Whether you are making getting organized one of your New Year’s resolutions or not, use these DIY organizing home hacks to bring some sanity to your space.

One of the biggest obstacles to getting organized is taking on too much at once. The key is to tackle small projects with east organizing home hacks. The other mistake many make is thinking it’s necessary to buy all new storage containers and goodies. Organizing does not need to cost money or involve buying new stuff that will one day just end up in the landfill.

Instead, get your stuff together buy repurposing and getting clever with DIY organizing home hacks.

Organizing Home Hacks

1. Magazine Holders

Magazine holders can be repurposed for a multiple of uses. After all, who has a subscription to print magazines anymore? One idea is to reuse magazine bins for cabinet storage to organize pot lids and create more space.

2. Double Duty Furniture

Getting organized can be as simple as providing more storage space. For example, a small chest of drawers can be used as a bedside table. Not only is it a handy place on which to place a lamp, but you can also store your tech and cords in the drawers.

3. Create a coffee/tea station

Morning is not the time to be disorganized–especially for those of us who need to get caffeinated to start the day. Use a tray to store your coffee and tea fixings on the counter right next to the coffee pot and/or electric kettle. And use an under cabinet storage bar on which to store your mugs, so everything is within reach.

4. Color Code Closet

Another organizing home hack that will help you get to work earlier is to color code your closet. Not only will be able to find your favorite blue blouse, but you just may realize that you really have enough black pants.

5. Drawer Organizers are Key

Drawer organizing is key. Growing up, we had what was called the “junk drawer,” but in reality every drawer was a junk drawer.  Baby food and other small jars are perfect for holding everything from bobby pins to thumbtacks. Paper boxes (like cereal boxes) can be used to keep pens and pencils together (measure your drawer to see at what height you should cut the box). And by the same token, individual yogurt cups can be repurposed to keep jewelry separated.

6. Ice Cube Tray Storage

Did you get a new refrigerator with an icemaker? Don’t throw out those ice cube trays–they work wonderfully to keep nails, screws, nuts and bolts and other hardware sorted and organized.

7. Shower Hook Storage

Shower hooks are super versatile too. They work smashingly to keep scarves, belts, and small purses organized. Not only will your closet look like less of a disaster, but you will also look fabulous wearing all those items that were once lost on the floor or stuffed in a drawer.

8. Repurposed Drawers

Getting rid of an older chest of drawers? Consider keeping the drawers to utilize them for under bed or sofa storage. Store extra blankets or sweaters handy but out of the way. If your bed isn’t high enough, try using risers!

9. Shoe Boxes

Whatever you do, do not throw out shoe boxes when buying a new pair of shoes. They are super versatile for DIY organizing home hacks. They work well for office storage–keep all your notecards, stamps, pens, and other stationery in a box to make it easier to send greetings.

Related on EcoSalon

6 Organization Tips for Repurposing Your Clutter
8 Ways to Declutter Your Home and Organize Bulky Items
How to Declutter: 7 Storage Solutions That Are Like Kryptonite to Clutter!

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The need for storage is about as important as the need for life-sustaining essentials, like a glass of wine and dark chocolate, because without them, things start to get chaotic pretty damn quick. And we all know that a messy house plus a messy emotional state don’t pair well. With that in mind, I set out to find you some awesome storage solutions, and the results are flexible, modern, innovative pieces that you’ll be using for years to come.

Plus, thanks to the flexibility these storage solutions offer, you’ll not only get the added benefit of configuring the modular pieces to fit your needs, but you’ll be less likely to trash them because of the adaptability they offer. You might start with these in your bathroom, but then find they’re more suited for your closet. And that’s the beauty of it all–you get to decide, when, where, and how they’re used.

1. Sky Shelves

After moving into their apartment and quickly running out of space for their kitchen essentials, like cups, plates, and spices, Joseph Mroue and ​Audrey Brackley ventured out to find an organizing and storage solution to meet their needs. Unfortunately, that didn’t exist for them at the time, so they put their heads together and created the Sky Shelves concept and product.

