Pins and Procrastination

Cleaning for the Holidays in 30 Minutes or Less

Susie — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 23:13:06 +0000

The holidays are coming fast! I always get nervous about having people in my home for the holidays. Especially at this busy time of year, things get messy and disorganized quickly. In my dream world I would have days and hours to clean everything up, but I usually only have a short time to fit it in. There are a few sure fire things I do to prep my house for guests to make it visitor ready in 30 minutes or less.

This list is prioritized in the order that tasks should be done. The first few make the biggest difference, so if you have a limited amount of time you can focus on doing as much cleaning as you can in order. Make it through as many steps as you can in 30 minutes.

You can also tweak the order to suit your needs. If your house is one major dust ball, you can always move that up higher on the list, and the same applies to any of these. Although I do always recommend starting with “manage the clutter” because it makes the biggest difference.

If you do it right, you’ll be able to fake a super clean and guest-ready home in 30 minutes!

1. Manage the clutter

Do you know why all the awesome decor pictures in magazines and on Pinterest always look amazing?

No clutter.

There’s no papers strewn about, or toys on the floor. No empty glasses are left sitting on the coffee table, and no board games are sitting out half finished on the kitchen table. Surfaces and floors are clear of clutter.

To me, this is the step that makes the biggest difference. When all your clutter is out of sight, your house will look at least 50% cleaner.

So the first thing you should do is gather all the clutter in any areas guests will be, and put them in some kind of box or basket. A laundry basket can work well for this. And then put the basket out of sight, in a closet or in a corner of the room.

And voila, your house will appear magically cleaner!

And think broadly in terms of what you can consider clutter. Even if you usually have 10 jackets hanging on the hooks by the front door, those can be put away for guests. The same goes for shoes. Entryways are always important to have extra room when guests come, because their things will end up adding to whatever clutter is there already.

This isn’t a long term solution, just a quick fix. In general if you specify a location that every item in your home belongs, you’ll find you have much less clutter. Maintenance is usually the easiest way to keep your home guest ready.

2. First impressions

First impressions matter!

Whatever the first impression of your home is will affect how comfortable your guests feel in your entire home. If you make the first impression positive, they will think the rest of the house is cleaner. Psychology is strange, but it works.

So consider what your guests will see first, and make sure that space is clutter free and clean. For me the biggest thing is my kitchen island, which you can see from the front door. Keeping it clean and clear of debris and any clutter makes the entire house feel cleaner. Even something as simple as moving a recipe print out from the island to the counter makes it feel cleaner.

3. Sweep and vacuum

It’s amazing what a difference it makes to have clean floors. Your home could be covered in clutter, or spills on the counters, and as long as your floors are clean, it won’t feel icky or dirty.

If your guests come in and take their shoes off, they don’t want to be stepping on yesterday’s crumbs (all though I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of this at times!) Walking on a floor that doesn’t have any dust or crumbs makes you feel like the house is clean, no matter what else is going on.

For us one of the major floor messes is dog toy stuffing. Our pup likes to tear up his toys faster than we have the energy to pick up all the fluff. Just getting the fluff off the floor makes the house look and feel much cleaner.

So even if your floors aren’t amazingly gleaming and shiny, just getting dust and debris off will make a huge difference. Walking on a clean floor is a sure way to make your guests feel comfortable. I’m in love with our dyson vacuum which makes vacuuming go so quickly.

4. Tackle odors

Smell is such a powerful sense. A house can look clean, but if it doesn’t smell nice, nothing else matters. Luckily smells can be a pretty quick fix.

Scented candles, a quick spritz of some homemade febreeze, or simmering some apples and cinnamons on the stove can make a big difference.

5. Clean all surfaces

Do a quick wipe down of surfaces in rooms your guests will see. Clean up bathroom and kitchen countertops, and also wipe down any coffee or side tables. A quick cleaning will make such a big difference. My reusable cleaning wipes are perfect for this.

