DIY Customized Clothes Hook

A good way to stay ahead of your morning rush is to pick your clothes out the night before. The question is where do you put your clothes once you've picked them out? 

I find that hanging my clothes back up in the closet adds too much temptation to go threw all the clothes in my closet the next morning -Which is extremely counter productive. The whole point to choosing what you'll wear the next day is to save yourself time in the morning. Sometimes, there's no place to lay your clothes on without it getting wrinkled. So here is am extremely helpful and super adorable option for your "next day outfit" to hang on: 

A customized clothes hook.

This DIY Customized Clothes hook is so easy to make. You can put your very own phrase or word in the frame and you can choose a frame that matches your room decor. I chose the simple phrase "Tomorrow's Outfit" for this one. My frame also has two hooks on it, since I use it in my kids room. You can put just one hook in the middle of the frame if your just using this for youself. 

DIY Customized Clothes Hook Materials Needed:

• 2 screws
• Nailess Sawtooth Hanger 
• Hammer
• Decorative Hooks (make sure the top of the hook is plain and flat to ensure that it will screw onto frame properly)
• Screwdriver or drill
• Picture Frame (which ever size you prefer. Mine is a 4"x 6" picture frame from Home Goods)
• Printing paper (preferably photo paper. So your design will come out with a vivid color)

Instructions:

• Choose and design what phrase or word you want to go into the frame. I made my phrase and design in Photoshop
• Print out design
• Measure a spot on your door, wall or in your closet where you want to hang frame hook
• Drill (or screw with screwdriver) screws into wall where you want to hang the frame hook. Make sure the screws are separated enough to fit snug inside Nailess Sawtooth Hanger
• Insert Nailess Sawtooth Hanger into back top of picture frame. Use a hammer if it is difficult to push in with your bare hands. Don't pound the hammer too hard, you don't to ruin the frame.

Nailess Sawtooth Hangers are available in most hardware stores

• Screw or drill your hooks into back bottom of frame

My hooks were missing a screw. So I just used one of my own

• Insert your design into frame
• Hang frame up on wall or door
• Choose a fabulous outfit and hang it on your new customized clothes hook!

Now picking out your clothes the night before work or school has never been so fun!

Try this DIY project! You will love it. 

Send me a picture of how yours comes out and I will post it on this blog and Skeen Concept's instagram. Happy DIY'ing!!

Target Dollar Spot Haul: Stay Organized in 2015 On a Budget

Who doesn't love Target? I love any excuse to go there - and I never miss a chance to check out their Dollar Spot section. This time around I found some great organizing accessories!! Here's a look at what I got, all for around $10!!

 

To Do List, $1

This "To Do" List is so cute and perfect for when you have to quickly jot down things that you need to get accomplished. The list is magnetic, so it can easily stick to your fridge or magnetic bulletin board in your home office. 

 

Weekly Planner, $3

Keep up with all of your daily and weekly plans and appointments with ease.This planner is the perfect size to fit in your bag, so you can carry it while your on the go. The pattern is cute and playful. This planner is for the months of January through December 2015 and includes a yearly reference calendar and a space for notes. 

 

Sticky Notes, $1 for set of two

Plain sticky notes are so boring. Why not have fun with this cute stickies? You can choose from 3 different patterns (I only bought two packs). I especially love the note pads with the number and bullets. This makes it easy to create a quick checklist. 

 

File Folders, $1 for pack of 3

Create a filing system that's not only functional but also chic. These folders come in fun colors and patterns and are definitely able to brighten up any day. Each folder has a blank tab on top, making it easy to label each file. 

 

Letter Holder, $3

This letter holder was too cute to pass up. Besides the price, why would you pass up a great organizing tool? The off white color is bound to go with any home office decor. There are two large slots to hold your folders, letters and important papers. 

These are just a few organizing tools that you can find at the Target Dollar Spot right now. What are some of your favorite organizing items that you found at the Target Dollar Spot? Let us know! Comment below!

Closet Organizing 101

It's a new year. What better time to organize your closet than now? Not only will you love your newly functional, organized closet space, you may even save yourself some time when looking for what to wear. Follow these organizing tips and make it a fun weekend project!

  

Edit, Edit, Edit

A major part of organizing a closet is editing your clothes. That is, going through each piece to see what will stay and what needs to be tossed. Figure out what you wear the most, what you wear on occasion and  what you haven't worn in the past year. Anything that has not been worn in the past year, you can donate, sell or throw away. 

Setting up boxes like these will make it easy to edit out what you don't want.

 

Sort it Out

Next, sort out your clothing by type: sweaters, shirts (long sleeve/short sleeve), dress pants, jeans, skirts, etc. Once clothing type is all sorted out, short each clothing type by color and fabric heft:  light to dark and lightweight to heavy. Next, figure out what should be hung and what should be folded (That is if your closet has space for folding. If not, you can always purchase a hanging folding shelf from Target or The Container Store).

 

Start Hanging

When hanging your garments, leaving the right amount of space between hangers is key to keeping an organized closet. You don't want to be bothered with pushing tons of clothes out the way to get to one shirt. Use the finger spacing practice: holding your hand up towards the hangers, slightly spread your fingers apart (about 1/4 inch) and place each finger between each hanger. This creates uniform spacing. Make sure to hang your garments by type, style and color based on how you sorted it out in the previous step.

