Archives for March 2011

Workspace of the Week: Inherited desk

This week’s Workspace of the Week is Agaetis’ home recording studio:

I really enjoyed the description that went with Agetis’ office images:

This is my little home studio. I do mostly audio but have dabbled a bit with video. The desk is actually my great uncles who was an author, even had a few movies made out of his books. The desk originally came from England and has since made it into my hands. Last year I sanded and refinished the entire desk and also wired underneath it to provide power and also some cable management.

The little white thing attached to the front right of the desk is a Belkin remote switch which allows me to turn on and off everything but the wireless printer, wireless router and the Mac Pro. This allows for some great energy conservation.

I also really like how speaker stands are used instead of having the speakers sit directly on the desk. The cable management Agetis installed is fantastic, and the cables running down the back of the left leg closest to the wall is a very nice feature. Don’t miss the desk top photograph in the set for another view of the space.

Thank you, Agetis, for sharing your beautiful studio with our Flickr pool.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on Mar 18, 2011 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

Getting your garage and sporting equipment ready for summer

Although the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has me wanting to spend time indoors, the sunny skies and 70 degree temperatures are tempting me to head outside. As a compromise, I’ve been doing work in our new garage where I can hear the team analysis on one of the 200 ESPN stations and still feel like I’m outside with the garage door open.

If you’re considering doing work in your garage this weekend or in the coming weeks, be sure to check out Unclutterer posts we’ve already written on organizing your garage and related topics:

Garage

Bicycles

Sporting Equipment

Posted by Erin on Mar 17, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: The Meatballer

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

My husband comes from a large Italian family, and when we were first married I decided to learn to make pasta, marinara, and meatballs from scratch. When forming meatballs, I scooped the meat out of the bowl with a soup spoon and then used my hands to roll the meat into a smooth ball. This is the same way I made cookies, so it wasn’t a difficult skill I had to master. Scoop, roll, done.

Little did I know at the time, but there was a kitchen gadget especially for the purpose of making meatballs. The Meatballer:

To be fair, the Meatballer could also be used on cookie dough or for really big melon balls. However, so can a soup spoon. A soup spoon that already lives in your kitchen drawer. Or, if you don’t like spoons, I’m sure your ice cream scoop could work in a pinch (if you own one of those). The reason this doodad seems especially unitaskery to me is because it can’t be easy to cleanly release the meat. Unless you’re greasing the Meatballer between each use (which doesn’t sound appetizing), meat bits are going to stick to it. The great thing about using a spoon is that you can use your fingers to scrape off the meat that sticks to the spoon. There doesn’t seem to be any comparative advantage to using and owning the Meatballer over a spoon.

This device is less expensive than most of the unitaskers we feature. So, maybe throw in a specialty Perfect Meatball Pan Set to raise the price tag!

Thanks go to reader Liz for introducing us to the Meatballer and for getting the lyrics to Skee-Lo’s “I Wish” stuck in my head: I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a (meat)baller, I wish …

Posted by Erin on Mar 16, 2011 | 25 Comments | Tweet This

Spring cleaning in the yard

This winter has been hard on the trees in our area. The rain, wind, and ice took down a lot of twigs and branches, and many trees toppled over pulling their root systems right out of the wet ground. As a result, we have a lot of yard work to complete at our new house, and we’ve decided to take an organized approach to getting it finished.

  • Research yard debris collection options in your area. Many cities and counties will collect sticks left on your curb and turn them into mulch for parks and gardens. Some areas have trucks that suck up leaves that have been raked into street gutters. If none of these options exist, you may wish to invest in a wood chipper to create your own mulch.
  • Trim tree limbs and bushes. In addition to it being aesthetically pleasing, it’s also good to take down any limbs that might have been damaged but haven’t yet fallen to the ground. Large branches may need to be professionally trimmed and hauled away for disposal.
  • Pick up sticks. Any fallen sticks you can easily carry and small limbs you trimmed should be picked up and gathered into a pile.
  • Prune plants. If any of your plants require spring pruning, now is the time to do it. It’s also nice to prune back and edge any plants that have grown onto paths or out of their containers.
  • Rake. Dead leaves, plant prunings, and tiny twigs should be raked up and gathered into the gutter (if your area has vacuum trucks) or composted.
  • Clean outdoor furniture, hose down paths and patios, sweep stairs, etc.
  • Draw a picture and make a list. If you plan to add new plants, bushes, flowers, or trees to your yard, do what a landscaper does and create a drawing of how you want your yard to look. From this drawing, make a list of the plants you want to purchase before heading to the nursery to make purchases.
  • Plant or transplant any flowers, bushes, or trees you wish to add to your yard that have recommended spring planting dates.

