Organizing With Hooks…They Will Hook You In

June 15, 2010 By Gail Gray 6 Comments

Hooks are a great tool in organizing.  Having a home for things is a vital part of keeping an organized home.  They work well for towels (no need to fold and hang over a towel rod), keys, leashes, and frequently used bags/backpacks/jackets/sweatshirts.  I love to find great new hooks that are add decorative charm, but are at an affordable price.

Esty is a great place to find unique, affordable, adorable decor for you home.  For those of you who don’t know, Etsy is a place where those who craft and make handmade items sell their goods.  It is a website you can get lost in looking at all the great items people have created!  I wanted to share with you some of the fun hooks I found on Etsy.

OldNewAgain

RiriCreations

NoushkaDesigns

Wuda

AimeesRockWorks

Postroadvintage

MesquiteForge

I use hooks all over my home.  Truly they have made my life a lot easier.  There is less on the floor for starters!  Things are just easier to see.

I recently realized I outgrew my jewelry storage and needed to come up with something new.  I used hooks in my bedroom to hang my necklaces.  It to me is now the “art” in my bedroom.  I am not sure my husband finds it art, but I love the way it looks and now I wear more of my necklaces than I did before.

I use a key hook with mail slots for easy access to my keys.  The mail slots are used more for things I need to get me out the door.  My iPod is one of them.  Eye glass cleaner (my husband was hugely up-sold one day at the mall) is adorning the top section.

I also use them to hold backpacks and sweatshirt for school.  My boys were notorious for dropping their backpacks in the middle of the passthrough in our kitchen.  I installed the hooks so there was no excuse as to not having a place to put them!

I had always used a towel rod to hang my bath towels. I would waste spend time diligently lining up the folded towels to they sat perfectly even…and then I decided to throw in the towel – literally!  The hooks mean less work!

My kids have the same set up, except I did make the mistake of not installing the hooks low enough for my little one to reach.  He has found that if he climbs on the toilet seat he can reach the hook…but he is not a fan of it.  Word to the wise, for kids hang low!!!

I have hooks behind the doors of my kids rooms for their hats, hooks in the garage for baseball bags, tennis bags, and other sports bags.  I have a hook inside my kitchen cabinet under the sink for my towels.  Hooks in my office for my work bags.  I could go on and on…

Do you use hooks?  What other uses have you found for hooks?

Filed Under: Bathroom Organizing, Bedroom Organizing, Children and Family, Closet Organizing, Garage Organizing, Kitchen Organizing, Laundry Organizing, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips Tagged With: Bathroom Organizing, Children, closet organizing, clutter control, cutting clutter, declutter, Family, home maintenance, home organizing, Kitchen Organizing, Organizing, Organizing Children, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips, professional organizer, Professional Organizing, Professional organizing in Orange County, Residential Professional Organizing

When Clients Blog…An Organizing Session in Review

June 7, 2010 By Gail Gray Leave a Comment

I had the opportunity to do an organizing session with a client that will soon be featured in our local paper The Orange County Register.   I was blessed to be able to work with Robin Barr of Cold Sores BeGone.  She is an amazing woman who turned a problem into a profit!  Her cold sore remedy really works and is all natural to boot!  In addition to her business, she has two blogs, Robin Barr Buzz and Saddleback Buzz.  She is dynamic and eager to learn – a great client to have!

She was kind enough to take our session for article and write a blog post detailing her side of the story!  Check it out here…

Robin Barr

BEFORE

AFTER

I would love to hear what you think of it and your comments on how the project turned out!

Filed Under: Bathroom Organizing, Closet Organizing, Inspired Spaces, Organizing Tips Tagged With: Bathroom Organizing, closet organizing, clutter control, home organizing, Organizing Tips, professional organizer, Professional organizing in Orange County, Residential Professional Organizing

Inspiring Organized Spaces – Master Bathrooms

April 9, 2010 By Gail Gray Leave a Comment

When I begin an organizing space, I ask my clients to envision how they want the space to look and feel.   Similar to interior decorating, having a vision of what you want the space to look like sets you on the path to completion of your  project.  When you start organizing, if you don’t know what you want the end result to look like, your likelihood in follow through is dismal.

