Lazy susans

This is one of my favorite organizing ideas for under sinks. You can buy these lazy susans almost anywhere and they are great for creating order under your sink. Be sure to measure your space before you buy--they come in a few different sizes. Also, clean out under your sink beforehand and get rid of any excess cleaning products, etc. When you need to reach in and grab something, just give it a spin to find what you're looking for.

Christmas cards

I know that Christmas may not be on your mind right now because we still have Thanksgiving to get through. However, if you really want to be organized now is the time to start thinking about Christmas cards. If this is something you like to do I would start to think about what kind of card you will send, what will be the picture, etc. Do you need to hire a photographer or take the kids somewhere to get their picture taken? A friend of mine has a great stationery company and she can design your Christmas card for you. If you order now you can get 15% off the cards and free shipping. I think she if offering this until November 15th. Another idea would be to offer someone personalized stationery as a gift. I love her designs! Check out her website at www.daninotes.com.

Seven things Sunday

Today I am making a challenge to you to make a quick trip through your house and gather seven things that you have been thinking you should get rid of or donate, put them in a bag, and then put them directly in your car so you will forget about them. Try to do this every Sunday--don't give it much thought or time. You can let me know what you got rid of and I will do the same.

Choosing paint color for kids' rooms

As we all know choosing a paint color can be a daunting task. So many people make the mistake, I think, of choosing a color and then finding the accessories to match. I recommend that you find a piece of artwork, material, or an accessory that you love and the base the paint color on that. Here are some pictures that I found on oohdeedoh.com of a little girl's room. I love how they based the primary color scheme of the room on the Babar posters. My kids have the same posters in their rooms and I went with the primary color scheme as well. I went with more of the yellows, blues, and greens, and used red as accent colors. I will put pictures in my next post but my boys are in the middle of destroying their room at the moment.

Using texture on walls

I love using textured art on walls. These rosette plaques are sold at a store in Mt. Pleasant, SC called the Sitting Room. I have bought one and haven't hung it yet because I am waiting until I can buy the others so I can hang a grouping. They look great against a darker colored wall and really accentuate the trim and molding in a room.

Creating a family space

Do you ever feel that your house and life are being overtaken by toys? I think most moms of young children often feel like this. Whereas some of us are lucky enough to have a play room that is set off from the main part of the house, others of us are not so fortunate and have to deal with children bringing all of their toys into the main living areas of the home. Of course this is ok until you feel like you live in a toy store. I recently helped a client who was feeling like the toys were taking center stage in her home and wanted to do something about it. Most of the toys were finding their way into the breakfast room which was the main space you saw upon entering the house. She wanted to win back this room back as a place for her family to congregate for meals instead of at the narrow and crowded island in her kitchen. We decided to 1) take the train table out and put it away temporarily because her son rarely used it
2) push the dining table back into the center of the room, and
3) scoot the kids' table into the corner. We weeded through the toys in the room, got rid of some, and found space for the rest in the kids' bedrooms and on a toy shelf in the den. To facilitate craft projects we made a kind of arts and crafts center using the drawers in the chest in the breakfast room. We placed a basket for toys under a table on one side of the room. The client has said that the kids were actually excited about having a place for the family to eat and congregate. They can use this room for art projects and homework and can play now in the den and in their own rooms. The only thing I would change would be to find a slightly bigger table for the kids so they could use it for art, homework, and as a surface to play games.

DIYers

I am fortunate enough to have several friends and neighbors who are extremely talented and crafty. I have already mentioned my friend Grace who is the founder of Sam and Bellie and who designs the splat mats and other great items for babies and kids. Another one of my neighbors, Kari, is also very talented. Besides being a mother of three, a yoga teacher, organizer of the Blooming Art shows that raise money for art programs in public schools, she is also the owner of her a holistic organizing service called Sacred Spaces and a great DIYer. Check out her most recent creations--paint cans covered in beautiful paper and ribbon to be put to good use instead of being thrown away. The one with the flowers she gave to me for my birthday and I can't wait to use it to organize some of my office supplies. The other one she made for her daughter. This is such a great idea. Way to go Kari!