Keeping Your Files Out in Plain View

File cabinets are wonderful tools - but some folks work better with having their files more visible. If a desktop file isn't sufficient, you can look at file carts.

These carts aren't usually the prettiest things around, but they can sure be functional. The cart shown above is a basic wire filing cart from Safco.




And here's a different style of wire file cart, also from Safco. The company also makes steel filing carts.




The Vertiflex Smatworx file cart provides another different look.




This file caddy comes from Sauder's Studio RTA line.




And this is another Studio RTA file caddy.




If you like elfa's mesh look, the elfa file cart might be right for you.

And yet more file carts can be found from Smead and Rubbermaid.




And if none of these are quite what you want, take a look at the products called mail carts. This is a Scoot mail cart from Safco - there's a larger size available, too. You could also check out the mail carts from Fellowes.

Related Posts:
File with Style: Nine File Cabinets to Ogle
Update: File With Style - Five More File Cabinets (and File Trolleys) to Ogle

A Bunch of Bread Boxes

Someone I know may be in the market for a bread box, so I've been inspired to take another look around at what's become available.

One thing I'm seeing is that companies whose bread boxes I've admired in the past have come out with new, interesting options. For example, the colorful bread boxes above come from Wesco.




Polder has some bread bins with a similar look.




Typhoon has some fun new options, too.




And RedCandy made me aware that Joseph Joseph now has a steel bread bin.




I haven't mentioned Brabantia before, but since the company makes some of the larger-capacity bread bins, I wanted to be sure to give it a mention. (One of many vendors: Just-Brabantia.co.uk, which is where the photo came from)




This large - and pricey - bread box is made by WMF, and is sold by Bloomingdales.




Don't like stainless steel? Here's a different approach to the bread bin.




The wood for the lid of this porcelain bread bin can serve as a chopping board.




And if you really want eye-popping color, these may be the bread bins for you.




Finally, H is for Home "specialises in the unusual, the quirky, one off, handmade and vintage" - so the bread bin I'm showing above may not be available in the future. However, there are six different bins available today - and who knows what interesting products might show up in the future.

Related Posts:
Nine Notable Bread Boxes, Bins and Canisters
Bigger Than Which Bread Box?

The Joys of Arriving Early

Getting to the airport really early makes every other choice work better. (More time to maneuver). -- Chris Brogan

Chris flys for business, while my travel is mostly personal. But I'm also a get-to-the-airport-early person - ridiculously early, according to some friends. But there are so many unknowns:

- If I'm taking a taxi, will it show up on time?

- What will traffic be like? If I'm leaving from home, will there be a tie-up on one of the few roads out of my coastal town?

- How long will the lines be at the airport? Will I be selected for a go-through-the-luggage security check?

I find I'm just much less stressed if I leave for the airport with plenty of time to spare. At the San Francisco airport, I have my routines, which include a nice relaxed meal; we are blessed with some very nice dining options, especially in the international terminal.

And the same thing applies to other appointments, although I don't leave quite as much slack time as with the airport. I leave extra time for getting lost (if I'm going someplace new - even though I rarely get lost), for finding parking (if I'm going to San Francisco), and for getting held up in traffic. When I don't leave early, and cut things too closely, I sit in my car fretting about every long light I hit; that's no fun!

If always have something to read in the car with me, so if I arrive early, I can put the time to good use.

Organizer Janine Adams recently wrote about her new philosophy of arriving early. She said that "Stress vanished. It felt so good not to be rushed." To which I say, amen.

[photo by aka_zoe / Lori W, licensed under Creative Commons]

Variations on a Theme: 9 Wire and Metal Fruit Baskets

The lovely basket above comes from Pierre Deux, and the store has a few other nice options, too. But if these aren't to your taste, there are many more to choose from.




RSVP makes the classic hanging baskets - for fruit or numerous other things.




This nice two-tier fruit basket comes from Crate and Barrel.




