Creating a To-Go Bag for Kids

Kids can be unpredictable so it is up to parents and caregivers to try to prepare for the unknown everyday. For these unexpected moments, we recommend creating and carrying a to-go bag. This bag typically includes a few essential items that will help you deal with whatever comes your way. Below are some of the items we like to pack in our to-go bags. 

• Mini First-Aid Kit including Band-aids, Antibiotic ointments, etc.
• Sunscreen wipes
• Wipes - we love Babyganics
• Small reusable water bottles like klean kanteen
• Snack packs
• Copy of an Emergency Contact Sheet (Check here for more information on what to include on this sheet.)
• A favorite small toy to distract them like our lego pack
• A change of clothes depending on age of your child 

As for the to-go bag itself, we love Baggu zipper pouches but have also repurposed giveaway bags from make-up counters in a pinch (thanks, Clinique!). 

What would you add to your to-go bag? 

Tips for Getting Organized

Yesterday was one of those days where nothing went quite right. We all need a little help sometimes - right?  So, in anticipation of the "not quite right" days that are bound to be ahead, we have a few seemingly random ways you can get more organized now. 

Reap Your Rewards: Stay on top of your rewards cards game with your phone. We love Apple Wallet because it is already on our phones but also because it stores our loyalty cards, reward cards and even boarding passes, tickets and debit/credit cards making it easy to use on the go. Other good phone options include FiveStars and Key Ring. However, if you are old school and like using the actual cards, try putting all of your cards on a separate key ring. That way you don’t have to dig through your bag or wallet for missing cards because they are all in one place. 

Zip it Up: Plastic storage bags are one of our favorite secret weapons. We use the small bags to hold everything from craft supplies and batteries to nails and screws in our tool box. Bagging like items together makes it easier to pull out the right item when you need it and it keeps things neat. You can also use the larger plastic storage bags for seasonal decor or entertaining supplies. Try putting away sets of disposable cutlery, straws and napkins in larger labeled zip bags to pull out when you are entertaining or heading out for a picnic. We create these sets using leftover supplies from parties so we are always ready to spruce up a table or head out for a fun meal outside. 

Gather Paperwork: Binders aren’t just for kids. We use them at home to store paperwork related to school and family, warranties and appliance manuals (old and new) or even printed online recipes. If you are anything like us, you also like to work from a printed copy so you can write notes on it. 

Create a Home Base: Make space in a central closet, pantry or laundry room to create a home base for all of your household items such as lightbulbs, batteries, tool kits, etc. By keeping these items together, you can keep track of your stock (and therefore know when you need to replenish it). An added bonus is that your family will know where to go when they need something.

What tricks do you have for staying organized?

How to Make Moving Easier on Your Children

Moving is stressful. Between finding a new place, organizing and packing your belongings and coordinating all of the logistics, there are lots of details to figure out. And, although the process is stressful for you, it is also pretty stressful for your kids. 

Having assisted multiple families with moves, both professionally and personally, we have a few tricks for making the transition easier for little ones.  Hopefully these tips will prove to be helpful during your move too. 

• All the Essentials: Create an open first box just for your children which includes all of the essential items to set them up for a successful first night. For instance, this could include their bath time towels, a sheet set, night lights, pajamas and any favorite blankets and/or bedtime stuffed animals. 
• The Devils in the Details: Don't forget to make arrangements for your children the day of the move whether making sure that they are getting picked up after-school or planning an activity so that they aren't in your way while you get the house set up. 
• Bag o' Tricks: If you need to have your kids at home during the move, try to make the day a little more fun by packing an "on the go" bag with some favorite toys as well as some new surprises to keep them occupied. 
• Photo Finish: If your children are upset about the move and the packing process (which is totally understandable), take photos of the contents of each box before you tape it up and then show them the photos. This can help calm their nerves and buy you a little time before you have to unpack all of their boxes. 
• Light up the Night: Make the first night a little easier by placing extra night-lights throughout the house and in the bathrooms so they can find their way around the new place with ease.  