“Most products like this are very inflexible,” said Mroue and Brackley, “They serve one purpose only, and come in one size and one shape.” Pointing out that, “Once the customer’s needs slightly change, such as their items or space, they soon realize they have outgrown the usefulness of the product and are forced to throw them out.”  

Sky Shelves feature a “no tools, no screws” approach that makes assembly a breeze for the customer, come in both magnetized and non-magnetized forms, and feature endless combination possibilities. Furthermore, Mroue and Brackley stand by the product’s flexibility. “Sky Shelves are so versatile, you are bound to find another use for them,” they told EcoSalon, “and if by miracle you cannot, you can always dismount them and store them efficiently.” Attractive and functional, you can use them in your bathroom, office, kitchen, closet, and more!

2. Record Roots

A specialized storage system, this particular type is especially for vinyls (although, you may be able to display square art prints in these, too), and allows the user access to the albums themselves, contrary to typical displays or crates that leave your vinyls inaccessible or cover art not visible.

Created by Felix Kenchington, Record Roots believes records are “fundamentally for listening to,” he says. “They offer a unique listening experience, with unparalleled analogue sound but that’s not all. Each vinyl comes with a protective sleeve with often meticulously designed album art to compliment the sound. We can’t really appreciate the artwork when the record is stored in a traditional record crate so we’ve designed a product which enables you to display your vinyl collection on your wall.”

The lightweight canvas straps and protective covers are adhered to your walls using damage-free self-adhesive velcro, or screws, depending on your needs. One unit will display eight records, but you can expand the frames by adding additional zippered units. You can configure these any way you wish and listen to your vinyls whenever you want!

3. SINCE 1984

Inspired by a vintage video game (hint: I’m 99.9 percent sure it’s tetris), these modular and oh-so-flexible storage pieces serve multiple purposes throughout the home. Lightweight, portable, attractive, and easy to assemble (a phillips head screwdriver is all you need), these pieces are the key to completing your storage puzzle.  

Created by Serena Zanello, these quirky and modern units can be configured in multiple ways, and seriously put the fun in functional. “Since 1984 brings people together because everyone can be their own personal designer,” Zanello says. “Imagine your friends come over and you need a dining table. With two hands and two minutes, you can have one. You’ll never have to buy furniture you don’t need again.”

Whether you prefer natural wood, or one of the color options–white, black, red, or green–there’s a look to fit your taste. Not only that, but Since 1984 can be further customized by you with some paint, a cushion, or one of the vinyl stickers offered to create truly unique pieces for your home or office. One trip to the website will demonstrate just how adaptable these storage pieces really are.

4. Gather

Whether you work from an office, from your home, or both, the need for desktop organization is always apparent. Clutter from a day’s work has a way of sneaking up on you, and there aren’t many attractive, all-in-one designs to keep things where they belong. Fortunately, Jeff Sheldon has felt your pain and set out to create a solution called Gather.

“Gather adapts to your workspace and workflow to make sure the tools you need are always within reach.” Aesthetically attractive, and flexible in design, it’s described as a “modular home for your essentials, thoughtfully designed to help you cut through the clutter.” Able to be configured in hundreds of ways, this is a tool that was designed to be highly adaptable to the user’s needs.

The gridded track systems allows items to be placed and rotated along the base, and other expansion pieces may be added to the back or sides through magnetization. And, if that’s not cool enough, you can also combine two full sets and completely expand the organizer.

Related on EcoSalon

8 Ways to Declutter Your Home and Organize Bulky Items
Have a Happy Home: the Psychology of Interior Design
The 5 Best User-Friendly Interior Design Apps

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What do organized people do differently from the rest of us?

