Friday, July 29, 2011

Au Revoir, Ciao, Auf Wiedersehen


It's about that time, my lovely readers, for me to sign off for a few weeks.  
I'll be putting my travel organizing skills to the test!  

Please check back to hear my recommendations and reviews for all the fun travel products I am trying out... and I promise some photos and stories too!

Until we meet again...

~Leah

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Feeling grateful

Tonight I am feeling two things, quite sleepy and incredibly grateful. 

I have been working some long days these past few months and even though I am pretty exhausted by the end of the day, I am beyond thrilled to be doing what I love.

Take today: I started at 5am running around the Container Store helping to merchandise all of the fun products that are VERY hard for me to resist.  Then I headed over to a client and spent 5.5 hours helping her organize her kitchen.  We cleaned out cabinets, found things she had been looking for, got rid of stuff she never used all while chatting and laughing.  It was such a joy! 

So now I am home, another evening with heavy eyelids and aching muscles... but I can't imagine doing anything else.  I am a lucky gal.

~Leah
(photo credit: Lockette)

Monday, July 25, 2011

A Fabulous Find

Look at what I stumbled upon in the parking lot of Albertson's grocery store!

University Ave and Louisiana Ave. 
It's a recycling center!  I don't know why I was so excited to find it.  Maybe it was because I had never seen it there before and I pass right by it almost every day.  
Or, maybe it's because I love finding good spots to recycle household items and getting them out of my home (and my clients' homes!).  



This center gives you 5 cents for bottles and 10 cents for cans.  So cool!  I may start going to this site and then bank the change for a honeymoon trip.  

Hmm, I may need some help from my friends to save up enough!  
Anyone want to recycle with me?

~Leah



Sunday, July 24, 2011

Confession

In six days, we are jumping on a plane and heading to our European vacation!!
Two weeks of fun, adventure and definitely some delicious food.  
But all I can think of is PACKING.... ugh. 
Classic Checklist
I have my packing checklist (above), my Eagle Creek clothing organizers, and my multi-sectioned folder with all the paperwork for each country.  So, why am I so nervous?  I truly believe it's just excitement, because I know that I am too organized to be unprepared!  But getting ready for a big trip can really be stressful.  

Do you have any tips for packing and getting ready?  Any favorite travel products? 

~Leah




Wednesday, July 20, 2011

My favorite 4-letter word

S A L E!

I am such a sucker for a sale, especially when it's for organizing products. 
And today, I got an email from See Jane Work announcing that their Semikolon products are marked down!

Accordion Files
Document Boxes
Magazine Boxes

Not only do they come in many fun colors, but they are great for paper storage, photo organizing, and brightening up your desk.  Check them out here and see if you can resist the SALE!

~Leah



Monday, July 18, 2011

Confession

I get very attached to clothes.  

Ever since I was a little girl, I have become emotionally connected to certain clothes and it makes it very hard to part with them.  With some items, I am immediately brought right back into the moment that I was wearing it.  All the memories come rushing in and I can't bear to let go of that ridiculous pair of jeans or neon t-shirt!  

Well, here are some of the culprits:

Age 6
My Mikey Mouse bathing suit.  (Newspaper hat made by Grandpa)

7th grade dance
That velvet dress came with a little bolero jacket- It was the 90's.  

8th grade graduation
I loved that dress.  I still have it in my garage, in a labeled bin of course.  


So, are any of you holding on to clothing and the memories that come along with them?  Any tips for letting some of the clothing go?

~Leah


Thursday, July 14, 2011

Keep it fresh

Do you have a favorite food storage container?  

It's amazing how many different types of storage canisters there are out there.  It can actually be kind of overwhelming to decide what is the best option.  Let's face it, all we really want is for our food to stay fresh so that when we have a craving for Fritos they aren't stale!  Right?!

Well, here are a few of my favorites:


Jars by Bodum
OXO Pop Canisters
Glass and Brushed Aluminum Canisters
~Leah

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Open up those cabinets

They may have doors that keep your "secrets of disorganization" completely out of view, but those kitchen cabinets need some attention.  


For UPPER cabinets, divide the space vertically to maximize the height and to make it easier to grab dishes and bowls in stacks. 
Cupboard Shelves: The Container Store

For the LOWER cabinets, pull out drawers make it easier to access items low and in the back.  

Roll-Out Cabinet Drawer: Organize.com

Custom pull-out drawers: Shelf Genie
But, before you run out and grab these cool products you MUST sort through your kitchen gadgets and make sure that everything in those cabinets are used and loved.  And be honest with yourself: if you hate to bake, get rid of all those baking pans!

~Leah

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Let's talk about FOOD

 It's time to talk about something we all love... Food.  
It may sound ridiculous, but making sure that your kitchen is organized can truly help you eat better and make sure that your day goes smoother.  

I have been moving things around in my own kitchen- trying to find better ways to store my yummy snacks and moving my lunch foods together in the fridge to encourage me to bring my food instead of spending money by going out.  

All week, I am going to share my favorite kitchen and food organizers.  Today, I will leave you with some inspirational photos... let me know if you have any luck with your own fridge.

From my lovely reader, Ryan





 Fridge bins from The Container Store


Better Homes and Gardens
 Plastic Bins with luggage tags for labels.

 ~Leah




Thursday, July 7, 2011

Baskets over Plastic

Recently, I had the pleasure of assisting a new client unpack and organize her new home.  
She had great taste and preferred organizing products in natural materials instead of plastic.  

She introduced me to these cool bins from Target.  
They are from the Smith and Hawken Line and have a cool chalkboard label. 

Round Seagrass Basket

Here are some other natural faves that I have found:

Oversize Seagrass Basket


Water Hyacinth Bins

 I love having these new options for storage in the closet, toy room, living room, and even the pantry.  Being inspired by my clients is one of the best parts of my job!  

~Leah



Wednesday, July 6, 2011

New Uses for Old Things

If you read Real Simple Magazine as religiously as I do, 
you are already familiar with their cool section called, "New Uses for Old Things."  
Every month, they show you some neat ways to use every day items in new ways, 
like using an ice cream scoop at the beach for making sandcastles or a wine cork as a utensil prop.  

Well, this photo reminded me of that cool part of the magazine.  


Matthew was cleaning out his desk and found a large stash of empty Altoid tins.
Instead of tossing them in the trash, he discovered a great way to reuse them in his desk.
And look at how organized he has become!  

I'm curious, do you have any new uses for old things that you would like to share? 

~Leah
(photo credit: Matthew Moss)




Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy 4th!!

We had such a lovely weekend... 
filled with delicious BBQ yumminess, 
visits with friends and family,
and some sunshine.




And, of course, there was some organizing in our house.  
Nope, can't get myself to stop!  

But this time I spent a few hours getting my wedding planning binder in order.  
I can't imagine anything more fun!


~Leah