I am always seeing beautiful photos of inspiring spaces.  I am attracted to the ones that I could actually see completed on an average budget.  I also love to find pictures of things I could do myself.  I may not have the designers eye for interior design, but I know when a space is not only beautiful, but functional too!

Take for instance this master bath.  Living in Southern California, a large master bath is hard to find.  This appears to feel spacious, but would not require remodeling my entire home just to fit it in!  The simplicity is off set by the beautiful layering of style.  Wood floors (seems scary – I’m thinking flood) are SOOOO beautiful against the white wood and blue walls.  The baskets holding towels are a fabulous touch tying the same color to the floors.  Limited “counter” space keeps clutter at bay!

bathroom 5 - bhg

I would normally have thought an all white bathroom would scream hospital sterility, but in this case, the skylight brings in the natural element, making the space more beautiful.  Also, the accent colors pop against the white background.  I love the cubbies!  These could be easily cluttered, but I have always said if you decorate and display your open spaces well, you will tend to not clutter the space.  It ruins the beauty of the display!  The limited clutter on the sinks is great!  Most people think they have to have everything out, but if well organized, your storage spaces will keep the visual clutter on the counters at bay!

bathroom 2 - bhg

In this picture, it is a small bathroom with NO visible storage spaces.  I love the use of the basket under the sink.  It not only adds color to the white back drop, it doesn’t seem odd or cluttered to have it placed there.  In a space like this you are forced to keep only what you actually use in the space.  This helps to eliminate “product remorse” clutter.  I am referring to the products you purchased, didn’t love, and kept because you felt you may try it again one day.   Months (sometimes years) pass, and you still haven’t gone back to it.  Remember, leaving it in a cabinet won’t bring your money back!

bathroom - bhg

Another example of small space, big style is this wood beauty!  I would be sure to keep a wood cleaner close by if you have hard water!  But really, I love the grouping of old fashion alarm clocks!  What a great way to display a collection!  Plenty of storage in a small space.  Of course it is narrow, but since there is no clutter, it keeps the space more visually appealing.  Also, it uses my favorite time saving bathroom feature…hooks to hang your towels!  I used to spend so much time fussing over how the towels looked sloppy hanging on a towel rack.  I posted about this a while back…check out my “Sleeping With The Enemy” issues!  Check it out here. I love the idea of the washer/dryer in the bathroom.  I have always wanted my laundry room closer to the bedrooms.   I have heard it is not a good idea to have a washer on the second floor, but I am hoping that there are ways around it if I ever get to redo our home!!!

bathroom 6 - bhg

What inspires you?  What do you like about these bathrooms?  Are you blessed with a fabulous bath?  What are your organizing secrets for the best organized bathroom?

If you liked this post you may also like,

28 Days to Love Your Home – Day 24

Unburying Your Makeup Treasures

Makeover Your Makeup

Filed Under: Bathroom Organizing, Inspired Spaces, Organizing Tips Tagged With: Bathroom Organizing, clutter control, home organizing, Organizing, Organizing Tips, professional organizer, Professional Organizing, Professional organizing in Orange County, Residential Professional Organizing

28 Days to Love Your Home – Day 24

February 24, 2010 By Gail Gray 2 Comments

towels in a basket with starfish

Day 24

I love to look at photos of beautiful bathrooms.  They are always so neat and clean and pristine!  I am a clean freak and these photos show shiny, sparkling chrome and tile – love it!  I also love to look at rolled towels and beautiful glass apothecary jars in clean cabinets and shelves.  The one thing though is that most likely no person has every used this space!  Especially not my husband!  I think I dream of the untouched space and want to have a room like that that only I can use!

I have visions of beautiful bathrooms and hope one day I can design my own!  We have lived in 7 homes since we have been married.  I have had many different sizes of bathrooms.  Some with a ton of storage and some that I didn’t want to store anything in (no matter how much paint and shelf liner, the cabinets still grossed me out!).  I found that the more storage I had the more I stored in them!

I think where most people go wrong in the organization of the bathroom is product remorse.  You have bought soaps, make up, hair care products, face products and medicines that didn’t quite work the way you thought.  You hold onto them because they weren’t cheap and you feel guilty having spent money on it.  The, “maybe one day I will give it another try” bottles line up in your cabinets and drawers and start to take over.  You now have no room for towels, a hair dryer or anything else that is normally stored in the bathroom.

