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Archives for A Year Ago

A year ago on Unclutterer

2011

• January resolution wrap up, and introduction of February 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, I will go through everything — absolutely everything — in my office.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Watermelon knife
  This year, I vow to impress watermelons! I shall feel no shame about using a multi-functional knife. Instead, I will win the watermelons’ affections as I pull out my Stainless Steel Watermelon Knife.
• Ask Unclutterer: Organizing photographs
  Storing photographs in a large tote isn’t the best way to show you value the images. Follow these seven steps to get your images organized.

2010

• Evaluate your household routines
  Do you have a routine chart for household chores? Is everyone in the house taking responsibility for and completing their duties? Do you need to evaluate your routines to make sure they’re meeting the demands of your home and fit with your schedule? With the start of the new month, now might be a good time to make sure you have a functioning system in place.

2009

• Baby safety clutter
  After browsing through an unsolicited baby product magazine that I received in the mail, I am now aware of the products that over protective parents just can’t live without.
• Storing specialty hangers?
  How do you keep the non-standard hangers organized when they aren’t in use?
• Unitasker Wednesday: The snowman kit
  Snowman kits include everything except the snow!

2008

• Letting a corner of clutter slide
  Small pockets of clutter can serve as little humbling reminders that I am human and am far from perfect.
• The wireless Wii nunchuk
  Nyko, a third party supplier for gaming accessories, has Wii owners covered with the a wireless nunchuk.

Posted by PJ on Feb 6, 2012 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Three uncluttered activities you can do on a lazy Saturday
  Three of these to-do items on my list today are great tasks to complete on a day you’ve decided to stay at home. From my home to yours, I bring you three uncluttered activities you can do on a lazy Saturday.

2009

• Ask Unclutterer: How many hours will a family of four spend on laundry each week?
  Reader Amanda recently e-mailed and asked a few questions about laundry maintenance for a family of four.

2008

• Shootsac organizes your camera lenses for simple transport
  The Shootsac is a bag that easily holds multiple lenses for quick and easy access.
• Book review: Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?
  Peter Walsh’s latest book provides tips for treating your body with honor and respect.

Posted by PJ on Feb 1, 2012 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2011

• Unitasker Wednesday: BeanSlice
  It is rare that someone submits a unitasker and my first thought is, “I want that!” But this week, that was my response. Even I, the UNCLUTTERER, am tempted by plastic doodads that do the exact same thing as the knives I already own.
• Are you sabotaging your uncluttering and organizing efforts?
  There are hundreds of ways to sabotage your uncluttering and organizing efforts, and just one solution for all of them — admit to yourself that you’re sabotaging your success.
• Ask Unclutterer: Movies with an uncluttered theme
  Reader Ellis asked: “If you had any recommendations of films with a minimalist/uncluttered theme?”

2010

• Unitasker Wednesday: Mini Cupcake Maker
  After using this confection-specific appliance, store it in your cabinet next to your Muffin Magic, your cupcake batter dispenser, and your Perfect Brownie pan.
• Unclutterer goes shopping with The New York Times
  Erin is featured today in The New York Times — “Ending the Reign of Chaos“
• The case against the iPad
  There are a number of reasons why you might want to think twice before buying Apple’s new iPad.
• Ask Unclutterer: Messy mail
  Could you please do an article on how to keep mail organized? I considered myself pretty much clear of clutter, except for my mail. It’s driving me crazy.

2009

• Preserving digitized photographs
  What to do after you have your print photographs digitized.
• Folding kitchen island
  The folding island saves on space in the kitchen and it also serves you well while you need extra counter space.
• GarageBand rocks more with less
  The new iLife ’09 suite updates GarageBand with several exciting new features that will help beginner, and even advanced, guitarists keep their hobby clutter-free.

2008

• Cleaning your floors without effort … that is, if you don’t break your neck …
  Slipper Genies allow you to clean your floors while you move about your home with no extra effort or supplies.

