It's the Little (Lame) Things that Make Me Happy

When I replaced the medicine cabinet, I worked on some new ways to organize. It... worked. But wasn't ideal. It got messy fast. I originally purchased the Ikea Semvik tumblers to store cotton balls, cotton swabs, and other miscellaneous items.



You would think it'd be pretty easy to remember which tumbler contained which items. However, one household member just couldn't retain that information. I thought I was smart when I printed up some clear labels. But the tumblers show fingerprints and get dirty fast. When I'd wipe down the containers, the printing would slide right off. Another clear label on top of the printed label and viola! Problem solved. Until the tumblers started to look... rusty.

Enter the unbreakable acrylic tumblers at Target for $2.50 each. Normally I'm not a fan of clear storage. I don't like looking at clutter. But really, who is going to be looking in my medicine cabinet except for me and Matt, and uh, I guess my blog readers? (Unless you're one of those snoopy guests. lol)



Basically, everything has to fit in my medicine cabinet. Nothing is stored in 21 inch wide vanity because it is pretty yucky under the sink. It's old and needs to be replaced. And this is good practice for when we replace the vanity with a plain old pedestal sink. So I tell myself, anyway.

Guess what? MORE Drawer Organizing!!

This time, I'll show you my other addiction. (That is, the one besides organizing.) It's makeup. I'm a makeup whore. I don't wear a lot on a daily basis but I like having options and I like to play around with it.

Having so much of it, though, slows me down in the mornings because I can't find what I'm looking for. A small container with plastic drawers is what works for me. I picked it up at Target or WalMart for about $5. It's about 6" x 7" x 8".

I organize the drawers in order of how I apply my makeup. Concealer, foundation, powders, and primers in the first drawer. By the way, those little sample containers that you get at Sephora are GREAT for repurposing. I use Dr. Brandt's Pores No More (amazing stuff!!) on a daily basis and touch up late afternoon. The stuff is so expensive that I won't buy two tubes. I keep the original container in my purse and this little pot at home. (Not vice versa because I don't want to be dipping dirty fingers in the pot and contaminating the product. I can be assured I have clean hands at home. A little harder at work.)



The next drawer stores my eyeshadows. They are small pots so I used a leftover container that fits perfectly in the drawer. You could probably also use a shelf liner to prevent the sliding around. What I hate about Bare Escentuals is that you can't tell what color you are grabbing. If you store them upside down, viola! Unfortunately, if you do that, the loose powder will fall through the sifter and make a mess. My solution is to not remove the inside sticker after you purchase the product. Take something sharp (and sterilized) and poke a couple holes through the sticker. Only a small amount will now come through the sifter.



The final drawer stores the items that I apply last.



I used to store my brushes in the appropriate drawers until my collection started growing a little too much. I had to find an alternative. I really like my brush roll from Sonia Kashuk. I bought mine at Target on clearance for about $7. They still have it in other patterns for about $12.00. This is essential if you have a lot of brushes.





If you only have a few, this piece is good for organizing your makeup and brushes. It's pretty efficient if you don't have a huge arsenal.


I swear I don't wear ALL that makeup on a daily basis. In fact, I went to the MAC counter today for some new eyeshadows. I asked for a "day" look. I ended up with what I consider an "evening" look. lol

The first step is admitting you have a problem, right?

I've been cooped up in the house for the last eight days thanks to an injured foot and acute bronchitis. Unfortunately, waiting for prescriptions to be filled at WalMart leaves me in a very precarious position. This means I have to wander the store for 30-45 minutes. I don't even want to guess what will happen when I transfer my prescriptions to Target. lol

As I was waiting, some little drawer containers were calling my name. At $2.27-$2.37 each, how could I resist? My existing containers weren't working out so great. See here? Where the chopsticks kept poking out? The drawer is already fairly organized but it still bugged me. The containers slid around too.



Keeping in mind three important organizing ideas, I got to work:

1. Purge, purge, purge. Get rid of those items you don't use.
2. Keep like-with-like.
3. Everything has a place. (I think I've said that before but it's so important that it needs repeating.)

Now, these little babies hook onto each other and prevent the slide-around. Looks a little better, don'tcha think?



It even worked for my food storage containers. The Ziplock bags to store the lids was such a great idea... until Matt told me that he doesn't like using it because there's still water on the lids when he takes them out of the dishwasher. (I couldn't argue that he should just dry it off since he does ALL the dishes! lol)



And with the three extra organizers that I bought "just in case":

Airing my Dirty Laundry

I am so unmotivated with the house reno projects that I've taken to organizing. Pinky promise that I'll show some of those projects soon. In the meantime...

I can’t turn a wooden hanger away:
My closet is the worst use of space ever. It’s big… 10 feet wide. But only 4 of those feet are easily accessible. I bought a double-rod ClosetMaid organizer; I just haven’t installed it yet. (Yeah, that lack of motivation...) If you haven’t figured out that I hate visual clutter by now, here’s Meg at her most obsessive-compulsiveness.

