organization

Home Office: Wall Storage Organization

May 5, 2013 by OrganizedJen 18 Comments

I return to my Home Office Organization series this week with a look at my wall storage. I’ve always been a fan of using shelves, floating or as part of a bookcase, for storage. Using a shelf to store items can save you from a crammed closet, stuffed to the brim drawers, and piles on the floor, particularly if you’re working with a smaller space. I personally like the aesthetic of wall storage. It’s no secret that I love all things contained and labeled and being able to actually see my pretty storage boxes makes me happy. There are so many attractive storage options available. You can even make your own beautiful bins by covering a shoebox with pretty wrapping paper. Some people like a more simple look, which can be easy and inexpensive to achieve with simple brown paper and gift boxes you might have lying around the house. The sky (or ceiling!) is the limit when it comes to wall storage!

I have three L-shaped floating shelves hovering above the main corner desk area in my office. I configured these using the Pottery Barn Holman Shelves (right image source). Not only are they simple and sturdy, but they match my Pottery Bedford Collection Office Furniture perfectly in the same Antique White Shade. I also like how the shelves have a lip to them. This narrows the bin options down dramatically, because it creates a fixed acceptable bin depth, but it also makes for a more secure situation. Bins can’t just slide off the shelves, they have to be slightly lifted off, which is safer especially when it comes to some of the heavier ones. There are many options for floating shelves on the market. I’ve seen some beautiful, more affordable options at Target, Walmart, and Ikea. You can also make your own shelves with some simple supplies from the hardware store.

If you’ve watched my OLJ videos for some time now you already know how much I love Reisenthel Storage Boxes. I have them in many sizes and colors throughout my home as a lightweight yet sturdy and functional yet attractive storage option. I have a total of sixteen small size Reisenthel Storage Boxes in the flora pattern along the longest side of my three floating shelves. They’re a perfect fit! I keep a variety of items in these boxes, which are all labeled on both the front and side for easy identification. The boxes on the bottom shelf contain the items I need to access most frequently, including Printer Toner and Paper, Camera and Computer Accessories, Empty Notebooks, and Stationary. I use the top two shelves to store items I don’t need to access quite as often because they require a ladder to reach them. I have a few empty bins here and there, because I tend to switch around the contents from time to time. I like having flexible organization systems.

On the short side of the L-shaped shelves I have a couple different kinds of decorative storage boxes. I recently purchased four Semikolon Document Boxes from The Container Store to house my extra office supplies on the lowest shelf. The bright and cheery colors coordinate nicely with my Reisenthel Storage Boxes. They are beautiful storage options I know I will use and love for years to come. Above that I have three Kassett Boxes from Ikea that are currently empty. I have used these boxes for many different purposes over the years and they’ve held up beautifully. I don’t expect them to stay empty for long, as I foresee finding a purpose for them once I finish up my craft closet organization. My extra large Mickey & Minnie Mouse have a cozy resting spot on the very top shelf to remind me of The Happiest Place On Earth and many wonderful shared memories of trips to Walt Disney World with my husband. I don’t see anything wrong in throwing a knickknack or momento into organized spaces so long as they don’t interfere with the functionality of those areas.

I go over my wall storage organization in much more detail in the video (shown below) if you’re interested in a closer look. Check back next week for another post and coordinating video in my Home Office Organization Series!

*I am not affiliated with any of the brands or stores mentioned in this blog post or video. All opinions are my own.*

Home Office: Desktop Organization

April 7, 2013 by OrganizedJen 293 Comments

The third installment of my Home Office Organization series on OLJ features my desktop. I’ve struggled with an overly cluttered desktop for awhile now, so my main focus was to clear off as much as possible. I kept a few of my favorite personal knickknacks for display and designated several desktop organizers as functional storage.

Pottery Barn Bedford Corner Desk Set with Corner Hutch (photo source) & Pottery Barn Wingate Rattan Swivel Desk Chair (photo source)

I mentioned my Pottery Barn Corner Desk Set in my last post, which featured my Desk Drawer Organization. I also have the matching Corner Hutch for it. This connecting piece has three main areas, featuring a drawer on the left, a computer pedestal in the center, and slotted organizer on the right. The hutch includes a power strip with two outlets, two phone jacks, and a power switch in the back of it (where there is a rectangular hole in the picture shown above). I keep a larger power strip plugged into this to charge all of my backup camera batteries and my laptop. I use the drawer on the left side of the hutch to store computer cables and accessories and the slotted organizer on the right to corral office supplies I use often such as tape dispensers and a stapler. This elevated storage option keeps my iMac, external hard drives, and modem up off the main desk and provides useful extra counter space. I have a Wingate Rattan Swivel Desk Chair from Pottery Barn, which I’ve personalized with cute owl pillows from Target.

