Featured

We are so honored to be featured on Kevin's sister's blog NatYourAverageGirl! This is a huge honor because Natalie's blog is AMAZING! Be sure to check out her other posts for pics of the cutest baby ever, fashion & home advice, recipes, and inspiration!!

Recycled

You know what I love?

Saving money.

Sometimes it seems that in order to get your house organized, you have to spend a fortune on products, but that isn't necessarily the case. My engineer husband is always finding new purposes for items that I would have totally thrown away. One of my favorite examples of this is how he used to pack his lunch in an empty Carnation Instant Breakfast box. It was the perfect size.

Here are some of my favorite ideas for reusing and recycling materials in your house to get everything in order.

1. Empty bottle = art supply container

Source: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/recycled-milk-jugs-123151

How easy is this? By just removing one corner of an old bottle, kids can easily reach for a colored pencil, crayon, or marker, and easily keep them color coordinated. This is great if you have space to keep the bottles out on a table or counter, as they don't stack or fit vertically in a cabinet. But if you have the room, you've just made a cheap way to display your art supplies.

2. Tuna cans = junk drawer serenity

Source: http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/25-new-ways-to-use-your-old-stuff/pictures/page-8.html

You know all those tiny desk items- paper clips, push pins, rubber bands, beads, etc. When they are all thrown in the same space, they mingle, and it is so much more difficult to get just one of the teeny tiny object you are after. Tuna cans are a great solution because they are cheap, shallow, and usually two to three of them can fit in a row in a typical desk drawer. Just make sure the edge of your can isn't sharp!

3. Creamer container = food dispenser

Source: http://whynotdoityourself.tumblr.com/

This just might be our favorite idea. (That might have something to do with the fact that Kevin likes to drink creamer by itself). Once you clean out a creamer container and take the label off, you have a nearly airtight container for your food, and you can see what is inside each one! Remember how I was so in love with price of the Modula Storage Canisters in this post? Well, this option definitely takes the cheap cake. No, they aren't stackable or varying in size, but they are a great inexpensive option!

4. Unused drawers = under-the-bed storage

Source: http://www.picklee.com/2012/02/29/inspiration-organize-cycled-materials/

Aren't these just cool looking?! If you've got an old dresser or desk that you're considering throwing out, HAULT! Save the drawers! Attach some wheels on the bottom and you have storage that is low enough to fit most beds, and so easy to slide out! (Drawers are also awesome for handing on the wall, so really, seriously, don't throw them out!)

5. Old knobs or faucet handles = wall hooks

Source: http://www.picklee.com/2012/02/29/inspiration-organize-cycled-materials/

We currently have a bag of knobs that we got for free that we cannot wait to try this with! Hats, scarves, sweaters, backpacks, purses, and other last-minute-out-the-door items can have a home with wall hooks! If you don't have any of these lying around, faucet handles can be found at some antique stores and flea markets, and while knobs can be weirdly expensive in stores, garage sales are usually a good bet.

6. Drawer organizer = jewelry storage

Source: http://www.picklee.com/2012/02/29/inspiration-organize-cycled-materials/

If theres one this I really dislike, I hope it's more significant than tangled jewelry, but knotted necklaces still ranks somewhere up there. Using an old drawer organizer can make your jewelry look like it's framed artwork. Necklaces and bracelets easily hang from hooks in the vertical columns and rings/earrings sit nicely in boxes on the horizontal compartment.

Hope this shows you a few simple things you can do without even hitting up the store!

Happy Monday :)

-Tiffany Pope

All images were found on pinterest.com. :)

Contain Yourself

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day this weekend!

On the way to visit my Mom on Saturday, my husband Kevin and I stopped in at the happiest place on earth- obviously The Container Store. We saw so many amazing products and it made us just want to start overhauling houses (including our own).

Here are a few our favorite products that bring simple solutions to common problems in the kitchen.

1. The Expanding Shelf

 This product is awesome for those cabinets that you fill with jars, spices, and boxes that are easily blocked by the row of food in front of them. This shelf basically gives your canned/jarred/boxed food stadium seating, so you can see everything in the back. Another great feature- it expands and contracts to fit your shelf perfectly. Never forget about those hidden split peas again. :)


2. Turntable

This turntable (or Lazy Susan) is so handy for hard to reach corners of cabinets, and is even really helpful in the fridge! Since we all learned about centrifrugal force in jr. high, we are well aware of the fact that items love to fall off of turntables (and we LOVE to spin them quickly!). To prevent this, many of the turntables have ridged rubber tops on them to secure items. Bonus: You can choose a two-teir product if you have wasted space above your turntable:

 3. Four Sort Dividers

 This is a brilliant idea. Don't you hate it when you've stacked all of your baking sheets, pie tins, cake pans, and pizza stones to realize that the one you need is on the very bottom? To make matters worse, when baking sheets are laid flat down, so much space above them is wasted. This amazingly simple product eliminates that frustration and wasted space. Each baking sheet can slide out of your cabinet individually and the spacing is way more efficient!

4. Undershelf Basket

I love this hanging basket because absolutely no instalation is required to hang in your cabinet. Instead of placing mugs or bowls on top of your plates, making them hard to get to, you can utilize the space above them while still allowing for easy access to what is below.

5. Cupboard Shelf

 This is another product that is so simple and makes a world of difference! I used a similar product today in a client's house while organizing the linen closet, and it actually doubled the space! I love this product because it utilizes the entire space of your cabinet, and again, no installation! (Though I do love powertools).

6. Modula Storage Canisters

Kevin and I have always loved the Square Pop Canisters by OXO, and have many of them in our kitchen. We love that you can see what is inside them and they are easy to stack. However, after our visit to The Container Store, these Modula Storage Canisters are my new favorite. I love them for two reasons. First, they are made with grooves to be stackable, so sliding and falling is less likely. Second, they are way cheaper! We love a good deal!


I just love how simple transforming a space can be. These products aren't expensive, flashy, or hard to install, yet they can add space, save time, and even keep your dishes and mugs in better condition by not needing to stack everything. See how simple organizing can be?

Hope you have a wonderful week!

-Tiffany Pope

Grace is Born

It all started with a text message. Just a few simple words sent casually to my husband, and BAM. This idea took on a life of itself- wouldn't let us brush it off. This idea has become our baby for the past two weeks.

I guess I'll back up.
My husband works as an industrial engineer, and a big part of his job is making work places as efficient as possible. Which can only mean one thing: Organizing.

I work as a Personal Assistant/Nanny. While the kids are at school, I do a lot of things around the house, but one of my main and beloved duties is organzing- closets, toys, books, dressers, dog stuff, etc.

After a few weeks of texting back and forth our organizational before and after pictures with my husband, I sent him that small but powerful text: "Will you start an organizational business with me?"

So here we are, just nursing our baby business, Grace Interior Organizing (GIO if you're feeling like friends already).

We are very excited to get the ball rolling and watch GIO grow!


-Tiffany Pope

p.s. Like Grace on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GraceInteriorOrganizing