Here’s what I know for sure about the month of November: Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of the month and The Container Store Stocking Stuffer catalog is going to be delivered to my doorstep!
I’m lucky to live a short drive away from The Container Store in Paramus, New Jersey. I can do more than just drool over the catalog–I get the chance to see, feel, and experience these Stocking Stuffers at the store.
Since researching for the post I wrote back in 2016, I’ve come to see that the Container Store Stocking Stuffers are less about organizing and more about cute, kitchy, helpful, and the borderline absurd. So, for the season I just roll with it. The Container Store will get back to focusing on organizing products in January and so will I…
For the 2019 edition, I’ve divided the Stocking Stuffers into four categories: Organizing, Functional, Fun, and Why? Just Why?. Grab a pad and a pen–one or more of these may work as stocking stuffers for your family and friends!
Taco Tuesday (or tacos any day of the week) is BIG in my house–my nine year old loves them! But, it isn’t always easy stuffing them and keeping them from breaking or imploding. These holders make filling, serving, and eating tacos easy. They are dishwasher-safe and stack one inside the other (how organized!). And cute packaging, too–always a nice perk when giving a gift. I’m going to be buying these and trying them out at my dinner table. They come in red, blue, green and pink–with my husband and two boys in the house, I’ll probably be asked to use the pink one…
A basic organizing principle I teach my clients is, ‘Give Everything a Home.’ A ring usually lives on one’s finger but if it’s nighttime, wash-the-dishes time, or let’s-make-meatballs time, you’re going to want to take it off and have a temporary home for that ring so you’ll know where it is when it’s time to put it back on your finger. The Umbra Ring Holder comes in Llama, French Bulldog, and the ever-popular Unicorn. I’m partial to the Llama–great especially if you wear multiple rings. Maybe they should have made a giraffe?
I ‘heart’ the OXO company. They make products that are ergonomically comfortable, sturdy, and make people’s lives easier. If someone you know eats at their computer often or their keyboard is a dust magnet, this cleaning brush would probably be well received in a stocking. Looking at my keyboard (and knowing how often I eat in front of it), it wouldn’t be a bad idea if I got one for myself!
So cute! Makes me hungry just looking at it! Perfect for all ages but I think kids (and adults) wouldn’t mind cleaning their glasses or phones if they had a cloth like this to do it with. Also comes in Pepperoni Pizza, Cinnamon Roll, and Lemon Slice.
No more frayed charging cables! They fit over a cord plug in the exact place where charger cables can show wear and tear. Works with iPhones lightning cables for iPhone 5 or later. They’re all cute but I’m partial to the bug-eyed chameleon…
Even though I’m allergic to wine, I do serve it and cook with it–I would definitely use these in my home. They come in handy for entertaining and for BYOB restaurant dinners. Made of easy-to-clean and easy-to-stretch silicone with witty wine-related messages written on the top. Know someone who likes to drink wine? I think you’ve found a stocking stuffer for them! Definitely an over 21+ kinda stocking stuffer…
Great for car rides or to keep in a purse or back pack for when the kids are getting antsy–this will keep them occupied. Recommended for ages six and older. There’s a wooden stick with a sharp end included. If you know your child can be trusted with it–great. If they’d prefer to use it as a weapon against a sibling or playmate, perhaps this isn’t the best stocking stuffer for them…
If someone you know likes unicorns and has to keep their hair dry in the shower sometimes, this is the stocking stuffer to get them. Comes in Flamingo and Duck styles, too. The last time I mentioned a shower cap in one of my stocking stuffer roundup posts was back in 2013–way before the resurgence of the unicorn’s popularity. Can you guess what animal appears on it? Check here to see if you guessed correctly!
I don’t think I’ve ever had the thought while I’m showering, “Boy, am I thirsty! I wish I had a drink in here.” But, for those of you with a quench for more than just water while getting yourself clean, this would make a good stocking stuffer. As the description states, PLEASE use cans or plastic–do not use with a drinking glass made of glass!
Can someone tell me why these make a good stocking stuffer? What message does this send to the recipient? Just because they’re small does NOT mean they should make an appearance in anyone’s stocking at holiday time–IMHO. They’re 2 oz so they work well for travel–keep one in your toiletries bag and pack it for your next trip. These sprayers got a bunch of 5-star reviews so they must work but please–don’t give it as a gift unless you know the person really wants it. Please...