I prefer to do yard work over the course of a few weekends instead of investing all of my effort into one very long, yard work-focused weekend. I’m also trying to get our new yard full of plants that are easy to maintain, so there hopefully will be less yard work come next spring. How do you tackle the work in your yard? Do you take an approach similar to mine, or do you work in sections and do everything for that section? Share your expertise in the comments so we can all benefit from your experience.

Posted by Erin on Mar 15, 2011 | 15 Comments | Tweet This

Super storage closets

A well-organized storage closet can be a beneficial attribute in any home or office. You can easily find what you need, when you need it, and have an exact space to return an object when you’re finished. On the other hand, a disorganized closet will end up wasting your time and energy when looking for items, and make putting things back after you use them even more difficult.

In our previous home and workspace, we outfitted an existing closet with Elfa shelving to create an ideal storage space. I usually referred to it as our “Mary Poppins Closet” since it held so many things:

It took us one weekend to tear out the old wood shelf and clothing rod, paint the walls and ceiling, install the Elfa shelving system, and put objects into the closet. A week later, we rearranged some items and added a few storage bins (such as the crate holding the records in the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph). We ended up spending a few hundred dollars on the makeover, but for six years it improved the quality of our living and working experience.

Our new office doesn’t have a closet as makeover-friendly as the Mary Poppins Closet. For starters, it only has a coat closet that measures a mere 22″ x 36″. Additionally, since we’re renting the new space, we can’t rip out the existing shelf and rod and replace them with Elfa shelving. To create a storage closet that will still meet our needs, we had to make some adjustments:

  1. Got rid of clutter. I had already purged the vast majority of my yarn collection before the move, but we still had to let go of a number of things. The board games were significantly culled, we decided to store the record albums in another room, and we gave away most of the print photographs since we had them all professionally scanned.
  2. Used steel shelving that sits on the floor of the closet and doesn’t need to affix to the walls. It’s not as pretty as the Elfa shelving, but it’s sturdy and does its job well. Plus, we can take the shelving with us when we move.
  3. Labeled the lips of shelves since different types of objects are co-mingled on the shelves. With the help of my trusty label maker, I created category labels to make finding and returning objects easier (media clips, payroll records, etc.).

If you’re looking to create a storage closet that helps instead of hinders your life, try a similar method — get rid of the clutter, have a storage system in place that works best for your needs, and make it as easy as possible to retrieve and return objects. Also, don’t forget to store the objects you use the most often on shelves that are between your knees and shoulders. Heavier objects should be stored on shelves at waist height or lower, and lighter objects should be stored on the shelves above waist height.

Do you have a storage closet that needs organizing? If so, what steps can you take to get rid of the chaos?

Finally, I apologize for not having a picture of the new closet. I have yet to unpack the camera or the cables that make it possible to transfer the images to my computer. When we do a post with a final reveal of the new office, I’ll be sure to have a picture of the new closet at that time.

Posted by Erin on Mar 14, 2011 | 25 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

  • Unitasker Wednesday: Specialized steak branding irons
    When March rolls onto the calendar, I begin preparations for the coming months filled with warmer weather. I plant seedlings for my garden, wipe down the patio furniture, and clean up the grill. Additionally, I bring out my vast collection of specialized steak branding irons.
  • Ask Unclutterer: Putting away laundry
    Your advice on doing the laundry is fantastic. I’ve employed several tips with great success. In particular, I’m a fan of clothing items that need little care (e.g. no ironing, dry cleaning, etc.). However, I’m unable to find usable suggestions on HOW TO PUT THE LAUNDRY AWAY.

