A label maker is the ultimate in organization. It is like putting icing on a cake, it is so sweet, at least for a person who has a passion for organization. When working with Kate Gosselin, of John & Kate Plus 8, Kate was thrilled when we introduced her to a label maker. Why wouldn’t Kate love a label maker, she loves to be organized.

We encourage all of our clients to make themselves replaceable and a label maker enables you to do just that. What I mean by making yourself replaceable is to set up systems so your household (or even your workplace) can function with or without you there. Once you get an area organized, label the shelves or containers. Then no one in your household will have the excuse that they couldn’t find something or didn’t know where to put something back in the right place. When you are out doing errands or exercising, you won’t be interrupted with, “Do you know where…” Then when you are at home, you’ll know that others in your household (the kids, babysitters, or significant others) can retrieve items AND put them back where they belong.

My very favorite label maker is the Brother P-Touch 2700 Label Maker that connects to a PC or Mac with a USB cable. The ability to connect to a computer allows you to put almost anything on your label such as a variety of fonts and font sizes, logos, shapes, multiple lines of text, UPS codes, etc. It is like having a blank canvas to be creative on.

Happy labeling!

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!

All Bright Ideas
is pleased to announce
the opening of our newest location
in
The Villages, Florida!

We proudly offer our professional organizing services in the Sunshine State to anyone living within an hour radius of The Villages including, but not limited to, Ocala, Orlando, and Tampa. Our services in Florida will be provided by our experienced Professional Organizers who travel back and forth between Pennsylvania and Florida and include, but are not limited to, de-cluttering, space maximization, organizing, paper management, time management, and unpack and setup of homes.

If you are a Floridian and are in need of organization, please email us or give us a call at 866 NEAT 911. 

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!

Actual Before and After Picture
at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

If you are heading off to college this fall, July is the time to start planning and purchasing the items you need. The first part of the process is calling your roommate to coordinate a possible color scheme and determine who is bringing what to avoid duplicates and unneeded expense.

As far as a color scheme, it is always a good idea to have an accent color that is one of your school’s colors. This way when you want to add a school banner to the wall or some fun items from the bookstore, they will fit right into the color scheme of your room.

When it comes to organizing and maximizing the space in your dorm room (nowadays referred to as a residence hall) it will take more effort and it can be difficult to plan because you don’t have prior access to your room. Some colleges do have room measurements on their website. So do check with your school to see if there are pictures or a layout of your room online. 

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your space:

Under the Bed Storage

Maximizing Vertical Space

Fitting More Clothes in Your Closet

College Walls - A Must Have

Storage Space Under the Frig

 If you still have difficulty planning and setting up your dorm room, consider hiring a Professional Organizer to make a fun and efficient room. If you don’t know of one in your area, visit the National Association of Professional Organizer’s website.

Sometimes the simplest things can make life so much easier. In this case, I am referring to the Command™ Quick Clips from 3M. The Quick Clips can be used at home, in the office, or at school to simply hang up papers or photos where you never thought possible.

The Quick Clip is a small clear clip that adheres to almost any smooth or semi-smooth surface, such as walls (with paint or wallpaper), wood, metal (your refrigerator, washer, or dryer), tile, glass, and mirrors. Command™ strips allow you to decorate and organize damage-free with no tools, nails, or screws needed. The Command™ strip has special adhesive technology, so when you are ready to remove the Command™ adhesive strip, simply pull straight down and as the strip stretches, the adhesive releases. Walla, the adhesive strip is off with absolutely no surface damage.

When it comes to Quick Clips, all you really need is your imagination as you decide where best to hang a schedule, a list, a photo, or a piece of your child’s artwork. You can put a Quick Clip inside your kitchen cabinet door, on your stainless steel refrigerator, or on your cubicle walls at work.

If you are considering trying the Quick Clips by Command™ or other Command™ products, take advantage of $5.00 in coupons from 3M at www.commandcoupon.com. The coupons expire June 22, 2009, so hurry on in now to a store carrying 3M products. You’ll be sure to find Quick Clips at Target, Wal-Mart, Meijer, and Menards. Command™ products can also be found at a variety of other stores including grocery, hardware, office supply, and craft.

Happy paper hanging!