Storage

Thursday 11.01.12

Tricks & Treats

In the honor of Halloween, we've picked out some of our favorite costumes to share with you! And now that it's the first of November... what are you supposed to do with these costumes? See our NEAT organizing tips after the show!

:: Comic Book pop art ::

:: A cheeky little bunny ::

:: An Uber ::

Uber, UberCab, San Francisco, Startup, Halloween

:: A shark attack ::

:: Annnnnd... white trash?? ::

Jack Daniels, Marlboro, Halloween, Costumes

Now what are you supposed to do with these fabulous items post-holiday festivities??

We actually recommend donating them to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or thrift shop. Chances are very slim that both adults and children will ever want to wear the same costume again. So donate them now, before they take up valuable real estate in your closet!

Hope you had a spooktacular Halloween, and are perhaps lucky enough to have leftover candy! We sure are enjoying our stash of reese's pieces!

the NEAT girls

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by Heather | posted in Storage | tagged Halloween costumesStorageTips

Tuesday 10.02.12

Tip Tuesday:: Trick-or-NEAT

Happy October!! Welcome to our NEAT Treats for this Halloween...

Ever feel disappointed when the cash register rings up your amazing costume and you find out that it cost way more than it should??? Never have buyers remorse again with Green Halloween! This amazing company puts on "National Costume Swap Day" all across America where you can trade old Halloween costumes for new ones...find one in your area .

halloween, halloween decor, halloween decorations, trick or treat, halloween pumpkins, pumpkins, decorated pumpkins, carving pumpkins, carved pumpkins, painted pumpkins, decorating for halloween

For those of you with multiple little ones, you may want to hang on to a few costumes that can get recycled between kids. They'll never know if you don't take pictures!! Our best advice for storage is to make sure the sides of the bin are transparent so you can see what you've saved. This Halloween Tote is festive yet functional AND a great size!

halloween storage, how to store decorations, decoration storage, plastic bin, storage bin, bin with orange lid, halloween, organized home

Enough about costumes, obviously the sweet treats are what we REALLY care about. If you are having a party, we just love these fun treat displays! Ummm if you aren't, well maybe you should ... there is still time! And don't forget to invite us!

NEAT sweets ::

halloween candy, halloween, candy for halloween, halloween decorations, decorations for halloween, halloween decor, halloween ideas, halloween costumes

NEAT "finger food" ::

pretzels, halloween snacks, halloween treats, halloween party, halloween decor, decorations for halloween, halloween party decorations, halloween treats, halloween recipes

We hope this inspires you for an organized October!

the NEAT girls

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by Marissa | posted in Tips | tagged HalloweenCostumesStorage

Tuesday 07.31.12

Tip Tuesday:: Don't Throw in the Towel!

This week's Tip Tuesday request was for creative towel storage solutions. Finding enough room for all your towels can be difficult...especially in a city aparment. These are some of NEATs favorite solutions to this organizational dilemma.

This ladder towel storage system will fit great in any bathroom with wall space and high ceilings.

bathroom, pretty bathroom, white bathroom, bathroom organization, organize tips

If you don't have quite as much room and are looking to take full advantage of a cabinet or linen closet we recommend undershelf baskets.

bathroom, organizing bathroom, bathroom towels, folded towels, organizing

Or roll your towels in baskets like these if you don't have closet or cabinet space.

wicker basket, restoration hardware, seagrass basket, basket, basket for home, brown basket, tan basket, organizing tips, organized bathroom

We all know that feeling of a fresh, new towel! Hopefully these tips will allow you to experience this simple joy more often!

the NEAT girls

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by Marissa | posted in Tips | tagged Tip Tuesdaytiptowel storagetowelStorageBathroom

Tuesday 07.10.12

Tip Tuesday - Storing Large Objects...

