Neat Method

Tuesday 12.18.12

Tip Tuesday :: We're waiting...

It's that dreaded time of year when you start panicking about getting all of your holiday cards out on time! STOP ... no need to panic, because its not too late! We have some contact organizing tips that will have you done in no time.

Tip #1 - Whether your contacts are on your blackberry, iPhone or in your email account, you will need to first export them to an excel file. For iPhone users, this requires downloading the Contacts Backup - IS Contact Kit app. Once the app is downloaded, click 'export' - 'all contacts' - 'excel' - 'email'.

Google, Application, NEAT Method

Tip #2 - Once the excel file is opened, delete all rows that contain contacts you don't wish to send your holiday card to. Save as 'Final Christmas List 2012'.

Tip #3 - Purchase blank address labels. We just love these Holiday red ones from Paper-Source.

Paper Source, Labels, Address, NEAT Method

Tip #4 - Do a Microsoft Word mail merge by following these steps :: 

  • Open a new Word document.
  • Go to Tools - Mail Merge Manager.
  • Under Document Type, click 'Create New', and then 'Labels'. Select product manufactuerer and the product number, then click OK.
  • Under Select Recipients List, click 'Get List', and then select the CSV file that you saved earlier.
  • On the 'Insert Merge Field' pop-up menu, click the column name from your CSV file that you wish to appear first. 
Continue to select column names and lay them out with the proper returns and spaces. For example ::

    «Prefix». «First_Name» «Last_Name»
    «Address_1_Street»
    «Address_1_City», «Address_1_State»«Address_1_ZIP»

  • After you add all the fields you want, click 'OK' and your field names will be copied into the labels in your template.
  • Format the template with the fonts, sizes and alignment you wish to see on your labels.
  • Then under 'Complete Merge' click 'Merge to New Document' and your labels will be populated from your CSV file.
  • Immediately save and then print!!

Tip #5 - Finally, be sure to get your best family photo together!

Holiday Card, Funny Card, NEAT Method

We hope this helps make sending your holiday cards a super easy process this year!! Now send us your Holiday cards!

xx
the NEAT girls

Tuesday 10.23.12

Tip Tuesday:: Halloween Candy Storage

Not only is today Tip Tuesday, but it also marks one week until Halloween! Since we are a little OCD, we are planning beyond the holiday for the mounds of candy that will flood households all across America. Here are some of our favorite storage containers for all the sweets! 

Our first priority is to make sure they provide clear distinction between whose candy is whose. How wonderful would it be to have a "that's MY candy..." free holiday?? These monogrammed burlap buckets are a perfect solution for anyone that prefers a rustic/shabby chic decorated home!

monogram, monogrammed burlap baskets, basket, burlap basket, fabric basket, plants, green plants

We also love these buffet jars.The best part is they are a little harder for tiny hands to open.

candy, candy jar, halloween candy, halloween, halloween decorations, halloween decoration ideas, halloween party, halloween party ideas, party ideas, childrens party ideas, kids party ideas, kids party, candy jars, glass jars, jars

And finally, how cute are these scalloped baskets?? They also substitute as personalized trash cans after all the candy is gone!

monogrammed bin, monogrammed garbage can, garbage can, halloween, scalloped basket, scalloped garbage bin, white garbage bin, blue monogram, monogram

We hope these ideas help you to enjoy your Halloween and the kids their candy!

xx

the NEAT girls

Wednesday 06.13.12

It's now...2 Blondes vs. 2 Bruenettes!

With the expansion of NEAT Method, comes not only the excitement of new cities and new clients – but also amazing new employees! We are beyond thrilled to introduce you to our newest team member based in Chicago – Marissa Rae Hagmeyer! This brunette is wickedly good at marketing, has a graphic designer's eye, and can whip up some pretty fabulous gourmet meals we might add! 

We decided to take Marissa up on one of her famous home cooked meals, as we pried into this Real Housewife of Chicago’s life.

For those of you who would like a visual:

Marissa Hagmeyer, Marissa Crylen, cooking, brunette cooking, kitchen, homecooked

(PS, her secret ingredient is hot sauce and love)

NM :: (as we try to come up from our food for air) So judging by this feast, we obviously can tell you are a foodie! Since you clearly know what you are doing, what is your favorite restaurant in Chicago?

MH :: Oh man, favorite restaurant is soo hard!! I guess I will list them out for you by genre, and you can pick to feature any of them. (To bad we are featuring them all!) :

- Italian: Topo Gigio

- Mediterranean: Turquois

- American: Feast

- Fish: Shaws or Sunda

- Tapas: Emilios

- Special Occasion: NoMI or Girl & the Goat

- Indian: Klay Oven (LOVE spicy food)

- Thai: Opart (again always down for a little spice)

- On the bucket list: I recently read Life on the Line, the biographer of Grant Achataz, Head Chef and Owner of Alinea....some day I will go there!!!

Marissa Hagmeyer, Marissa Crylen, Chicago, Mother Daughter

NM :: And if you had to eat one food for The Rest. Of. Your. Life.?