The rest of the Container Store’s Stocking Stuffer Collection can be found on their website. With 146 to choose from, there’s bound to be something for everyone on your shopping list. Happy shopping!
Which one of this year’s stocking stuffers is your favorite?
Some people blog about their small business, some blog about personal challenges and accomplishments, and some even blog about blogging!
Whatever you choose to blog about, it’s important for you to organize your blog. Why does your blog need to be organized?
• An organized blog is an easy blog to read
• An organized blog is a blog readers want to come back to (and isn’t that what we want our readers to do?)
• An organized blog represents YOU. You don’t want to look disorganized to your readers!
Whether you’re thinking about starting a blog or wish to tweak an existing one, here are a few tips based on basic organizing philosophies that will keep you on track and help you organize your blog:
Schedule It
We make appointments for the doctor, an oil-change, and the cable guy, Why not make an appointment for yourself to blog? Blocking out the time on your calendar gets you one step closer to accomplishing the task. Figure out how many times a week or month you are able to post and stick to that schedule. But, be realistic. Brainstorming, writing, taking photos/video and commenting takes more time than you think it does.
Sort It Out
Compile a list of topics you’ll want to discuss on your blog. Look at a calendar–are any of your topics seasonal? Plug them into the months they belong in. For instance, as a Professional Organizer, I would start blogging about Spring Cleaning in March. A chef might blog about the best foods to barbecue in May. Other topics may revolve around holidays, trade shows, milestones, or history.
Break It Down
Take your topics and create sub-topics for them. So, if the chef were to blog about Barbecuing in May and has decided to schedule one blogging ‘appointment’ per week, he or she might blog about the benefits to cooking on a clean barbecue the first week, do a hot dog review the second week, offer grilling tips the third week, and list his or her top ten recipes for summer grilling during the fourth week.
Delegate
Sometimes we need to take a break from blogging. Find other blogs of similar topic/interest and link to their information for your readers. Check out blogs that are pertinent to yours and invite their authors to be guest bloggers on your site. You get a break from writing while your guest blogger gets a whole new set of readers (and possibly followers). It’s a win-win!
Get Rid of the Clutter
Too many pictures, videos, or advertisements detract from what you’ve written. Keep the look of your blog simple and streamlined. You have to grab the reader’s attention within the first five seconds of their arrival at your blog. If they have to spend those five seconds looking for your latest blog post, they may not return out of frustration. (Nooooo!)
Maintain It
Stay on track with posting to your blog. If you know you’ll be on vacation or going through a life-changing event, write posts in advance or have a guest blogger fill in for you. Keep all photos and videos for your blog in one place on your computer. Once a month, review your topics and subtopics and make any necessary tweaks or changes.
After applying the above principles, your newly organized blog will be low-maintenance, a pleasure to post to, and a joy to read.
Which organizing philosophy would help you organize your blog the most?
Color–it’s not just for those who like rainbows–it’s for organizing, too!
Color coding is a system that organizes information, offers the eye instant recognition, and reduces the time searching for items your need–all useful when organizing a home, home office, or one’s schedule.
But, you don’t have to have a degree in art to organize with color. Here are some items found in the home that can easily be organized using color:
Papers
Are your piles growing as you sleep? Can’t find certain papers when you need them?
Start the color coding process by sorting your papers into different categories (such as finances, school, house, etc). Then, select a different color for each category. Hanging files and manila folders come in a rainbow of colors and can help you reduce the time spent looking for a particular document. If you designate ‘green’ as your color for ‘financial’ papers, you won’t waste time looking through yellow or blue folders for your last 401K statement.
If you’re not interested in spending money on colored folders, Avery makes adhesive colored circles that can be placed on hanging files or folders and have a similar effect.
Clothes Closet
If you look in home stores, you’ll find that hangers come in practically every color imaginable. Use colored hangers to differentiate the various types of clothing in your wardrobe. For example, hang work clothes on white hangers, work out clothes on blue hangers, and cocktail attire on purple hangers. If you keep up the system, you’ll never show up to the office in your yoga pants…
Let’s say you’re like me and you prefer to hang your clothes on crystal hangers. You can either tie a colored ribbon around the hanger or use those Avery colored circle stickers discussed above to differentiate between different clothing types.
Children
If you have more than one child, pick a specific color–that will be the color that will identify them. Some children’s items are easily organized by color: clothes, shoes, puzzles, sports equipment, backpacks, etc.