I think the bathrooms make the biggest difference. When there is no dust and hair all over the place, it feels so much cleaner. Getting the toothpaste gunk off the sink really just makes it look that much better.

Clean surfaces will make your guests feel comfortable to rest their hands or arms on surfaces. After all, there’s nothing that feels ickier than accidentally placing your hand on something sticky. Clean surfaces are the way to go.

6. Dust major areas

If you have time to make it to this step, your house will already be looking almost guest ready. Dusting is just a little extra bonus to your hosting-friendly home.

Hopefully your house isn’t super dusty, but if it is make sure to give it a little extra oomph with homemade dusting spray.

You know best where dust collects in your house. Focus on visible areas (don’t worry about tackling the top of the kitchen cabinets this very second). If you have time to, dusting the baseboards will make your house feel so much cleaner. But that’s really just icing on the cake.

7. Mop floors

Nothing says clean like a good shine! Taking a few minutes to mop and shine wood, laminate, and tile floors will make your guests think that your house is the height of cleanliness. I make an awesome homemade wood floor cleaner that really gives it an awesome shine.

If you make it all the way to step 7, your house will be spic and span. Or, at least your guests will think it is. They don’t need to see the giant box of clutter in the closet, right?

Anyways, this last step will give your house that extra boost. Shiny floors are the ultimate “this house is so clean” message. The look and feel of them is so inviting.

So there you have it! Use these steps to get your house guest-ready in 30 minutes or less. No one has to know how messy you really are, right?

Enjoy hosting!

My favorite cleaning supplies

The post Cleaning for the Holidays in 30 Minutes or Less appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

2017 Intentional Life Planners from ThePinStudio

Susie — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 17:42:46 +0000

I am kind of obsessed with organization. I love making order out of the chaos, and I save so much time because of it. I like to stay on top of things to make sure I know which way is up. Opening a drawer or a cabinet and seeing labels and order just makes me feel good. I always have my schedule organized and pegged down to the last minute.

But with all that organization, it’s so easy for me to get bogged down in projects and work that I forget the things that I actually want to get out of life.

The important stuff. Things like spending time with my family and friends, remembering to be grateful for what I have, and reminding myself of things that I’m proud of. These are all the things that make me a happier person.

Well I wanted to do something to keep me focused on living intentionally without sacrificing organization. So that’s why I designed my series of life planners!

I wanted a solution that marries my two goals:

Living intentionally and focusing on what matters to me
And staying organized and keeping track of my busy schedule.

With these planners I can be organized and project-oriented while still remembering to live intentionally and focus on what actually makes me happy and fulfilled. Keep reading to find out all the awesome ways these planners help you live intentionally.

The 2017 version of my planners are now available in my etsy shop! I’ve made some improvements to my August-August planners, and I couldn’t be happier with the result.

There are six different types of planners available:

And I am excited to tell you about them! The Pick Your Pages Planner is totally new this year, so make sure to keep reading to find out how they work.

intentional life planners

The Intentional Life Planners help you to reflect and reevaluate on a regular basis. If you follow along with the life planners, not only will you keep track of your schedule, you will also stay on top of your goals and remember what is important.

All four of the Intentional Life Planners start out with an overview of the year, with space to write in your own holidays and important dates to remember.

They each give you some time to reflect over 2016 and set your overall goals for 2017.

With the month at a glance page you can highlight the most important things coming up in the month ahead, including keeping track of bills, or assignment due dates in the student version.

The weekly planners come in a two page weekly spread with a dedicated to-do list for each day.

The monthly planners come in a two page monthly spread with lots of extra space for notes and lists you might want to add.

And each month there are check-ins to remind you of your goals, accomplishments, favorite moments, things to work on, and more. Organization and mindfulness were both equally important for me in creating this planner.

And what’s really cool about all my planner designs is that they come as an interactive PDF. That means that you can easily add text on a computer before printing out your digital planner files.

This all comes in a bright happy layout that will make you excited about staying organized.

