Day 108: Oh, Laundry Room of BLISS!

Oh, my... I recently started another direct-sales business with Thirty-One Gifts because I am obsessed with totes and bags and bins and baskets and boxes... you get the idea! ;) But I was not quite clever enough to come up with THIS: the ultimate in organized laundry rooms.



Can I get a "WOW!"? I am in love with all the embroidered fabric bins! And I am envisioning them throughout my home! ;) How handy and LOVELY! This would also work well in closets, playrooms, bathrooms... and vehicles!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 107: The chalk label obsession

Ok, ok... I know I have been posting a lot lately about this "chalk label" stuff. My last few posts, in fact, have been about this very topic! But I am REALLY loving what you can do with it! And since I keep thinking about it -- and keeping talking about it -- I figured I would actually DO it... and share my "afters!"

So, just as a recap: get some of the flat chalk panels that you can adhere to just about any surface (you can buy a large panel or three smaller panels, your choice, and then just crop it down to whatever size works for you!). I cut mine on a regular, old paper cutter. It worked great!


Then I used my wonderful, liquidy "chalk marker" and labeled 'til my heart's content!


Here are some newly labeled containers in the laundry room, where all my craft supplies are:

And here is one peak at my pantry, showing some of the awesome Tupperware containers with their new chalk labels:


You can also cut these babies down and use them on canisters, buckets, pails, cans, boxes, flower pots, other plastic containers, even bottles! How fun to use as a display in a little herb garden... or on a wine bottle! These would be great for parties, too, to label various dips and sides! I LOVE it! Give just about any item a neat, organized look!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 106: Neat chalk?

When I was teaching high school, I refused to use a chalk board. I hate chalk. It makes my nose itchy. And I REALLY hate erasers. Yuck. They are always... so... chalky!

Of course, I DO love my flat, vinyl chalk board in my kitchen (click HERE to see that post). And while I was talking about my dream pantry from last post with my sister-in-law (who also loves the neat, organized, containerized and labeled look), I remembered that I had a "wet erasable" chalk "marker" from Uppercase Living with the rest of my stash of goodies and samples.

OK. I LOVE this thing! It is NOT chalky or messy... and it writes so beautifully! It's liquidy and smooth and lovely! You can see the difference between the "real" chalk that's already here... and the new chalk marker writing!


You will love them, too, if you have a chalk board... or if you plan to add one to your kitchen wall to keep track of schedules; plaster one on the fridge to take notes of what you need to buy next trip to the grocery store; or crop one down to make neat labels for your pantry... or for anything else in your home!

Want some chalk "markers" of your own? Click HERE! (There are 3 different colors.) Want a vinyl chalk board, too? Click HERE! (There are several sizes and fun shapes!)


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 105: The Beauty of Labels

This is not my pantry.... And I am a little jealous! :)


This is the very organized pantry of Lori M., a new acquaintance of mine. And while I do use the Tupperware containers and organize everything as neatly as possible (similar items together and labels out!), I do not have the luxury of putting everything in a container. (I have a LOT more items in my pantry!) And I do not have a label on everything, either. But isn't this a wonderful idea!?!?

This is kind of like my dream pantry.

WHY?
1. I love how just about everything matches. It really is a pretty pantry!!!! But if you don't have every Tupperware container ever made (ha-ha!), then use what you DO have! All sizes and shapes are welcome!

2. I love using containers for just about all the food in the pantry. It's great to have items like flour and baking mix in air-tight containers. It looks good, stacks well... AND it will stay fresh much longer. (It's also more difficult to spill!)

3. I love the labels. I really think I would label everything, if I could! It looks SO neat, and it's so very functional! You can print out labels or just write on the traditional, sticky, office kinds that you can pick up almost anywhere. (Color coding might even come in handy here....) OR, you can do what Lori did in her pantry: cut up a piece of Uppercase Living's chalkboard vinyl into various sizes. (This method won't leave you with sticky residue if you decide to remove the labels.) Then, apply the custom sizes to your containers, and write right on them! Of course, my handwriting isn't as great as my friend's. BUT, this should spark all of our imaginations!

Lori has also given us an EXTRA NEAT tip: write directions, recipes or notes on the containers! This is great for reminding yourself how to make pancakes or biscuits or how long to boil your noodles!




Now, THAT's neat!

Day 104: Pretty Neat Soap

I have no problem with keeping some "not-so-beautiful" things out in plain view, if they are things that I use daily. I mean, it is a bit impractical to store ALL our everyday items out of sight.

Of course, a bottle of dish-washing liquid isn't all that attractive....


But who says you CAN'T have a nicer way to use and display these plain, dull things?!?

As y'all know, I love using baskets and decorative boxes to stow away items that are useful but may not be too attractive. Neither works very well with liquid items, though! ;) SO, here's a GREAT way to beautify a simple, useful cleaning product.


I bought this lovely glass bottle at Hobby Lobby and just squeezed the dish liquid right in! Now, it's sitting in the exact same spot... but it looks a whole lot better!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 103: Paper Police

I knew I wasn't finished with my new shelves in the room of "S.I.N." .... As I looked at the big pile of card stock just sitting there, I knew I had to do something better to organize everything -- in a neat, useful way!

So, I bought this handy paper organizer.


It's made especially for this purpose -- for crafty folks with too much paper, that is. I bought the one that actually holds 12x12 card stock, and it works great to color coordinate everything and store it in a MUCH-easier-to-use fashion! It looks neat, too! :)


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 102: The Neat Trick to Cheaper Stuff, Online

OK, ok... so this isn't a tip about cleaning up your bathroom or organizing your underwear drawer, but it IS worthy of sharing. And, personally, I think it's worthy of being listed under my bag o' tricks in the "neat freak cheat sheet" file!

If any of you fellow neat freaks (or neat freak wannabe's!) love to shop online, then you MUST check out this little website: retailmenot.com. Whatever site you are on, be sure to visit retailmenot.com BEFORE making your purchase, because this little gem provides coupon codes and discounts, for perhaps 10% off... or $10 off! Of course, some retailers have opted NOT to be included on this site, but many are there... so TRY it! It's worth checking out so you can keep a little extra in your pocket... for the next online shopping trip! They also have coupons that you can print... so stop here before heading out to pick up groceries or try on some new shoes! (Hey, I buy everything from diapers to New York strip steaks online, so this is a GREAT tip!) ;)


Now, THAT's neat!