Today is the day to let it go.  Storing an item will not bring back money for it.  If you really feel bad, see if a local shelter could use the unused portions.  This can make you feel a little less guilty for the money you spent.  Clear out to just what you need and try to limit the back ups to one.  I like to have one shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and such on hand.  When one runs out I have a back up and have time to put it on my list before I am stuck washing my hair with dish soap (just kidding).

Getting the bathroom in tip top shape is easy if you pair down to what you use.  I would say need, but that word is hard for some.  I may “need” it one day plays in their head.  So get down to what you use instead.  I mean really use.  Not the foot scrubber you used once.  The things you are really using on a daily or weekly basis.

Things to think about in organizing your bathroom:

  • Towels – How often do you do laundry?  How many days will you use one before you change?  For some, no matter how green they want to be, they want a new towel everyday.  For some, it is one a week.  I can’t tell you what is right for you, but I can tell you to have enough to get you through the week.  No more than that!
  • Products – As I mentioned before, one you are using and one for back up.  That is enough.  This applies for soaps, lotions, shampoos, etc.
  • Make up – I have written a few posts on make up organizing.  See them here:

Unburying Your Make Up Treasures

Make Over Your Make Up

  • Toilet paper – Ok…what is the deal with the jumbo Costco toilet paper storage.  I understand the savings, but I where do you keep it?  I like the toilet paper holders that you keep next to the toilet.  They may not be the most decorative (although you can find nice ones) but there is nothing worse than being left with no toilet paper to spare!  A basket next to the toilet with a few extra rolls is nice, too.   If  you are a Costco fanatic, find a place to keep the jumbo extras and keep a few backups close by!

Like any organizing project, you need to figure out what you really need, figure out where you need it to be to be efficient, and have an easy way to put it back where it belongs.  Your bathroom will be a place of rejuvenation with good organization.  Your bathroom will also be a place of efficiency to get you out the door quickly with good organization.    Love on your bathroom and make it a place you like to spend time in!

Filed Under: Bathroom Organizing, Organizing Tips Tagged With: Bathroom Organizing, clutter, clutter control, cutting clutter, home organizing, Organizing, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips, professional organizer, Professional Organizing, Professional organizing in Orange County, Residential Professional Organizing

28 Days to Love Your Home – Day 21

February 21, 2010 By Gail Gray 1 Comment

bathroom

Day 21

Bathrooms can accumulate a lot of clutter. Kids bathrooms can be a magnet for mess! Keeping the bathroom clean and neat is tough. Really tough. Between the toothpaste everywhere, the wet floors, toilets that must move when the kids aim (if you have boys you know what I am talking about), and wet toys that take on a life of their own (not sure the bacteria that grows inside them is a good thing!), a bathroom for little ones can be a war zone!

My boys share a very small bathroom. There is one open shelf for storage and a small countertop. We HAVE to keep it under control! But, as I have cooed over before, our home in Tennessee had a large bathroom in each of my boys rooms. I have found through all 7 homes we have lived in (yes 7 in 10 years…we are nuts!) there are a few keys to keeping a child’s bathroom clean and neat.

1. Organize the Drawers. I have talked repeatedly about drawer organizers. I must say in a kids bathroom, go inexpensive! I love the plastic Rubbermaid Drawer Organizers.  Because I have a small countertop, there is little that sits on the counter.  I keep the tooth brushes in the drawer in their own organizer space.  I try my best to make sure the kids put their toothbrushes back in their own assigned drawer organizer so they don’t spread germs.  I use a drawer organizer for floss and threaders (a brace face necessity).  There is also a place for the toothpaste and any medications (hello athletes foot runs rampant in our boys -EEWWW!).  These organizers keep the nasty toothpaste drips separate from the medicines and so forth!  It keeps the mess contained and I only have to clean one container instead of the whole drawer!Rubbermaid Drawer Organizers