Smith & Hawken also sells a tiered wire basket. Update on July 10, 2009: Smith & Hawken is going out of business, and is no longer taking internet orders - so the original link to this product no longer works. You may still be able to buy products at the stores.




This basket comes from Blomus.




At the MoMA Store, you can get this Alessi wire basket (or a round yellow one) - an old design being reintroduced, only through MoMA. [via A Girl and Her Kitchen Table]




This lovely wire fruit/egg basket comes from Moorhouse Trading.




Metal workers have also created some very nice fruit baskets. This one comes from Maine Iron Works.




And this fruit basket comes from the Metal Studio.




And finally, because I'm a sucker for certain kinds of cute, I'll leave you with this fruit basket, sold by Dwell.

Making It Easy to Find the Keys

All too often, keys end up in obscure places where you can't remember having put them. -- MarthaStewart.com

To prevent that problem, you'll want a designated place where your keys are always placed. For me, that's a hook right by the front door - and hooks are a fine option. A small dish, bowl, or tray could work fine, too.

But here are some other options to consider. The one above is a custom key rack by Adirondack Metal Designs.




Fred Nelson Fabrication can also provide you with an interesting key rack.




A number of products use magnets to provide easy key storage. This one from Peleg Design is called Key Pete; you can buy it from Absolument Design or Perpetual Kid (and others). Of course, you'll want to take proper cautions when using magnets, to ensure they don't damage your credit cards or anything else that might be sensitive to magnetic fields.




Here's a very different magnetic key holder. [via Apartment Therapy]




P.O.M. Stockholm also has a magnetic key rack - with hidden magnets. You can buy it here.




Or, instead of a magnetic key rack, you could get a magnetic key chain - and keep your keys on the refrigerator door, a metal desk, etc. [via Better Living Through Design]




Moving beyond the magnets, here's another simple key rack; you just stick a key into the slot.




And I'm quite taken with this pewter key rack.






Finally, while I wouldn't normally recommend a key cupboard - too many extra steps to open it up - this one from the Edward Barnsley Workshop is too beautiful not to share.

Related Post:
Giving the Keys a Good Home

How to Reply to Offers on Freecycle

Freecycle is pretty straightforward. People send messages to their local Freecycle group members, saying what they are offering, and you reply if you are interested. (You can also send messages asking for things you want - someone just might have them.)

I'm an avid Freecycler; I give away things of my own, as well as things for my clients, who are thrilled to see their items go to someone who can really use them. That picture above is my porch, this morning. There's a bag of stuffed animals going to one person, three bags of clothes going to someone else, two stacks of books for two more people, a cheese grater going to yet another person - and more. In total, nine people were coming by for things!

But as simple as Freecycle is, I'm sometimes amazed at how some people respond to my messages. I keep a list of people I've found to be good recipients - and another one of people to avoid. (You can always choose who you want to give your items to, and you may well get multiple requests for the same item.) Here are my guidelines on how to get on my "good people" list.

1. Be polite.

There's one person whose replies always read something like this: Tell me the address to come pick it up.

I'll never give anything to this person. Rather, I'll give it to the person who writes: May I please have this, if it's still available?

(OK, I must admit I also get a grin from the person who has received things from me many times, who will now write messages like this: Dibs on the picture frame. But that's because I already know him.)

And "thank you" messages are always welcome, too.


2. Have a normal-sounding e-mail address.

I know this is sort of a strange item. But there's one person I never give things to because she's got an off-putting e-mail address that always makes me pause; do I really want this person coming to my home? I've decided the answer is no.


3. Follow instructions.

I often have a large list of something - many books or CDs, for example. I will usually write: Take one, some or all - no preference for taking more than one, so ask for what you really want.

Using the book example: Some people then write and say they will take everything; others ask for specific books. I'll give the books away first to the people who asked for a few selected ones. Then I'll write to the "take everything" folks and tell them what's left - and lo and behold, they don't want those books.


4. If you need more information, ask right away.

Don't say you want something, and then - after I've said you can have it - ask for more information. If you have questions, include them in your first message.