I’m not the world’s most organized person, but I have studied organized people. No, I’m not a stalker, but I’ve found myself adopting habits from people I’ve met along the way, who seem to make work seem effortless. Why reinvent the wheel, when someone else beat your to it?!

Here’s just a sampling of some of the habits of highly organized people I’ve discovered. These may seem simple, but some I have been more successful at emulating others–that first one is a doozy for me.

Habits of Highly Organized People

1. Get Started Early – While not all highly organized people are early risers, they all get started with their day right away. There is no wasting time checking the phone from bed. Get up and get ready for the day.
2. Make a List–and Stick to It – One of the most effective organizational habits is to make a list. I regularly make daily lists, weekly lists, and longer-term lists. It is important to write things down, so you can stay on top of it all, but also, crossing items off builds such a sense of accomplishment.
3. Set Priorities – By the same token, making lists help organized people set priorities. Setting and following through on priorities is key. It allows you to accomplish tasks in a streamlined and systematic way, which keeps you from wasting time by completing things out of order, or ahead of more crucial items.
4. Implement Routines – Highly organized people are creatures of habit. While you may want (and need) to retain some spontaneity in your day, it can be helpful to follow a basic routine. Checking email first thing in the morning and after lunch, catching up on phone calls in the late afternoon, etc.
5. Everything in Its Place – Clutter is kryptonite to organized people, and they learn to keep their physical and virtual spaces clutter-free. File papers and email away as soon as possible.
6. Necessary Tools Should Be Handy – It’s also crucial to keep everyday tools at hand, so time isn’t wasted hunting for things you need.
7. Practice Upkeep – Organized people maintain their stuff to avoid slowdowns, or worse, getting off task completely. Organized people are just as likely to get their cars tuned up regularly as they are to run regular malware and virus scanners on their computers.
8. Clean Up As You Go – Whether you are working on a graphic design job on your computer or making a meal in the kitchen, clean up as you go. It keeps your mind from getting distracted by unnecessary things and just makes everything more pleasant.
9. Get in the Zone – Highly organized people understand the need to compartmentalize. When you have set your priorities, get to work and get into the “zone”. You will be amazed how more you will be able to get accomplished.

Related on EcoSalon

6 Organization Tips for Repurposing Your Clutter

How to Declutter Your Desk and Increase Productivity

10 Ways to Get Organized and Remember Those Important Tasks

Image: Woman Working via Shutterstock

The post 9 Habits of Ridiculously Organized People (Most of Us Can Do #5) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Maximize your space and declutter your home.

For those of us living not living in Martha Stewart or Bill Gates-sized mansions space is always issue, and maximizing that space is the key to declutter your home and to creating a more zen-like space.

Even though we all try to avoid conspicuous consumption and hoarding, the accumulation of stuff happens. Whether you live alone in an urban apartment or you live with your partner, 3 children, 2 dogs and a cat in suburban ranch house, there never seems to be enough space to keep everything organized, in its place and have a clutter-free home. Having enough space to keep organized is directly relative to the amount of stuff and people you are trying to cram into your home.

The bills are always spread out across the table, your child’s homework projects are on the coffee table and/or the laundry is piled high waiting to be put away. Life happens and when it does, it’s messy. But, you can get on on top and exert some control over your space and stuff. There are solutions to declutter your home, maximize your space and maximizing your life as well.

Declutter your home, get more organized and maximize your space with these 5 space-saving tips and project ideas.

1. Add a Murphy bed. To add more space to your bedroom, consider investing in a Murphy bed. Murphy beds can range from the very pricey to more affordable options like those offered by Lori Wall Beds.
2. Create a room divider to separate a room into functions. For example, add a bookcase divider to separate your living space from a much needed home office that can be tucked away behind that bookcase. Here are some room divider project ideas.
3. Maximize the space under the stairs. For two-story homes, the under stairs space is often underutilized or just a catch all for junk. Get inspired by these solutions to reclaim the space under your stairs.
4. Go vertical. If you are like most people, the floor space in your home is packed. That’s when you go vertical. Adding shelves, tall cabinets, stacking and hanging storage can all increase your storage space. In the kitchen, consider adding hanging pot storage to maximize your space.
5. Hide it. When all else fails, hide your stuff away with hidden storage in your furniture. Coffee tables, ottomans, beds and sofas all have the potential to be used as storage. Try making this under the bed storage platform to store out of season clothing and shoes.