Organization comes easily to me, but I sometimes have to work at living intentionally. I’ve been using my planner for the past several months and it really has made a difference in my life. Once I got used to using the end and beginning of months to reflect, evaluate, and refocus, it became a habit for me.

And it also reminds me of all the great things that have happened! Looking back through my month in review pages and my goal check in pages shows me how far I’ve come. It reminds me that all my hard work is paying off.

Who wouldn’t love that?

pick your pages

The Pick Your Pages Planner is completely new this year!

I know that not everyone may want the pre-planned package. You may want the goal setting sheet, but not care about the month at a glance page, or vice versa. Or maybe you want even more awesome pages in your planner, like a daily agenda, a detailed daily to-do list, or a meal planning PDF.

Well that’s why I made Pick Your Pages. Each different page is offered a la carte, and you can combine them to make your ultimate dream planner.

The Pick Your Pages Planner allows you to choose from over 20 different planner page designs to customize your dream planner. This a la carte approach allows you to get exactly what you want out of your planner and avoid paying extra for planner features that you don’t want.

There are so many options to choose from:

So you can mix and match to your heart’s content!

And the great part is that I will continue to add more Pick Your Pages designs as I get more feedback and come up with new ideas.

And I’ve got something awesome for you…

If you buy a 2017 planner before December 9th, I will also make you a custom cover page!

Just use the coupon code:

COVERPAGEPLEASE

And let me know what design, font, and words you would like!

All right, who’s ready to live intentionally? Don’t miss out!

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Kitchen Organization: Cabinets, Countertops, and Drawers

Susie — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:37:08 +0000

The kitchen is the heart of the home, but for many, it is also the black hole! Kitchen organization is so important, but it isn’t always easy to keep everything together. Today I’m going to share with you some of the ways I keep my kitchen organized. I don’t have a kitchen organization secret, just lots and lots of planning and rearranging! You may just pick up an idea or two when you get a little tour around my kitchen…

When we moved into this house, the kitchen was the drop zone for most of our boxes. We moved right after getting married, bringing along all our own belongings plus all the boxes from our registry. To say it was a disaster would be an understatement.

I made kitchen organization my top priority- unpacking and categorizing everything. I tried to find the best place to store things and ran into lots of issues- cabinets that were too shallow or too small, drawers that were not tall enough… and I spent lots of time trying to find the best place for things. When things were finally put away I felt like we could actually live here.

After living here for a few months, I took literally everything out of the cabinets and drawers and completely rearranged. You have to know how you use a space to organize it properly. I’m pretty happy with how we have things organized now- but kitchen organization is an ongoing project!

I’ve divided this post into countertops, upper cabinets, lower cabinets, and drawers. That way it’s easy to follow. Hey, I can’t help but want to be organized everywhere!

countertops

When we moved into our new house with our amazing kitchen, I knew one thing: I wanted to keep the countertops clear.

Well, I haven’t quite done that, but I’ve done the best I can! And it’s definitely an improvement on our previous kitchen. I wanted to keep only the basics out, which are things that we use regularly or things that don’t fit anywhere else.

So I settled on a few things: Our toaster oven, some basic utensils, paper towels, and our kitchenaid mixer. As we lived here I’ve also added a fruit bowl, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, honey, and a decorative plate.

Oh, and if you’ve noticed how shiny and amazing our counters are, you can give all credit to my homemade granite cleaner!

It was important to me that small things didn’t look like they were left out accidentally. I wanted them to look purposeful. So I used this awesome acacia two tier tray to store salt, pepper, honey, and a few other things. Our olive oil and vinegar are in decorative bottles next to the stove.

I kept out only our nice looking utensils in a neutral color scheme. The rest are in a drawer. This is definitely a huge improvement for us- it keeps the space looking less cluttered while still leaving important tools within reach.

We also keep our paper towels away from the sink to make them less convenient. This means we don’t use them nearly as often, opting for sponges and microfiber cloths instead. We waste so much less paper this way! We honestly don’t even go through one roll a month.

