Upcycling is Fun! Whimsical Toilet Paper Roll Sculptures

From humble toilet roll cardboard to expressive mask sculpture! How fun are these?

As a professional organizer, we are in the business of helping our clients make the most of their things, time and space.  I say, sculptor Junior Fritz Jacquet go it right! Thanks to our friends at Curbly.com for this lovely display of whimsy.

Organizing Essential #2: Slim Velvet No-Slip Hangers

EVERYone wishes they have more closet space.  Any closet overhaul must include an upgrade to the best hangers of the moment.  Screw that magazine that told you that getting perfectly uniform cedar hangers was essential for having a grown-up closet.  Those things are expensive, bulky and not very practical.

It is ALL about flocked or "velvet" slim hangers.  There are a bunch of companies making them now, originally popularized by those ubiquitous infomercials from Joy Mangano ("Huggable Hangers").  You can get them for a great price and they are excellent for making the most of your precious hanger space.

Oh! And while you're at it, feel free to use this neat-o checklist of Essentials Items for a Woman's Closet to help you pare down what you need to keep or toss.  This list is ESPECIALLY helpful for those who like to maintain rather preppy, wardrobe staples as the foundation of your closet.

Thin No Slip Velvet Suit Hangers, Black, Set of 50
Source: best value on Amazon.com (Costco had a great deal on these recently)
Price: $29.90
Awesome Sauce Factor: Takes up less real estate on your closet bar and never lets your strappies, silkies and boatnecks from falling to the floor.  And at 60 cents a piece from Amazon, it's a great value for the closet upgrade.

Do you agree that these hangers are the bees-knees?  If not, what do YOU recommend as the BEST hangers around? Leave a comment below! I'd love to hear from you!

Has Recycling Gone Too Far? PORTLANDIA'S Funny Take on Recycling Madness!

The job of a Professional Organizer is never to be a "GET RID OF EVERYTHING" Clutter-Nazi.  We'd like to think of ourselves as coaches who help you PRIORITIZE the way your things take up your space and your time! But oh...we do LOVE ourselves some RECYCLING!

I can't help but share this AWESOMELY FUNNY sketch from IFC's "Portlandia."  It's the "Sanitation Twins" who tell you ALL about their fair city's EXTREMELY COMPREHENSIVE RECYCLING PROGRAM.  Okay. Okay. It gets a little overboard.  But it's okay to poke fun of our sustainability, green, and low-consumption ways, right?

What do YOU think about our responsibility to recycle?  Has it gone too far?  Or has it been a great way for you to bust the clutter in your life? Just comment below! Would love to hear from you!

Awesome Sauce Discount: Get Your Old Photos Scanned & Digital! [DailyCandy Deals]

Little Jenny in Taiwan: What my inner child looks like.
(Also the source of my CreativeLife podcast logo)

Old photos and media are often the most-time consuming and tedious things to organize.

Why?

Believe it or not (cough. cough. kids born after the year 1992), we once had to take photos on film and get them "developed" so we can actually see the results! 

Sitting there with dusty boxes representing a lifetime of trips down memory lane is fine for like fifteen minutes, but really?  Do you want to stick each 3 by 5 inch sheet of little Timmy blowing out the birthday cake and Nana squeezing the life out of your auntie through your home scanner?

I think most people would rather get a root canal.

That's why you hire professional organizers like me! OR you get professional photo scanners like El Segundo-based ScanDigital or San Diego-based PhotoBin!  

I did.  I actually got myself a discount deal for using ScanDigital from Groupon last year.  I'll save THAT experience for an upcoming blog post. There, I'll explain the BEST strategies for getting the MOST out of your scanning deal.

Side Note: And I would say, most of the time, I would refrain from using these prepay discount deals because they tend to sit there like the gift cards your Auntie thought you'd use but is just taunting you from your junk drawer collecting dust.

Because I had it done, I have these little gems ready to use on my computer!

Dad (Right) and his army buddy. REEEAAALLY old photo

I had a stick-out-the-tongue phase, I guess.

Photo scanning is like seeing the dentist for a cleaning; You know you should do it, but you always put it off for fear of the potentially painful experience. Getting old photos digitized is ALWAYS at the end of my clients' home organizing to-do list. That's why getting a discount for this service is a real value.  

When I saw this DailyCandy Deal for PhotoBin pop up in my inbox, I had to share. I'm not getting ANYTHING from the company but it is my duty to spread the love for hiring OTHER people to do the stuff that's important but pretty tough to do.  You have until Monday, August 15th to get this deal. Enjoy!

DO YOU HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH DIGITAL SCANNING SERVICES? ARE YOU THE FAMILY HISTORIAN? PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! 
No. Really. Do it.  Just click comment below. It's easy. I'll totally read it. And it will help me write that next blog post about getting the most out of using a scanning service. Thank you!

Say it with me: "Sometimes outsourcing is okay."  Get a professional to do it. (Image via PhotoBin Facebook Page)

The Offer$39 for $99 Worth of Digital ArchivingGo for the basic Value Kit 500 (a $99 value), which includes scanning of up to 500 printed photos for perfect digital preservation. You’ll receive a postage-paid box and packing materials to protect your pictures during transport. With a quick turnaround, the PhotoBin pros will digitize each one on your choice of CD or DVD. Got pictures out the wazoo? Use the Deal toward the Value Kit 1000 ($189). - DailyCandy Deals website