Related on EcoSalon

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Top Image:Jeremy Levine Design

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Your desk says a lot about you. Whether it’s your work desk or home workspace. Whether you work in the corporate world, in the non-profit sector or are self-employed, your desk and organization can speak volumes about your productivity and efficiency.

Organization and tidiness is key, no matter how many people say that they think better with clutter. Clutter and disorganization are both time wasters and in this busy hyper-connected world, you need to be organized to keep everything on track and maximize your effectiveness. Whether you use your new found extra time to work more or to play more–it’s up to you–but learn how to make more time by banishing clutter and creating organization.

 Tips to de-stress your desk…and your life.

1. Digital Desk

These days your desk is not just about paper; much of our work and our organization (or lack thereof) is done in the digital sphere. A messy digital desktop is just as bad as a messy physical desktop. Keep your desktop and hard drive organized and tidy by using folders and coming up with a filing system that works for you. Organize by project type, date, work in progress or completed, name of clients, etc.

In addition, tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote can be useful in expanding your storage capacity and helping you create some organizational structure.

2. Calendar

Consider keeping a digital calendar, if you are not already doing so. By keeping a digital calendar, you can have access at home, work and even across devices. Google Calendar is what I use, and I like that I can easily link to other calendars (like my husband’s calendar) and that I can color code items. I even sync mine to my Facebook account, so my Facebook events show up on my calendar.

The days of having separate work and home calendar are past–our lives are too integrated and fast-paced. Save time and become better organized by using a digital calendar.

3. Physical Desk

Even though so much of what we do is online, we still end up being paper pushers. That means you must develop a system for managing those piles of papers on your desk. Do not let your desk become just a collecting place for receipts, bills waiting to be paid and everything else that needs attending to.

Create a clear system for how to handle incoming paper and outgoing paper. I have a system in place on my desk: unpaid bills go in one place, items waiting to be filed go in another place, items that need some attention (like calling to clarify a bill or with following up with some action) go in another place, etc. Whenever I sit down at my desk, my work is already organized and laid out in front of me.

In addition, discipline yourself to do your filing regularly. I file items weekly in my home office. Finally, decide what supplies you need on hand, i.e. stapler, scissors, stamps, pens, etc and keep those in handy organizers–keep everything else stored away.

 Related on Ecosalon

How to Declutter Your Office In 5 Easy Steps

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9 Functional Home Office Ideas for Small Spaces

Image: West Elm

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There are plenty of arguments for the genius that accompanies a messy desk, but I have to disagree. When my mind is scattered and stressed, my purses, closet and office reflect the same all-over-the-place mentality. Consequently, once organization falls apart, it takes twice as long to get a task done. Taking the time to organize, discard and prioritize office items opens up a pathway towards clearer work and tasks. Here are 5 easy steps to declutter your office. 

1. Let it all hang out

Take everything out, one drawer, pencil case, or file cabinet at a time. Empty everything onto the desk and floor. Yes, no doubt this step will look a lot worse to start with, (maybe even resemble something of a bomb), but go forth with deep cleaning strength—it’s the only way to truly tackle the task.

2. Let go: Discard and Separate

Grab an empty tote bag or grocery bag, and as you sort through each item (yes, let no item be overlooked) really think about what you don’t need. How many pens are necessary? Do you really need to keep those files from your last job? Remember DaVinci’s words, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

3. Organize 

Although everyone’s workspace or desk size is different, along with the requirements of your office, this step is universal.

