Tuesday 02.21.12

Beyond the Container Store

We will admit it...we are total creatures of habit! When we find something we like, we stick with it because it works. The Container Store is the best example of this when it comes to getting NEAT. If we aren't there for a client, we are shopping the isles for new ideas in our own homes. Not that we don't love knowing every employee at the store, but sometimes you just need something new. This week, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite online sites that sell amazing organization items. Besides the fact that you can take the first steps to getting organzized in the comfort of your own home or office, you are guarenteed to be inspired by these online shops.

The first one on the list is a place called, Organize.com. I know, I know, so obvious right? Seriously though, if you are on the hunt for something you cannot find anywhere, this place has it! One of our particular favorites is the three section laundry sorter. This seemingly simple item cuts a few steps out of doing laundry, and who doesn't like that?! Each canvas lining is removable so when your light section is full, you can take out that section and start a load of laundry.  The third section can be use for dry cleaning which helps to keep all items seperated and ready for cleaning. Amazing; we know!  

Spice up your home office or workspace with the thoughtful, well designed pieces from SeeJaneWork.com. We were drawn to these pencil holders that come in four fabulous patterns that are sure to add a much needed pop to your desk.  Pens and pencils have a way of ending up all over your home. By having a space to keep them, it is a simple way to always know where they are and when it is time to clean out the collection. There is really no reason to have more pens or pencils that what will fit in cup. Start eliminating pens you stole from the doctors office now so that you can snag one of these beauties!    

For all the fellas out there who may (or may not) be reading this, this one is for you. OR if you have a man that has a serious cord problem, consider purchasing one of these from our next favorite online shop, GreatUsefulStuff.com (otherwise known as GUS). As we have explained before, cords can be a total nightmare. Even if you end up having to purchase more than one, these useful packs can store cords by category or even how frequently you use them.  Have you ever gone on a trip and forgotten your power cord for your computer or your iphone charger?  Who hasn't?!  Eliminate that problem by packing one of these in your bag for your next trip!

The last site we wanted to share with you is seriously too cute for words! Although WhiskerGraphics.com is more of a place to find great inspiration for gift giving, we at NEAT couldn't help but think of the endless possibilities with these simple, yet perfect tags! When a colorful font is added to these tags, they can be perfect for labeling around the house or keep it simple with a black font for your favorite handman's workspace. We can already picture ourselves labeling 1, 2, and three inch nail cubbies with these - so OCD right??  

If you are looking for more amazing websites to find all of your organzing needs OR you know of some sites that we need to check out, feel free to leave us a comment or email us at info@neatmethod.com.  Happy online shopping!

xx

Molly & Ashley 

Tuesday 02.07.12

Better than a Box of Candy

So...tomorrow is Valentine's Day (as if you didn't know already) and not only have you not purchased a gift for your loved one, but your schedule is packed and you are not going to have time to stroll around the mall in hopes that you get inspired. NEAT is here to literally save your relationship. Seriously. If you could not have guessed, we are not huge fans of buying MORE stuff and bringing it into your home. So, this Valentine's day, check out our alternative gift list that will have your loved one thinking that you are the best thing since online shopping. 

Gift Option #1 

Donate a box of your miscellaneous items that your loved one has been nagging you about for the past month. Nothing says, "I love you" quite like space for your loved one to walk in your home! If you do not live with your Valentine, you have just made room for them in your life by getting rid of unnecessary things and allowing them to have some space of their own. If you are already living together, it is everyone's dream come true to see that you have finally gotten rid of items that you have not used in years.

Gift Option #2

If your Valentine is the type that likes to keep every movie stub, restaurant menu, photo, and airline ticket to symbolically remember your relationship then consider purchasing a keepsake box to keep all of these special items. This will score you points because the gift itself is sentimental and you will be thanked everytime something is added to it!  Lately we have been really into anything by the brand, Semikolon (I mean seriously, now we are giving you ideas AND shopping for you!)

 

Gift Option #3

Hire a Task Rabbit to complete all those things your loved one has wanted done around the house. Completing the never ending "To-Do" list around the house is sure to win them over this Valentine's day! As organizers, we often see stacks and stacks of cds that our clients want burned and saved onto an external hard drive. By using Task Rabbit, you can find someone in your area who is willing to not only burn your cds, but complete every other task you have been putting off for the past six months. 