How did you make the move easier for your children? 

If you are looking for additional advice on how to make moving less stressful, please check out our other posts on moving - here and here. 

Tips for Organizing Your Fridge

The start of a new year often brings resolutions to stress less, work out more and to eat healthier foods. However, even if you aren’t engaging in a major life overhaul, it is definitely a good time to clean out your fridge and dispose of all evidence of holiday excess. We just undertook this endeavor ourselves and have a few tips for you to make organizing it and maintaining it a little easier. 

• After cleaning out your fridge and washing out the bins and shelves, consider lining your produce drawers with reusable cloth liners and your refrigerator shelves with clear plastic wrap to make future cleanings easy. The cloth liners can be tossed into the washing machine between uses and the plastic wrap can ripped up and replaced once something has spilled.
• Gather all like products together - such as produce, spreads or snacks - and put them in clear bins or baskets with labels. This makes finding and retrieving the items easier for you and the family as they can easily be pulled in and out. We even use a variation of the clear bin for the produce we use most often so that we can easily grab the tray and have everything we need in one place. 
• If space is at a premium or you don’t love everything in bins, try a Lazy Susan to maximize shelf space and keep everything within reach. 
• For smaller fridges, check out these magnets that will keep your metal capped bottles on the ceiling of the fridge freeing up space below for more food items.
• Clearing out expired food would be easy if you could easily read the date. Our trick for staying on top of it at home is to write the date on the product in Sharpie so that it is easily seen. We also do this with items that have a shorter shelf life once opened such as chicken broth, tomato paste, etc.
• Avoid spoiled dairy and meat products by storing them on the lower shelves of the fridge where it is coolest, not the door where temperatures can vary through daily use. Also, consider putting all raw meat products in a clear bin so that any drips are contained and don’t contaminate the whole shelf.     

How do you organize your refrigerator?

Organizing Your Paperwork

If your house is anything like ours, there is always a pile of paperwork to be handled and sometimes you just don’t want to deal with it. Between catalogs, magazines, junk mail, bills, work and school papers, it can seem endless. However, there are some things you can do to get ahead of it. Read on to help stem the tide and get a handle on the paper piles. 

Create a Command Center: The first step to handling paperwork is creating a command center to house all of the paper and mail that comes into the home. This is a good place to set up files for each member of the family so that you can separate their important documents. 

Keep it Moving: Part of taming paperwork is keeping it moving. This means that once you open it that you help move it along by taking action. Pay the bill, sign the paper or get the right person involved if need be. For instance, you may get an inquiry from an insurance company that requires action by your doctor and, if that is the case, get your doctor involved at that moment so that it no longer sits on your to-do list. 

Set Aside Time: Paperwork needs to handled on a weekly, if not daily, basis but that can seem hard when hectic schedules and last minute activities get in the way. One way to help make handling paperwork a priority and seem a bit more manageable is to set aside time on your calendar each week to do it. Even just thirty minutes a week should help tame the piles. 

Stop the Flow: Get a grip on the amount of paperwork that comes into your home by removing yourself from direct mailing lists (DMAchoice.com), from credit and insurance solicitations (OptOutPrescreen.com) and from even bills themselves by signing up to go paperless. And, in the meantime, you can also literally make the call to the magazines that come into your home unsolicited to have yourself removed from their mailing list. At the same time, you should also ask that they don’t sell your name to other companies. 

How do you control paperwork at home?

Organizing Your Life with Kids

Life can be overwhelming enough with kids and partners and work and pets and friends and...all requiring time and attention. However, there are some things you can do now to get organized for life with kids that will help make your days a little easier. 

First Aid Kit: Create your own personalized first aid/allergy kit with a latched plastic box (like this or this) and put it somewhere central so it can be used should there be a situation. Be sure to add in a few character bandages (they make you feel better faster, right?) and any other products that your family needs and uses regularly including allergy medications, etc. Here is a resource for how to make your own kit and what to include. At the same time, think about creating a portable version in a small pouch for you or other supervising adults to bring when hanging with the kids outside of the home. 