So that’s about it for countertops! We made sure everything looked purposeful while keeping it uncluttered- which is so important for kitchen organization.

upper cabinets

Cabinets can be tricky. I love the layout of ours, but I’m the first to admit that they could be much more efficient. What we’ve got going for now works for us, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we change it in the future.

Upper cabinets are one of the easiest places to store things, so it makes sense to keep your everyday use things in there. Plates, bowls, everyday drink ware, and mugs all make sense.

Where we’ve been a little less logical is to keep much of our extra dinnerware and glassware in these cabinets as well. We registered for lots of extras because of Lars’s big family (between his siblings, step siblings, and their spouses we’ve got 20 people! All in his immediate family!) This works for now but I can see myself moving our extra stuff somewhere less convenient if we need to make use of this space in the future.

I’m a huge fan of cabinet organizers– they’re super important for our kitchen organization! We got most of ours at an estate sale for $1! You really can’t beat that. I’ve made use of them to try to keep stacking to a minimum. The less stacking the less weight each piece has to bear, meaning they will last longer.

I put our dinnerware to the left of the stove because they are directly across from the dishwasher. When emptying the dishwasher, dinnerware is the bulk of it. So I put them where it was most convenient.

We’ve got a lot of height in our cabinets, which you can’t necessarily see from the pictures. I’m 5’8″ and I can just barely reach the third shelf in these cabinets. Top shelf is step stool territory. So logically the things we use every day are kept lower.

For our drinkware, we keep our drinking glasses and commemorative mugs on the lowest shelf. The mugs that came with our dinnerware are on the second shelf. The top two shelves are for less frequently used glassware- champagne glasses, wine glasses, beer glasses, martini glasses, cocktail glasses… why does each beverage need it’s own glass?! Luckily we have the space for them!

This cabinet is one of my favorites. It stores all our pitchers and long trays and cutting boards. I used a maple rack to keep the trays in place. It just makes me happy to look in this cabinet and see everything easily accessible.

Finding a place for our bakeware was a little trickier. The only cabinet that was deep, wide, and tall enough was the one above the pantry. We had previously stored kitchen appliances here, but I found a better spot for them.

Once the appliances were moved out and the bakeware was added, I felt like I had finally found the right place for things! We used a wire organizer to keep baking trays separate, and kept our cute nesting casserole trays in front.

lower cabinets

These are definitely my favorite! We’ve worked really hard to make our lower cabinets work for us. Kitchen organization is tricky, so it takes trial and error. We don’t have very many lower cabinets, but the ones we do have are put to good use!

This cabinet came with pull out drawers, which I absolutely love. We keep our cookware in this cabinet, which is to the left of the oven. We ended up moving the top drawers higher so that we could keep some taller cookware on bottom.

You know I love cabinet organizers- I’ve made use of this awesome one to store our pans. They fit perfectly in the cabinet drawer.

You can see that I keep our pots and saucepans in the other section of the cabinet. Finding lid storage is always a challenge. I’ve used one of the door mounted lid racks before, but the lids fell off if you slammed the door too hard. So we kept ours in the upper drawer of this cabinet. It works so well for us!

This narrow cabinet baffled me for a while. It is such an awkward size- there isn’t much you can logically fit in there! I stored some of our bakeware in there for a while, but it was still too narrow. When rearranging I realized it was the perfect size to fit small appliances!

So this awkward narrow cabinet became our small appliance storage. We keep our waffle maker, fondue pot, immersion blender, and mandolin slicer in there. It’s one of my favorite organization ideas to date.

And if you have trouble with the cabinet under your kitchen sink- that’s a topic in and of itself! Which is why I already wrote an entire post about it. Just click here to read it!

drawers

Drawers can be tricky- it’s easy to just toss everything in there and forget about it. Which is why drawer organizers are so important!

