Time For Simplification & Consolidation!

A couple months ago I posted the below...

Okay, things have gotten out of hand! When I launched House of Fifty mag, of course I also created a House of Fifty website, this blog, a facebook page and twitter account, later adding a Pinterest page. Seriously?!?! I feel dizzy. All in addition to my blog Isabella & Max Rooms and the Isabella & Max facebook and twitter accounts.

Then a couple of days ago I literally stopped in my tracks and thought, duh, time to consolidate! I basically post the same information on both blogs and other accounts and at times even repost a post from one blog to another."

So I've decided to consolidate the two blogs I manage into one, continuing to post on Isabella & Max Rooms, but with a name change - House of Fifty by Janell Beals - one that is keeping with my focus to continue building and growing House of Fifty. 

Seriously, we only have so much time in each day to manage all this social media, get our work done and also have time for the other things that are important in our lives...so I've taken the leap to simplify and consolidate! I will no longer be posting here, but I'd be honored if you'd stop by here to continue reading new posts.

House of Fifty by Janell Beals

Phew, I feel better!

Is there anything you've done lately to simplify your life?

Kid’s Rooms: Fun & Stylish Storage Solutions

Sarah from Prairie Perch is sharing her best finds for kids rooms storage solutions. Seeing all these great ideas, I'm wishing a kid's room design was on my plate right now! ~ Janell

I have two young children, ages two and one, and am convinced they have everything a child could ever need or want. Or at least that’s what it seems like whenever I try to bring order to it all. Thankfully there are some really great storage solutions out there that are not only functional but creative and stylish. Here are some of my favorites.

Toy Storage: 

I particularly like bins and baskets for corralling the mess. It’s quick and easy to toss and tuck the toys away. And bins on wheels are even better!

(Rose and Grey)

The bins below have been covered in chalkboard paint so each bin can be easily labelled… love it, love it, love it!

(Via Pinterest)

A hat box can be a great storage solution for smaller toys. Stylish, functional and portable! Why not?

(Via Canadian House and Home)

A basket in the corner of the room means toys are easy to access when it’s time to play, but just as easy to put away when it’s time to clean up.

(via thenewdomestic.com)

And I have to share one of my all-time favorite toy storage ideas. Check this out…

(Via pinterest)

A circus themed room calls for a ferris wheel, and why not make it a toy sorting ferris wheel! I've hung onto this room inspiration for years now and it still gets me excited.

Book Storage: 

A simple but well-built book shelf would suffice, but lately I’ve been drawn to gallery shelves for book storage. It’s more decorative and space efficient.

(via pinterest)

(Elizabeth Sullivan Design via decorpad)

And just look at this tree shelf. Too cool!

(via designaddictmom)

Clothes:

Opt for a sturdy yet stylish clothes hamper.

(via Canadian House and Home)

Check out these clothes trees by P’kolina. What could be better than having the kids put their own clothes away?

(That might actually happen with one of these in the corner of their room.)

(via p’kolina)

Craft Supplies:

I love the look of stashing craft supplies in jars. Displaying them on a wall shelf above the craft station means you can see the supplies at a quick glance, and they look so neat and tidy.

(via tankertrucks.com)

(via craftastic)

I hope that gets your wheels turning. And...one day I’ll get a ferris wheel turning in my kid’s playroom. That would be delightful!

-Sarah

How To Tackle Organizating Your Closet

Who doesn't wish for an organized {and beautiful} closet! My personal favorite in blogland is Megan's from Honey We're Home. You know the closet I'm talking about. But don't despair, even if your closet isn't as chic and spacious as Megan's, it can be more organized and functional by following the tips shared by San Francisco organizers, Ashley Murphy and Molly Graves of Neat!

Honey We're Home

Neat

With only two short weeks until the official start of summer, it’s time to get a jumpstart on the season by giving your closet a fresh summer look. Summer is a time where bright colors, fun florals and carefree dresses hold precedent over boots, sweaters and hats. If your closet looks more like a spring tornado hit, it will be hard to find your favorites and flaunt those great summer trends. Here are five quick tips to give your closet the visual appeal it deserves and to make your clothes feel new again.

Tip Number One: Purge

The best place to start freshening up your closet is to get rid of the things that you no longer wear. Did you wear it last year? If the answer is no, it is time to part ways. Not only do these clothes take up valuable hanger space, but they also distract your eye from picking the clothes that make you feel great. A tip that NEAT gives all of their clients is to pick a place to donate that inspires you to get rid of all unnecessary items.

Tip Number Two: Store Out of Season Clothes

Even the summer months can have some cold weather days but that is not an excuse to wear your favorite wool sweater and corduroy pants. Storing out of season clothes can accomplish two important things. First, it can help you to wear only what is appropriate for the season. Second, when clothes are stored in bins for the season, they tend to feel new again when they are brought back out. Nothing beats that “new clothes” feeling especially when it is with clothes that you already own.