Contact Sheet: An emergency contact sheet is very important not only for the sitter and any visiting family but also for your own peace of mind. Make a list of all important emergency contacts including the following: doctors, parents, key friends/family that could help in a jam, etc. Once this is created, make copies for friends and family and post one in a central part of the home - likely the kitchen - so that it is readily available in the event of an emergency. 

To-Go Bag: Make getting out of the house with kids easier by having a to-go bag with all of their favorite toys and essentials ready to go near the door. The bag can store their water bottles and favorite outdoor toys for time at the park but it can also serve as a place for them to put those toys and items when inside so that they don’t get lost. Also consider including an on-the-go first aid kit and a copy of the emergency contact sheet mentioned above. 

Kids in the Kitchen: Set aside an easily reached section of the kitchen for your kids lunch boxes, water bottles and treat containers so that they can learn how to put them back themselves. Giving them access to these items will help teach them a little independence and give you a bit of a break. 

Labels: Help stem the tide of missing items from clothing to cups to shoes with personalized labels. Look for washable ones like these or these to make sure that they aren't destroyed in the laundry or dishwasher.

What do you do to make life easier with children?

How to Organize Your Bathroom

One of the best ways to start the day is with an organized bathroom. And, the good news is that by following just a few key tips, you can capture the beauty and serenity of spa at home and have all of your supplies at your finger tips. 

Mixing Form & Function: Beautify your shelves and counters by unboxing some of your daily supplies like Q-tips and cotton balls and placing them in pretty clear containers. You can use canisters from a bathroom set or you can even use Ball jars or inexpensive vases. They are pretty, functional and easy to clean when the time comes - just pop them in the dishwasher. 

Sources: One | Two | Three

Finding New Purpose: Maximizing storage space in your bathroom is just like maximizing storage space in any other room of your home so it is okay to steal some tricks from the kitchen. Lazy Susans make corners more accessible no matter where you use them and plastic pantry bins are good for gathering like items - nail polish, sunscreen, travel toiletries - in cabinets all over the home. 

Sources: One | Two | Three

Putting it on Display: If you like to keep extra towels and items out of the closet, use pretty baskets or catchall containers that are nice to look at when out on display. 

Sources: One | Two | Three

Making Up your Make-up: Finally treat your make-up with a little respect by using a make-up organizer. That doesn’t mean that you have to place it on the counter for all to see (placing it in a cabinet is okay) but you will definitely find your morning routine is much easier when you can see all your products at once. 

Sources: One | Two | Three

Shopping Your Closet: Gather your extra toiletries and store like items together in clear bins under the sink or in your linen closet. Clear bins make it easy to shop your house before heading out to the pharmacy to pick up any items you may need. 

Sources: One | Two | Three

What are your favorite bathroom storage solutions? 

Creating a Welcoming Entry Way

A warm and welcoming entry way is as important as a firm handshake. It ensures a good first impression which is why we are excited to help a client find ways to make her entry welcoming and functional because form without function is just a waste of time and space. 

For this project, we need some smart solutions since the front door opens into a hallway that connects the living and sleeping areas of the home. With limited space, practicality is the name of the game so we are looking for items that don’t take up too much room and still provide some storage for the family. 

Our initial thoughts include a bench for next to the door, a boot tray for storing shoes under the bench and some catchall baskets for seasonal and dog-related accessories.

What are you favorite ways to create a welcoming entryway? 

Kitchen Organizing Tips

Our kitchen day dreams are filled with visions of see-through refrigerators filled with beautiful produce (We’re looking at you, Yolanda Hadid!) and huge, bright pantries. However, the realities of New York living (think small apartments and cramped kitchens) dash many of those dreams and frankly a see-through fridge really isn’t practical. I mean I don’t think we want half-eaten pizza and last week’s Chinese takeout boxes on display for all to see - right?

Even if smaller space living is your reality, don’t despair! There are many ways to make the most of it and below are some of our favorite product picks for a beautifully organized kitchen regardless of size. 