2009

2008

Posted by PJ on Mar 13, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Toddler-safe labeling solutions

Reader Cynthia submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I have a modular piece from Target where the cloth-covered boxes fit perfectly in, 2-tall by 4-wide. It’s resolved several issues in our small entryway, from stacks of shoes to picnic items, sunscreen and hats, to outside toddler toys. So far, it also looks very stylish!

Trouble is, my toddler has learned to re-arrange them so I never know which box holds what since they’re never in the same place. Running out to work, the park, etc., takes extra time just pulling out each box to find out what’s inside. It was fun at first, but I’m tired of playing The Price is Right-ish game.

I need a way to label the boxes while keeping the aesthetics of the set-up. All of my other solutions have either a card holder right on the box for labels, or I’ve simply slapped a mailing label on my cabinet boxes, since they’re hidden behind cabinets. I though of gift tags on the handles, but they also have to be baby safe (my little one is teething and prefers to chew on everything except teethers).

Since I’m not familiar with your exact setup, I’ve included a few ideas here that might work for you. Also, check out the comments, where readers might have additional solution ideas. If all goes well, we will hopefully find you an answer.

My first thought was to use something scrapbookers might stick to album pages. These adhesive Metal Label Holders with printed inserts don’t have any lead in them:

A search on Amazon for “scrapbook labels” turns up numerous stickers that are visually more appealing than rectangular office labels:

Like you mentioned in your e-mail, basic Luggage Tags could work if you have a loop to hook them to. You could print fun inserts for the tags to personalize them for your needs:

Thank you, Cynthia, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. Again, I hope that between my suggestions and what the readers recommend that you find an answer!

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Posted by Erin on Mar 11, 2011 | 20 Comments | Tweet This

Workspace of the Week: Creative corner office

This week’s Workspace of the Week is Eduardo’s home office:

Most of us think of big wig executives in tall corporate buildings when we read the phrase “corner office,” but this week’s selection has a different take on the term. Eduardo utilizes a corner of a small space to get maximum workspace out of his desk. Even the shelves above the desk take advantage of the corner. I really like the printer being up off the desk on the shelf, and the cable running down the behind the shelf. Thank you, Eduardo, for sharing your inspiring setup with us.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on Mar 11, 2011 | 11 Comments | Tweet This

Moving: How to transport the belongings of your home

I’m not sure there are words to fully express my feelings of loathing about moving. After a week of boxing up our things, moving the things to the new house, and starting to unbox our things, my animosity about moving has only deepened.

I’m of the opinion that if you can afford it, you should have professional movers handle the entire process for you — packing, moving, unpacking. At the very least, have professionals take care of the moving part. Your body and mind will greatly appreciate not carrying boxes and fighting with large pieces of furniture.

Our move is actually happening in two parts, and we decided to only get movers for the second part. Since we are selling our old house, we needed to leave some furniture in it to stage it. Staging a house is when you make it look like a home that belongs in a magazine or catalog — no personal items, no clutter, and nothing in the cabinets or storage areas. Our real estate agent told us that staging a home can improve the sales process because it allows people to see the space in use, but also imagine their lives in the home.

As a result, our dining table, chairs, bookshelves, and other large pieces of furniture are still in the old house. These items will remain there until someone buys our place, and then we’ll have professional movers come and do the heavy lifting for us.

Unfortunately, this means we handled the first part of the move on our own. We carried boxes and boxes and boxes out of our old house, into a van, out of the van, and into our new house. I’m honestly surprised I have enough arm strength after carrying so many boxes to type this post.

