Reader Question: Organizing Bathroom Stuff, Part 2

Continuing with the reader bathroom question:

I have two sinks in this bathroom, with a large countertop, and cabinets under the sink. One cabinet has toilet paper and cleaning supplies, but I'd like to find a way to use the other one productively. It just doesn't seem good for much because it's "down there" and not convenient.

Under-the-sink storage is a challenge for many people. Here are some ideas.

1. As I mentioned in Part 1, back-of-the-door storage can help - I've done this myself.




2. A number of companies sell under-sink shelves designed to make that space more usable. The one shown above is available at Stacks and Stacks; you can see other options at Walter Drake and The Container Store.




3. Creative Connectors provides a totally different kind of under-sink shelf.




4. Pull-out cabinet organizers are nice, if they fit your space. You can see a wide selection at The Container Store, and many other companies sell them, too. The one pictured comes from Organize-It.

5. And then there's the basic approach of just using appropriate storage containers - plastic bins, laundry baskets, whatever - where you can pull the container out and grab whatever you need.




6. And you can get creative. This may not be practical for anyone else, but because I'm a sucker for cute kitty pictures, I'll share this one where Ron and Suzy put a bed for KK cat under the sink.

And let me add a general warning to be careful about what's stored under the sink, especially if small children could get into the cabinet.

[first photo from Oh My Stinkin' Heck! / Heather Sanders]

Reader Question: Organizing Bathroom Stuff, Part 1

A reader asks:

I was wondering if you could look for some ideas on organizing bathroom stuff. I'm talking about "health and beauty aids." I have a "closet" in the bathroom with shelves in it. One is for towels, and the top shelf is not easily accessible so it has heating pads and things not used often, but the middle shelf is for all the hair care products, makeup, cold medicines, lotions, etc. I have two plastic "drawers" in there, but tall things don't fit in them, and since the shelf is deep, many things get put in front of the drawers so I have to move it all to even open them! There has got to be a better way.

Glad to help!

Let's start at the obligatory organizer starting point; please make sure you've sorted through the stuff you have and are only organizing the things you really want and need. Cosmetics don't last forever; Real Simple provides some guidance.

A second thought: Can you adjust the shelves in the closet? Sometimes making a shelf taller or shorter can make a huge difference - or adding a shelf when there's a very tall shelf that largely goes unused. If shelf spacing is an issue and the shelves are adjustable, hiring a handyperson to create the right shelving can be a good investment. (Or if you are handier than I am, you could do it yourself!)

Looking at products:



What I use myself for deep shelves are the stacking plastic tote baskets that you can find so many places: your local drugstore or hardware store, Organize-It, The Container Store, Stacks and Stacks, etc. This does mean you need to pull the basket in front out to get to the ones in back, but that's relatively easy to do. They come in the size shown above plus a smaller one.

Depending on the size of your closet, installing roll-out/pull-out organizers can be helpful. More on that in Part 2.



And depending on the type of door on the closet, you might be able to add some organizing options to the back of the door. A plastic shoe holder could be used to hold all sorts of bottles. There are also a variety of organizing racks and baskets that can provide useful back-of-the-door storage, such as the one shown above from Space Savers. Rev-A-Shelf also has a number of options.

[photo not from reader, but rather from 0range County Girl / Holly Clark]

Four More Fanciful Hooks

I do love hooks as an organizing tool, and I also love whimsy - and they have come together once more. This cow hook will moo whenever something is hung on it. (There's also a sheep that will bleat.) [via Optimist]




This chicken roost clothes peg comes from Haba.




Here's a black bear in a canoe, with four pegs for hanging stuff.




And here's a Canadian goose - other options include a black bear and a chocolate lab.


Related Posts:
Four Fanciful Hooks
Budget-Minded Organizing Products, with hooks by Metalmorphosis
Dart Coat Hooks
A-Z Hooks from Sundance
Globo Wall Coat Hanger from Magis

Have It Your Way: Use Paint to Create a Message Board

Maybe you want a memo board of some sort - a magnetic board, a chalkboard - but you have an unusual sized space, or you want something bigger than the ones readily available.

