Day 135: Over or Under?

   

So...

 
This particular household debate has been going on since... uh... the dawn of toilet paper!  And "The Neat Get Neater" would like to know: do you replace the roll so the paper goes OVER... or UNDER!?!?

I'll have to admit it; I'm an over-kind of girl.  I don't want to have to reach for... look for... or fish for the toilet paper.  Ever.  And that's what often happens when the toilet paper roll is loaded UNDER.  I, personally, like when my TP is conveniently located on top of the roll, and that's what happens when you load the paper OVER.

As far as looks... does anyone really look at the toilet paper roll?  And does one re-loading method ] look better than the other?  I seriously contemplated this and nearly decided that it does look a little better when it's loaded UNDER the roll... EEK!  But then I realized that even the fanciest resorts load the toilet paper OVER, and then they fold the ends to a neat, little point.  Now, you won't find my guest bath loaded with pointy TP.  But, hopefully, guests will only notice that the toilet paper is there.  That it's soft.  And that it works.  Enough said...



Now, THAT's neat!

Day 126: Clever Scent Spot

Do you want your bathroom to smell lovely, without burning out all of your candles or using up air fresheners?  (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE using lovely-scented everythings in our WCs, but sometimes I am not there to refresh, plug in, spray or light!)  Well, here is a clever, little tip, straight from the "Neat Freak Cheat Sheet."  Just put those scented oils to use!

Every time you load up a new roll of toilet paper (and you know it will be you, since apparently no one else in the house knows how to reload those oh-so-complicated TP tubes!), add a drop or two of your favorite scents.  Every time someone spins the roll, the scent will be released!  Simple, right! ;)

Now, THAT's neat!

Day 122: ToweLocs, a Neat Product

I discovered something rather interesting today while looking around Organized A to Z, a fun - and tempting - organizing products website... and now I am considering adding a whole new level of organization to my home.  Ok.... not exactly.  But it is a cool concept.

Just think about how many times you have had to rearrange a towel in the bathroom or the kitchen or how many times you have found said towel on the floor, in a little, crumpled-up, mildew-loving heap?!?  Well... these little gadgets, called ToweLocs, are decorative items that keep your towels in place until you are ready to replace them!  WOW! Love this idea!

To use these clever devices (available in different decor; I'm showing the "tile" since I like it!), just poke the pin side of the ToweLoc through the towel, one layer at a time, and then secure the backing.  Then... arrange your towels... and enjoy them!  Your towels will stay put!

Now, THAT's neat!

NOTE: Here is the website for ToweLocs!  http://www.towelocs.com/ Even MORE great designs and ideas there!


UPDATE: And here are MY ToweLocs in use in MY home! :)

Day 110: Pin wrangler

I have been using bobby pins in my shorter hair cut lately, and it's amazing that as many as I have, I can NEVER find one.... or I have to dig around, taking out my neatly stored hairspray bottles, brushes, clips, etc., etc., to get to the VERY bottom corners of the drawer!

WELL... I saw a very clever idea that would work in a drawer or on the inside of a cabinet door or medicine cabinet. MAGNETIC STRIPS!

That's right, just apply a magnetic strip (using the peel-away adhesive on the back), and... get those dern bobby pins in line!


You can also use the magnetic strip to wrangle nail clippers, tweasers or other lightweight metallic odds n' ends that keep escaping to the depths of your bathroom drawers!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 72: Neat Guest Tips

This is the time of year when families are a-visiting... and that guest bedroom/office/storage area/music room/whatever-you-use-it-for room is possibly getting some overnight guests!

While you can't force your company to be super clean and well organized during their visit, you can offer them a sample of your own neat habits! So, here are a few simple tips!

1. Set up a clock/alarm clock on a side table near the bed. I know most phones nowadays have alarms built it, but a clock is a simple, helpful touch for your out-of-town visitors.
2. Keep empty hangers in the closet for your guests to use to hang up some of their items during their stay! This is VERY easy to do... and it's MUCH neater than your guests throwing their items around the room or hanging them on chairs or over doors! EEK! :)
3. Put baskets of soaps, shampoos and other bath necessities in your guest bathroom, along with some clean towels. THIS is your chance to use all those extra hotel freebies you've been stashing in your suitcase! I save just about every unused bottle of mouthwash, lotion, conditioner, etc. and I even snag the shower caps or other items and keep them in the guest bathroom... just in case my visitor left an important item behind. (I've displayed all the "prettiest" items I've collected on this cute, little shelf!)

