My BLOG is over HERE now....

CLICK HERE to go to my BLOG! 

Sorry for the confusion but I wanted my website and blog to be together! And now they are and it is a beautiful thing! :)

Come and visit me to see the new look!

This Blog has Continued @ Simply Squared Away (dot) com

Just a quick, AND VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: We are continuing our blog on our website!!! Yeah! Woohoo! Yipppeee!

Feel free to browse here for as long as you like and then come on over to our NEW & IMPROVED & CUTE (but clean, simple and organized) website where our blog continues!!

Please join our mailing list on the website to get blog posts directly in your inbox. We will have a few regular topics like:

• PROJECTS - see before and after pictures and hear the stories behind them
• Got Questions? - get answers to your pressing questions
• It's All About Me - I will be sharing life...mysterious, eh!?
• Guest Bloggers
• Giveaways

You won't want to miss it! See you there!

Tracy

FREE Boots

Do you need a pair of free, stylish boots for this winter?? I just couldn't pass up informing you of a great deal going on by UGG boots...Sign up to receive their newsletter here and be entered to win a free pair of Whooga boots by UGG!!
"What exactly are Whooga boots by UGG?" you ask. This is a mini description taken directly from their website:

"What are Whooga ugg boots?

Whooga is widely recognised as the world’s fastest growing boutique brand of ugg boots. We stand proud as an alternative brand for chilli toes seeking something a little warmer than normal. We achieve this legendary warmth and comfort with Thermofleece which offers a number of benefits over traditional ugg boots.
- Whooga is an internationally trademarked brand
- The fastest growing winter footwear brand for the past 4 years
- A passion for fashion and creating the worlds warmest boots
- We warm ten's of thousands of toes every single day"

This new gold color is my favorite.

If you like free click here to sign up for their newsletter and be in the drawing this month!! Let me know if you win!!! :)

Quote of the Day

A good quote can give you something to think about all day...It can change the way you look at things!

"Instead of being overwhelmed by the vultures be amazed at the peacocks."

                 ~ Barbara Hemphill                        

Learn more about this by listening to her three minute podcast here.

Small Project - Organizing a Bathroom Countertop

Are you ready to tackle a small project? The bathroom countertop can be a constant mess challenge. It gets used every day - most likely twice a day! Removing everything from the counter and storing it in a cabinet would be great but the reality is that it becomes a pain (in the back) to bend over and pull things out of a lower cabinet AND then to bend over and put them back twice a day! Most people will not maintain that system and the countertop returns back to being a mess unorganized! That is why I am a fan of "reality" organizing.

Here is an example of a real life countertop that is unorganized. Can you relate at all!? Stuff has accumulated...and now it is crammed in the corner...somewhat of an eye sore to start your day!

In addition to looking bad it tends to be unclean, too, because wiping down the countertop means lifting each item separately...a time consuming activity.

"What is the best way to organize this?" you ask. Here are a few guidelines:

1. Sort your countertop items into two piles:
• what you use everyday or at least every other day
• what you use less frequently
2. Ask yourself if you have more countertop space, back of the door space or wall space. This helps you decide if you should use the wall to store regularly used items (in a cabinet that you hang or mount), the door (in an over-the-door organizer with individual pockets), on the countertop (in a container), or a little of all three!
3. Choose products that are ATTRACTIVE to you AND durable and the right size to hold your items.

Pretty simple, eh? Here is the after picture of this countertop:
 

Is that not the cutest basket? It was purchased at Pier 1 for $10.00. The webbing is a plastic-y material so that if it does get wet it won't ruin the container. Try using a temporary container first - an old tupperware or planter to check size and see if you even like it before going and purchasing something. Then you can take the temporary container with you to find just the right size!


From now on the countertops can remain organized, kept clean easily and if you want to clear it off for company it takes just one hand to move the basket inside a cabinet!!!

How do you keep your bathroom countertop organized?

Pantry Organization

Sometimes all you need is a fresh perspective and a new set of eyes! My client is known by her friends and in her neighborhood as one of the most organized people they know!! But she was "stuck" on her pantry. She called and asked if I could help.

One key thing that she said to me was that the set of shelves as you enter the pantry were specifically made for and called "can" shelves. The only problem was that you couldn't stack two standard size cans and space was being wasted when only one can was placed there! We all do this. We think that because we have always put sheets in a linen closet that sheets have to go in a linen closet. Another client's house didn't have a linen closet so we hung her sheets up on hangers in the spare bedroom closet!! It worked! So, think outside the box. Have a friend come and think along side you!

BEFORE...the shelves made for cans had to house cans, right?

Also, focus on trying to make your space as beautiful as you can when you first walk in or open the door. I wanted those "can" shelves to be uniform, neat, and appealing to the eye. We used all clear plastic bins to do this and labeled them. We used one shelf  for sauces and we reduced her cookbooks slightly so they could all fit neatly on two shelves! That is the first thing she sees now when she opens the door!

AFTER: Labeled, clear plastic bins, neatly stacked cookbooks...appealing to the eye AND useful!

Next, most pantries have boxes and cans. Free tip: Put all boxes on one shelf and all cans on another. Within those two category you can arrange more specifically. For example, group all breakfast items together, pasta items together, etc. 

BEFORE: A little confusing even though everything is labeled and lots of containers are used.

AFTER: Boxes together, cans together, breakfast together = appealing to the eye AND easy to put things away!

Finally, use square baskets in pantries to house like items - chips, pasta bags, rice, snacks, etc. They are beautiful the shelf. If you housed baking supplies in one you could just pull it out when baking and have everything at your fingertips!

Good, quality BASKETS that won't snag are a useful addition to house like items. These are from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Share your favorite tips for organizing your pantry!

Paper, Paper, EVERYWHERE!

Cute & classy organizing products can aid us in our 5th step of organizing (read about the 5 steps here and here) - Maintain. Below are two pictures of a portable action file that I made. The purpose of the action file is to temporarily house paper coming into your home. Every piece of paper coming in should have a place to go. It could be recycled, thrown out, filed, returned immediately to a backpack or your car for delivery OR housed in your action file.

Creating an action file is easy. This is a service I offer and is very customizable to meet your needs. You can also make one on your own. This action file is housed in a DiVoga Desktop File Bin from Office Max(only in stores). It is made of a clear, hard plastic so that you can purchase any decorative file folder to match your decor, slide a file folder in the front and back and, "Wahhh La", you have made it cute & classy or fun & colorful or simple & satisfying, whatever your taste.

Then, as you sort through your piles of paper see what kind of compartments (files with tabs) you need. In the photo you can see some basic examples people might use. The key is to remember that this is a temporary holding spot - not meant for permanent papers that need to be archived. Enjoy making your portable action file (and of course, send me a photo)!

Go through one stack of papers today and get them put away! Let me know how it goes! Happy Wednesday!