One option: Use magnetic paint (or magnetic primer paint) to change any surface into a magnetic board. You can also use chalkboard paint, dry erase (whiteboard) paint, or a magnetic/chalkboard paint combination.

Here's some good reading on the subject:

- A picture of an office with a magnetic wall, created using Rust-Oleum's primer; Rust-Oleum also makes chalkboard paint and dry erase paint [via Let's Talk Organizing]

- A discussion about magnetic paint that branches out into the other paint options, and an older post on the same subject

- A whole wall painted with chalkboard paint

- Some ideas on decorating with magnetic paint in the kitchen, in a child's room, etc.

- A wall calendar created with magnetic paint, and another with chalkboard paint

- Chalkboard paint on a refrigerator door (picture above)

- Mural magnets, for both decor and interactive play: underwater sets, flower sets, and individual pieces including an adorable kiwi bird

- Free samples of Magically Magnetic Paint

Ode to the Library Card Catalog

Remember those card catalogs you used to see in libraries, before they got replaced by computer databases? (The one above was in Yale University's Sterling Memorial Library; thanks to Wikipedia for the image.) They can still make wonderful storage for all sorts of things.

Uses for a Card Catalog

1. As I noted on Friday, some people use them to store LEGO bricks.




2. Tricia Royal of Bits & Bobbins uses hers for art and sewing supplies. Isn't that gorgeous? [via Apartment Therapy: Los Angeles]

3. The folks at Publib, a discussion group for public librarians, are full of suggestions.

Ar least two people noted that wine bottles fit perfectly into the drawers.

Helen Rigdon says, "The drawers are perfect size for storing a quart size of liquor (I think that’s the 150 ml size now???) But I don’t have EVERY drawer filled that way. I store candles, napkins, flashlights and other odds and ends in the drawers."

Alison Baker writes, "I have one in my kitchen - and it is filled. The drawers are the perfect width for standard cans, spice jars, certain packaged food too. The pull out shelf works great for checking through the recipe box or cookbooks. The bottom row - I have a tall one - is reserved for tools."

Nann Blaine Hilyard says, "I use a 30-drawer Library Bureau unit in my quilting studio to hold thread and notions."

And Mary Maw, who notes the her card catalog is not made of beautiful woods, writes, "My husband stores files, plumbing parts, electrical parts, nails, etc. in the drawers."


Where to Find a Card Catalog



1. eBay or craiglist sometimes have card catalogs for sale. The one shown above - beautifully restored - is currently listed on the San Francisco Bay Area craigslist.

2. Libraries getting rid of their card catalogs will often auction them off - but since many have already disposed of theirs, I imagine there's less chance of getting one this way then there was in prior years.

3. A card catalog just sold on GovDeals, and another one is available. Just browse the category Library Equipment.

4. Michelle Caulk found hers at an estate sale.

5. You can still buy new card catalogs for LibrarySuppliers.com and Demco.com.


More Reading (with great pictures)

See what woodworker George Brooks-Hutton (nicknamed Huttonio Brooks) has done with cabinets he got from the University of California at Berkeley.

Going Green with Custom Cabinetry

I went to the West Coast Green conference today - and found a few exhibits that had an organizing aspect.

Quality Custom Components makes amazing dovetail drawers - and they are available in FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified woods, with waterborne wood coatings which are proven no and low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds). I wish their web site had better pictures; the one above was a picture I took this afternoon. I'm posting a large picture so you can see the dovetailing - but the picture doesn't do them justice.




SilverWalker says they make "sustainably crafted cabinetry"; they build their cabinets with bamboo and FSC certified woods. Their web site is still under construction, so I'm glad I took a few pictures here, too - but again, the photo doesn't begin to capture how lovely these cabinets are.

Both of these companies are in Northern California, but there are green cabinet makers in many parts of the world - something to consider if you need new cabinets.

16 LEGO Storage Options

How to organize and store your collection is a challenge for all LEGO fans. After I wrote about the very cool LEGO stacking bin, my curiosity was whetted and I decided to investigate the other choices - the ones used by most LEGO collectors, and few more esoteric options.