4. Place a basket of "samples" in the bathroom or in the closet. I have small packs of toothpaste and deodorant along with headache medicine, floss and stain remover in my basket! I also put all the extra hotel freebies in here. This little basket of helpful items can save you - and your guest - a lot of time and stress!

5. Set out a few bottles of water. You could also put out a basket of snacks (i.e. peanut butter crackers, gum, hard candies, etc.) and even some fresh flowers in the room, but a few bottles of water make for a nice, simple welcoming gesture!

Now, THAT's neat!

Day 54: The Shower Door... & More SonicScrubber Cleaning

"WARNING: You will get wet."

Ever been at an amusement park and seen those signs, posted ominously at the start of a line for a water ride? Well, I think we need those signs for the shower. And I don't mean for taking a shower. (That's a given.) I'm talking about for cleaning the shower! And I should know better by now, but it's really pointless to attempt to clean a shower if you are on the dry side. It's dumb, really. Because countless times I have sprayed the shower and gotten myself covered in cleaning products. And just about every time I've used any kind of product with bleach, of course I've splattered it all over my favorite pajama pants... and made polka-dotted pajama pants! ;)

Well, today was no exception. I decided to try out my new SonicScrubber again, this time on my gross shower door. I used the velcro attachment thing and selected a disposable, non-scratch pad (AKA: "the yellow one;" they're color coded!!!).


I literally threw some Comet on the shower door, splashed a little water on it... and went to town with the SonicScrubber.


Now, this door was pretty much covered up with soap scummy goop. It's supposed to be a privacy-glass door, with just a little touch of that can't-quite-see-through look. As you can see in this before shot, however, it's more like that haven't-really-cared-to-clean-in-a-while look!


Now, be warned... the SonicScrubber spins. I covered that in the last post, right?!?! (Think giant electric toothbrush.) So, of course, as I started to clean the shower door, I promptly sprayed Comet all over my hair, my arms, my knees, the floor, the rug... Oops! I am so bad at the prep work. I could have removed said items, and, as mentioned before, I could have done the smart thing and cleaned the shower from the wet side, while I was actually in the shower. (Pre-shower is usually a good time.) No harm done, though. And, as you can see: it was well worth it for this kind of clean!!!! Ta-da!


That little cleaning pad sure did its duty -- In fact, I may have overused it a bit! :) It looks pretty worn out here! Funny, though, I did not have to use much pressure or effort.


If you would like to clean without using much effort, don't forget to enter the contest to WIN a SonicScrubber of your very own! The giveaway ends tomorrow, and I will randomly draw for a winner! Just click HERE to add your comment to the SonicScrubber post from the other day for your chance to win!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 49: Towel-riffic Tips!

NOTE: These ideas are not new to me, nor were they recently accomplished, but they might be new ideas for you, so I thought I'd share!

You may already have your towels neatly organized and displayed on towel racks, rings and bars. Well, that's great! That's what those doohickys are designed to do! But some of y'all may be taking up space in closets or cabinets with those extra towels that have nowhere to rest. Instead of using up that valuable space, try one of the following ideas to display your towels -- beautifully and efficiently!

The BASKET
This is a no-brainer! Just get a basket that's large enough to hold some towels (I used a wire basket for that wrought iron look), and go to town! Roll up your superfluous towels and tuck them into the basket, and you've created something cute for that empty corner or for right by the tub! This basket sits in my guest bath, ready to be used! Add some decorative greenery, too, if you want! And mix up the towel sizes! It's up to you!


The WINE HOLDER
I found a wine holder for a great price online somewhere... but I have no wine to display. And since I wanted to put something on an empty, dull space on our master bathroom wall, it made perfect sense to me to roll up our extra towels and place them in the perfectly shaped holders! Now, it's a clever and fun decorative piece! (You could probably use a standing wine rack, too, just depending on how its designed.) Have fun with it! And enjoy freeing up that much-needed shelf space!



Now, THAT's neat!

Day 43: The Copycat Strikes Again!

My loyal "Neat Get Neater" blog follower (and sister-in-law... and perhaps soon-to-be-self-proclaimed "neat freak"?!?!) has done it again! Inspired by a post on organizing bathroom drawers, she went straight to work on her OWN!

She states: "...after I saw your blog I thought MAN I REALLY need to tidy [the bathroom drawers] up...so last night I did just that. I found all these great drawer organizers at Target and I went to town."

So, for a little inspiration for the rest of y'all out there in bloggy world who have yet to organize your untidy bathroom drawers, here are her BEFORE and AFTER shots!