The following are lessons learned about moving from this experience and the 14 times I’ve moved previously:

  • As previously stated, if you can afford it, hire professional movers to take care of the move for you.
  • If you can’t hire movers, the first thing you should do is have a lot of drinking water and food on hand. You don’t want to get dehydrated or hungry during this process. You need as much energy as possible to keep you going and in a good mood.
  • When loading a moving truck or van, I like to put the heaviest objects in a U-shape against the sides and back wall of the space. Mattresses, couches, dining tables, and dressers are the things that I usually load first.
  • Use blankets to wrap the objects and keep them from being damaged.
  • In the open space at the center of the van, I stack the heaviest boxes in a single layer on the floor. Then, I build up boxes from heaviest to lightest and from back to front. Since you tried your best to get absolutely everything into boxes, you shouldn’t have much left after creating your tower of boxes.
  • Play a game of Tetris and fit in the last, unboxed items. Again, use blankets to wrap these items to protect them from damage.
  • Get a large padlock and lock up the truck.
  • When you arrive at your destination, plan to unload the truck in the opposite order, starting with the unboxed items and finishing with the large furniture.

Be sure to check out our article “Moving: How to pack your home” and the comments for advice on packing. The next article in this series will cover the more pleasant, yet still mentally demanding process of unpacking. Also, please share any advice you have about the actual moving stage in the comments to this post.

Posted by Erin on Mar 10, 2011 | 43 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: ABC Cookie Cutters

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

Reader Talena sent us this week’s unitasker selection with the following note:

I don’t know why you can’t use your normal gingerbread man cookie cutters that you probably already have as a standard and then bite off the head or arm by yourself. Silly cookie cutters.

Even if you don’t take a bite out of them yourself, you could at least break off a limb or two instead of using any of the three ABC* Cookie Cutters:

Mmmmmm … gingerbread cookie limbs!

*ABC = Already Been Chewed

Posted by Erin on Mar 9, 2011 | 35 Comments | Tweet This

When whimsy and utility collide

As a child, I loved to go to story time at the public library. The storyteller would come in costume — typically a supporting character from that week’s story — and a few dozen children and I would gather and intently listen to the tale. I looked forward to story time each week with the same fervor modern children might anticipate a trip to Disney World or meeting Justin Bieber.

I enjoyed the books shared during story time, spending time with other kids, and seeing the storytellers dress up in costume. My favorite part of story time, however, were the stools on wheels.

I now know these stools are called Kik-Steps and they are in many homes and businesses, but at the time I thought they were the most amazing and rare toys found only in my hometown’s public library. As it is with many desirable things, there weren’t enough stools on wheels for every child at story time. You had to get there early to get one. I would dream about them, tell everyone I met about them, and would cry if there weren’t any available by the time we got to story time. You could sit, stand, or push them around — they were magical!

I bought my first Kik-Step when I was 30, and seeing it in my home takes me back to wonderful childhood memories of story time. Even though I bought it for nostalgic reasons, it has surprisingly turned out to be one of the most useful objects in our home.

I use it a few times daily in the kitchen, to reach high shelves. I use it when I need to change light bulbs, dust, and put things away in closets. I’m 5’9″ barefoot and have an arm span of close to 5’11″, so I am genuinely surprised by how often I use it. It also provides a place to sit, if needed. As its name implies, the best thing about the Kik-Step is if your arms are full, you can simply kick it into place and then step right up on it. You don’t have to unfold it or carry it.

I don’t have a lot of things in my home that I purchased on a whim that turned out to be extremely useful. Usually, sentimental purchases fall into the knick knack category and are eventually passed along to someone else to enjoy for a few years. Have you ever made an impulse or sentimental purchase that turned out to have high utility? I’m interested in reading your stories of surprise in the comments.

Posted by Erin on Mar 8, 2011 | 39 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

  • Maybe you can take it with you…
    Why leave behind beautiful solid-wood furniture for your heirs to fight over when you can be buried in it?
  • Unitasker Wednesday: Microwave French Fry Maker
    I have never had a french fry made with this contraption, but supposedly it allows you to microwave fries purchased in your grocer’s freezer and turn them into treats that taste like ones from your favorite fast-food joint. But, I’m sincerely doubting this claim seeing as we all know it’s the fat and grease that makes fast food french fries so yummy.
  • Project Basement: Day 3
    Except for a couple hours this morning pulling out the washer and dryer, sweeping the floor where they had been, and doing a general cleanup in the laundry area of the basement, I’ve been sorting, scanning, and recycling a couple hundred pounds of paperwork.
  • Ask Unclutterer: Food storage containers
    Reader Carla asks for a recommendation on the best type of food storage container that won’t clutter up her mother’s cabinets.
  • Using a three-folder system to keep e-mail under control
    Checking, reading, processing, replying to, and stressing out about e-mail can all be sources of clutter in our lives. And, according to a recent Fast Company article written by Gina Trapani titled “Work Smart: Conquering Your Email Inbox,” it might be taking up half of our workweek.