2.  Hooks for towels.  Our home in Tennessee was a new construction and it came with NO towel bars and toilet paper holders.  This was actually a blessing.  Not only did I get the chance to pick what I wanted, but I wasn’t limited to what they had chosen.  Usually a towel bar is installed in the bathroom.  I prefer hooks.  I had spent the first part of my marriage re-hanging the towels after my husband had showered.  It was never lined up nicely.  It would drive me crazy (there is a part in the movie Sleeping With The Enemy with Julia Roberts where her crazy husband sees the the towels aren’t lined up and goes nuts…I was verging on this!)  I finally realized he would never put the towels back the way I wanted.  So I fell in love with hooks.  Now, the towels are hung up and I am not wasting time adjusting towels like a crazy person!

bathroom towels on hooks

3.  Toy storage.  If you have kids, you have toys.  Bathtubs are multitasking machines.  They are play zones and cleaning zones all rolled into one!  For our home, our small kids bathroom also serves as the guest bath.  We cannot leave the kids toys scattered all over the bathtub floor.  Also, I feel like the toys get nasty if they don’t have enough time to dry out – hello germs!  So I love toy storage for the bathroom.  I love any storage with holes that let air in.  Take a look at these options.  You can see I am not a fan of mesh…I personally think it gross, but that is just me.  I will not think twice if you love mesh holders!

ladybug bathtub storagefrog bathtub storagetub toy storage 2

clear blue plastic storage bin with holes

4.  Hair Care.  I have two boys, so no hair accessories are worn in our home (except me).  But working with clients with young girls, I know how hard it is to keep the hair products under control.  We do have one large bin that hides all the gels and hairsprays we use on the boys.  My boys have cal-licks that take more products than Dolly Parton uses!  You would think we are trying to hold up mohawks instead of just trying to tame the hair fairy!  I just pull out the bin, tame the hair beasts and then throw everything back in and put it away.  So easy!

For girls, you require more accessories.  I love anything clear for ease and convenience.  Clear acrylic/plastic jars are great for hair accessories.  Kids will see what they want to get out and will easily toss it back in when they are done.   Also, there are some adorable Etsy products where you can find fun new ideas for storing hair accessories.  Also, a great idea is a jewelry organizer that can hang on the back of the door.

ClickClackPlatPolycarbonate_xletsy hair storage
80PocketHangingJewelryOrganizer_x

Now it is time for you to clear out your kids bathrooms.  Clear out the drawers and cabinets and get rid of anything that you don’t need anymore.  This means have used bottles of shampoo your kids don’t like, old sunscreens, and other products that you’ve kept for years but never used!  Get down to what you actually use now and a FEW back ups. A few extra rolls of TP are suffice, that is unless you store things in them for the whole house!  Clear out the broken hair accessories, clear out the broken and mildewed toys, and clear out the extra stuff you don’t NEED!

I would love to see before and after pictures!  What do you do to keep your kids bathroom under control?  Share your tips and tricks!

Filed Under: Bathroom Organizing, Children and Family, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips Tagged With: Bathroom Organizing, Children, clutter, clutter control, cutting clutter, Family, home organizing, Kids, Organizing, Organizing Children, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips, professional organizer, Professional Organizing, Professional organizing in Orange County, Toys

28 Days to Love Your Home – Day 6 – GIVE AWAY!!!

February 7, 2010 By Gail Gray 75 Comments

Organizing Tips to Love Your Home

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P1020683

Day 6

Do you have clean drawers? (If you are a Southerner – you will see the humor in that question!) As an organizer I think the funniest question I was asked was whether or not I had a junk drawer. I really don’t. Not in the sense that you would think. I have organized drawers. I really do. Are they perfect, not a chance, but they are pretty close. I have been the biggest fan of the organized drawer since I was little. I was not the cleanest child, but my drawers were neat and tidy. It is a pet peeve of mine to have to look for things when I know where they should be. I am impatient and don’t like to have waste time! Riffling through stuff is only fun for me when it is a massive discount sale!

Today we will tackle the junk drawer.  Rubbermaid has a great post about Junk Drawer Organization.  Check it out here. We are loving our homes this month and you will love your home even more if you aren’t wasting time looking for things.  Do you want to have an organized junk drawer?  You may never want to call it a junk drawer again!

I think the best way to organize drawers is with drawer organizers. I have posted about drawer organizers before, but this time one of my favorite companies gave me drawer organizers to give away. I have to say, these are so cool! (Yes I need help!). Rubbermaid has a new line of drawer organizer, perfect to contain your junk! Let me drool over them as I tell you more about them!