For example, ever wonder which of your kids left the wet towel on the bathroom floor? Assign each child a different colored towel and you’ll know who the culprit is very quickly…
Are you a busy family trying to keep track of everyone’s schedule? Color coding appointments on a calendar (planner/wall calendar/digital) is a quick visual cue to help you figure out which child has to be where on a particular day.
Computer
Is your desktop a jumble of files? Is your inbox filled with emails? Use color to save time and create consistency.
Color coding files by project enables your eye to focus when juggling multiple projects. For instance, label all files related to ‘The Smith Project’ (as well as it’s folder) a particular color. Time spent looking for documents or emails related to ‘The Smith Project’ will be drastically reduced if they are all the same color.
Color coding email messages can alert you to a message from a particular person (green = your boss, red = your spouse, blue = your kid’s school). Many email programs come with this feature–you just have to create the categories, enter the email addresses, and choose their corresponding colors.
Holiday Decorations
It is not uncommon for stores to carry plastic bins and tubs that come in colors corresponding to a holiday. Try purchasing orange bins for Halloween decorations and costumes storage. Red and green do the trick for Christmas, blue for Hanukah, and pastel colors for Easter egg painting supplies. It’s SO much easier to find a colored bin in an attic or garage!
Why not bring some color into your life? Using color as a part of your organization plan will save you time, money, and stress in the long run and just think about how colorful (and organized) your life will be!
Tell me–how do you get organized with color in your home?
If you watch HGTV or read Real Simple magazine, you’ve probably heard of’ ‘Professional Organizing.’ It is the art of helping people create and maintain systems and processes using basic principles of organization.
But have you heard of ‘Virtual Organizing?’
Virtual Organizing is the art of helping people create and maintain systems and processes using basic principles of organization–virtually. When I say ‘virtually,’ I mean helping people get their space and life organized via the phone, Zoom, FaceTime, email–as opposed to working with them in person.
Virtual organizing has evolved over the past few years. Although there are thousands of Professional Organizers in the United States, not every Organizer lives in a densely populated area that might provide them with an adequate amount of clients. Not everyone wanting to hire a Professional Organizer has one in driving distance of their home. Thus, a new way of organizing was born.
If people could use technology to communicate with friends, relatives, and business associates, why not use it for helping people get and stay organized?
Why I started offering Virtual Organizing services…
I have been doing Residential Organizing since I formed Organized Artistry in 2002. I love rolling up my sleeves and working side by side with a client to help them reach their organizing goals. I work with clients within a 30-minute radius of my home and wished to somehow widen that radius without having to travel far. With school-aged children, I also wanted the option of working close-to-home.
At the 2016 NAPO Conference, I attended a workshop given by a veteran Professional Organizer about how she added Virtual Organizing to her business model. She did this so she could work with people around the country who were in need of her specialized skills. She had developed a tele-class in Virtual Organizing and offered it to colleagues so they could learn to organize virtually, too. A few days later, I signed up for it. I successfully completed the course and now offer Virtual Organizing as part of my list of services. I still work with local clients in their homes but I’m excited to organize those in different regions and time zones, too.
I’m excited to announce that in the Spring of 2021, I studied with that same Professional Organizer to complete a new and cutting-edge certification program to become a Certified Virtual Professional Organizer (CVPO™)!
Have you been thinking about getting organized but didn’t realize that Virtual Organizing was an option for you?
Here are 5 Reasons Why You Should Try Virtual Organizing:
• You don’t have a Professional Organizer in your area
Although there are thousands of members of NAPO, you may not have a Professional Organizer in your immediate area. Maybe you need an organizer with a specialization or particular skill set. That organizer is just a phone call, email, or FaceTime session away from helping you reach your organizing goals.
• You want/need accountability or support for your organizing project
You started organizing a space in your home but the project stalled for a multitude of reasons. That’s OK–it happens. Working with a Professional Organizer ‘virtually’ can provide you with someone to check in with, help get you back on track, and to your measure progress. They’ll be a cheerleader, resource, teacher, and provide ideas, motivation, and support. Consistently moving your organizing project forward is key to it’s completion–Virtual Organizing can make that happen.
• You don’t want a stranger in your home
There are hundreds of reasons why you may not want a stranger in your home. Maybe you have small children, a sick family member living with you, or maybe you have white carpeting and want to keep it as white as possible by having as few people in your home as possible. Or, you may have something in your home that you don’t necessarily want people to see (besides the disorganization).
Virtual Organizing is a way of inviting a Professional Organizer into your home without actually having them walk inside.