Pottery Barn Daily System Magnetic Whiteboard Calendars & Corkboard (photo source)

When I originally worked on my office organization when we moved into our house in 2007, I put up components of Pottery Barn’s Daily System as wall organization. I have two of the Magnetic Whiteboard Calendars flanking a Corkboard on the wall over the righthand side of my corner desk and Bedford Lateral File Cabinet. I was experimenting with an all electronic agenda system at the time and was using the whiteboards for a visual two-month calendar at a glance option. Once I switched back to using a Filofax agenda I found I no longer used the whiteboard calendars. Rather than replace these pieces I decided to just cover them using Tranquil Pool Gift Wrap I found at The Container Store. I now use this space to pin up invitations and announcements as well as sentimental momentos with magnets. It’s an easy and cost effective way to repurpose something I no longer use into something I currently love.

Sychronocity Stolkom Letter Sorter (photo source), Pottery Barn Bedford Photo Caddy (photo source), 5 Days A Week Mousepade (photo source)

Sychronocity Stockholm Letter Sorter (photo source), Pottery Barn Bedford Photo Caddy (photo source), 5 Days A Week Paper Mousepad (photo source)

There are a few desktop organizers I use to help me keep on top of important paperwork to file, bills to pay, and my week at a glance plan. I recently purchased the Synchronicity Stockholm Letter Sorter from The Container Store to help store bills, receipts, and things to file on a weekly basis. Every Friday I allocate time for bill paying & filing when I go through the entire contents of the sorter, attend to bills, and file all of the documents into their more permanent homes (see my post about my Filing Organization for more information). This small purchase has already made a huge impact in not only my desktop organization but also in helping me keep track of small papers and receipts that would previously get lost in piles on my desk.

I’ve had the Pottery Barn Bedford Photo Caddy (on sale now!) since I first purchased the desk. I didn’t change what I store in it during my latest reorganization, but I did clean it up a bit and added some decorative vase fillers to keep my pens, scissors, and mini screwdrivers upright in the front three slots. The filler I use is by Ashland and can be found in the floral department at Michael’s or other craft supply stores.

A newer addition to my desktop organization is the 5 Days A Week Paper Mousepad by Knock Knock.* I’ve been using this lately on Sunday evenings to contemplate the upcoming week, including any tasks I’d like to complete and appointments I have scheduled. I love that it doubles as a mousepad, which makes it super easy to check in with every day. It really satisfies the planner in me!

Although it’s not technically a component of my desktop organization, I wanted to share the dog bed I keep under my desk. My dog Winnie absolutely loves to curl up in her cozy Tiger Dreamz Luxury Faux Fur Trundle Bed. The corner desk is actually quite deep, leaving ample room underneath to house two simplehuman Stainless Steel Step Bins, which I use for rubbish and recycling, as well as this cozy, plush dog bed. You’ll often find Winnie snoozing under my desk when I’m working on something. She loves her own special space and I love having her near me.

I go over my desktop organization in much more detail in the video (shown below) if you’re interested in a closer look. Check back next week for a look at my cable management!

I’m excited to be hosting a little giveaway to accompany this post! Knock Knock was kind enough to reach out to me and asked if they could send me some products. I am happy to be able to give away two of the 5 Days A Week Paper Mousepads to one of you!

Follow the directions on the Rafflecopter widget below to be entered to win. The giveaway is open internationally and will run until Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 6 PM CST. There will be TWO winners. I will contact the winners directly via email in addition to announcing them on this blog post. Good luck!

*** GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED ***

Congrats to Marie E. & Zeineb on winning the Knock Knock Mousepad Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in this blog post or coordinating video. Knock Knock graciously sent me three 5 Days A Week Paper Mousepads as a gift to use as I pleased. I decided to keep one to try and give the others away to two of you. All other products shown were purchased by me. Knock Knock did not ask me to review or feature their products. All opinions are my own.*

Filed Under: Home Office Organization, Organized Like Jen Tagged With: desk, desk organization, desktop, desktop organization, home office, home office organization, organization, organize

Home Office: Desk Drawer Organization

March 30, 2013 by OrganizedJen 6 Comments

For the second installment of my Home Office Organization series on OLJ, I share my desk drawer organization, which I have newly updated. I’m including photos and links to all of my favorite desk drawer organization tools below.

Pottery Barn Bedford Corner Desk Set (photo source)

I use the Pottery Barn Bedford Home Office furniture collection in my office, which I purchased when we moved into the house in 2007. The corner desk set has a roomy desktop and includes five drawers. There are two standard size drawers and three file size drawers, which offer plenty of room for all my desk storage needs!