  • The drawer organizers have special feet to help stabilize the in the drawer.  The feet stop the organizers from crashing back and forth in the drawer as it is opened and closed.  That is cool, cause in one of my drawers, the littlest one gets lost as it flings to the back of the drawer…genius solution I say!
  • The drawer organizers have a grip lining in a cute pattern to again help keep the stuff in the drawer organizer from flinging around!
  • The drawer organizers interlocking feature to let you create any configuration that fits both your needs and your drawer space.   This interlocking feature also helps to ensure the drawer organizers stay together!  That means it still looks good at all times!

Rubbermaid will send the lucky winner a 6 piece Drawer Organizing Set (like the ones pictured above)

For my give away, you will have to answer one question…What is the strangest thing you found while cleaning out your junk drawer?

The contest will end February 14th.  For additional entries, post to FaceBook and Twitter (RT’s are welcome too) and let me know you did (another comment).

Valid For Only US and Canada!

*************************THIS GIVEAWAY IS CURRENTLY CLOSED*****************************

Filed Under: Bathroom Organizing, Kitchen Organizing, Office Organizing, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips Tagged With: clutter, clutter control, cutting clutter, home organizing, Office Organizing, Organizing, Organizing Tips, professional organizer, Professional organizing in Orange County, Residential Professional Organizing

Organizing Products – Dream Drawers

January 14, 2010 By Gail Gray 1 Comment

Organizing Tips – Organizing Products to Help Get You Organized

Do you dream of organized drawers?  Whether the drawers are in your kitchen, desk, dresser or bathroom, drawers tend to get cluttered very quickly.  Drawers are actually a form of a container.  Containers are vital to organizing.  Containers set a limit, a boundary.  But so many times people will stuff put many things into the drawer it looses its functionality.  If your drawers are on full tilt, it may be time to use containers within a container!

Here are a few drawer organizers I can’t live without.  All of these products you can find at my favorite store…The Container Store, but you can also find similar items at Target, and even sometimes dollar stores and drug stores.  You can also get creative and repurpose items you already own, like check book boxes, shoe boxes and Tupperware that has no lids.

interlocking drawer organizers

This is by far my most favorite product.  You can find them in all sizes, sold separately or in sets, and can be used in any drawer in your home.

DeepDrawerOrganizers_l

These are great because they are a little deeper than others.  Again, great for any drawer in your home!

BambooDrawerOrganizers_l

These bamboo dividers are beautiful, so if you want to look in your drawer and feel like a millionaire, these are the dividers for you!

MeshKitchenDrawerOrgnzr_l

I like these mesh ones because they look so industrial.  I don’t like these in kitchens, because crumbs fall through them and now you are cleaning a container and a drawer…no extra work for me! A solid one holds the crumbs and keeps the drawer clean.  I like these for desk drawers!

AdjustableOrganizer_l

These drawer dividers are adjustable, so if you want to share the container with two items, you won’t have creeping.  If only they made these in cars for children, so they don’t ever argue, “You’re on my side!”

ClearViolaDrawerOrganizers_l

These are great for dresser drawers.  The larger sizes are great for keeping underwear, socks, tights and more under control!

dream drawer dividers

These are so great for dressers!  T-shirts, shorts, pants, bathing suits and more will be happy in their little aisle!

TweedDrawerOrganizers_l

Again, if you want to open your drawers and feel  like a millionaire, these are the dresser drawer organizers for you!

With all the choices there are out there for all budgets, spaces, and taste, there is no excuse why you can’t have beautiful organized drawers of your dreams!  The only thing holding you back is if you have more than you need in there.  As you put items back in your drawer, purge any and all items you are no longer in need of!  Happy organinizing!

Filed Under: Bathroom Organizing, Bedroom Organizing, Kitchen Organizing, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips Tagged With: Bathroom Organizing, clutter, clutter control, cutting clutter, home organizing, Organizing, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips, Professional organizing in Orange County

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, But Only if You Can Find Them! A Guide to Organizing your Jewelry

June 14, 2009 By Gail Gray Leave a Comment


Photos courtesy of Erin Markland with Stella and Dot www.gotstella.com

Whether you are dripping in diamonds or collecting costume jewelry, it does you no good to have it if you don’t wear it. Most women don’t wear their jewelry because it is just too complicated to find it. There are the balls of necklaces that are so complicated to untangle you would rather write a thesis on nuclear fusion than deal with it, the lost earring collection, and bracelets that need repair.
The proper storage of your jewelry is not only important to keep it in good condition, but also so you can wear what you have. Even if you spent $5 on a pair of earrings, it is a waste of money if they sit in a drawer or box.
Drawer:
You can use containers specifically for jewelry as shown below, or even kitchen/bathroom drawer organizers work well too. The benefit of the ones designed specifically for jewelry is the lining keeps the jewelry protected, but the cost of the standard drawer organizers can be significantly less.