Great use of all those containers! Amazing how neat and tidy everything gets! :) (Neat freaks everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief!)



No more rummaging for stuff! LOVE it! :) (More collective sighs from the neat freaks!)


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 38: The Bathroom Cabinet

Sorry I seem to be stuck in the bathroom.... BUT (oooh, bad pun) I wanted to share what I do for the cabinet in here, too, just in case your toiletries are multiplying and taking over your precious storage space!

I'm sure you won't be surprised to discover that I use a bunch of baskets! I dumped all the "like" things together (i.e. nail polish and make-up products in one, bath soaps and doo-dads in another, etc., etc.) and then arranged them with the things I use more often toward the front.


It works beautifully! I can dump things in the correct basket and keep it all neat and tidy. Then I sort through the items about once or twice a year to be sure I don't have anything empty, leaking or out of date (by expiration or by fashion!).

You could also get some "shelves" (I put that in quotations because you could get creative and stack items or use risers before you actually went and installed shelves!) and be more effective at using even more storage space. But this is all I need to store here right now, so I'm a-ok for the moment!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 37: The Bathroom Drawer

OK-- I'm back ranting and raving about baskets.... but, they REALLY do work VERY well... for just about anything and just about anywhere!

As you can see in this photo, I keep a bathroom drawer (that could be a potential disaster area) very neat and tidy by using two metal "baskets."


These baskets, I think, were designed for office supplies, but they work just perfectly for keeping cotton balls, swabs, lip gloss, nail clippers and other odds n' ends in order!

After lining the drawer with rubber, non-slip drawer liners (appropriately named, eh?), I simply stuck the two metal things on the right-hand side of the drawer and filled them up with smaller items. Then I utilized the space around the baskets to neatly store other items that were too big.


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 30: Menacing Medicine Drawer

We don't have a medicine cabinet in our master bath, so we've given that menacing job to one of the drawers. Of course, when I am not constantly checking on this drawer for neatness and organization (and for expiration dates), THIS is what happens. Mass chaos. (Just dive on in, dig around, and hope you come up with what you need!)


So I figured that today was as good a day as any to reorganize this disaster. I took EVERYTHING out of the drawer and organized it in piles by function... bandages, "stomach problems," allergies, bug repellent, headaches and pains, sore throat, etc., etc.


To save some room and hopefully eliminate the chance of a pharmaceutical avalanche, I tossed all the outdated items and random wrappings and trash, got rid of extra bottles, put like medicines together and put all the bandages in just two boxes. I also ripped off all the box tops. (This makes everything neat and tidy... AND easy to get to whatever it is you need to fix your ailment!)


Then I simply stuffed everything that was left back in the basket (did you even know that a basket was in there!?!), making sure to keep like things with like things. I also placed the most-used items (let's see, that looks like bandages, Excedrin migraine and Gas-X) toward the front.


Then I slid the basket back into the drawer and stuck the extra odds and ends (sunscreen, heat pads, etc.) neatly in the back.


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 9: So... where's the toilet paper?

We have a tiny bathroom in our house. A VERY cramped half bath in our entryway... and it's a bathroom that gets used a lot -- by us and by guests.

Why is it used so much? No, we don't all have overactive bladders or an odd obsession with small, closed-in spaces. It's just convenient... at least more convenient than going through the master bedroom and past the master closets to find the little WC tucked away in the corner of the master bath.

At any rate, because this popular little potty room is so undersized, there's just not much room for... well, anything! (For instance, when I was recently pregnant, this was NOT my powder room of choice. It's such close quarters in there, and I didn't want to feel claustrophobic in my own bathroom!)

Anyway, one of the things that needed a little help in this petite rest stop was an issue with the tissue... as in: where to keep the toilet paper?!?! Sure; I could put it in the eensy weensy cabinet under the sink, but you'd have to sit on the toilet to get to it, or you'd risk bumping your head, elbow, or possibly other parts on the door, or on the counter, or on the toilet itself.

So, I purchased THIS (Also from ABC Distributing, by the way! And, no, I did NOT get this for free; I just found some very useful products at ABC!)


What is it, you ask? A giant, metal letter "C," celebrating "the CAN," perhaps? Or maybe it's one of those drink thingies for dispensing canned sodas, a must for any bathroom....

Nope. And NO way!

It's a toilet paper holder... with a little "shelf" on top. And while it may not be the most impressive piece of furniture in the house, for this little space, it's just right!


Now, THAT's neat!