Wednesday, August 20, 2014

College Organization Tips - Just In Time!

You're off to college with all your stuff!  Now where are you going to put it?  That is perhaps the most important question you will answer during the first week and it may define how well you coexist with the stranger with whom you will share a room for the next 9 months.  Here's a compilation of some of the best ones I have found.  Some even have a tutorial to show you how to make/do what you see in the picture.

1.  The key to dorm room (or small apartment bedroom) organization is maximizing space - storing as many things as possible in the smallest amount of space.  In a room with limited square footage, the key is using the vertical space.  Here is a great article from BuzzFeed that has some great ideas:



2.  Bedside Solutions - Keep your reading materials, phone, remote and other things close without a bedside table.  The second caddy hangs between the mattress and base of bed.  You can make lots of those caddies to go around the bed for odd storage.



3. Keep your electronics charged without losing cords or small items.


4.  Keep your desk space clear.  Here's a clever way to move your desk supplies up on the wall by attaching small magnets to your desk items and putting them on a metal board.


5.  Over the door storage - the back of the closet door is prime real estate.  You can use the clear plastic bags or baskets that hang behind the door.  If you keep the storage high enough you will still have room for some hooks toward the bottom of the door for wet towels, etc.  Click on the first picture for more over the door storage ideas.




6.  Maximize the space under the bed.  The higher up the bed, the more space you will have under it for storage (or living).  Warning - be careful not to prop up a bed in an unsafe way!  Depending on how much space you can get under the bed, you can put things as big as your desk or as small as under the bed plastic storage bins.  Use a flat sheet to create a decorative "curtain" to hide stuff under a raised bed.


7.  Closet organization.  In addition to the over the door storage I already mentioned, you need to use hangers that maximize the vertical space.  Try a skirt hanger that can handle six items at once, or soda can tabs or chains to stagger multiple hangers.  Use a tie rack for camisoles or tension rods on the sides of the closet for shoes.

 











Strategic planning is best for the dorm room, but don't forget to involve your room mate in the process! Good luck at school.

cindy

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Everybody is Back

They're baaaaacck.


Everybody.

Who is Everybody?  Or should I say who are Everybody?  I think they are related to Everyone.

I'm not sure who they are, but I do know my kids go to school with them.  They are on every child's sports team, school club or just hanging out at friends' houses.  I bet your kid knows them too.  But who are they?

You've heard your kid talk about them:  "Everybody has a backpack like that."  "I am the only kid without a cell phone!  Everybody has one!"  "Everybody gets to go hang out at the park, why can't I?"

School has seemed to flush Everybody out.

I just want to know who Everybody is.  They definitely aren't my kids and it's doubtful they are yours.  Who are the parents of Everybody?  Someone might need to report them to the child welfare services because they are doing some questionable things.

When I figure out who Everybody is, I intend to get to the bottom of who Everyone and Nobody are.  Clearly children know who they are, but they won't tell you their names.  However, Everyone knows the names of Everybody and Nobody because Everyone knows that!  I think there might be a need to call child welfare services to investigate the parents of Nobody, because they seem to be the kids lacking safety equipment, warm clothes and sensible shoes.

Just remember - now that school is back in session, drive carefully.  You need to watch out for Everybody.  And if your kids want to bring them home, get their names.

And let me know who they are.

cindy