Wall:
With how beautiful jewelry is today, you can treat it like art and decorate a wall with it. Use bulletin boards to hang and display. Keep it simple though. Decorative bulletin boards will look cluttered and confusing and will not show off your treasures, nor will you be able to quickly see what you have. Also, consider peg racks or hooks. I great way to separate your necklaces and bracelets. Utilizing both is great. Earrings just poke into the cork, smaller necklaces and bracelets can be hung on the board with push pins (stick to clear so you it doesn’t interfere with the color/design of your jewelry. Then hang the chunkier necklaces and bracelets on the pegs. Arrange by color or style, which ever way makes most sense to you.

Closet:
The Container Store and Ikea, among others, sell closet organizing systems with portions of the closet designated for jewelry. They have beautiful “trays” that pull out like a drawer and allow you to see your jewelry up close. The only problem with these trays is that they only work if you have a large closet to designate that much space to. If space is an issue, try going vertical with hanging jewelry organizers. These allow you to see what you have, but keep items separated for ease in retrieval.

On Top of Dresser or Counter Top:

Decorative storage is widely available to hold your jewelry. Keep in mind though, what you wear. If you are trendy and wear the large chunky necklaces, traditional jewelry boxes won’t do. They are built for small delicate jewelry and you will only fit one necklace inside. Make sure the items you choose will fit what you use!

Cabinet:

Drawer organizers that stack are useful in a cabinet, but you will have to pull it all out to see what you have. . Also, any of the counter top containers mentioned above will work as well, but since they will be out of sight, the expense for the beautiful containers is somewhat wasted. 3M hooks that are removable can be attached to cabinet doors that are not opened more often than looking at jewelry. Otherwise the necklaces and bracelets will bang against the door and risk damage. Also, clear acrylic containers are great because not only can you stack them, but you can see through them to know what you have! I have used clear double sided adhesive tape to hold them in place when stacked.

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Accessories are the finishing touches to your outfit. You have spent money on jewelry, organize it so you can see what you have and actually use it. No more tangled messes – get out there and look like the super model you were meant to be!
Filed Under: Bathroom Organizing, Bedroom Organizing, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips

Unburying Your Makeup Treasures

February 23, 2009 By Gail Gray 2 Comments

As I talked about in the last post, containing your makeup so you can easily get ready is important in reducing the chaos of your morning (or evening) routine.  If you can’t find the makeup easily, you become frustrated and may wind up reaching for the last resort makeup you have.  Your makeup should enhance how you look and give you a sense of confidence, not give you a sense of panic as you try and find what you are looking for.  The right containers for your lifestyle and storage space is important in how easily you get your makeup routine finished, so you can get on to more important things!

First, think about where you do your makeup.  Is it in the bathroom, on the bed as you watch TV (yes, I know people who do this), at a vanity in your bedroom, in the car, at the gym?  A combination of some of these?  This is important to establish where you do your makeup for the majority of you days.  Do you have limited drawer space in your bathroom?  Do you have limited counter space and keep it in drawers?  These are questions you need to ask before you invest in any makeup storage.  You may love the idea of a pretty tray with all your makeup in porcelain boxes for your bathroom, but if you have no counter space, this dream probably won’t come true!  Packing your makeup every day for the gym, only to unpack it at night doesn’t make sense either.

Here are some container suggestions for different scenarios of storage situations:

Counters

acrylic make up organizerAn acrylic makeup organizer such as this makes it very easy to store your makeup and see what you have to work with.  If this look is a little to open for you, try a tray or mirror with jars, boxes or baskets.  You can have one for face products (fountains, concealers, blushes, powders), one for eye makeup (mascara, shadows, liners, pencils), one for lip products (liners, lipsticks, lip-glosses) and one for brushes.  These can be a beautiful way to decorate your counter-top as well as keep your makeup routine easy to do.