The best option for you will depend on many variables, including:
- How many pieces you have
- The types of pieces you have: blocks, robotics, etc.
- How you like to play/build
- Your space and budget constraints

Ways to Organize

momready.com suggests organizing by color.

wikiHow is the single best reference I've found on the topic of LEGO sorting and storage, and it suggests a progression of organizing approaches, as the collection grows: all together, by set, by size, by category, by part, by part and color.

Products to Consider: Specialized



1. For beginner collections, the LEGOs might simply be stored in the container they came in, especially if they came in a plastic box like this.




2. The LEGO store has a new category called storage, with only one product right now: the LEGO Store & Carry Case. The case has four removable, stackable trays with different sized sections.




3. The Kydz building table from Jonti-Craft has a base plate (LEGO or Duplooptions) and optional storage tubs underneath.




4. An interesting specialty product is BOX4BLOCKS, which sorts the LEGOs through a series of trays with different sized grids, so the blocks end up in a tray with similar sized blocks.




5. LEGO Education has storage bins in five different sizes. In many cases, the bins have small drain holes in the bottom, so you can wash and drain your bricks




6. LEGO Education also has small parts storage cabinets in 44-drawer and 64-drawer sizes.




7. Robotics Learning Store sells cases designed specifically for Mindstorms.


Products to Consider: Other Widely Used Options

Of course, there's no need to use products designed specifically for LEGOs.

8. Plastic bins and boxes of all sorts are popular options. JaZilla recommends some options on Squidoo. Nate Jacobs shows his collection of bins on Flickr. Tom has a LEGO room and lots of bins. Matt uses the plastic tubs that mushrooms come in.




9. Miguel Agullo has some plastic buckets with compartments that he says work wonderfully for his LEGO Technic pieces, but are hard to get.




10. When it comes to Mindstorms, tool boxes are a popular option. Jason Bartholme uses a Stanley ten compartment organizer. Peter Hoh on The NXT Step uses a Stanley Professional Deep Organizer, shown above.




11. Some folks really like Plano fishing tackle boxes; fans include David Bau and Ralph Hempel, who provides a nice photo.

12. Storage cabinets from companies like Akro-Mils are also popular; Jon Palmer at Zemi has a LEGO room with eight Akro-Mils storage cabinets.

Products to Consider: Other

13. Eric Harshbarger uses some old library card catalog cabinets.

14. Amazon.com shows that someone likes using scrapbooking carts and cases.

15. And then someone suggests storing them in socks: red LEGOs in red socks, etc.




16. And here's a picture from a LEGO store, courtesy of sylvar/Ben Ostrowsky.

Finally, I'm indebted to wikiHow for pointing me to Remy Evard's essay on the evolution of LEGO sorting - which illuminates (with great humor) the continual storage challenges facing serious LEGO collectors.

[lead photo by feesta / Jeff Easter]

More Modular Storage: A Stylish Option from Italy

Just a few days ago I wrote about modular shelving - and it seems as soon as I do a round-up like this, I find at least one more neat option.

In this case, that additional neat option is the Italian modular furniture from Lazzari. It's eye-catching, with colorful drawers and leather handles. The web site has some nice photos to get you thinking about how you might combine the various components, which aren't limited to just a single-size cube.

Available from Colours Ltd in the UK; overseas inquiries welcome.

Lazzari is a brand of Foppapedretti S.p.A., whose web site has some different illustrations which are worth a look.

[via Optimist]

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Reduce Part

The Oregonian writes about how recycling alone will not meet the state's goals for stopping growth in per person waste generation. (If you want to read the full story, do it now; after 14 days the free access ends.)

As an organizer, I'm not focused on getting my clients to stop buying things, but rather to stop and ask themselves questions like this, so they don't create clutter issues for themselves:

- Is this something that is useful, or something that I love?
- Where will it go? Is there room for it?
- Will it replace something I will then donate or otherwise recycle?
- Will it hold up well over time, so it doesn't become landfill in the near future?