Linus Deep Drawer Organizers (photo source) & Linus Shallow Drawer Organizers (photo source) from The Container Store

I use my favorite drawer organizers by Linus from The Container Store in the two standard sized drawers of my desk. These are the same kinds of organizers I featured in my Bedside Table Drawer Organization. I also use these in the drawers in our bathroom as well as the kitchen. They’re so versatile, durable, and easy to clean. I love that they are clear! The rubber feet on the bottom help prevent slippage inside the drawer. I use both the shallow (on sale right now!) and deep organizers in my desk drawers to corral similar items.

Clear 13-Pocket Accordion Files from The Container Store (photo source) & Jonathon Adler Blue Ocean Presentation Book from Barnes & Noble (photo source)

I use a variety of file organizers to store different sizes and types of papers in my desk drawers. I recently purchased the Clear 13-Pocket Accordian Files in both the letter and coupon size from The Container Store. I’m using the letter size one to file all of my business-related paperwork in one of the file size drawers that I newly designated as my “work” drawer. I’m using the coupon size accordion file to keep track of my business expenses. I used the month stickers the file came with to organize my receipts accordingly. Having this will make it super easy to keep track of expenses for when tax time rolls around again next year. I’m using the Jonathan Adler Blue Ocean Presentation Book from Barnes & Noble to house my inspiration boards, which are basically collages I make that help keep me motivated. Check out this post on ToneItUp’s website for more information on inspiration or vision boards.

Clear Zippered Envelope (photo source) and Clear Envelope (photo source) from The Container Store

I also like to keep track of my personal expenses as well as our household purchases. I hold onto these types of receipts for two months before recycling. I picked up two of the Clear Zippered Envelopes from The Container Store to store receipts. I store the previous month’s receipts in the zippered portion and the current month’s ones in the front pocket. At the beginning of a new month I will recycle the receipts from the zippered portion (unless there’s something I want to hold onto for a specific reason) and move the receipts from the front pocket back into the zippered part. This receipt organization helps me keep on top of our purchases and makes it a cinch to pull out a receipt for a return or to go over credit card bills. I have four of the Clear Envlopes to corral the cards that come with my beauty sample subscription services. I like to hold onto these to compare past products with current ones and having these simple envelopes to store them works nicely for me.

Silver Mesh CD Bin (photo source) & Linus Handled Bin (photo source) from The Container Store

Since I have ample filing space in my Pottery Barn Bedford Lateral File Cabinet (see my last organization post for more about that if you missed it), I am able to dedicate my file size desk drawers to other types of storage than just paper. It can be difficult to store things in such deep drawers, so I rely on bins to help corral smaller items. I use the Silver Mesh CD Bins from The Container Store to keep my blank CDs, DVDs, and empty cases all together. I use the Linus Handled Bin, also from The Container Store, to corral computer cleaning products and small electronic equipment.

Cable Ties from The Container Store (photo source) & Martha Stewart Home Office With Avery Small Elastinote Tags from Staples (photo source)

Managing cables can be a real pain, but luckily there are lots of great options to purchase or easy DIY remedies to keep cables organized and untangled. I’ve been using the velcro Cable Ties from The Container Store for years to bundle up cords and cables. They’re easy to use and the different colors makes it easy to color code. I recently picked up a package of the Small Elastinote Tags from Martha Stewarts Home Office collection with Avery from Staples. Using these as labels provides for the quick identification of cables.

I go over my desk drawer organization in detail in the video (shown below) if you’re interested in a closer look. Check back next week for a look at my desktop drawer organization!

*I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in the video or this blog post. All opinions are my own.*

Filed Under: Home Office Organization, Organized Like Jen Tagged With: desk, desk drawer, desk drawer organization, drawer organization, home office, home office organization, office organization, organization

Week In Review (March 11 – 17, 2013)

March 18, 2013 by OrganizedJen 40 Comments

This past week kind of went by in a blur. Being back to almost daily vlogging really fills out my days to the max. I don’t think many people realize the time that goes into editing videos. I know I certainly didn’t before I started making them. Editing vlogs is particularly time consuming because there are so many clips to pull together, cuts to make, and transitions to smooth out. I’m not trying to complain here. I actually genuinely enjoy the editing process and being able to share my “Day In The Life/Follow Me Around” videos on MHWL with you. I hope I’m not coming off as a Mrs. Whiny Pants, because that’s not my point at all! It’s just that you don’t really know how much time goes into making something until you make it yourself or someone shares that information with you. Anyway, back to vlogging means back to jam-packed days. I have to chuckle when someone who clearly doesn’t know me calls me “lazy” and assumes I just sit on my bum all day twiddling my thumbs. Just ask Don and he’ll tell you straight up – I basically do not stop working on things and buzzing around like the busy bee that I am from the time I wake up in the morning until I lay down to go to sleep at night. That’s how I function at my best in all honesty.