Drawers

ClearDrawerOrganizerSet_lDrawer organizers are a fabulous way to contain your makeup in a drawer.  This picture here shows the drawer organizers for office supplies, yet this is a fabulous way to contain your makeup as well.  Keep like with like.  Similar to how you could use the containers on the counter, group face, lip, eye and brushes together as you see fit.  Purchase and/or use containers that are easy to wash.  Makeup gets messy, no matter how much of a neat freak you are.  I would avoid mesh containers only because the makeup mess can fall through the mesh openings and you not only have to clean the container, but the drawer as well.

Makeup bags

MakeupBrushOrgnzr_xlWe have all been given or purchased a makeup bag that has no separation inside of it.  You wind up digging for what you are looking for or dumping out everything just to find your eyeliner!  Find a makeup bag that has dividers in it.  This one has slots for your brushes as well as different types of makeup as well.  Your eyes makeup can be up in one part and your face makeup in another.

You can also use smaller bags inside a larger one.  This will allow you to group like with like and keep you from digging for what you need.

If you travel frequently, you may want to have one set of makeup for travel and one for home.  There is nothing worse than being away from home and not having what you need.  If you do use two sets, make sure you only purchase the smallest size available.  Makeup does expire, so if you are not going to use up what you have, you will be wasting money!

There are many other ways you may need to store your makeup.  Before anything, make sure you have sorted and purged as I recommended in my last post.  Replace when needed, toss expired makeup, and be careful when you purchase.  Not everyone looks good in blue eyeshadow!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.

Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now

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Filed Under: Bathroom Organizing, Organizing Products, Organizing Tips Tagged With: Bathroom Organizing, home organizing, makeup organizing, Organizing, professional organizer, Professional organizing in Orange County, Residential Professional Organizing

Makeover your Makeup

February 9, 2009 By Gail Gray 1 Comment

Does your makeup seem as if it is multiplying behind your back?  Have you looked for an eyeliner (or eyeshadow, or lipstick)  in the depths of the drawer only to give up and purchase a new one.  Then, after you purchase it, you find what you are looking for. But now don’t know which is the new one and which one is the old?  Makeup, even drugstore brands, can be very expensive.  If you aren’t taking care of it in an organized manor, you are wasting money and putting you at risk for using expired makeup.  Now who wants to take a risk that their eyeshadow may turn their lids into tomatoes? 

Here is a plan to makeover your makeup to guarantee you get your money’s worth:

1.  Start by pulling all your makeup out.  Look through your purse, your makeup bag, your drawers, and anywhere you may stash your makeup. 

2.  Sort through it.  Toss the obvious:  broken, empty, old (you know the eyeshadow you thought would make you look like Eva Longoria, but instead you looked like your 3 year old after playing unattended with your makeup, so you left it in the drawer, just in case).   Makeup does expire.  If you don’t remember, just be practical.  Can you even remember when you purchased it?  Do you think it is more than 6 months old?  More than a year?  Toss anything questionable.

3.  Group your makeup by type.   Lipsticks, lip liners, foundation, concealer, eye shadows, eyeliners, mascaras, blushes, powders, etc.   

4.  Evaluate.   With what is left, look at each category and truly think if you will ever really use it.  Do you want to try new things, but only use the same makeup every day?  If you really want to make a difference in how you do your makeup, consider having some makeup lessons from a professional.  One reason why what you buy may not look good is that it is not the right color for you.  Just because your friend looks amazing in a certain lipstick, does not mean it will look good on you.  Unless you are ready to take on Bobbi Brown as the queen of makeup, you may need a little assistance.

5.  Make a list of those items you need to replace.  If your mascara is over 3 months old, replace it.  If you are scraping the walls of your lip gloss, it is time for a new one. 

6.  Consider your storage area before purchasing containers.  Do you carry your makeup with you in a bag?  Do you keep it in a drawer in the bathroom?  Do you use a vanity or dresser and have it out? 

Next week I will give suggestions for containers and storage idea for your makeup.  Storing and containing your makeup should make it easier to get your makeup routine finished faster.  No more digging for buried treasure!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

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