2009

2008

  • Unitasker Wednesday: Juicers
    If I recall correctly, the last time I was at my local grocery store, there was a aisle full of just about every juice you could think of. So why would someone invest the money and space in their kitchen for a juicer?

Posted by PJ on Mar 7, 2011 | 4 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Becoming a professional organizer

Reader J.C. submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I’m exploring new streams of income and one of my goals is to take my absolute LOVE of uncluttering and organization and parlay it into a side business.

I’m wondering if any of you are members of the National Association of Professional Organizers or any other groups. Do you recommend that? What “first steps” would you advise for someone who wants to get started in this business?

First off, I think professional organizing is an amazing career path. It is a great option for people who like puzzles, a new adventure every day, working with people, teaching, and, obviously, uncluttering and organizing. A good sense of humor, being a self-starter, and an intense commitment to follow-through are additional qualities that usually bode well. I truly love what I do, and I have deep respect for so many of my peers.

I’ve been a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers off and on for a number of years. I think it is a wonderful association and I have personally garnered a great deal from my membership. I have also benefitted from my membership in my local NAPO chapter. I’ve never been a member of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, but they are also a well-respected group and I trust their work.

I recommend saving up and joining NAPO and your local chapter. Take advantage of all of the training opportunities these groups offer, including conferences and workshops. Also, attend local NAPO chapter meetings and sign up for their mentoring program, if they have one. Get to know the Golden Circle and Certified Professional Organizers in the group and ask to be considered to help out with their larger projects. Even though you may be doing mostly physical labor on these assignments, you can have a front seat to see how experienced professional organizers work with clients and navigate the organizer-client relationship. Plus, you’ll get paid, which is always nice.

Good luck on your new adventure, and enjoy this next chapter in your life. Be sure to check out the comments for insights from more professional organizers and readers who have hired them. Thank you, J.C., for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Posted by Erin on Mar 4, 2011 | 15 Comments | Tweet This

Workspace of the Week: Simply small

This week’s Workspace of the Week is Declan’s floor-lit fun office:

Declan has a small office wedged into his tiny bedroom, yet he has found a way to make it meet his needs and have it be a good place to be. He has added floor lights throughout the room to add depth to the space. Check out some of the other examples to see how the lights change colors, too. The cable control is beautiful, the minimalist look helps the room feel larger, and the absence of clutter makes living in such a small space manageable. Thank you, Declan, for your submission to our Flickr group. You’ve created a terrific room.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on Mar 4, 2011 | 10 Comments | Tweet This

February resolution wrap up, and introduction of March resolution

In 2011, I’m trying out small, monthly resolutions instead of large, annual New Year’s resolutions. My public resolution for January was to be more organized in the kitchen, and create and use more nutritious meal plans for my family. In February, my public resolution was to go through everything — absolutely everything — in my office.

Within days of declaring my February resolution, I had abandoned it. My aunt passed away and I ended up traveling to Kansas and tending to family responsibilities for awhile. Uncluttering my office wasn’t a priority on my list of things to do, and I wasn’t even physically near it had I wanted to organize. After returning to the east coast in the second half of the month, my immediate family then decided to sell our house and move. Without intentionally doing so, I ended up sorting through everything in my office after all.