MH :: This is REALLY tough because since I’m a foodie, I hate eating the same things over and over again. Can I pick a type of food?? If so, I would say Mediterranean. The only thing I am not a huge fan of, is (pause) cake.

Alex Hagmeyer, Marissa Hagmeyer, sports, Chicago, Couple, happy couple, married

NM :: (voice in shock) What?! Please elaborate.

MH :: I have just always been on Team Ice Cream. In fact when I was little, I always had an ice cream cake or a cookie cake on my birthday because I “hated cake.” We even nixed the traditional cake at my wedding, and served an ice cream sundae bar!  But ice cream is my indulgence, and I’m pretty sure everyone knows I can’t turn it down. My all-time favorite is an Oberwise Mix-In with peanut butter cups!  Should we go there after we finish dinner?

Alex Hagmeyer, Marissa Hagmeyer, sports, Chicago, Couple, happy couple, married

NM :: Before we get actual scoops, let’s get some real scoop on you! What are your favorite things to do in your free time? Besides organizing, of course!

MH :: I love to run along Lake Michigan, attend yoga classes, spend time with my family and friends, and I am constantly starting a new DIY project. 

Alex Hagmeyer, Marissa Hagmeyer, sports, Chicago, Couple, happy couple, married

NM :: So you have been blissfully married for a little under a year, but how did you two meet?

MH :: Alex and I are high school sweethearts and fell smitten in the halls of Naperville North High School. 

Alex Hagmeyer, Marissa Hagmeyer, sports, Chicago, Couple, happy couple, married

NM :: Since you obviously live with your husband, any tips to help dudes lead a more organized and clutter-free life?

MH :: Well the biggest lesson I have taught Alex since being married is how to reduce the amount of papers he keeps laying around. It used to drive me crazy, but I quickly learned that nagging him about it wasn't the best solution. Instead, I bought a cute basket that sits on our shelf. The rule is simple; every time I put another article in the basket, I take one from the bottom and throw it away. So far he hasn't come looking for any of the articles I threw away! I also would advise guys to have a place to organize the things that get emptied out of their pockets every night. It is a must! From golf tees, to loose change, a nightstand can get ugly real fast if those odds and ends don't have a place to go.

Alex Hagmeyer, Marissa Hagmeyer, sports, Chicago, Couple, happy couple, married

NM ::  We can already tell you are just the perfect addition to the team, but what do you think makes you a rock-star asset?

MH :: I think my marketing and design background, combined with my 'type A' personality is what makes me a great addition. I have also lived in Chicago for the large majority of my life, so I know this city well and can't wait to introduce it to NEAT!

Marissa Hagmeyer, Marissa Crylen, girl, brunette, bachelorette, big hat, fiesta

Isn't she just the cutiest little organized foodie you've ever met?? Personally, we think she is better than two scoops of ice-cream and that's saying a lot in Marissa's book!

xx

The NEAT girls

Wednesday 06.06.12

Throwback Thursday :: Meet Molly Heffinger Graves

We hope you are LOVING Throwback Thursdays just as much as we are! This week, we would like to introduce you to Little Miss Molly. Otherwise known as “Dollface” or “Jones Patrol,” circa the late 80’s and early 90’s.

Ask her mother to describe Molly as a baby, and she says “a blonde Shirley Temple.”  

Ask Molly and she says “a blonde Ronald McDonald.”

Molly Heffinger, Molly Graves, curly hair, happy girl

She may seem like a sweet, innocent blonde… and truth be told, she was and still is!

At age 4, she dreamed of being a model. But, as she progressed through school, she loved all her teachers "so much" that she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up instead!

Can we say teacher’s pet?!

Happy baby, Molly Heffinger, Molly Graves, Red Dress

In her free time, Molly loved eating Dunkaroos, playing tennis (once ranked 34th in the Midwest, we might add) and fishing!

Proof:

Molly Heffinger, Molly Graves, big glasses, bangs, fishing, fish, Wisconsin, Boulder Junction, White San Lake

She always had a fabulous sense of style, from bright orange overalls (???) to this fur number.

Her "first" fur coat!

Fur coat, coat, bowl cut, little girl, happy girl, Molly Graves, Molly Heffinger Graves, Wisconsin, Boulder Junction, White Sand Lake

BUT let’s be honest. You all want at least a little dirt on this bubbly and outgoing angel! So here we have it…all the DIRT we can muster up!

NM :: You seem like such a saint, what is the meanest thing you have ever done? 

MollStar :: I actually convinced my sister to take the lead role in my at-home Easter play. I got her naked, wrapped her in a sheet, and crucified her on a cross made out of sticks... oops!

Family Photo, Pale children, christmas card, winter, family, Betsy Heffinger, Fritz Heffinger, Molly Heffinger, Molly Graves, Black and white cat

NM :: You seem like such a heart breaker! How many boyfriends did you have in grade school / middle school?

MollStar :: Oh Man! Brian, Drew, Spencer, Mike, Jason, Allan, I think that might be it..... 