We have an awesome huge drawer to the right of the stove- so that’s where we keep the rest of our utensils. We also keep knives, baggies, tin foil, and wax paper there. I’ve made use of some drawer dividers so far, but I plan to build our own custom drawer dividers sometime in the future- so be looking out for that project!

Tupperware has always stumped me. I just never found a good way to store it! My current system is working for us, and I think I’ve solved the issue. I’ve made use of 2 deep drawer dividers to keep our tupperware sorted.

I keep the large tupperware (and our awesome reusable bowl cover) in the left section. Normal size tupperware goes in the middle, and lids on the right. It makes it easy to find everything and put it away. Let’s hope it works long term!

Now for my favorite drawer- the spice drawer! These spice drawer liner inserts were the perfect size to fit our drawer. I just laid them down, and then added all our spices. Now they are always in reach and easy to find. Maybe one day I’ll put them all in color-coded matching containers and be in organization heaven, but I’m not there yet!

So there you have it- that’s how I keep our kitchen organized!

There’s no secret to kitchen organization- you just have to find what works for you. Making things easy to find and put away is key- and be open minded! If it makes most sense for you to store dinnerware in a drawer- do it! Work with what you have.

Good luck organizing- let me know how it goes for you!

things that keep our kitchen organized

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ThePinStudio Intentional Life Planner

Susie — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 15:44:05 +0000

It’s hard to keep everything straight in life- from budgets, to goals, to keeping track of appointments, it’s easy to get lost in the madness. I’m a big fan of organization, but with so much going on, I even get things mixed up and get lost in the shuffle. I often feel like I’m so busy keeping busy that I forget to focus on what really matters.

Recently I was talking to someone about how much time I spend blogging. It took talking to another person for me to realize how much time I’m spending sitting in front of a computer (let’s just say- too much!). It took that for me to step outside myself. And I realized that I wasn’t spending enough time with friends and family, so I wanted to refocus. That’s why I designed my Ultimate Life Planner!

The life planner will help you live a more intentional life. It gives you the resources to not only stay organized, but also purposeful and driven. It also helps you to reflect and reevaluate on a regular basis. If you follow along with the life planner, not only will you keep track of basic tasks to become more efficient, you will also stay on top of the big picture things you want to achieve in life. It has resources for goal setting, reflection, staying on top of your bills, and more.

I’m super excited about this awesome Life Planner, and I’m even more excited about my new etsy shop, ThePinStudio! Designing a planner that fit my lifestyle was one of the reasons that I wanted to open my new shop. I started designing this planner because I wanted to live with intention- setting goals for myself and keeping myself on track.

While doing research to make my planner, I realized that most planners you can buy online are only for printing. I wanted a planner that I could edit on a computer, because I have terrible handwriting. So I made this life planner an editable pdf. That means the planner allows you to not only print and write, but also type everything in! It works well for those who don’t want to print their planner, or those who do and have bad handwriting.

All right- let’s take a deeper look into the planner! I’m going to walk you through some of the highlights and show you why it really is a LIFE planner, and not just an appointment book.

I made a video to show you the details on the planner, and you can also read the rest of the post to find out more.

Let’s take a look inside the Life Planner!

Year at a glance

The planner starts out with the big picture things you’ll want to reference. It shows the entire years calendar, holidays, and has space for you to write in important dates. Because of the editable pdf feature, you can type in the important dates on a computer instead of writing them if you prefer.

Month in Review

The weekly Life Planner comes with a month in review section. At the end of every month, before you move on, it has resources for you to reflect.

Writing in your favorite moments will help you remember them in the future. Writing down what you are grateful for is such a great exercise to do on a regular basis.

You can also keep track of what bills you paid on what date, and review the things you want to do more and less of.

Month at a Glance

Each month begins with the Month at a Glance. You can write in important appointments to reference, keep track of due dates for bills, and write your top 3 things. You also have a section to keep track of your savings and remind you not to forget about them.