February came to a close and everything in my office had been sorted, dusted, and packed in a box, dropped off at a charity, sold, recycled, or thrown in the trash. Even the Elfa shelving system was disassembled and sold, as we purchased new office furniture for the new place. Packing the office was similar to packing the rest of the house, but with some notable exceptions:

  • Sensitive data. My corporate clients almost always have me sign non-disclosure agreements. As a result, I have to transport their files personally and can’t let a professional mover or friend tend to them. If you’re in a corporate or government setting, you might have similar restrictions when moving offices. I recommend color coding all of these sensitive boxes with bright orange or red stickers and numbering them (Box 2 of 7) to help keep track of them. Then, personally move the boxes last out of the old place and set them up first in the new space. Don’t leave these boxes in your car overnight if you are making a multiple-day move — your job and/or client relationship depend on it.
  • Knick knacks. I realized I had a ridiculous number of personal knick knacks in my office. For example, I had four pictures of my husband on my desk … and he works seven feet away from me. It’s nice to personalize a space (it sends a cue to your boss that you are not planning on leaving), but not let the personal items become a distraction to you or others. In the new office I’m going to try to limit knick knacks to one per every two or three feet of desk space, which will be about three knick knacks total.
  • Cable control. With the help of a label maker, I labeled both ends of every cable before packing it (external hard drive, scanner, stereo speakers). This will speed up the unpacking process and make things easily identifiable the next time I have to crawl under my desk to unplug a device.
  • Office supplies. Painter’s tape is great for keeping cables with electronics, lids on small containers, and little objects grouped together. Don’t use Scotch tape, masking tape, or packing tape for these objects, as you will waste too much time removing the adhesive once you’re in the new office. You can also write on the painter’s tape to identify objects.
  • Scan and recycle. Paper is extremely heavy, and you will want to move as little of it as possible. Use the move as an excuse to sort through all of your paper files and purge anything you don’t need in physical form. Scan the data you want, and then recycle the paper. Also, don’t move any “to be filed” piles — file before you pack to avoid moving something you don’t really need.

It should be no surprise that my public resolution for the month of March will be to completely unpack and organize our new home and office. In fact, my husband’s family is coming to visit in mid-March and my goal is to have almost everything unpacked before they arrive. I’m trying to think of it like an adventure instead of a chore. Wish me luck!

Do you have resolutions? What are you doing to achieving them? Can you do something today to get one step closer to your goal?

Posted by Erin on Mar 3, 2011 | 20 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: The Rimroller

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

Tim Hortons, the Canadian-based coffee chain with a handful of locations in northern U.S. states, has a promotion each year named “Rrroll Up The Rim To Win.” You get a coffee, drink it, and then roll up the rim of the cup to find out if you won a prize or only a “Try Again.”

This is the 25th year for the promotion, and over the years unitasker inventors have found a way to capitalize on the promotion, too. For example, the Rimroller:

Reader Titan sent us this unitasker, and explained the device:

… usually you can use your hands, or maybe your teeth to get the unrolling process going. But, thanks to the handy work of some fine person, there now is a Rimroller. Yes, this little plastic doo-hicky attaches to your keychain so that it’s nice and handy whenever you need it, even though the promo only runs for a maximum of 30 days out of every 365 …

If you can hold a cup, my guess is you can unroll the rim of that cup. A great unitasker discover, Titan. Thank you.

Posted by Erin on Mar 2, 2011 | 36 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

2008

Posted by PJ on Mar 2, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Casting call for Enough Already! with Peter Walsh

I’m not one to usually pass along casting calls for television shows, but this one is so much fun I couldn’t resist. If you live in the Los Angeles area and want your home organized for FREE by Peter Walsh, check this out:

Enough Already! with Peter Walsh — a series for OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network — is looking for participants who are finally ready to say goodbye to chaos and clutter, and hello to an organized and healthy way of living.

APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

  1. Live within a 30 mile radius of the Los Angeles area.
  2. Available to participate for one week sometime between mid-April to late June 2011.

To be considered, please provide the following information.

Include:

  • Name
  • Contact information
  • City
  • Description of your clutter and situation (250 words or less)
  • Please email everything to: bigfishcasting@mac.com

All information is confidential and will only be shared with the program producers.

Like me, if you don’t live in the Los Angeles area, feel welcome to pass this information along to someone who does. Those of us in other parts of the country and world will just have to watch his organizing and uncluttering genius on season two.

Posted by Erin on Mar 1, 2011 | 9 Comments | Tweet This