Okay people! Get your head out of the gutter! Seriously, today's Tip Tuesday comes from a soon to be Mother of three! Her question was the following: "How can I store the abundance of light sabers and swords that my boys have? They are so long and just don't fit right in the bins I have. I was thinking something taller like a wrapping paper bin or garbage can but obviously I want to find something that looks nicer than those two things. Any ideas?" Good news - we are here to help! Here are just a few of our favorite storage solutions for larger objects.

toy storage, rolling bins, organizing toys, kids toy's, children's room

This rolling storage unit makes all toys look cuter than they really are. Plus! You can roll it away when company comes over - *BONUS*

container store, storage bag, crunch can, travel bag, organizing toys

This "Crunch Can" has become a serious favorite with the NEAT Team and we can absolutely see a light saber looking FAB in it!

toy bin, toy basket, children's bedroom, kid's bedroom, kid's toys, organizing toys

For all of you DIYers out there... this one is very inspirational! Or, if you hate DIY...buy it here.

Happy Tip Tuesday! If you have any organizational issues that you need tips on, contact us at tips@neatmethod.com

The NEAT Girls

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by admin | posted in Tips | tagged Tip TuesdayStorage

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.

Candy Hearts, Conversation hearts, Valentines Day

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.

shelving, cds. movies, white house, organized room

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 :)

Molly & Ashley

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

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by admin | posted in Storage | tagged Valentines DayGiftsStorageOrganize

Wednesday 11.16.11

'Tis the Season...For Babies!!!

It seems like everyone we know is calling to tell us the good news that they are…EXPECTING!!!! Always wonderful news to receive from close friends and family…but, seriously is there something in the water? Please let us know. NEAT is not quite ready for any NEAT-O’s just yet!!!

With such exciting news from so many moms-to-be, we thought we would share our favorite tips on preparing a baby’s room in the most organized and efficient way possible. We may be no experts with babies, but we’ve got the nursery setup down.

Baby Closet, Organized, Clothes, NEAT Method, Pink Closet, Closet Baskets

Tip #1::

Bins & Baskets. You MUST have lots of small bins and baskets for all of the baby’s little items. We recommend placing smaller ones inside of the individual drawers, in order to easily separate each item and larger ones in the closet filled with blankets, linens and extra supplies. The good news is you can reuse them for toys and art supplies, as the baby gets older. This is one of our favorites from the Container Store!

Organized Baby Room, Baby Room, Green Room, NEAT Method

Tip #2::

Location. Location. Location. Make sure to place all essentials within reach of where you will be using them. For example, your changing table area should contain diapers, wipes, diaper cream, q-tips, nail clippers, pacifiers and our all time favorite, the laundry basket since this is where you will be changing the baby. Oh...and make sure to have a basket filled with burp clothes near the space you feed the little one.

Drawer inserts, organized drawer, NEAT Method

Tip #3::

Fold instead of hang- Due to the amount of clothing your child will go through in a day. It is so much easier to maintain a drawer of folded clothing (or hide a drawer of un-folded….wink. wink.) Obvioulsy having the individual drawer dividers always makes it easier to keep items categorized. We recommend leaving the hanging space for special occasion clothing or coats.

organized shelf, baby room, baby, NEAT Method, green bins, white shelf

Tip #4:

Buy extra storage- Make sure you have a few extra storage containers for when the baby starts to out grow it's clothing. This way you are able to easily label those bins (0-3 months, etc.) and place them in storage for a future bambino or for donation. Again, one of our favorites from the Container Store.

We wish all of you who drank the water the BEST and please let us know if would like our help getting ready for your little NEAT-O!

xx,

Ashley & Molly

by Ashley | posted in Kids's room | tagged Kid's roomStorageContainer StoreBaby

Thursday 11.10.11

We're Hot for Your Drawers!

Seriously, we are hot for your drawers.... IF they look like this! We can't stop gawking at the beauty of Real Simple's organization in small spaces! Here are a few of our favorite photos:

organized drawer, bamboo organizer, junk drawer, NEAT Method, office supplies

Organized electronics, cords, arranged drawer, drawer inserts , NEAT Method

Organized tupperware, organized drawer, kitchen, organized kitchen, organize, NEAT Method

Send us a photo of your best drawer! (Keep it rated G people...)

Ashley & Molly

** To read the full Real Simple article, click here.

by Molly | posted in Storage | tagged DrawersStorageReal Simple

Tuesday 11.08.11

Travel Essentials - How to Successfully Travel This Holiday Season

Traveling during the holidays can be an absolute disaster if you are not properly organized for a trip. Nina Garcia once tweeted that the key to good packing was to start a day or two early. Although we totally agree with this statement, there are a few more things that you can do to ensure stress free traveling. First, take a page out of Brad John's book. This co-founder of Flight 001 makes packing for two weeks look simple with this "how to" video.