First, get rid of your wire hangers. They aren’t pretty, they get caught on each other, and they put weird stretch marks in your clothes. Buy a bunch of plain plastic hangers. Personally, I like wooden ones.

Then organize by type. I like to separate my collared shirts from my camisoles and Matt’s work shirts from his t-shirts. Then I organize each section by color. Yes, I said color. Stay with me here. I swear it really cuts down on the decision time. When you dress, don’t you base a lot of your decisions on color? What matches or “goes” with the outfit?

This was my brain this morning: I’ve worn black pants nearly every day in the last week. Before anyone thinks I’m wearing the same pair of pants over and over, maybe I should wear gray today. (Scan gray pants, pick a pair.) I think a teal or green sweater would look good with the gray. (Scan green sweater section.) Hmmmmm… I need to layer a shirt underneath. (Scan to the purple camisoles and find one that goes with the style of sweater.)



Containers multiply like gremlins in my house:
I also love drawer organizers. It helps keep my bras separated from my undies and my trouser socks from my gym socks. I spared you from the actual items. I’m sure no one wants to look at that! (And I really don’t want my underwear posted on the internet.)




Even the dirty laundry doesn’t stand a chance:
I hate sorting laundry. Hate it. So having a few hampers in my closet makes me sort as I undress at the end of the day. When I throw a load into the washer in the morning (practically sleepwalking and wondering if I have any non-black pants that are clean), all I have to do is grab the hamper and take it with me to the washer. No sorting required.

I'm an organizing dork

I'll admit it. I love organization. I love organized organization. My heart goes pitter-patter in the storage section of Ikea and Target. I stay away from Container Store because I know what's good for me. I organize on a budget so I won't even tease myself by going in there.

But quite honestly, I have to be organized. My house is on the smaller side (1250 sf) which is perfect for the two of us, a cat, and a little one if the time comes. My house doesn't feel small and I think it's due to my lack of "stuff".

Here are some things I've learned throughout the years:

1. You can't organize junk. Get rid of the items you don't use. Show no mercy. If you think, "I might need this" or "I could fix this" just Get. Rid. Of. It. Every once in a while I come across items that I wonder why I put it away, like a broken camera. I planned on getting it repaired... but instead bought 2 additional (and better) cameras since. Or I find items like VHS tapes when I no longer own a VCR. Cassette tapes. Ahem, Spice Girls.

Don't kid yourself that you'll sell it on Craigslist or eBay. Have a garage sale. (Personally, I skip that step.) Whatever doesn't sell, immediately put in your trunk and take to Goodwill. Except those old cell phones! Donate them to your local women's shelter.

2. Don't buy organization containers without analyzing what you need. After de-junking, look at what items you need to organize and buy the containers that fit those needs. Don't do this step until you finished with step 1. Measure your closet shelves (width/depth and height) and buy containers that make the most of the space.

3. You don't need uber-expensive containers to organize. Check the Dollar Store, Target, or WalMart. I found matching canvas totes on clearance at Lowes after Christmas. Ikea has some cardboard containers that don't look very cardboard-ish. I have them hanging out in my living room, organizing everything from dvds to frequently used tools and small electronics.



4. Be creative when it comes to containers. My favorite trick: plastic zip lock bags and a Sharpie. My medicine cabinet doesn't store medicine. That's what happens when you are a make-up junkie and Sephora is your kryptonite. The cute little plastic drawers don't really fit my needs (but they may fit yours) so I stick it in a canvas tote, organized by bags so I can easily find what I'm looking for.



5. One word: Clear containers. (Ok, that's two.) It makes finding things a lot easier. I use clear containers behind closed doors. I don't like the visual clutter of clear storage but that's just me.



6. Label. Label. Label. Even with clear containers. It doesn't have to be anything special or printed. I like my labels uniform because it gives me secret pleasure. I know, I'm weird like that.



7. Hooks are your friend. I don't have a place to store my jewelry so some hooks behind my bedroom door are perfect for this. I also have a couple hooks on the wall for my robe and hoodies that would otherwise end up on the floor or thrown over a door.



8. Use dual purpose furniture. My entertainment center also stores blankets, magazines, and other various items. What about a coffee table that has storage? Use under-the-bed containers for off-season clothing. Create even more space under your bed by using bed risers. Use those same containers under your couch if you can. I store extra blankets under mine.

9. Think vertical. If you've run out of room, think up. One of my fav fav fav products is Ikea's Lack shelf. I have a couple but I've seen pics of walls with 5 of them lined up. The result is modern and clean. (Don't mind my cat and his new napping spot.)



10. Organize in a way that fits your lifestyle. I have trouble with paper clutter. I signed up for as many e-bills that I could. I adapted the tip of going through my mail as the first thing I do when I enter the house. Junk mail goes straight in the recycling bin. But the stuff that needs to be shredded? Not so easy since the shredder is located in the spare bedroom. I since moved it to the mudroom and I take care of those items when I enter the house.

After writing this entry, I just discovered this great blog: The Unclutterer. There are some really helpful hints and organizing ideas. Any tips that you use and are willing to share?