The Oregonian article mostly emphasizes the same thing; it's not "stop buying" but "stop buying junk." Here are some brief quotes.

Now that Oregonians are good at recycling, state officials are edging toward a far tougher Step 2: Stop buying so much stuff in the first place.
. . .
To cut consumption and waste, and the manufacturing emissions at the front end, regulators are writing a strategy that suggests people consider smaller houses, avoid cramming their homes with junk . . .
. . .
Local government officials, who regulate garbage rates and haulers, fret about waste prevention being seen as a blow to the local economy, Allaway [David Allaway, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's point man for waste prevention] said. "They don't want to spend taxpayer dollars promoting 'Buy Nothing Day.'

"On the surface, it looks bad for the economy," he said, "Our point is you can stimulate the economy without spending on cheap, wasteful goods."
. . .
Julie Daniel, director of BRING Recycling in Eugene, helped advise the state on the plan. Daniel wants tougher mandates for waste prevention and green products. . . . Now she's trying to buy used more often, including a $100 used TV last year. She shares with neighbors, buys in bulk, rents when she needs a tool, buys stuff that'll last and thinks twice before she hits the checkout counter.

[via Apartment Therapy: Green Home]

[Image from High Peak CVS]

Nine Options for Storing Your Knives

The CulinHome Speed Loop magnetic knife rack - which I just discovered - inspired this list featuring some of the many options for storing your knives. This is the white version - it's also avilable with a black or wood center.




Another interesting magnetic option comes from Denmark: the ScanWood knife magnets, available through many on-line retailers in the UK, and through Tivoli Home in the USA. [via Apartment Therapy: New York]




Uncommon Goods sells knife magnets that use the same individual knife approach, but have a different look.




I've already written about the MIKOTO bamboo knife block from Ekobo; the Kapoosh knife block is another one with no pre-set slots.




If you want a more traditional-looking knife block, Wusthof has two made from bamboo: model 7277 and 7278. Calphalon also makes a bamboo knife block. Shun Ken Onion is another bamboo option.




Another interesting counter top option is the CulinHome Knife Frame . [via Popgadget]




And then there's the Messermeister MagnaBlock Pro - quite a mouthful, and quite an unusual product. Magnets inside the block hold the knives in place.




Really squeezed for space? Take a look at the Wusthof-Trident under-cabinet knife block.




After years of using a magnetic knife rack, I switched to an in-drawer knife block when I got nervous about the knives and the cats; I really like it.

Tips from Good Housekeeping: August 2007

Good Housekeeping is not where I'd expect to find organizing advice - but I found three interesting tidbits in this issue.

1. Organizing jewelry for travel: I wrote about this on the Clutter Control Freak blog.

2. Organizing the mail: Use a British toast rack, such as the one shown above. (Other options are available here and here.) This wouldn't be my first choice in most situations, but I always like creative alternatives - they're usually just right for someone.

3. Avoiding medical ID theft: Thieves are using other people's names to get health care, so protect your medical insurance card just as you would a credit card. Review your explanation-of-benefits notices, and follow up with your insurance company if you stop getting them.

Organizing on TV: Illusion vs. Reality

Have you watched Clean Sweep, Mission: Organization, or Clean House?

I haven't seen Clean House, but I've seen the others, thanks to my neighbor who taped a few shows for me. And while I've found the shows amusing and even informative, they certainly don't give a realistic view of what the organizing (and interior design) process looks like with an extremely cluttered house - if you don't have a TV crew to do the work!

Ann Saunders of Simple Organizing Solutions in Baltimore was interviewed for a story in The Christian Science Monitor. The article says, "She knows one organizer who spent more than 200 hours on a house for a TV makeover. That translated into 22 minutes on air."

And organizer Joan Kosmachuk of Simple Effects in Boston reports that on an episode of Clean House Comes Clean, the team stated that they spend on average 6 days of up to 18 hours/day as a whole team to declutter, clean and redecorate each home on each of their shows. And that's a team of four people!

So watch the shows for fun and inspiration - but don't expect to solve clutter issues that have been building up for years as quickly as it seems to happen on TV.

