Articles written in the category : Organization

Find a new use for the clothes they’ve outgrown!

By Pier-Ann Mathieu - 10 April 2013 - No comments on this post

Every mom has this problem: Children grow very fast… perhaps even too fast? Some of their clothes can only be worn for a few weeks! If you have another, younger child of the same gender, problem solved. If not, what can you do with clothes that are still in good condition?

The first step is to make the task itself easier: Keep a bin in the closet and put all the clothes you can’t re-use in it, as and when this happens. Once the bin is full, it’s time to do a little housekeeping!

Sort the clothes

Step 1: Sort all the clothes. You may want to keep some for sentimental reasons, and dispose of others that can’t be re-used. Next, you need to decide how to get rid of clothes that are too small. Here are a few suggestions for giving them a whole new life – you’ll make some other families happy, while helping the environment!

Giveaways to moms-to-be

Do you know any moms-to-be? They would certainly be thrilled to get the clothes! Even if you personally don’t know anyone who’s pregnant, just ask around to see if someone would like to have them.

Donate to a helping agency

If you can’t find anyone to take the clothes off your hands or don’t have the time to look into it, donate them to a helping agency or a clothing outlet.

Throw a party while waiting for the stork!

By Marie-Pier Perron - 18 March 2013 - No comments on this post

Spring is often referred to as the season of birth… and celebrating a new life is a great reason for a party! Why not have a baby shower? Although they’re usually “just for girls”, there’s nothing wrong with a mixed crowd, that is to say, including the men as well. For another unique twist, you could divide the guests into two teams – males versus females – when it’s time for the games.

Shower Party. Source : Pinterest

Although a mom-to-be could organize her own baby shower, it’s always more fun when her girlfriends do it… and even more so if it’s a surprise. Since I like to plan parties and I love surprises, I often volunteer to organize my girlfriends’ baby showers. A certain amount of planning is needed to make sure it goes off without a hitch:

1) Step 1: Choose a date. Ideally, the shower should be held before the guest of honour enters her 8^th month of pregnancy.

2) Next, put together a list of potential guests. For an occasion such as this, feel free to combine groups of friends, immediate family members, the spouse’s family, co-workers, etc. After all, it’s a party for the mom-to-be.

Storage space in your closet!

By Pier-Ann Mathieu - 8 February 2013 - No comments on this post

Finding space for storage in your closet is always a challenge. Even a tight space needs to be organized so you can find things quickly and put them away easily. Because I’ve had to deal with this problem since I was a small child, I tested a few solutions for you – actually, my boyfriend is the one who did the testing, since he’s very good at building things! With my good ideas (and thanks to his efforts!), we came up with a few options that I’m happy to present to you.

Open storage spaces

When it comes to clothes storage, we often tend to think of furniture with drawers or a wardrobe. But you can achieve miracles with a unit featuring open spaces and shelves! Everything you put in remains accessible and is always in sight.

Storit Collection

For a slightly more attractive look, you could buy some coloured baskets or boxes that will hold whatever you want to keep out of sight (underwear, belts, swimsuits, stockings, etc.).
Best of all, if you can’t find a piece of furniture that will fit in your closet but you or your spouse can work with your hands, think about making what you need yourself.

Space-saving solutions for your Christmas tree.

By Gabrielle Howard - 6 December 2012 - No comments on this post

I just love Christmas! Although I’m now an adult, it remains just as magical for me as it was in my childhood! While each of us has different personal holiday traditions, most of us share one in particular: the time-honoured evergreen!

Not everyone’s home, however, is spacious enough to accommodate a “standard”-size tree, host a Christmas dinner for the entire family and maintain enough functional space for the entire month from the time the tree is set up! So here are two simple little solutions that are space-saving but won’t compromise the festive atmosphere!

Solution #1: If you have an artificial Christmas tree, you could simply set up just half or a quarter of it. Not all artificial trees lend themselves to this, however, but quarter and half-size Christmas trees are now available for sale!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/space-saver-corner-christmas-t-71335

Solution #2 : If you simply have no floor space for a Christmas tree, you could grace your wall with the shape of a tree using vinyl or lengths of wood (either painted or unfinished), and lights – a solution that’s only limited by your own creativity! For the less creative among us, feel free to search the Internet for a wealth of inspiring ideas!

The ABC’s of Playroom Organization

By Alain Juneau - 1 August 2012 - No comments on this post

Toys everywhere, pieces of crayons on the floor, missing game parts: that’s the image that comes to mind when we think of playrooms. With the following advice, you won’t have to resist the urge to run away from home the next time you have to clean this kiddy haven.

A playroom

Start by sorting

This is a crucial prelude to the process. Determine which toys will stay and which will go. If your child refuses to let go of any itemsthat you know are no longer played with, place them in a box and store this “treasure chest” elsewhere. Over time, you will eventually be able to bring the toys to their final rest. While you’re at it, you might as well throw out the old worn down sofa to free up some room.

Create distinct play areas

Divide the space into 2 or 3 different activity zones and store the objects in their corresponding area. For example:

Playroom Olympics

This is where all the noise happens! Start by defining floor surface on which your little athletes can run, jump, dance and roll their trucks. If you have a closet near this area, use it to store bulky items. Bins on wheels are useful for storing different sizes of balls.