Kelly’s Favorite Things: May Edition

It is May already! The year is flying by and summer seems to have already set into a big part of the country. I’ve already personally done my spring cleaning, and we have already encouraged all of you to, as well. We have also published a great blog on organizing tips to help you out. But I know many people, and most people who have Myers-Briggs types that vary from mine, probably have not.

Having said that, I admit I am a total neat freak and I cannot stand to be even slightly unorganized. So, I have a system that allows me to easily move from one season to the next, clearing out any bit of clutter that may have collected anywhere as I go. The trick for me is keeping everything in good shape, every day, all year. But again, I know this may not be as easy for you. For that reason, I wanted to make sure I am presenting  some of the best tools available to help organize your home or office. Yes, offices could use spring cleaning too, so feel free to take these pointers and apply them to your workspace as well.

This list of my favorite things comes directly from the list of Pixie Approved Products that can be found on our website, all of which are available to purchase through links right on that page. They also focus on the space that tends to need the most help as the weather shifts from a chance of winter into no chance at all: closets.

I cannot tell you how often I have people ask for help organizing, and it turns out that what they really mean is come up with a system that works for closets. Whether these are office coat closets, hall closets, linen closets or bedroom closets the change of seasons throws many peoples’ space out of order. Do not let this be a source of frustration that causes you to give up and walk away leaving all of your winter gear and wear (which is bigger and bulkier than the things you need in the spring and summer) taking up all of that space. Instead, try this.

Make a list. What are the types of things that need to be stored until next winter and what makes something worth discarding or donating? What are the types of things that need to come out of storage and be easily accessible and how will you sort through those things to see what you should discard and what needs to stay? What are you adding to your closets? How would you like to organize your closet – by function only; by function and color; some other way? This list can serve as the backbone of a plan, or a roadmap. Besides the tools, plans and organization are two of my very favorite things.

So, armed with what needs to happen (Your List) and an approach to make that happen (Your Plan) we are ready to add in those tools.

First, my strong advice is that you need to arm yourself with some Voot Boot Shapers. Not only will these handy tools help you store all your winter boots in less space, it will keep them in great shape. As an added bonus, your spring and summer boots that you will keep around for use in the coming months will stand straight up, look great, and take up less space in your closet. This works especially well for really tall boots, which is what makes me really love them. It means no more flopped over tops taking up too much space and looking sloppy. When not in use these little tools stack neatly for easy storage. They are available for purchase through our website on Amazon.

Second, brought to you by The Container Store, is the marvelous product simply called shelf dividers. Sold in packages of 2, they are handy and aesthetically well designed. They come in white, so they blend with anything. They can be used to neatly stack anything from towels to sweaters and keep those stacks separate and in order. The only caveat is that in order to make them function properly it is important to fold the items that are being stacked neatly and as uniformly as possible. That said, really, these are the answer to the question of how to keep bulky things nice and organized.

Thirdly, are the Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers. These gems make me the happiest among all of my favorite things, mostly because I’m a Classic through and through! As an added bonus, they are also available on Amazon (complete with prime shipping options). After all, if nothing makes a Classic happier than an insanely ordered fridge … except an insanely ordered fridge with matching food storage containers, then nothing makes me happier than an insanely organized closet with matching hangers.

For help organizing your closet for the season change, get in touch with us. We can make magic happen, usually in just an hour, whatever type you are.

Kelly