One Way to Get Too Many Magazines

I just got this message in my e-mail. I'm not identifying the organization that sent it, because you might get something similar from any Cause You Care About.

The Cause-You-Care-About has launched a new fundraising campaign for the fall and we have found a fabulous way to provide you with your favorite magazines at a huge discount and raise money for the Cause-You-Care-About at the same time!

All you have to do is visit our new online magazine store to buy, renew or extend your favorite magazine subscription and 40% of each purchase is contributed to the Cause-You-Care-About!

Over 650 magazine titles at up to 85% off newsstand prices; Buy online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also help by inviting your friends and family to purchase their favorite magazines online. They will also save up to 85% on more than 650 titles while the Cause-You-Care-About keeps 40% of each purchase amount!

What a piece of marketing - it plays on your sympathies and on your sense of getting a good deal. But magazines you don't need - that will just pile up unread - are not a good deal at any price. Want to support the cause? Just send them a check!

Celebrating Fine Furniture

Not all of us can afford furniture like this - but we can still appreciate that craftsmen are producing such lovely pieces.

I just discovered Karges by Hand from an ad in Architectural Digest. The piece shown above is a Queen Anne cabinet on a stand. The Karges web site has high-quality pictures, so it's a pleasure to browse.




On the other hand, I've known about Berkeley Mills for a long time, since they're located not too far from me. This is one of their numerous tansu pieces - and they do custom work, too.




John Kelly Furniture and Accessories is another company I've known about for years, having seen their furniture at a store in San Francisco. This is a sideboard from the J1 series.




I don't remember how I first heard about Pompanoosuc Mills - but I'm glad I did. This is a solid birch file cabinet.




Debey Zito is a member of Artistic License, a group of artisans - so go to the Artistic License web site and you can ogle not only her work but that of many others.




Green Design Furniture was named after founder Michael Green - but their furniture is made from domestically grown solid wood, logged following sustainable forestry guidelines. Whenever possible, manufacturing waste products are recycled or repurposed. This is their demi armoire.




While the other furniture makers listed here make a range of storage items, this chest of drawers is the only storage-related item from Andrew Muggleton - but isn't it a beauty?

Levenger Lust

Temptation - that's the word that comes to many people's lips when talking about the Levenger catalog. (That, and references to credit card bills - Levenger products aren't inexpensive, although they do have some good sales.) The latest catalog arrived yesterday, and as always it's filled with neat products.

Deb at the Analog Organization and Productivity Yahoo Group notes that Levenger keeps expanding their products designed for 3 x 5 note cards, for those who use cards to organize their tasks. The new Morgan card bleacher, shown above, is one such product.




I personally use Levenger's pocket briefcase to take notes when I'm out and about, and it's one of the better purchases I've made.




The item that really caught my eye in the newest catalog is the No-Room-For-a-Table Table. The tabletop has hidden hinges which allow it to open from both sides, providing a small storage space underneath. It also has a shelf for holding specially-fitted leather baskets; you can buy the table with or without the baskets. It's available in natural or dark cherry.

Six Ways to Deal with the E-Mail Deluge

Feeling overwhelmed by your e-mail? Join the crowd - and read about ways that other people are coping.

1. Advice from Julie Morgenstern and many more, including Gina Trapani: Wait an hour before checking your e-mail in the morning; pick one task to accomplish before reading e-mail.

B.L Ochman also follows this advice - and has taken more steps to manage 700+ e-mail messages a day.

2. Advice from Merlin Mann: Delete, delete, delete. "Do you keep emails in your inbox for weeks or months even though you know in your heart of hearts that you have no intention of ever responding to them?"

3. Advice from Mike Davidson: Limit e-mail replies to five sentences.

4. Encourage people to stop sending you jokes and such. Tell them, "Thanks. No."

5. If things have gotten really out of control, declare e-mail bankruptcy. Lawrence Lessig declared his e-mail bankruptcy in 2004, and others have done the same, declaring that they simply will never be able to reply to their backlog of messages.