(And Homecoming Queen?! We bet you were breaking hearts - maybe this guy's perhaps??)

Homecoming, Wheaton Warrenville South, Molly Heffinger, Ross Cheairs,

NM :: Most embarrassing moment?

MollStar :: I'm not saying my worst one out loud - let's just say I was sheltered as a child. Basically all the dumb and embarrassing things I did (and still do), have to do with me living in a bubble and being naïve. I was the girl that fell for "your epidermis is showing!" 

We hate to break it to you Moll, but we think it's showing here: (eeks!)

Rope swing, Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, cabin, White Sand Lake, Molly Heffinger, Molly Graves, water, summer

And there we have it. Proof that MollStar always has been, and always will be, the outgoing and smiley little blonde everyone adores!  Staying true to her roots, not much at all has changed since birth!

We love our little Ronald McDonald angel! Don't go changing!

xx

The NEAT girls

baby, chocolate cake, happy baby, Molly Graves, Molly Heffinger
Sunday 03.04.12

The Real Housewives of NEAT!

To all of our loyal fans and followers::

Over the last year we’ve tried our best to entertain you with our projects, tips, tricks and various ORGANIZED obsessions, but we realized we haven’t spent much time introducing you to the girls behind NEAT Method!

Therefore, welcome to our series…The Real Housewives of NEAT! We hope you enjoy getting a glimpse into our lives.

When deciding who would go first, we discussed flipping a coin or having some sort of contest (such as; number of pushups, how many pieces of gum one could chew, or who has more shoes), but instead we just went with the good old age game! Of course, you would never know that she’s older (wink! wink!).  Meet Ashley Murphy!

The Real Housewives of NEAT - Meet Ashley from NEAT Method on Vimeo.

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...

Clear Storage Bins, Toy Storage

#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!

zip ties, cord ties, organize, blue

#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.    

Labels, paper labels, organizing labels

#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?

natural twine, rope, organizing

#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!?

chalkboard paint, chalkboard buckets, organizing

#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 

Tuesday 09.13.11

NEAT Relaunches!

After months and months of hard work, things are getting pretty fancy around here.  We are proud to launch our brand new site and share with you some of the exciting things that we have in store.

The inspiration behind the re-launch was to give organizing a modern spin and showcase our unique method. We are ready to be the faces of professional organizing and we wanted our site to reflect that.

You can find us in both Chicago AND San Francisco, but remember, no organizing dilemma is too far for us to travel!  

**want to see more behind the scenes from our photoshoot with photographer Michelle Drewes?  head over to our Facebook and take a peek!**

Ashley Murphy, Molly Graves, NEAT Method, Organizers, San Francsico, Chicago
Ashley Murphy, Molly Graves, NEAT Method, Organizers, Organize, San Francisco, Chicago,
Ashley Murphy, Molly Graves, NEAT Method, Organizers, Organization, San Francisco, Chicago, home organization
Friday 05.27.11

Barney's or Forever 21?

Have you ever wondered what sets a store apart that looks like this, compared to….

Barney's New York, Organized, Shopping, NEAT Method

This??

Forever 21, unorganized, shopping, clothes, NEAT Method

Besides the absolute obvious, which is that the clothes from Barney’s New York are going to cost you significantly more than Forever 21, as organizers we see this scene completely different.

Lets be honest, Forever 21 is great to find that trendy piece that you have been dying to try, but as total type A’s, we can barely walk in the store without having a nervous breakdown.  That led us to wonder, why does a store like Barney’s always look so much better than a store like Forever 21?  There are probably many valid reasons that could be concluded, but, as organizers we like to think that we have the best answer.

Barney’s has made the choice to set a precedent in their store: sleek, stylish and ORGANIZED.  When you walk into Barney’s, you pick up a shirt that is folded and then do your very best to fold it EXACTLY the way you found it.  This happens without fail whether you are typically an organized person or not.  This is because you do not want to ruin how beautiful the store looks.

But what about Forever 21?  Have you honestly ever seen someone pick something up there and fold it nicely??  No.  You haven’t.  People pick things up, carry it with them, decide they don’t want it, and discard it at the nearest table, rack, or (our worst nightmare) the floor!

As organizers, we see every type of closet there is: walk-ins, reach-ins, shared, etc.  Before we begin, many of our clients have closets that look like….how shall we put this… like Forever 21.  One of the biggest concerns that we hear time and time again is, “So now you are going to make it look nice but let’s be serious, I will never be able to keep it this way.”  Well, here is your answer:

Being organized will turn you from Forever 21 to Barney’s! You will love to shop your own closet so much that when you take something out you will actually want to fold it and put it back where it belongs and not on the floor.  Why?  Because you wouldn’t dare throw a Barney’s garment on the floor would you?? Take a look at your closet right now – are you more Forever 21 or Barney’s?  If you are NEAT you will have a shopable closet that makes you want to stay organized.  If you are more of a Forever 21, save yourself the money of buying new clothes because you can’t find the ones you own and get NEAT! 

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