The top three is my favorite because it’s so versatile. You can write in your top 3 goals, or the top 3 to do list items, or the top three appointments. I also love the notes section.

It’s so great to have these important reminders and events on one page that you can easily reference.

Student Version

The planner also comes in a student version, which has only two differences. Instead of bills, it has space to keep track of assignments and grades. I definitely should have done this when I was in school- it would have kept me on top of when my big assignments were due and organize accordingly.

Monthly Goal Setting and Check In

Each month allows you to set or check in on 10 different goals. Having this at the beginning of each month reminds you to stay on task, and also makes you review them.

Setting goals is great, but you have to stay on top of them. So that’s why they are at the beginning of each month. It also allows you to reevaluate them if you’ve already accomplished your goals or want to change them.

Weekly calendar

The weekly calendar is where you can organize your schedule. It has tons of space for writing in appointments, reminders, and whatever else you might want. Each day also has its own to do list. I’m kind of addicted to to do lists, so I knew I wanted one for every day individually.

There’s space for notes, and there’s also space to write reminders for next week. This planner always keeps you looking ahead with you eyes on the goals!

The life planner will enable and inspire you to live a more intentional life. It helps you not only stay organized and on top of your schedule, but also to keep your eye on your goals. If you’re ready to live a more purposeful and intentional life, this planner is for you.

Live intentionally, authentically, and strategically with ThePinStudio life planner!

If you’re ready to live a more intentional and organized life, check out the Life Planner from ThePinStudio

Intentional Life Planner from ThePinStudio

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20 Cute and Affordable Organizing Bins for Under $10

Susie — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 12:30:59 +0000

I’ve said time and time again that my best organizing secret is using bins and baskets! They are the perfect way to corral and separate your things while keeping clutter out of sight.

I’ve acquired quite the collection of bins and baskets over the years. And somehow I don’t seem to stop- I always find new ones to make use of in organizational projects. I’ve gotten good at spotting ones that are a good deal!

So here are 20 organizational bins that are all under $10! Style, function, and affordability is the trifecta. You can’t go wrong!

1. Color blocked cube

I’m starting with my favorite! I think this fabric cube from target is insanely adorable. The color and pop of metallic would be perfect for anything from a craft room to a nursery. I have a ton of these fabric bins from target, and I love that they are always coming out with cute new patterns.

2. Gray Milk Crate

I have this gray milk crate and I use it to store extra gift wrapping supplies. It’s super sturdy and functional.

3. Mint woven bin

This woven mint bin is adorable. If you can’t tell by my site design, mint is one of my favorite colors. I love these woven bins because they are lightweight and sturdy.

4. Patterned fabric cube

Like I said, I love these fabric bins from target! They come in so many great colors and patterns. I honestly have more than 10 of these because they are so cute, practical, and affordable.

5. woven Turquoise cube

If you’re looking for a bright and happy organizational bin, look no further! This turquoise cube is so adorable.

6. Woven wood basket

If your style is a little more earthy, this woven wood basket is perfect. It’s neutral enough that it could fit into plenty of decor schemes.

7. Gold dots cube

Okay, I know I’ve said I love these fabric cubes from target. They seriously come in so many adorable colors and patterns! I love this white one with gold dots- it would fit perfectly in my craft room.

8. Round Jute Bins

The Container Store always has adorable organizing bins. I love these round jute bins– they’re attractive enough to have them sitting out anywhere they are seen every day, while still being practical.

9. Wire Stacking Baskets

How cute are these wire baskets? I love that they contain the clutter, while still letting you see what’s inside. They’re perfect for a pantry or a bathroom.

10. Sand Knit Basket

I love baskets that have great handles. They’re great for storing things that you use often. That’s just one of the reasons I love these sand knit baskets– they’re also super cute!

11. Water Hyacinth Bin

I have a bunch of these water hyacinth bins. They’re on the smaller side, so they’re perfect for putting in places where small clutter (pens, bobby pins, etc.) pile up.