6. In response, others have written guidelines for processing e-mail so you can avoid e-mail bankruptcy.


[Illustration from You've Got Mail web site]

Kubisphere Desk Organizer

One of the oddest products I've seen lately - but probably just right for someone. The more I look at it, the more I like it.

Here's the blurb found on Uncommon Goods: A bulletin board, dry erase surface, and strikingly modern sculpture: the Kubisphere functions as all of these while beaming with elegant minimalism. Six circular aluminum surfaces project out from a central cube and rotate freely. Use the surfaces to hold notes and photos with the included magnets while writing directly on the metal with the included dry erase marker.

It's made by NUOP; they describe it as a revolving sculptural magnet and message board. The NUOP web site shows six color options. I also like NUOP's Kubis cork board (#16 on their web site); I'm trying to find out where you can buy it.

Update on September 12, 2007: Frank at NUOP wrote back to me, saying, "The Corkboard hasn't been distributed yet. It's our newest product. It will be going out next week, but if people want it we also can also sell directly.

Bulletin Boards Don't Have to be Boring

Want to use a bulletin board, but those basic ones in the office supply stores just don't seem like the answer? Here are some more interesting alternatives.

1. Cork Squares from Land of Nod

There are promoted as an item for a child's room, but they could look nice lots of other places, too. You can see the cheerful colors in the picture above. One drawback is that they may damage the wall when removed.




2. TackTile Boards from Design Ideas

These boards are also meant to hang alone or in groups. Magnets embedded in the sides of each frame allow multiple pieces to click together. Available in black, red, and silver.




3. Memory Boards from Pulp

Not quite a bulletin board - you slip things into the ribbons that crisscross the boards. There are 41 fabric options - no solid colors, but a range of patterns. The same company also makes some nice-looking more basic cork boards, with four choices of frames.




4. Shareboards

These are custom made, with a wide range of option for both the frames and the fabric colors. You can also look at the Shareboard Outlet for boards available at large discounts: ones with slight imperfections, or custom boards that got returned.




5. tackamap

Pick a state (in the United States), a country, a region - or the whole world! There's also this antiquarian map.




6. Bedford Smart Linen Pinboard at Pottery Barn

This board lets you plug in your MP3 player and store it in the recessed area, and then play music using the pair of built-in speakers.

December 2008 update: This board doesn't seem to be available any more, although Pottery Barn does have other linen pinboards.

Related Post: Forbo Bulletin Boards

Organize Magazine September/October 2007

How could an organizer not read the newly-launched Organize Magazine? I imagine I'm not the typical reader; I quickly scan for new ideas and products, and was happy to find a few in this second edition. (Note: The picture above is not the September/October edition; I forgot to snap a picture of mine before tearing off the address label, and making it non-photographable.)




I'm not a scrapbooker, but I know many people who are - or who would like to be, but never seem to make the time. So I was intrigued by SEI's 1-Hour Albums: the scrapbook in a bag and the scrapbook in a box (one of which is shown above). I've noticed that other scrapbooking companies are also providing do-it-quicker options; for example, Creative Memories now has PicFolio Albums designed to speed up the scrapbooking process.




The other product line that was new to me was the Tatutina line of children's products: wastebaskets, nesting bins, crayon caddies, pegboards, etc. Choose from dinosaurs, jungle animals, fish and mermaids, and more.




Tatutina also has some recipe boxes as part of their Cucina Tatutina line. Take a look at that oven one!

There were also articles on some old favorites: See Jane Work and craigslist.

But there was one product listed that made no sense to me - an internet journal to "keep track of all your favorite internet sites." Why wouldn't you keep track of these on your computer - through favorites (Internet Explorer browser) or bookmarks (Safari and Firefox browsers), through bookmark management tools, or through a social bookmarking site like del.icio.us?

And I wish they hadn't shown a child working on a computer in what seemed to be a very non-ergonomically correct position.

Bamboo Laundry Hampers

Bamboo is beautiful and renewable - so when Storables sent me an e-mail showcasing their new bamboo laundry hampers, I sure took note. There are two shapes (round and rectangle) and two sizes.




And then I checked around, and there are some other bamboo options, too. The Container Store, always a good source for products, has a bamboo lattice hamper.