Purchasing hangers that are all the same color creates an organized look. Specialty hangers are available for specific garments. Container Store hangers, $5.99-$12.99, containerstore.com

 

 Folding

When folding garments, make sure that the thicker, heavier fabrics are on the bottom of the pile and the lighter fabrics are stacked on top. This will prevent your clothes from toppling over. Along with the hanging folding shelf  you can also use bins to place like - folded items in. Shelf dividers work wonders too!

Folding accessories for closet. Clear Shelf Divider, Rectangular Bins - containerstore.com Hanging Storage -ikea.com

Shoes

We've talked about the different ways to store your shoes in the post here. Just to recap, there are several storage solutions that you can use to store your precious shoes. Before storing, you must edit out which shoes get to stay. Just like you did with your clothes, go through each pair of shoes, see which ones your wear consistently and on special occasions. Any pair of shoes that you have not worn in the years, its safe to say its time to donate or toss them. Also, any shoes that are over worn and really old looking, just toss it.

Shoe Storage Boxes, $1.89 - $14.99, containerstore.com

 Ready to get your closet organized? Send me photos of your newly organized closet and I'll post them on here!! Happy organizing!!

Quick Tips for Cleaning

Try these quick tips for taking care of your home's little quirks.

Odor Eraser 

The meal you cooked last night was beyond delicious. So much so that the smell is still lingering in the air one day later. No worries. Just mix 3 tablespoons of white vinegar into 1 cup of water and boil in a saucepan for about 10 minutes. Vinegar is known for neutralizing unwanted smells, in a safe and natural way.

 

Photo: grime-scrubber.com

Clean Stained Containers

Is that plastic container a daily reminder of the homemade tomato sauce from grandma's house? Just because you loved the recipe doesn't mean you have to live with stained plastic storage containers. Take a lemon and cut it in half. Rub the cut half of the lemon on the stained side of the plastic. Squeeze some of the juice from the lemon to really get a good clean going. Once you've rubbed the stain parts of the container completely with the lemon, set it out in the sun to dry. (Leaving it on a sunny window ledge should be fine). Next, wash the container out like you normally would.  You will be left with a stain-free, brand new looking plastic container.

Keep the Dirt Outside

No need to bring the outside dirt into the house. Most household dirt is brought in by way of shoes from outside. A way to keep your floors cleaner longer is to use the right door mat. Set a toothed, bristly door mat on the outside of your front or back door and have people wipe their feet before coming in. This type of mat will catch most of the dirt before it has a chance to enter your home. What about the remaining dirt? Simply ask your guests take their shoes off when entering. Most guests will not take this request the wrong way and your house will be significantly cleaner. 

A mat with material similar to the one above will do the trick. Photo: Houzz.com

Practice these quick tips in your home to help keep it clean and fresh.

What are some quick tips that you use in your home to keep it clean? Comment below.

January Is Get Organized Month!!

 

January is Get Organized Month!! 

 

Here are the top reasons for hiring a professional organizer:

• Disorganization and not knowing where to start
• Inability to prioritize what areas in your home or office that need extra attention
• Downsizing
• Decluttering
• Difficulty locating items in your home or office
• Selling your home or moving
• A need for a simple living space

Top 5 areas in home that need organizing

• Kitchen
• Home office
• Closets
• Bedrooms
• Garage

Get organizing tips here on this blog.

Contact me with any organizing questions you may have.

DIY Mason Jar Holder (Feature from LizMarieblog.com)

I'm all about DIY projects. I love the thrill of getting my hands dirty and knowing that I am making something functional, interesting and unique that can not be bought in stores. My DIY projects may not always come out like I expected it to, but the journey is fun in itself.

Here's a really cute, functional and super organized DIY project that you can use in your bathrooms, kitchens, playrooms, craftrooms - anywhere that you can use extra storage. Its a great wall piece on its own. From a blog that I love, Liz Marie Blog.

What do you think of this DIY project? Let us know. Comment below!

Photo Credit: www.lizmarieblog.com

Photo Credit: www.lizmarieblog.com

Photo Credit: www.lizmarieblog.com

Yummy Kale Smoothie: My Happy Drink :-)

Need a nice natural pick me up? Try this kale smoothie. Its so good and so good for you!

1 cup almond milk
1 ripe banana
4-5 strawberries
1 handful of kale (more if your feeling crazy)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup of ice

Blend all this yummy goodness in a blender until smooth (about 1 minute)

Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy!!

Whats your favorite healthy smoothie blend? Comment below.

Sanity Saver: Containing the Kids Toys

If your like any parent, you have dealt with this problem: toys, toys, toys - everywhere! 

No worries. An easy, cheap and sanity saving way to contain the toys (even if you already have a toy box) is to place like toys in shoe box containers. These are stack-able, clear containers that can be used for WAY more than just shoes. They stack well in toy boxes - as an easy way for your kids to access the toy that they are looking for. 

You can purchase these clear shoe containers almost anywhere, including the dollar store, Target and Walmart. I personally use these to hold my daughters Barbie dolls and my son's action figures and Legos. Its the best $10 I've ever spent.

Clear Storage Tote, target.com $.94

Another sanity saver for little toys? A hanging shoe organizer. (Hmmmm...I'm sensing a theme here) Just hang the organizer on a door in the playroom or kids room and place dolls, action figures, Lego sets, etc in the separate compartments. You can purchase these at any dollar store, Target, Walmart or Container Store. 

24 Pocket Mess Overdoor Shoe Bag, containerstore.com, $19.99

 
Problem tackled! 

Do you have any tips on containing your kids toys? Comment below.