12. Ivory Woven Bins

I think these ivory woven bins are perfect for more of a minimalist style. They look clean and neat, while still being attractive. Plus they’re super functional!

13. Red basket with handles

I love this style of bin- it has a stiff structure but soft sides. I have a very similar one in my bathroom. This red basket is a fun and the perfect basket to add a pop of color to a room.

14. Clear Stacking Bins

If you’re looking for a simple and clean look, these clear stacking bins are perfect. They are super versatile! You could use them in a pantry, or for office supplies, or makeup, or pretty much anything you can think of.

15. Printed fabric bin

This fabric bin is so useful! Not only is it cute, but it also can easily be folded up when not in use. It comes in a ton of different cute patterns.

16. Black and white organizer

Okay, so this black and white organizer isn’t strictly a bin or basket… but I still think it qualifies. It’s super adorable, and I love that it has a loop so you can easily string several of them together or hang it off of something.

17. Knit Blue and White Basket

I’m a sucker for navy and white- they look so great together. That’s why I love this small knit blue and white basket. The colors are great, and it’s absolutely adorable.

18. Fabric bin with label

Using labels is so important for organizing. After all, what good is sorting your stuff if you don’t know what’s in there? That’s why this fabric bin with a label is so great- you don’t have to make or add your own.

19. Patterned fabric tote

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love bright colors and patterns. This patterned fabric tote has both, but since the color is inside, it’s a subtler statement.

20. Fabric bin with window

If you’re super organized, even in your bins, this bin with a window is perfect for you. Personally I think I’m a bit too messy to use a bin with a window, but when they are used well they look amazing.

All right- that’s a lot of bins! There are so many good options for under $10. Get organizing!

The post 20 Cute and Affordable Organizing Bins for Under $10 appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

DIY Necklace Holder

Susie — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 12:52:33 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I am terrible at organizing my necklaces. I’ve tried lots of different organizers but they always end up a jumbled tangled mess. And then I end up not wearing them because of the time it takes to get everything untangled!

I decided I needed to fall back on one of my favorite organizing tricks and use hooks. When I’m looking for an organizational solution, I always want something that is quick and easy to use. If it isn’t, I never end up putting anything away. So open hooks seemed like the perfect solution for necklaces. So I got to DIY-ing, and came up with this DIY necklace holder.

And it has been working great for me! Not only is it effective for organizing, the DIY necklace holder looks attractive and brightens up my closet. Safe to say, I’m very pleased with it. Add to it the fact that it took me about 20 minutes total to make, hang, and add all my necklaces, and I couldn’t be happier!

Tools and Supplies you will need:

A wood backing (I used this wood canvas after it failed at another DIY project, but you could also repurpose an old drawer or wood panel)
Craft paint
Paintbrush
Masking tape
Small nails
A hammer
Command picture hanging strips

Step One: Paint the wood backing

I used the inside of a wood canvas for my necklace hanger. I painted the outside of it white, and let that dry for about an hour. I put masking tape over the white so that I could paint the inside a different color.

I wanted the inside to have a marbling effect. So I painted the back a light blue, and let that dry. I then added glops of pink and blue paint together and messily swirled them around so that the brush strokes were still visible. I continued this until I got a pattern and look that I liked.

Step Two: Add the nails

I started out measuring and marking out the nails at equal intervals, but I never end up liking things that are perfectly spaced, so I ended up eyeballing and estimating where to put the nails. I just nailed each one in so that it was secure, but sticking out far enough so that you could still hang a necklace on it.

Step Three: Hang!

The last step is to hang your new organizer. I have recently discovered and fallen in love with command picture strips. I used four to hang this on our wall. They are super easy to use, and if you hang your holder crooked (which I always do on the first try) you can easily reposition and adjust it.

Then all you have to do is hang your necklaces- and you’re ready to go!

I love my new DIY necklace holder! It looks so bright and cheery. It’s already been very useful at organizing my necklaces.