And VivaTerra has yet another style of bamboo hamper.

Related Post: 7 Special Laundry Hampers

Update, January 14, 2008: Viva Terra no longer carries that lovely hamper.

Field Trip to Stacks and Stacks

Now that I'm writing for the Stacks and Stacks Clutter Control Freak blog, I decided to visit their store in Santa Rosa, California, since it's not that far from me, and a family outing put me in the general vicinity.

Stacks and Stacks is primarily a web store; the physical store isn't very big, and has nowhere near the same selection (which they make a point of telling you on the web site, so this wasn't a surprise).

Still, it was nice to see some new and different products in person. I've written about my favorite product - some shelving, to my amazement - on their blog.

I also saw the Storvino wine storage system that I read about recently (shown above). This might be very practical, but I didn't like the plastic look.

Update: The Stacks and Stacks store in Santa Rosa is now closed.

Use Electric Outlets and SAVE Electricity - and Create Storage

From Scott Amron, the man who brought you the Endo Magnet Clip come a series of products from Die Electric. These are all listed as prototypes, but they are available for sale.

ToothHold, shown above, will hold your toothbrush or other bathroom items. Most of us have an outlet right by the sink, so this would keep your toothbrush close at hand.




OFF is a fully functional light switch that provides a hanging function when the switch is in the OFF position. It was designed to persuade people to use less energy.




Don't know where to put your fire extinguisher? FIREWALL is a fire extinguisher that plugs into the wall.




And then there is SHELF - which is . . . a shelf.

Further plug-into-the-wall options include a vase and a flower pot.


[via Inhabitat]

Clothes Hookey

This clothes hook, made from Limoges porcelain, was inspired by the keys used to wind up toys - remember tin toys with wind-up keys?

It's expensive for a hook (25-35 euros, depending on which model you select) - but they appear to be as beautiful as the web site claims.

The French company that makes this hook makes a number of unusual products. It has nothing to do with organizing, but you may want to look at their tank vase - also of handmade Limoges porcelain.

But Those Old LPs and Cassette Tapes Might Be Worth Something!

Do you have music and videos in a variety of formats - too much, perhaps? Rasputin Music might help.

1. If you happen to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can sell at any of their ten locations during all store hours.

2. If you wonder if your collection is worth something, check out their buying information for some great rules of thumb. What's popular in this area might not match what's popular in your area, so just take this as one data point.

A few excerpts:

. . . there are some CDs where there’s way more people trying to sell them than people who want to buy them, so regardless of list price, the used offer is much lower. Artists that fall into this category might include Blackstreet, N*Sync, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, later Boston, Neil Diamond, or Kenny G. People don’t want these things anymore, so we have a hard time selling them, and consequently we can’t pay you much for them.


Regarding laserdiscs:

- The good news is that we still buy laserdiscs for the extremely small market that‘s left.

- The bad news is that you’d have gotten a lot more money for your laserdiscs if you’d had sold them a few years ago.

- WARNING: we predict that one year from now your laserdiscs will be worth exactly as much as your eight track collection. (sorry, we didn’t invent DVDs)


[Thanks to reader Gigi for the tip.]

September 2007 Organizing Tips and More

My September newsletter is now available.

Tip of the Month: Where to Start

Product of the Month: Itoya Profolio Books

Organizing Poem of the Month: T.T.T., by Piet Hein

Organizing Event of the Month: National Preparedness Month
This one is really important, so I'm including an excerpt here:

If someone had to come into your home (or the home of someone you care about), would they know:

- Where to find the Advance Health Care Directive and Financial Power of Attorney? And the medical history, the list of medicines being taken, and any known allergies?

- How to take care of the pets?

- The passwords to get onto the computer and access e-mail?

- The location of the checkbook, safe deposit box, and the key to that box?

- All the oddities that most homes have - the special way you need to jiggle the handle on the toilet, etc.?

- Who should be notified of the situation, and their addresses and phone numbers?

If not, please consider getting this information (and much more) pulled together and made available to those who might need it in an emergency.