Tip Number Three: Matching Hangers

NEAT insists that every client have matching hangers in their closet. It is important to make your closet a place that you are proud of and enjoy opening or entering. The right hangers can have a larger impact than most people think. We prefer, “Huggable Hangers” because they are thin and their velvety texture keeps clothes hanging. When all clothes are on matching hangers it begins to give your closet an unbeatable visual appeal.

Tip Number Four: Color Code Your Clothes

Color coding your clothes may seem like an over the top type ‘A’ thing, but it will help you to find your favorite green shirt much faster than before. NEAT prefers to have whites first, then the good old ROY G BIV and finally grays, browns, and finish with black. If you are really feeling good about the way your closet looks after your color-coding, take it one step further and organize within the color. For example, put tanks first, then t-shirts and finish with long sleeves. NEAT prefers to keep all dresses, suits, and pants separate so that clothes that are typically the same length stay together.

Tip Number Five: Treat Yourself

When NEAT organizes a client’s closet, nine times out of ten the client finds something that they either forgot they had or swore they lost. We hope that by organizing your own closet, you rediscover your favorite top that you haven’t seen in a while. After some hands-on organizing, the NEAT team LOVES to get a good manicure. We suggest you put on your favorite outfit from your newly revamped closet and treat yourself too! Have dinner with friends, go out for a drink, get a manicure, you look good, and you deserve it!

For more information on where to find some of NEAT’s favorite organizing solutions, follow the links below. To learn more about NEAT San Francisco, please visit our website here.

Places to Donate: Goodwill, Soles 4 Soles and the Salvation Army

To Store Your out of Season Clothes see the Container Store's Clear Storage Boxes here.

For the Hangers NEAT Loves see the Container Store's Huggable Hangers!

If you are a Costco member, they can also be found for a great price in boxes of 50 at their site.

Thanks Ashley and Molly! And while my closet is currently a bit of a disaster, I completely agree with the matching hanger tip! I saved a large number of hangers from the boutique I had when living in San Francisco myself, and they really do make a tremendous difference! Janell

How To Have a Highly Functional Handbag

Today Pauline from the English Organizer shares her expert advice on how to organize your purse, and I'm listening! Follow her simple steps below and no longer will you find yourself frantically searching into the deeps of your bag to find that elusive item you're looking for:

When Professional Organizers give classes or workshops, like the one I did last week for Deborah’s Palm, one of our favorite ice-breaking activities is a handbag scavenger hunt. Participants work in pairs to discover how many weird and wonderful items from a list are lurking within their purses.

The point, of course, is to show how easily clutter can build up in all areas of our lives, with the handbag representing just one small part. Take a peek in your purse. Do you even know what’s in there, or is there room for improvement? Here are some tips to create a more functional handbag:

1. Turn everything out (yep, you knew that was coming, didn’t you?). Get rid of anything you haven’t used in the past week. Ditch the nasty half-eaten candy, out-of-date coupons and any multiples of the same item.  One of my recent workshop attendees had 6 pairs of glasses in her bag… you get my drift.

2. Don’t keep anything in your purse which you don’t honestly need while you’re on the move. Could heavier items live in the car or maybe in your desk at the office? Do you need to carry an umbrella at this time of year? How many make-up items will you realistically use during the day?

3. Are you carrying around certain keys, with no idea any more what they do? Remove those from your key ring and keep an orphaned key collection somewhere at home, until you feel brave enough to toss them. Handbags can get really heavy: you don’t want to be weighed down by excess metal.

4. What’s missing from your bag that you really do need? I’m always amazed how many people go through life without a pen and something to write on within easy reach. Ideally, you should carry your calendar (paper or electronic) in your bag. For me, must-haves also include chapstick, a snack and a mini bottle of water, but your personal essentials will be different.

5. Choose your purse carefully. Mine is just a tiny bit too small, and it really disciplines me to keep reviewing what’s taking up precious space. When buying a new bag, always check to see if your must-haves fit in.

6. To enable you to transfer things easily from one purse to another, check out products like Purse Perfector, which is essentially a simple inner-purse to hold everything. Or, do what I did a few years ago, and get yourself a Miche bag. I don’t get paid to recommend Miche, but I wish I did. Everyone who compliments the style of my bag gets wide-eyed when I show them the magnetic cover, which makes changing your purse a five second job. Now available in three sizes and design-your-own options, Miche could seriously reduce the space taken up by bags in your closet, and speed you out the door each morning.

How many handbags do you own? And what’s the strangest thing in there?

Thanks Pauline! I'm going to take a look at my key ring, I suspect there are a few keys there that are indeed a mystery as to what they open. And if you haven't already done so, take a moment to read Pauline's article written for the Summer issue of House of Fifty, Creating a Family Command Center, beginning on page 66.

And what is my favorite bag of the moment?

This little Coach Wristlet bag in navy patent leather...just big enough to hold essentials when heading out for an evening event!