 

This Valentine's Day consider giving the gift of organization - trust us, it will bring way more love into your home than a box of candies :)

xx

Molly & Ashley  

Photo 1 :: Photo 2 :: Photo 3 :: Photo 4

Tuesday 01.31.12

NEAT goes Vogue

We just wanted to share our excitement with our loyal followers that Vogue has featured an organizing piece based on NEAT's best tips!!!!  This has certainly been an amazing week for us - check out the entire article here!

Wednesday 01.25.12

Five Items Under $5 That Will Change The Way You Live!

After many requests, we have decided to share five of our favorite items to get you organized for under five dollars! Many people think that organizing can be a daunting task, and let's be serious, it can - but these small items can have a large impact on your home AND not break the bank. When it comes to organizing, saving a little may allow you to splurge on that cute spring piece that you have been eyeing (at least that is what we are doing!) Without further adieu...

#1 Container Store Shoe Boxes

Literally, we cannot think of the last time we didn't use at least one of these in a client's home. Although they are a perfect storage solution for shoes, they can also be used for storing small kids toys, tool parts, office supplies and just about anything else you can think of.  These bad boys will cost you $1.89 each... yep you heard right - less than two dollars!

#2 Zip Ties (fun color optional but highly recommended!)

For some reason, no home is an exception when it comes to cords. Nothing makes NEAT want to hyperventilate into a brown paper bag quite like a knot of cords. When you can buy a 100 pack for $1.39, it is hard to imagine that anyone would pass up the opportunity to detangle cords (kidding...sort of). But seriously, once you have detangled and zip tied them, they are good to go.  You will be surpised how much less space they take up when they are not in a ball of electrical tumbleweed.    

#3 Labels, Labels, and More Lables!

I mean...are you really surprised? As much as we love labels we don't think you need to label your entire home, but when there are baskets involved, labels can be a great touch. Also, labels are beyond helpful for children.  Ever wonder why your child's teacher labels everything in the classroom? A print rich environment fosters literacy skills - we are officially helping your child's education while making your place look great! Our friends at Paper Source have plenty of great packs for $4.95 that are sure to be a great addition to your home and are printer friendly too!  Need we say more?

#4 Get into Twine

If you enjoy saving personal cards, consider picking up a spool of twine for $2.33 to bundle all of your favorites. We like to use this as a thoughtful way to categorize our sentimental client's cards by year or event. It can also be used to tie the labels you just purchased to your freshly organized bins.  Do you like how we just slid that comment right in there like that??? Twine has also been known to help fix a light pull in a closet at a client's house and be the finishing touch aroud a fresh bouquet of flowers. Basically what we are saying is - how have you lived without it!?

#5 Go Crafy With Chalkboard Paint

And finally, for all you DIYers out there - considering using chalkboard paint as the label to your favorite jars and bins. This is a creative way to label something but gives you the opportunity to change the contents inside without making a whole new label. Although it is typically more that $5, we were able to find it for under $5 on ebay.  We love that it is eco-friendly in that you do it once and it is labeled for life, but also very current with what we are seeing all over Pintrest!

 

Now get shopping!

xx

Molly & Ashley 

Thursday 01.19.12

Sprout San Francisco

We are so honored to be featured on Sprout San Francisco's Blog today. What a fabulous store with fabulous products! Thank you for thinking of us and recognizing the value of not only living organically, but also NEAT! 

 

Sprout San Francisco is located in San Francisco, New York City and possibly soon, a City near you! 

xx,

Ashley & Molly

Thursday 12.29.11

"Best of 2011" in San Francisco

Ok, ok, we are trying to wipe the smiles off our faces over here at NEAT but it is literally impossible with news like this. There is no better way to wake up than to see that you have been chosen as one of San Francisco's "Best of 2011" by DAILY CANDY!!!!  This year has brought many changes for NEAT - the biggest one being that we expanded our company and went from NEAT San Francisco to NEAT Method.  In January of 2011, we launched in San Francisco hoping for the best and found it to be successful beyond our wildest dreams.  In one year, our dreams have become much bigger and our hard work is paying off.  Daily Candy, we are so honored to have made your list!  NEAT friends, family and fans, we thank you for your support in 2011 and we hope to have an even bigger 2012! 

