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.