Rule Number Three.

I must once again put in a good word for the handy (and I might add CHEAP!) organizational supplies found at IKEA. They offer small storage solutions for laundry & cleaning, waste sorting, boxes & baskets, paper & media organizers, bins & bags, clothes & shoes organizers, hooks & hangers, kitchen organizers and (of course) bathroom accessories.

Now, you already know Rule Number One ('Everything Needs a Home') but what if  the 'home' you give something is a 'full-house'.

What if you have so many spices or so many pens/pencils or so many anything really that you can't easily access any of it? What if you're dutiful to return everything to its proper place but things still don't seem to be going your way organizationally?

That's where Rule Number Three comes in: Accessibility is the Key.

Many times, storage systems purchased at stores such as IKEA can offer the perfect solution. I hope my sister won't mind if I use her bathroom as the perfect example.

What you must know: my sister has four, count em', FOUR girls. And as many can relate, four girls all sharing one bathroom can equal disaster at times. Happily, my sister has it under control. She purchased three BYGEL rails for $1.99 a piece and six BYGEL containers for $.99 each. To add some variety, she also invested in two BYGEL wire baskets for $1.99 a piece.

The end product looks AMAZING.

Now, instead of piling things of top of each other and cramming hair products onto a shelf too deep to be humanly reached, everything is logically ordered for accessibility. Her girls love having their own space and the removable containers make finding the perfect hair accessory easy-peasy. She even added a fun plastic plant for a burst of color and freshness. (Excuse the poor photo quality.)



Other times, necessity is the mother of invention.

Take a look at the clever way in which she organized her daughter's flower hair clips. By tacking a fun, wide ribbon to the wall and clipping each barrette along its length, she not only created a beautiful wall decoration but an ingenious solution to the 'messy bin of hair things' that no one ever uses because it's so cluttered.

Learn to tell the difference between 'organization' and 'compilation'. Are you organizing logically to allow for easy accessibility? Or are you simply making cluttered piles?

Assess your surroundings and make them work for you.

Take it from Oprah.

I'll have you know that organization is on the mind of one of the world's most powerful women. That's right.

Oprah has announced her 'Ultimate Favorite Things' of 2010.

Coming in at 28 of 44, you will find:

Elfa Customizable Closet System from

the Container Store

Oprah says one of the most exciting dates she's ever been on was when Stedman took her to the Container Store. "I get excited by all those containers," she says.

While Stedman isn't available to take everyone to the Container Store, the Container Store can come to you!

Not only is the elfa closet system completely customizable, but the Container Store also has designers ready online, in-store or by phone to help you design the closet of your dreams.



Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?...
All my hopes and dreams combine to form the wonder that is this majestic closet. *sigh*

Refrigerator Organization

Remember how everything has a home?
Well, this little snippet of knowledge can be applied to practically every part of your dwelling, including the dreaded refrigerator.

First thing's first.
There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to have moldy food items. After all. You won't have worry about rancid food if you have taken a daily inventory of the inhabitants of your fridge.

Proper refrigeration etiquette requires constant maintenance.
This can include:

• Wiping up spills as soon as they appear.
• Throwing out leftovers after seven days.
• Getting rid of items you don't easily recognize. (Though this can be applied to that fuzzy, green Tupperware you believe may have contained cooked rotini in a former life, I am more specifically referring to those items that were purchased and never/rarely used.)
• Combining two opened containers of the same product. (No need for two ketchups people.)
• Storing similar items together.

This last step is by FAR the most important when it comes to staying organized.

Now, the clever refrigerator engineers of the world have devised a very ingenious solution to this dilemma. It's a little thing I like to call compartmentalizing.

Ever noticed how certain areas of the fridge are often labeled? I'm sure many of you were simply stupefied to learn that there is such a thing as a 'crisper' drawer or a 'dairy' shelf. Don't even get me started on the eighth wonder of the world that is the cooler door.

Beyond strange. I know.

So here's the thing. After hauling all the groceries in from the car, divide them into piles of a similar nature. Dairy with dairy. Produce with produce. Meat with meat. You get the idea.

Then, group on/in the appropriate refrigerator shelf/drawer as needed. No problem, right?

When you become a true pro, you'll start to do this without even realizing it. No joke!

And then, one day, you'll be putting the cheese away and (without even thinking) it will end up back with its dairy buddies.

I shed a glistening tear for the glory that is that moment.

It's a thing of beauty, I tell ya. A thing of beauty.

Rule Number Two.