Files

Set up labeled files organize by Immediate, Upcoming and Finished. Color coordinate these three labels, and the finished colors can hold items like Car Papers, Tax Papers, i.e., everything that has been taken care of but must be to filed away.

Office Supplies

Keep a drawer or basket that neatly holds your essential office supplies like printing paper, stapler, post-it notes, anything you like, or need, to have around when you are working.

4. Images of Tranquility

One check-off in LEED certified office spaces is having images of nature around your immediate work area. Put up a few beautiful images of natural places or inspirational quotes that will add touches of tranquility to your work space.

5. Calendar Everything

Keep a physical calender. I like to have a planner to write down everything I need. If keeping this information on a computer calendar is better for you, go with what works for you. But make it a habit to dedicate a space (virtual or real) to keeping track of due dates and appointments.  Now not only your physical office is decluttered, but you can declutter your mind because every upcoming task is in one place.

Now every item has a neat place, and your desktop is clear. Time to do some productive work in your clean office space!

See Also:

5 Green Office Products We Love

Multitasking Must Haves: A Green Guide To The Most Versatile Fashion, Foods, Tools and More  

5 Desks To Feel Good About Using

image: CHRISSPdotCOM

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A place for everything and everything in its place…really?

An interesting tidbit: not only is containerize a verb (to pack in containers or ship by containerization, of course) but it’s a mid-century word possibly invented to meet the growing popularity of the suburban Tupperware party.

Many promises were made during the heyday of the Tupperware business model of the 50s and 60s: airtight freshness, careers for women, organization for life. In subsequent decades, though, two factors burst Tupperware’s hermetically burpable seal: first, the party scheme was responsible for ushering in the Mary Kay get-together and Amway pyramid (for some, everything is for sale…even friendship); secondly, the myth that the key to familial bliss was an organized cupboard.

The myth is not dead, of course, even in light of today’s marriage statistics. Rather, it has evolved (and multiplied) – out of the cupboard and into our living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, medicine cabinets, underwear drawers, and beyond. Perpetuated by the likes of HGTV, the Container Store and Peter Walsh, here are seven myths we’ve come to believe about a containerized lifestyle.

Are you drinking the Kool-Aid? More importantly, is it labeled and color-coordinated?

Myth #1: A New Bin Will Fix…Everything!

Clear plastic or neon bins carry with them the prospect of an organized life, one in which the bills are always paid on time and days unfold in containable, sterilized batches of predictability. If only our sanity could be containerized like storage.

Remember: acquiring more bins than you need will leave you “Bin Laden” and we all know how that story ends.

Myth #2: I Don’t Have Enough Room

Now you’re just being negative. Before overpopulating the housing market in a bid to acquire even more storage space, source out underused nooks and crannys in the house you’ve already got.

Plastic bins aren’t always the answer; consider shelving in your future.

Myth #3: Storage $olutions Don’t Come Cheap

This is why you spend so much money at Target. You could look for cheaper storage solutions at the dollar store (the threat of becoming Bin Laden lurks here too). Or containerize responsibly with reused containers and baskets.

Who says storage has to be transparent, neon or pretty? It just has to function.

Myth #4: My Space is Too Full

So…what: you need more storage?

This brand of optimism is best reserved for glasses of water. When your physical environs spill over into “full” that’s probably because you have too much stuff. Being the optimist that you are, you might have purchased this excess stuff optimistically from HSN.

A garlic dicer will not simplify your life, it will clutter it. The same goes for more storage.

Myth #5: Containerizing Will Lead to a Debt Free Lifestyle

This is related to #4 above, except that you either learned this on a morning talk show or read it in the grocery check-out line. Did you notice the advertisements between the pages and during the commercial breaks?

Avoiding the Container Store will lead to a debt free lifestyle. Buying less stuff will guarantee it.