• You would prefer to do the ‘physical organizing’ when it’s convenient for you
Does your work schedule change often? Are you a night owl or an early riser? You may want to do the physical work of organizing when you have a pocket of time or when you have the most energy. This might not necessarily be when a Professional Organizer could come to your home (I don’t know many Organizers who start at 5am or see clients at midnight…). So, schedule your ‘virtual’ appointment with your Professional Organizer and block out time on your calendar to do the required sorting/purging/labeling/filing when it works best for you.
• You prefer to be comfortable. Really comfortable.
Organizing ‘virtually’ means you can organize in your PAJAMAS! No need to get dressed if a Professional Organizer won’t be coming to your home for two or three hours. Other Professional Organizers might mind, but I don’t care if you FaceTime with me in your pajamas or bathrobe. I, on the other hand will be dressed (unless we mutually agree on a ‘pajama day…’).
With today’s technology, Virtual Organizing makes perfect sense. Can you picture yourself getting organized ‘virtually?’ If the answer is ‘Yes,’ click here to see how Organized Artistry and Virtual Organizing can bring organization to your home and life from miles away.
Transform your home from the comfort of your home with Virtual Organizing.
Hi. My name is Stacey and I am a reforming email hoarder.
Did I mention I was also a Professional Organizer?
That’s OK–laugh if you want to. I laugh every time I tell someone this story.
How did I get to be an email hoarder?
All it takes is being a very busy woman with lots of interests and one email address for both business and personal emails. Throw in two young kids, not enough time in one’s day, and being a visual person and the emails began to accumulate.
“I’ll look back at them later.” I said.
“If I put them in a folder, I’ll forget about them.” I figured.
“I’ll chip away at them little by little.” I promised myself.
Yes, I looked back at a bunch and yes, I did chip away at some but the emails were coming in faster than I could take action upon them.
By February, I had a thousand emails in my Inbox. Yes, you read that right–1000–one thousand. That’s A LOT of emails…
Organized Artistry is getting a facelift this year–a new logo and a newly-designed website and blog. My web designer mentioned that I needed to change the hosting company of my website due to compatibility issues so I did the domain transfer. The last step was to have my email flow from my old host to my new host.
So last week, I got on the phone with my new host to help me take that last step. What the person on the other end didn’t ask me was whether or not I had any emails in my Inbox. When the email was transferred to the new host’s server, it wiped my Inbox clean. As you can imagine, I almost had a heart attack. After lacing into him for this oversight I asked how it could be fixed. He told me I had to call my old hosting service for some coding and some numbers and then I had to call my new host back with that information.
I wasn’t happy, but I did it. I called my old web host and explained the problem. We accessed my inbox through ‘webmail’ and yes, all the emails were still there. He put me on hold for a few minutes so he could figure out the best solution.
While on hold with the tech guy, I had an organizing revelation–an ‘a ha’ moment. Did I really want all 1000 emails in my Inbox? The answer was ‘No.’ If I were helping a client, I would have guided them to make the same choice. It would be like moving to a new home and taking everything with you even though you didn’t need it. I felt the time had come–this would be a good opportunity to ‘de-clutter’ my Inbox. A colossal purge.
To quote the song from Frozen, “Let it go…”
Although it took me a long time and the process still isn’t complete, I sorted through all 1000 emails and forwarded one-quarter of them to an alternate email account. Over the next few days, I’ll be forwarding them to my account and either filing them in a folder or taking action upon them. I purged old newsletters and correspondence. I’ll now be filing emails I had once lost track of. From now on, I’m going to do better by incorporating one of the most important steps in getting organized–maintenance.
Although Professional Organizers are fairly organized, we sometimes experience similar situations to our clients. It’s the old saying, “The shoemaker’s son has no shoes.” Sometimes we can’t keep up, either. And that’s OK. We’re human and so are you. Please take a moment to look through your Inbox. Delete a few emails. Create folders for others and remember–even Professional Organizers need to get organized!
About This Blog
A blog by Professional Organizer Stacey Agin Murray bursting with cool products, 'gotta-tell-a-friend' ideas, and a whole lotta organizing know-how. Learn more...
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About Stacey
When you grow up in a 5’x12′ bedroom, you learn to organize pretty quickly! I chose to take that knowledge and turn it into a business helping people find what they need when they need it. I’m also the author of The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook–a book that offers wedding thank you note-related organizing tips and how-to’s plus 101 unique sample thank you notes (what bride can’t use that?).
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