Happy New Year!

Molly & Ashley

:: Photo 1 ::

Tuesday 12.27.11

We Will Make Y'all NEAT!

With a state that has the reputation of Southen drawls, Southern Bells, amazing barbeque and even better music, NEAT could not be more thrilled to be heading to Tennessee to help a lucky Manpacks contest winner become a, "Better Man" in 2012! If you did not read our post from earlier this month, NEAT was comissioned by Manpacks to help search for one man and assist him in achieving his goals in 2012.  We will be doing our part by organizing his kitchen and bedroom and Manpacks will be giving him a free years subscription to their amazing manly goods. 

Our Current Questions Regarding our Upcoming Trip:

- Will we get a little tan?

- Can we wear cowboy boots to the job?

- How much barbeque can we eat in two days before it is considered, "too much"?

What You Can Expect From NEAT:

- Amazing footage of NEAT traveling

- Some impressive before and after photos

- Lots of Facebook and Twitter Updates regarding the food we eat, and the things we see

- Basically two days of non stop entertainment from the road 

xx

Molly & Ashley

:: Picture 1 :: Picture 2 :: Picture 3 ::

Tuesday 12.27.11

Manpacks Failed Resolutions Survey Wrap Up

As you know, NEAT has teamed up with Manpacks to help one lucky man become a, "Better Man" in 2012. With the winner being announced shortly, we thought we would share a link to the three statistcs we learned about New Years resolutions from the thousands of you who entered to win :)  Stay tuned for the big announcement!!  

xx

Molly & Ashley

 

 

:: New Years picture found here ::

Thursday 12.22.11

It's in the BAG....Merry Christmas to NEAT!!!

We can't tell you how excited we are for our NEAT Christmas gifts. We've been dreaming about this perfect present all year long and have been extra nice so our wish would come true.

Turns out....Santa likes us!!!!! The NEAT team are now the proud owners of the Lo & Sons O.G. Bag

This isn't any ordinary bag! It's an organizer's dream (and a frequent travelers). We discovered the O.G. from our Photographer, Michelle Drewes, who was toting around all of her equipment. This obviously proved the bag to be extremely durable and extremely CUTE! We just had to have it. Finally a bag that has enough compartments for all of our "tools" we need for organizing. (i.e. label makers, box cutters, scissors, tape measurer, iPad, camera, client folders, goo gone, pens, note pads, water, lunch & of course, lipgloss). Yep...that's a lot of stuff. That's the point. This bag holds EVERYTHING!  Check out their adorable video that proves our point:

Lo & Sons - The O.G. (Overnight & Gym) Travel Bag from Derek Lo on Vimeo.

We hope this bag made your wishlist this year too, but above all we wish you the happiest holiday season filled with family and friends!

xx

Ashley & Molly

Wednesday 12.14.11

Bah! Hum BUG!!!

With a little less than two weeks until Christmas, we agreed to take Monday as a personal day to finish our gift giving purchases. Sure enough, we wake up Monday morning, with our lists ready to go and after a quick phone call to each other we realize we were both in the same boat. With the FLU!!!! Yep….not just one of us, but BOTH. The irony. (side note: we weren’t even around each other this past weekend).

Once we wrapped our heads around the fact that neither one of us were going to get our lists checked off, we settled on trying to rid ourselves of this bug.  Nothing a good nap and some medicine couldn’t handle, right???

Low and behold, when one of us (we won’t name names) went to their medicine cabinet she discovered that the medicine she knew would work wonders, happened to be expired. And by expired….we’re talking 2006 expiration.

Unfortunately, since the other one of us wasn’t moving off the couch and everyone else (husbands and willing friends) were at work…there was nothing she could do. UGH!!! I mean…how could this happen? This is what we preach to clients all the time. “You really should get rid of expired medicines. It will open up space and besides what good will it do in times of need to take something that basically disintegrates before you can even take it”. Turns out, one of us doesn’t seem to practice what she preaches. 

* Photo by NEAT Method

Trust us…this is not a FUN situation to be in! Make yourself look through your medicines once a year and replenish the essentials. You’ll be thanking yourself later!

Here’s to a happy & healthy Holiday Season!

xx,

Ashley & Molly

* Photo by Michelle Drewes

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