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Stylish Personalized Storage for Toys & More

July 13, 2009 · Comments { 7 }

Toys, toys, toys. We have a lot in our home. Most are dolls with all the super small accessories, puzzles of all sizes and princess dress-up clothing. I am constantly working to keep it all organized. Therefore, we have a house rule that if something comes in, something must go out and be donated. It helps keep the volume down, but I am always looking for stylish ways to store and organize all those little Calico Critters, purple ponies and glittered tiaras.

The MacBeth Collection to the rescue! This darling custom home and accessories line fuses functional home storage and organization with high-design. “The products are not just about storage – they are an extension of how we want to display ourselves and our homes to the world,” says Margaret Josephs, Founder and Owner of MacBeth Collection. And it’s so simple too – just pick your product, design (over 200 patterns), and add an cute icon or monogram for a one-of-a-kind look to compliment your decor.

Here are my recommendations to a client for her little girl’s blue & pink bedroom (I had so much fun pulling this all together!):

So cute! Love the pail for storing crayons or other art supplies. A series of bins would be great for organizing dress-up clothing and accessories. The large oval tub would be perfect way to show off all those stuff animals neatly.

Lovely. Here are several patterns that would look great in a little girl’s blue & pink bedroom. I’m curious to find out which one my client will like best. My favorites are the Blue & White Harlequin (middle top) and Chain Link Pool (bottom left) designs.

I love how the MacBeth Collection offers monogram and icon options. Such a great way to further personalize one’s space. I am going to recommend that my client monograms her daughter’s storage accessories, but any of the four icons above would work stylishly too. Isn’t that seahorse darling?

Who says home storage can’t express your personal style!

*all images from The MacBeth Collection

Read full story By Cristin on July 13, 2009 in baby and children, home accessories, home organization, organization tips, storage

Pack It Up – Organizing For Kids On The Go

June 29, 2009 · Comments { 3 }

At last, Packtoozi! A simple, eco-friendly way to stock, pack and tote all those things you need when you’re on the go with your kids.

The Packtoozi Organizational System was created with busy families in mind. It was designed to help keep you prepared, organized and save valuable time. This patent-pending system includes the Packtoozi Supply Headquarters, Packs, Tote and PacktoShop Note Pad.

The Packtoozi Supply Headquarters hangs over-the-door and is the in-home centralized storage area for everything your family needs on the go. It includes spacious pockets arranged in four color-coded and functionally labeled rows: PacktoEat, PacktoPlay, PacktoPotty and PacktoA-Z.

Like the Packtoozi Supply Headquarters, these four coordinating packs are color coded and functionally labeled: PacktoEat, PacktoPotty, PacktoPlay and PacktoA-Z. I especially love that these Packs are made in the USA with 100 organic cotton and contain no nasty chemicals or PVC that can be harmful to you and your kids.

Packs are stored conveniently in the Packtoozi Tote Bag or use side handles to grab individual packs for a quick outing or for a diaper change while you’re out.

This handy sticky note pad helps keep track of the supplies you need to restock the Supply Headquarters and Packtoozi Packs. Each row is color coded to coordinate with the rest of Packtoozi System. How handy is that!

Are you in need of one of these amazing organization systems? Packtoozi is offering all Simplified Bee readers a 10 discount. Please enter code: PacktoBee10

Voila! You are ready to go. Now don’t forget the kids!

*all images from Packtoozi

Read full story By Cristin on June 29, 2009 in baby and children, healthy home, home organization, organization tips, storage

Snail Mail Organization With Style

June 4, 2009 · Comments { 0 }

Clutter is visually exhausting. The biggest clutter issue for many of my clients is paper. Piles and piles of paper create a negative atmosphere in any space and can become overwhelming.

Be Eco-Friendly and Reduce Your Mail
Want to reduce the amount of mail you receive? Save paper, time and postage by paying bills online. It also will help you keep track of the bills. It’s easy, it’s efficient, and it’s earth-friendly.

I hate junk mail. There are several great resources available to help you reduce unwanted junk mail. Save a tree and check out, Catalog Choice, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, or TreeHugger.

Tackling the Mail – Simple Tips & Getting Stylishly Organized
Set-up a “one-stop-sorting” workstation for all incoming mail. Make sure you have a surface you can work on. The kitchen counter works for me! The station should include a small file holder or box, a letter-opener, pair of scissors and— a must— recycling bin, shredder or waste basket close at hand.

Here are some stylish file holders or boxes that caught my eye and would dress up any workspace…

This vintage wire tray is simply charming. Found at See Jane Run.

Love this aqua, brown and red mail sorter. So practical, yet fashionable.

This folder box by Semikolon has a classic European design and bold color palette making it a perfect choice for brightening up your workstation.

This sweet chartreuse file folder holder found at Paper Source is beautifully constructed in an elegant blossom linen bookcloth and includes six coordinating file folders. Love the butterfly folder!

Use your designated sorting station daily to tackle incoming mail. First and right away, recycle or toss all junk mail, catalogs, or unwanted promotions. Shred any mail that might contain personal information (SS#, phone #s, medical record #s, etc.). Second, file all mail you need to save. Here are some suggested categories:

• To Pay – bills to be paid

• To Act – rsvp to an event, make a call, etc.

• To File – papers to be filed in your main home filing system (i.e. bank or insurance statements, etc.)• To Read – magazine or catalog

And of course, you need to store all that paper in some pretty little file folders. Here are some of my favorites:

Thomas Paul delivers again… Love these fun file folders in yummy colors and vintage prints.

These Simple Pink folders by Papaya feature soft hues and a sweet bird on a cherry blossom branch and can be purchased at Paper Source.

These chic file folders feature a Rajasthani Paisley pattern found in Indian art. I also love the playful color combinations of chartreuse, curry, papaya and red.

Now go tackle that pile of mail with a sense of style.

Read full story By Cristin on June 4, 2009 in file folders, healthy home, home organization, Mail, organization tips, Organizational tips, reduce unwanted junk mail, sorting snail mail

Making Progress and Organizing All That Paper the Pretty Way

May 30, 2009 · Comments { 0 }

Still procrastinating? May be your need to “be perfect” is getting in the way. Don’t seek perfection (hey, nobody’s perfect right?), but aspire for advancement or growth. So, Step Five in overcoming procrastination is to Aim for Progress.

Speaking of progress, I have been tackling the vertical piles of paper on my desk this week and have decided to store some in magazine holders. Yep, they’re not just for magazines anymore. They do a terrific job of hiding papers, keeping your horizontal surfaces clear and control how much you can store before having to purge. Here are some very stylish magazine holders that would dress-up any office.