Here's the thing.
Organization doesn't have to be all time consuming.

If you were to spend 10 minutes a day deep cleaning a particular area of your home, there would be no need for major Spring cleanings or stressful Saturdays, elbow deep in sudsy water.

So here's the second important thing to remember: KISS.

Now... little do you know, this can be interpreted two ways.
#1 is pretty self explanatory. Feel free to participate in said activity as much as you want.
#2 is more specifically the issue at hand. Keep It Simple Stupid!

You don't need to be super-mom or anal-girl to keep things under control. Follow these few simple steps and you'll be fancy-free:

1) Constantly pick up after yourself.
Messes can't pile up if you take care of them right away. Just like when you were little and your mom said, "You have to put away the blocks before you can take out the Barbies." Now, this may seem a little juvenile but, if you need to limit yourself in this way, heck, it's a place to start.

2) Make sure your SCHED-ule will allow it.
Life is all about priorities. Decide today that you want to make your home a haven from a world of chaos and clutter. Though most people don't relish mopping the floor or scrubbing the toilet, it will not get done if you do not do it! Buckle down and get to work.

3) Organize yourselves.
I don't know how to state it more simply. Straighten out. Straighten up. I'm always willing to help.

4) Make home feel like 'you'.
This can be the most self-gratifying step of all. I am telling you to go out and find objects, colors, forms, etc. that scream 'you' then incorporate them into your space. You will feel ever so happy with the house you have now transformed into a home.

Moral:
Follow these simple steps on you'll be well on your way to becoming the organized goddess that you've always known you could be.

Organizing Kitchen Utensils

The kitchen can be one of the most hazardous areas of the home if not properly organized and kitchen utensils can make or break the deal when it comes to keeping things under control.

Now, it is no secret that college students live highly economical and often times dis-organized lives. I can personally attest to the 'all-hours' schedule and resulting havoc that a young single life can emit.

So, if the average college student were to come home to garbage strewn counters, a sink overflowing with dirty dishes, three bags of garbage blocking entry to the pantry door and a veritable smorgasbord of other such clutter horrors, they'd probably think nothing of it.

I, however, would go into convulsions.

Therefore, as I present a few examples from my own apartment, please be aware that you are in the presence of one of the select few college students who do obsess over an tidy kitchen.

Exhibit A:

This turntable container was, at first, sufficient when it came to containing my kitchen utensils. But all too soon my love for cooking and propensity towards buying every imaginable tool for doing so evolved into a mass of objects that would no longer happily fit.

And thus, the dilemma.

Would I have to:
A) Teach my roommates how to pack them more efficiently into their proper place?
B) Avert my eyes and try to forget the mess entirely when entering the kitchen?
-OR-, heaven forbid,
C) Prune down my collection?

Of course, option C is just silly.
So I took a different approach.

Exhibit B:

I found these little beauties at my local Deseret Industries (commonly known as the DI to Utahns) which is a local donation based thrift store. I recognized them immediately as a product I have often seen in IKEA catalogs from time to time. I bought all five on the spot for $.75 a piece.

When I got home, I did a little research and found that the exact same pails sold for over $4.00 online. WIN.
I made a quick trip to buy the accompanying wall mounted rod for $1.50 and WAH-LAH.

Instant difference.

I absolutely LOVE the extra counter space I can now utilize. Not to mention that my kitchen utensils are pleasantly spaced along the wall for convenient placement and easy access.

I deem this an organizational success.

Rule Number One.

Everything has a home.
I repeat.
Everything MUST have a home.

Here's what I mean:
Just as you and I have homes that we return to each day, the objects we allow into our lives must also be given somewhere to 'live'.

I'll give you some quick examples:
A) Milk cartons go in the fridge.
B) Dirty clothes go in a hamper.
C) Garbage goes in the trash can.

See what I mean? Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.

Granted, just as humans move from time to time, objects may also find themselves re-located to a new home occasionally.

But by no means am I endorsing homeless, vagabond junk. Left strewn across every surface.

So here's what you need to do:
Go home, find items that are 'home'sick and then, well...

You know what to do.

Salutations

Welcome to the beginnings of my small business blog:

'Corinner-Elly: Clean, Clear & Clutter-Free'.

As I draw closer to my imminent graduation from Brigham Young University in April 2011, I have come to the conclusion that I was born to do one thing and one thing only: I will organize the world!

And the good news is: I start today!

Here I will post photos of my most recent projects while documenting my journey in the process of becoming a Professional Organizer.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.