How to pack for a 2 week trip with Spacepak from FLIGHT 001 on Vimeo.

three fluid ounces, travel, toiletries, organize, organizer, neat method

Since we both feel that we are experts in organizing for travel as well, we wanted to share with you our number #1 travel tips... consider it an early Christmas gift! Ashley cannot live without 3floz.com when she travels. Daily beauty regiments should not be discontinued while traveling. This amazing site lets you choose tons of luxury beauty products in... you guessed it... 3 fluid ounces. It is simply a dream come true!

modern desk, organized, home organization, NEAT Method, blue chair

Molly cannot travel without her wireless card. Nothing is a day ruiner quite like no internet on the plane, in your hotel or at your favorite coffee shop. Wifi cards are a small item to pack that can make a big difference while traveling. There are many options to choose from so it is best to go with a provider that is reliable... we will leave that decision up to you... :)

We would love to hear your packing tips too - let us in on your best kept secrets!

Safe travels!

Molly & Ashley

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by Molly | posted in Storage | tagged TravelPackingOrganizedStorageTips

Thursday 08.25.11

There's a Monster Under My Bed?

Two days ago, the East Coast had a rare earthquake scare and that very same night, this midwest girl's bed shook in San Francisco. You would think that I would immediately know that I was experiencing my first small earthquake but no.. I thought there was someone under my bed! Seriously, I even got up and checked. As organizers in San Francisco, we are finding that most of the homes that we work in all have a small area designated to earthquake preparedness. And by small, we mean water jugs full of water, dry food, blankets, flashlights, trash cans on wheels, emergency kits, etc., etc. WE have quickly learned that one flashlight next to our bed doesn't count as prepared for an earthquake. It does work fine to scare the monsters though!

Since we like everything to have a designated place and a lot of the items need in an earthquake are small, we thought we would share some suggestions for ways to store your earthquake essentials.

Earthquake backpack, San Francisco, organization, Emergency Kit, NEAT Method

We suggest putting them in a waterproof backpack so that it can be easily transportable and stored in compact spaces. Trust me, we tried to find a cute pink one to no avail, so green will have to do!

Earthquake pack, San Francisco, organization, Emergency Kit, NEAT Method

Another option would be a storage cart on wheels if you have more items than the amount that would fill a backpack.

First Aid Kit, Earthquake, Organize, NEAT Method,

Or, for those of you who are minimalists, we love this retro first aid kit!

For more information on what you should have in your earthquake kit, visit this site

by admin | posted in Home Office | tagged StorageEarthquakeKitEmergency

Friday 07.08.11

Whether You're Octo-Mom or Uno-Mom, Kids Need Organization

“Octo-Mom” Nadya Suleman has made headlines for years after giving birth to eight children at one time, but lets face it – raising even one child can be a total handful! Here are some simple tips to help organize your child and make your life one million times easier:

Keep a Daily Schedule: When your child knows what to expect from the day, your day will become less of a battle to get things done.

Children's Calendar, schedule, planning, organized, NEAT Method

Use the Same Storage Containers and Label them with Predictable Words: NEAT prefers the shoe bins from the container store with Avery labels. That way, your child can see what is inside and can predict the word on the front. This makes for easy cleaning and also fosters early literacy skills.

shoe box, children's shoes, organized, home, NEAT Method

Stick to Your Guns: If you do not want to spend the rest of your life picking up after your children, then take away things when they are not picked up properly; and for the love of parents and teachers everywhere – do not clean up after them!

Children's room, toys, organized room, organize, NEAT Method

by admin | posted in Kids's room | tagged ChildrenKidsOrganizationRoutineSchedulesToysStorage

Welcome

We're Ashley and Molly, the founders of NEAT Method. Lets face it - we obviously love to organize and are a little...or maybe we should say a lot type-A. This perfect storm created The Neat Life. Welcome! We've seen it all, heard it all, organized it all, and are always obsessed with the outcome of our work. Even if a clutter free space doesn't tickle your fancy as much as ours, we guarantee you will be entertained by our antics and will enjoy following the lives of a couple NEAT freaks.
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