Lazy Susan: Make the most of every nook and cranny of your kitchen by using a Lazy Susan. They can be placed in hard to reach corner cabinets or on deep shelves to make items more accessible. 

Sources: One | Two | Three

Shelf Liners: Make cleaning inside cabinets easy with plastic shelf liners like this one. Liners are particularly helpful in food storage areas in case of spills or drips.

Shelf Pullouts: Accessibility is an important part of organization. Add roll-out cabinet organizers to your lower cabinets so that you can easily reach items without straining your back and to maximize the space.

Source: One | Two | Three

Small Appliances: If space is really at a premium, try purchasing reduced size appliances to save room in your cabinets and/or on counters. The products function the same but the bowls are typically smaller - 3.5 quarts versus 5 quarts. 

Clear Storage Bins: Not everything needs a bin but they are helpful for keeping smaller “like” items together in your cabinets and drawers.  Use them in drawers to organize your kitchen tools and cutlery and in cabinets and pantries to make organizing food stuffs easier. 

Source: One | Two | Three

Canisters: One way to make your space look cleaner and more organized is by using the same style organizing containers. If you are looking for new options, we are big fans of using clear canisters for cooking and baking supplies like flour, sugar and mixes. Not only do they look nice but clear containers show you when you need to restock. 

Source: One | Two | Three

Step Stools: Make good use of your upper cabinets and even the space between the cabinets and the ceiling with labeled storage bins. This will keep supplies out of sight but not out of mind. And, keep a step stool in the kitchen to making accessing those high up spaces a little easier. Folding step stools are good for saving space but we also love a rolling option as it is much easier to move around and it can stand in for an extra seat in a pinch. 

Source: One | Two | Three

Labels: The level to which you use labels to organize in your home is a personal decision but we do recommend them as an organizing tool. Clearly labels are great for containers holding specific items whether it is food or supplies but labels can also be helpful for creating designated areas in your home. For example, create sections in your pantry for breakfast foods, snacks or drinks. By sticking to categories on your labels, it is more likely that your family can and will help out and maintain it.

What are your favorite ways to keep your kitchen organized?

Maximizing Storage in Small Spaces

Substantial storage and outdoor spaces are luxuries not often afforded to those living in New York but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a beautiful and livable space. Having lived in New York for over 20 years collectively, we know how to make the most of small spaces and have a few tips to share with you about making it work.

Creating Space: If you are living in a truly small apartment, create visual space by getting items off of the floor. From night stands to lamps and even bikes and scouters, mounting furniture and fixtures to walls will help create more actual floor space and make the space feel lighter. 

Doing Double Duty: The name of the game here is making your furniture work for you. Maximize storage by making each significant piece do double duty. This means that the stool in the corner should double as storage for your craft supplies or that the top of your ottoman coffee table should flip up to store offseason clothing.

One | Two | Three

Shelves on Shelves: When it doubt, put it on a shelf. A shelf can stand in for a night stand next to a bed or a display shelf for art in a living room or really anything. Put one above doors to your apartment for extra storage (we store extra paper products above ours) or consider mounting them closer to the ceiling all the way around the room for longer term storage. This will help maximize your living space and keep off seasonal items out of the way. 

One | Two | Three

What are your favorite small space storage tips?

Before & After: NYC Kitchen Pantry

By Annie Draddy and Michelle Hale 

We just finished up a kitchen pantry organizing project. First thoughts......you have a pantry in NYC? We cannot wait to see it! The space was fantastic and really just needed shifting and resorting so items can be accessible. When organizing kitchens, we feel it easiest to group products by types. This particular client likes to bake a lot with children so we centralized all of the ingredients on lower shelves. 

BEFORE:

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IN PROGRESS:

AFTER: 

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BAKING SECTION:

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When working with deep shelves, we like to utilize clear container bins and vertical storage. It is easier to see items displayed. By putting the baking ingredients on a low shelf with bins, it is easier for kids to reach in to pull items out and maintain the organization long after we leave.