The added benefit of making this necklace holder was that I had to round up and untangle all of my necklaces, which was not a short process. It’s been so long since I’ve sorted through them all that I actually forgot that I owned a few of them! That just goes to show how much I really needed to make this.

And, as organizing goes, the best solutions are always simple and easy to use. It takes absolutely no effort on my part to hang a necklace up, and definitely is easier for me to find them.

I love it when organizational solutions become part of the decor as well. This DIY necklace holder blends in seamlessly, adding both style and function.

Now that my necklaces are easier to find and access, I’m definitely wearing them more. I could not be happier with this easy DIY!

So- what do you think? Are you ready to make one yourself? Happy DIY-ing!

Supplies used in this post

The post DIY Necklace Holder appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

5 tips for an organized move

Susie — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 16:06:55 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT. All opinions are 100% mine.

In the past 8 years or so I’ve moved more than 10 times. Now before you think I’m some flighty flake, most of those moves were during college and graduate school- where I never lived anywhere longer than a year. In all those moves, I’ve learned a lot of lessons about how to make your move as smooth and organized as possible. These are my top tips!

1. Don’t pay for boxes

I’ve only recently settled down my roots in my permanent home. The past 8 years or so I’ve moved a lot- through college, graduate school, moving in with my boyfriend, and finally, moving into my house. And I’ve never paid for boxes. Not one cent.

Instead, I look for free boxes on craigslist. Someone will always have recently moved to your area and want to get the boxes off their hands. Alternately, once you’ve finished unpacking, you can list your boxes on craigslist and have someone come pick them up and get rid of them for you.

Get boxes for free, and give them away for free and avoid ALL the hassle. It’s really the best way to move.

2. Pack by thinking about unpacking

It’s easy to get into a frenzy of just throwing things into boxes with other similar things. I like to think about unpacking before I even start packing. Your move will go so much easier if you plan by unpacking.

Instead of putting all your books in one box, put your textbooks in a box for your office and your novels in a book for you living room, for example. That way, when you move in, instead of moving things from room to room, you will just unpack each box in its own room.

And leave your clothes on the hangers. Seriously- it’s such a waste to take them off when packing and put them on when unpacking. I usually just lay mine flat in a huge duffel bag and it has always worked so well for me.

Before you start packing a box, think about what room that box will go in.

3. Label, label, label

What’s the point of organized packing if you don’t know what’s in the box? Label, and do it right away.

Seriously, your steps should be: pack, seal, LABEL. If you don’t do it right away you might forget what is in the box. Having a sharpie and masking tape around to label each box is so much more useful than you know.

I like to use two labels: one that says what room the box should go in, and one that summarizes what is in the box. So that way I know not to stack the box of novelty mugs on top of the box of my grandmother’s china. You don’t want to mess around with the irreplaceable stuff, which is another good reason to label.

Over-labeling is preferable to under-labeling. Go nuts!

4. Temporary storage will save you a lot of headaches

Unless you are one of the lucky few whose leases or closings line up perfectly, you might find yourself in a temporary living situation. You could move all your stuff into your temporary place, and then move it again to your next home, but that is a lot of work.

Instead, use temporary storage places. My favorite are the ones that will deliver a portable storage unit to you, you fill it, they store it, and then deliver it to your new place when you’re ready. I’ve made the mistake of not doing this before, and it is a real pain.

Why move twice when you can move once? Use portable storage units.

5. Furniture rental services are totally worth it

You COULD move all your furniture into your temporary place and then move it again into your new place… but that is just so much more work than necessary. Furniture rental is by far a better option.

Going hand in hand with using portable storage units is finding a way to furnish your temporary living situation. I can tell you first hand that CORT Furniture Rental is an amazing service who I am a big fan of. Their furniture is really great quality and affordable, and they have what you need for any sort of temporary living situation. They make it so convenient and easy.

Save yourself the headache and rent furniture when you move!

Good luck with your move, and I hope these tips help you stay organized!

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