great day, fellas!

Quick Repurposing tip

Use contact case for storing pills, spices, chapstick ends, broken lip gloss.

Grand Organizing!

    Hello! This is in its infancy, obviously. I’m currently working on some main pages and hoping to get people wanting to (and actually doing) some sharing of their own tips, techniques and before/afters of organizing, their experiences during the process, and how it made their life easier. So show me just how anal retentive you truly are! Tag your posts with “overtly organized” so I can reblog them! Don’t be afraid to fill my inbox with questions/opinions/tips/etc.!