Myth #6: I’ll Become More Efficient if I Containerize

Stores like Staples and Office Depot exist solely for the purpose of perpetuating this myth. The reason you haven’t written your first novel is not for lack of desktop organization. It’s because Office Max is selling you too many writing blocks (and paperweights, pencil holders, folders, etc.).

Myth #7: Containerizing Will Make My Space a Cleaner Place

Au contraire: containerizing according to any of the myths above will not make your life more organized, efficient, successful, full – not even clean and/or sterilized.

Instead it will turn you into your worst nightmare: a hoarder.

Images: Rubbermaid Products; Baby Center; Krissy Venosdale; Matthew Moss

The post The 7 Myths of a Containerized Lifestyle appeared first on EcoSalon.

Stuff – we all have it. But sometimes, all of the miscellany of life can add up until it feels like a physical weight. After eight moves in eight years, I managed to accumulate a basement full of storage bins that I unquestioningly brought with me to every new home. I found myself buying more and more bins to fill with more and more stuff.

But eventually, all of this stuff became a burden. I began to see myself as a turtle with an obscenely oversized shell that threatened to topple over at any moment. An extra coffee maker, art supplies that I might use “someday”, an unused ironing board, a stereo gathering dust. It’s all too easy to fill a house with things that we use once in a blue moon, if ever – but it’s not so easy to get rid of it.

I didn’t have much choice – I’m downsizing my life dramatically, and all this stuff had to go. Today, half of my belongings are gone and let me tell you, it feels amazing. Here’s how I did it.

1. Make a list of the items you actually use at least once a month. These things are your core possessions, the things you need to live a comfortable and happy life.
2. As you assess each of the items you have left (and there will be many), ask yourself, “Does this contribute to my life in a meaningful way?” Do you love it or need it? Does it have real sentimental value or a legitimate function in your life, or is it just taking up space?
3. Create a “maybe” box and a “no” box. At first, your “maybe” box will be overflowing, but that’s okay. Later on, you’ll get a bit more brutal about deciding what stays and what goes.
4. Let go of your fears about the expectations of others. So Great Aunt Edna gave you a set of tacky gold angel figurines for your birthday five years go, and you think she’s going to be hurt if she doesn’t see it displayed in your home. You know what? Accepting a gift does not mean agreeing to hang on to it for a lifetime.
5. Don’t use stuff as an investment – it’s only worth what other people will pay for it, and you’re paying to store it. A neighbor of mine once had an entire room in his home devoted to Beanie Babies, which were hot sellers in the late ’90s. You know what they’re worth now? Nothing. Only keep stuff like this if it’s in pristine condition and you’re positive that it has collectible value, and in that case, get it appraised and insured. Otherwise, invest your cash and save precious storage space.
6. Analyze your wardrobe. Anything you haven’t worn in at least a year is a goner. If a color or print sticks out like a sore thumb, don’t keep on searching for something that will match. It’s much simpler to stick to a smaller wardrobe of high-quality essentials that can be mixed and matched.
7. Consider whether you will need to use each item at least once a year. Some things, like seasonal décor, make sense to keep – but others can be rented or borrowed on those rare occasions when they’re actually called into action. If you’re on the fence about an item that you feel might be useful at some mythical future date, think about giving it to someone who would get more use out of it.
8. On the other hand, don’t get rid of so much stuff that you’re forced to re-buy most of it within months. It’s easy for some people to get caught up in the spirit of de-cluttering, but you don’t want to merely re-enter the cycle of consumption and cost yourself more money in the long run.
9. Now, divide your cast-offs into four piles: sell, donate, recycle and toss. Your trash box should only contain things that have truly outlived their usefulness and can’t be recycled. Sell items that could fetch any cash on eBay, Craigslist or at a yard sale. Drop off whatever is left at your local charity drive, or find new homes for it at Freecycle.org.
10. Learn from this experience. After witnessing the pitiful pennies that many of my like-new possessions brought in at my yard sale, I now think twice about every new purchase. If you don’t truly need it, it’s a waste of money.