Starting New Organizational Projects

This week marked the start of my foray back into the land of organization. I am excited but also a bit nervous about my latest endeavor – office organization. I used to refer to my office as my craft room, but lately, I use it primarily for work-related reasons, so it’s officially now my office. It’s actually quite a large room (lucky me, I know!) that is a great multi-purpose space. Not only does it serve as my office in terms of my desk/computer and filing area, but I also have a dedicated grooming station for Winnie, a sewing desk, bins galore, and more shelves and cabinets than you’ve probably ever seen in one space. Let’s just say that the total organizational overhaul of this room is quite a daunting task, hence the nervousness. There’s also this strange stigma that somehow got attached to this room where I feel like I have to put all other spaces of the house before it. I think this is because it is the only space that is truly 100% my own and as a housewife I feel like I should prioritize the common areas of the house in terms of my time and organizational efforts. Plus, sometimes it’s just hard to do something that you know is just for yourself. I feel like many women struggle with making time for themselves. It’s something I have to work on every single day. Even though I’m finally at a place where I’m ready to take on my office organization (it only took me over five years to get here!), I still struggle with feelings of guilt and anxiety surrounding this use of time. I know that ultimately it will not only benefit me directly, because as Don likes to say, “Happy Wife, Happy Life!” and having a functional, organized, and clean space to work in and call my own will make me one very happy wife.

Stay tuned to OLJ for new videos tracking my office organization adventure. I hope to post the first one in the next few days.

Back To Books

Whenever I get home from vacation I usually prefer to spend my (almost) nightly tub time catching up on my YouTube subscriptions instead of reading, which is what I usually do in the bath. I don’t spend a lot of time watching videos on any given day, but I allow myself this luxury when I’ve been away from the internet for a trip or during a particularly busy time. This past week I’ve been back to books. I finished two, Neferet’s Curse: A House of Night Novella by P.C. & Kristin Cast, and Beneath The Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler. I enjoy reading a wide variety of literary genres, mostly fictional with plot lines and character developments that really bring you in as a reader. I just posted my first book nook review in a long time on TBBB. For some reason these types of videos make me a bit nervous. I hope to become more comfortable in filming them with time.

New Spring Goodies

I’ve done some shopping in the past week, adding new clothes and accessories to my spring collection and restocking my bath and body product stash for the change in season. (I posted hauls from each category on TBBB – you can watch Clothes & Accessories here and Bath & Body Products here if you’re interested!) I’m especially excited about my recent discovery of ModCloth. I stumbled across this website during a search for a blush colored dress for an upcoming wedding I’m standing up in. I ended up buying five new dresses altogether. I love the vintage style of the clothes with what I consider to be reasonable prices for the quality. I know I’ll be returning to ModCloth for more fun additions to my wardrobe in the future!

Spring Treats

I look forward to the return of McDonald’s Shamrock Shake every March. Even with my hyped up expectations, it never disappoints. A vanilla shake that’s dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day with a hint of mint? Sign me up! One a year and I’m happy as a leprechaun with a pot of gold! Another treat reappearance this week was the return of Donut Saturday. I always instagram my #DonutSaturday pics and actually went back through my feed to see when my last donut was. Nine weeks ago! I knew it had been awhile, but that’s just too long for this donut fiend! I think they’re back to stay for a while now.

I can’t wait for spring to officially arrive this upcoming week. I know the Chicago weather won’t comply (does it ever?), but it will be nice to know that we’re officially in the season. As much as I love winter, by the time March rolls around I am more than ready for spring. I’m considering signing up for the Self Drop 10 spring challenge this year in an attempt to amp up my workout routine now that I’m not worried about my knee anymore and find new, healthy recipes. I’ll keep you posted!

*I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in this post. All opinions are my own.*

Filed Under: My Housewife Life, Week In Review Tagged With: donut saturday, ModCloth, new clothes, organization, projects, reading, shamrock shake, spring, treats, week in review

Holiday Decorations: Packing & Storage

January 17, 2013 by OrganizedJen 13 Comments

I recently posted a video on OLJ featuring how I pack up and store our holiday decorations. I use holiday-themed storage bins by Sterlite that Target has in some variation every year. I’ve had mine for over 5 years now and they’ve held up extremely well. Sterilite makes the same size bins for their regular collection that’s available year-round. I purchased the more shallow ones with the purple handles (32 quart Latching Box) for my Christmas collectibles last year well after Christmas.