Going off to college is an exciting time however organizing and maximizing the space in a college dorm room can be a bit challenging. Most likely you won’t be stepping foot in your room until the day you’re moving in with your belongings in tow. This means planning has to take place without dimensions and feel for the room. Room size also adds to the challenge. Your room will probably (and hopefully) be the smallest space that you ever have to live in. To ease the burden of dorm room planning and organization, I shared tips and tricks on WFMZ-TV’s Sunrise Show. (Click here for TV segment.)

This year while completing my annual “dorm room” shopping trip (I have been staging dorm rooms for the past 8 years) I was pleasantly surprised to find an abundance of innovative and reasonably priced products on the market. Shopping was fun and quick with a large selection of colors and styles to choose from.
My goal was one-stop shopping, saving time and stress. I found all the products below at the local Bed Bath & Beyond store with the exception of the refrigerator stand. The refrigerator stand is from our local and online store All Bright Ideas.

During my dorm room shopping spree the following items caught my eye:

Grommet Totes –Totes are great for storing smaller items. Toss items in and store more vertically. The sides of the tote enable you to maximize vertical storage space. The grommet on the front of the bin provides the ability to easily “grab and go.”

Bedside Caddy – This caddy keeps all your bedside needs (water bottle, iPod, tissues, eyeglasses, remote, etc.) within reach. It secures under the mattress. The bedside caddy is a must for a loft or bunk bed dweller.

Backpack Laundry Bag – This laundry bag allows you to easily transport laundry to and from the laundry room. Just slip your arms through the backpack straps. A large compartment holds laundry detergent.

Mesh Shower Tote – Finally a shower tote for the college guys out there. This masculine style tote stores and transports shower needs.

Day/Night Shower Caddy – This innovative caddy includes an insert which can be used separately allowing you to decide how much you need to tote to the bathroom. The middle section pulls out reducing the size of your tote – ideal when you don’t need to take all of your showering items with you.

Bed in a Crate – Similar to Bed in a Bag, this 11-piece crate set was created for residence hall living. You get 11 color coordinating essential items including an XL twin comforter.

Rise n’ Store – Create more storage under you bed by adding bed risers. These unique bed risers have storage compartments built in for your iPod, remote, tissues, etc. Check with your college or university to find out if bed risers are permitted in your residence hall.

Slimline Hangers – The ultra-slim design of these hangers maximize closet space so you can fit more in less space. These hangers are flocked so they hold clothing in place. Hang sweaters and other knits without getting shoulder bumps.

Desk Lamp Organizer – Organize your workspace while illuminating your desktop. The lamp base has built in compartments to store office supplies or items you would like compartmentalized.

Dorm Space Saver Shelving – Make the most out of your small space. Add freestanding shelving to your room with this behind-the-bed unit.

Refrigerator Stand – Add convenience and storage by placing your refrigerator or Microfridge on a refrigerator stand. Gain storage space underneath and you’ll no longer need to kneel to see what’s in the frig.

Large Plastic Drawers (available in store-in at Bed Bath & Beyond) – Maximize the space under your bed by adding drawers or a wire basket system. Store sweaters, sports gear, blankets or off-season clothing.

Command Hooks (available at office supply, grocery, hardware, and craft stores) – These hooks and poster strips are a must for college bound students. Command provides damage-free organizing and decorating. Easily hang a curtain rod with Command hooks. Get a Command coupon.

Most colleges and universities provide a checklist of recommended items to bring. Check your college’s website to see if they offer a checklist. Here’s a packing list for college to get you well on your way.

Wishing you a wonderful college experience,

On WMFZ-TV’s morning news show, The Sunrise Show, Diane demonstrated how to organize your refrigerator to save time, money, and stress. Categorizing, establishing designated locations, and labeling the shelves were the key.

The label maker Diane used for labeling was Brother’s P-touch 1880. The P-touch label maker uses laminated tape, a must for the refrigerator where spills can easily occur.

Diane showed how organizing can be made fun for kids. She demonstrated how to make fun labels with colored label tape, borders and shapes.