Image: MelvinSchlubman

The post Lighten Up Your Life: 10 Steps to Less Stuff appeared first on EcoSalon.

EcoSalon has praised the benefits of buying less this holiday season. At the same time, why not clean out your closets and give up what you don’t use so that someone who needs clothing and toys can benefit?

Modern Mom did a post on what they called Project Giveaway – which is an ideal way to describe what is going on in my own home as I rummage through closets, bagging what doesn’t fit and what we don’t wear. I must do it while my kids are at school because they are creatures of habit who cling to old items for nostalgia’s sake. They have put up a big fuss any time we have joined neighborhood yard sales and it has taken much cajoling to convince them to part with what they don’t use. They are generous kids with great core values but my 10-year-old likes to insist, “I’m saving that for my children!”

Follow my lead and spend a few hours this week allowing retired items to come out of the closet. An indicator you have too much?

“Drawers are usually overfilled and it is hard to find what you actually own,” I’m told by professional San Francisco organizer, Molly Coomber, who helps people get a jump start on what can be a daunting task.

For some, it’s a question of what to give away and how. I’m pretty ruthless about that, dispensing rather easily with what I think someone else could use. For those who struggle more, women like Beth Berliner of Revamp offer closet makeovers. Berliner’s service basically overhauls the contents of home closets helping busy people make the best use of what they do own.

“It’s the idea of being green and recycling and utilizing clothes that are part of your wardrobe in a different way,” Berliner explains. “I think you should get rid of what hasn’t been worn in years and what is not flattering to your body, which obviously changes over years.”

Berliner finds once you have cleared out ill fitting and outdated blouses, shoes and jeans, you are left with what really works for you.

“You end up with more because you can see what you have and you can pull more when getting dressed and save time weeding through your closet,” she says. “Taking stock of what is in there sets up a working wardrobe.”

I love the afterglow of weeding out, and I think an edited closet and toy shelves allow my children to be reintroduced to items they forgot that they owned.

In terms of what to take out, you can separate out garments  that are too small and have no sentimental value. Obviously, you aren’t going to toss out that first birthday dress or first copy of Good Night Moon, but if it has no sentimental value, kiss it goodbye.

I first donate to friends who can use the hand-me-downs and give away the bulk to various charities in my city, including the ARC, which offers  a household recycling pick up of clothing, furniture, toys and books and other household items you wish to donate. Many similar organizations abound nationwide, and are eager to collect during the holiday period. Warm weather clothing, especially,  is so appreciated this time of year.

You can also consign your clothing at many boutiques, such as Designer Consigner and the Junior League’s  Next-to-New Shop in San Francisco. Some of them pay as much as 50% on items sold and donate what doesn’t sell. Some also give percentages of their proceeds to good causes such as cancer research.

Be sure to ask for a receipt for the tax benefit of giving non-monetary items in 2009. Hey, it is just one more incentive for playing Project Giveaway. The biggest incentive for me is that cleaning out means less to contend with, and it feels so good.

Main Image: Liz Marie

The post Out of the Closet (And into a New Home) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Meet the rubber beach slip-on that became an urban fashion staple: The Flip Flop.

So popular are these rubber thongs, you’ll find barrels full at your favorite boutiques in mod patterns, as well as more sensible Eco versions for the camping set.  College kids (male and female) ride bikes to school in them and teens pair them with dresses..even on winter days. They offer zero support but there is no taking back the craze. The good news is you can store your pile over your closet door, thanks to Organize.

This Bamboo Flip Flop Rack by Jokari® is an over-the-door organizer made from fiber friendly bamboo and can house up to 12 pairs of your favorite zories. The rack comes with two metal hooks on top that mount right over the door and a third hook at the bottom that is attached to an elastic strip to accomodate door height. It fits over any standard size door, and actually looks pretty cool. Since they’re in plain view, you’ll never forget to grab a pair en route to your next pedicure!

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