5. Don't ask me to deliver the item or mail it to you.

You want it, you come get it. That's just how things (generally) work on Freecycle.

Now, there are some people who I offer to deliver to, because I drive by their homes, and I know they are unlikely to be driving by mine - and we live a 20-minute drive away. (My Freecycle group covers a large territory.) But these are people I know - not strangers asking for something from me.


6. Show up when you say you will.

Yes, sometimes things happen, and you just can't make it. If you send me an e-mail and explain that, and set a new time, I understand. But don't just neglect to show up.

Related Posts:
The Things You Find on Freecycle
Short Takes: Funny Stuff Found on Freecycle
The Thoughtful Consumer Uses Freecycle

Fabric Buckets, Boxes and Bins

For all of us who love a good container, fabric buckets (also called boxes and bins on various web sites) are worth a look. While many sites will tell you how to make your own, here are some ready-made ones for those of us who don't foresee a DIY project in our futures. The toy storage tubs above (which could have many other uses) are made from Liberty cotton. Four different patterns are available.




Bookhou makes some elegant and lovely fabric storage boxes - they're linen with a canvas lining. [via Re-nest and Bloesem]




Jenna Rose has bins in two sizes - these are the large ones. [via Apartment Therapy and Babygadget]




And over on Etsy, EccoItaly has some eye-popping options.

Related Post:
Fun with Storage: Fabric Buckets

In Honor of SF Pride: Rainbow Organizing Products

It's San Francisco Pride Weekend - which inspired me to go looking for rainbow-themed containers and other organizing products.




First up: rainbow magnets from Buttonhead.




OK, this is a rainbow trout magnet - but it's still rainbow colors. It's one of the many fun magnets from Laughing Fridge Art Magnets.




And here's a keepsake box with rainbow colors.




Returning to actual rainbows, there's this rainbow treasure box from Martin Designs.




And finally, we have the Hello Kitty rainbow lunch box - which, of course, could hold something other than lunch.

[flag photo by brainchildvn / Charlie Nguyen, licensed under Creative Commons]

Respecting Other People - and Their Stuff

That's your husband's? No, we can't throw it away without his permission. --me, many times, with many clients.

As we de-clutter our homes, it's not unusual to find something a partner or spouse is keeping that seems silly to us. When I work with clients, we might set aside things to ask someone else about - assuming we even have permission to touch that person's things - but just tossing something out is not an option.

Here's a cautionary tale from Steve Almond in the June 2009 Real Simple:

Consider the donnybrook I got into with my first serious girlfriend. We had just moved in together, and in an effort to "clean up the place," she tossed out my favorite sneakers. I will grant you that they had multiple holes and were perhaps malodorous. But I had bought these shoes in the Old City of Jerusalem and had worn them to climb Masada and wade into the Dead Sea. ... Those shoes were a part of me. I never forgave her.

[photo by endora57 / Kathy Neufeld, licensed under Creative Commons]

Alarm Clocks: Amusing, Beautiful, Practical - and Furry

Alarm clocks are essential tools for many of us - so it's always fun to take a look around and see how many intriguing options are available. Want a robot? You can get one in blue, green, or red. [via We Covet]




Want a gorgeous travel alarm clock? This limited edition Victorinox Swiss Army travel alarm isn't available until November 1 - but that will give you time to save up the $550 to buy it. [via Uncrate]




And here's a much less expensive travel alarm, designed for ease of use: the Jetlag. (You can also get it in the U.S. from Unica Home.) [via Switched On Set and Unplggd]




And finally, there's the ever-popular cat alarm clock. [photo by Jim Christian, licensed under Creative Commons] For more about the kitty "early morning wake up call" - and cute pictures - read the story by the San Francisco SPCA.

Related Posts:
7 Alarm Clocks for A Gentler Wake-Up Call
Two Alarm Clocks With Fancy Scheduling Features
Clocks With Character
Clocky - For People Who Overuse the Snooze Button