Diane explained how organizing can be made fun for kids. She demonstrated how to make fun labels with colored label tape, borders and shapes.

Getting everything ready the night before school eliminates stress and running late in the morning. Kids should have their clothes out, backpacks packed, school snacks packed, and lunches made the night before. If you have a little one, consider use the 5-Day Closet Organizer to prepare for each day. Be sure to label your child’s clothing, especially school or sports uniforms. A Sharpie® or P-touch fabric tape make it easy to label clothing and gym bags.

Diane demonstrated a new product on the market, the File Smart system by Pendaflex®. This system allows you to have an organized pile of papers. It is the answer for kids (or parents) who don’t like to use file folders.

Make cutting school pictures easy this year by following Diane’s tips to easy school picture processing.

Happy School Organizing!

With the holidays quickly approaching you may find that you are overwhelmed with tasks to complete. To help you delegate these tasks to those in our household, print out and use our free Communication Made Easy Board.

You’ll find this 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper has six boxes with a blank list inside each. Designate one box for each family member by writing their name on the blank line at the top of the box.  Now assign tasks to each family member by filling in the lists under each person’s name. Follow the same procedure when you are preparing for a party or hosting a holiday dinner.

 Once you have your tasks assigned on paper you might want to photocopy this master list. The photocopy has a dual purpose. Once you have a copy you can cut the original list into small individual lists to handout to each person. By keeping a copy of the original master list you can make sure everyone is on track with their tasks. Secondly, you may want to photocopy the master list to keep as a plan for next year. Perhaps you may want to start a holiday binder to include planning and ideas for next year.

Happy holiday planning!

On Wednesday, October 7th  I was thrilled to be part of WFMZ-TV’s Sunrise Show with the lovely and talented news anchor, Eve Tannery. Now that school has been back in session for almost five weeks it was the perfect time for me to provde some tips and tricks to make life a little easier for moms. I shared with Eve and the viewers tips on how to:

Remove Ink Marks

Organize School Snacks

Find Lunch Money Easily

Meal Deal for Kids

Get the Kids to Complete Chores

Cut School Pictures in a Snap

Clear Pockets to Label Boxes

Label School & Household Items

Store School Papers/Keepsakes

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When your children bring home their school pictures this year, don’t put off the task of “processing” them. The cutting of pictures can be quickly completed with little effort and to perfection. You can process the pictures in about a tenth of the time than you did before. Don’t waste time cutting the sheets of pictures with scissors. Instead, use a desktop paper cutter. You know, the old fashioned style paper cutter, the type you see at schools with the long blade on the long handle.

Cutting pictures will be effortless, straight-edged, and quick. If you want to make the process faster, print small labels with your child’s name and information for the back of the pictures. This will save you from repetitive handwriting.

Don’t have a paper cutter at home? Put one on your birthday or holiday wish list. A paper cutter usually costs somewhere in the thirty-dollar range. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t use my paper cutter – photos, school projects, and papers for home or work.

Happy school picture processing!

Don’t stress the next time you or your child gets a pen mark on clothing or other fabric. As long as the item has not been laundered the ink stain is easy to remove. You may already have this “magical” ink stain remover on hand.

The best ink stain remover is hairspray! Just spray the hairspray directly on the pen mark and let the hairspray soak in a minute or two. Next, rub the fabric together and rinse under cold water. You should then see the ink disappear like magic.

Hairspray that comes in the form of a liquid (with a pump application) works better than hairspray sold in an aerosol can. Be sure to first test the hairspray on an unnoticeable area of the fabric.

When my kids come home from school with pen marks on their clothes it doesn’t matter when I spray the hairspray as long as I spray it before I launder. I can spray it immediately when I notice the ink mark or the following Monday when I am preparing to launder clothes. The key is remembering to use the hairspray before your launder.

If you find ink stains often on your family’s clothing, consider keeping a bottle of hairspray alongside ofyour bottle of laundry detergent.

Hope this tip helps with your laundry dilemmas!