Posted by PJ on Jan 29, 2012 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Use your mac as a television
  The elgato EyeTV Hybrid lets you watch televised programming on your Mac without needing a dedicated television set.

2008

• Stop hoarding magazines
  Many magazines are now putting their entire publishing history on CDs or DVDs.

Posted by PJ on Jan 25, 2012 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2011

• Unitasker Wednesday: Tea-Boy Penguin Tea Timer
  This just may be the cutest, most precious unitasker ever! Introducing the Tea-Boy Penguin Tea Timer.

2010

• Netflix streaming on your Nintendo Wii
  Beginning later this spring the Nintendo Wii will support on-demand streaming of content from Netflix.
• Boston Herald reporter finds calm after uncluttering
  Last Wednesday, Boston Herald columnist Darren Garnick publicly admitted that his previous love of disorder may have been misplaced. In his article “Pride in messy desk replaced with ‘sinking, drowning feeling’” on January 13, Garnick professes his new appreciation for being organized.
• Unitasker Wednesday: The Nuvo Ritmo Pregnancy Sound System
  The stuff being marketed to first-time pregnant women and parents is about 1/4 necessary, 1/4 might-be useful to some people, and 1/2 scams and clutter. As proof of the scams and clutter category, I present the Nuvo Ritmo Pregnancy Sound System.
• Doing more with less: Dogme 95 and self-imposed limitations
  The Dogme 95 movement shows us how self-imposed limitations can help us focus on what’s really important in our work.
• Ask Unclutterer: Processing the possessions of someone who has passed
  Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all response for how to handle the possessions of someone who has passed away. That is why I almost always recommend contacting a professional organizer who specializes in exactly these types of cases.

2009

• Storing board games and puzzles
  If board game and puzzle organization has you stumped, here are some suggestions for getting your games in order.

2008

• Book review: One Year to an Organized Life
  If you’re in the market for a comprehensive, concrete, methodical guide to home organization, Regina Leeds’ latest book is an excellent place to start.
• Keep your tax documents organized
  When it comes to clutter the federal government has all of us beat. The tax code alone is over 60,000 pages and continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

Posted by PJ on Jan 23, 2012 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2011

• Creating a home paper management system
  Reader Steve sent us a great solution for keeping mail off his family’s kitchen counter tops and dining table.

2010

• Uncluttered and inexpensive storage designs from CB2
  Since it’s probably safe to assume that you don’t eventually want to end up watching the buildings around you burn while Frank Black sings “Where Is My Mind?”, consider CB2 next time you’re about to make the drive to IKEA.
• Ice Box Art
  The first part is a simple acrylic sign holder with magnetic tape on the back. There are many ways that you can decorate this, or if your kids are a little older, have them decorate it themselves.

2009

• Power strips that work well with wall warts
  Three alternatives to traditional power strips. These alleviate or reduce the space-hogging wall wart problem.

2008

• Storing coffee
  Is your coffee equipment taking over your kitchen?
• Unitasker Wednesday: Snowball maker
  This contraption will supply you with round snowballs that your enemies will envy.

Posted by PJ on Jan 18, 2012 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2011

• Unitasker Wednesday: USB-Powered Foot Warmer
  Socks seem to be a pretty decent alternative to shelling out $20 and giving up a USB port to power this dangerous foot warmer.

2010

• Can a waffle iron make more than waffles?
  For the first time since we nominated it back in 2007, I have come to doubt our Unitasker designation for the waffle maker after learning about the fun new website: Waffleizer.com.
• What is your free time worth to you?
  Over on the economics blog Marginal Revolution, a reader asked Tyler Cowen how to determine the financial value of his free time. Cowen responds in the post “What’s the value of your time?“
• Ask Unclutterer: Coat control
  I live in Brooklyn on the top floor of a Brownstone and have NO coat closet, which is killing me this winter because our coats just end up all over the kitchen table. Do you have any ideas/suggestions for coat/hat/gloves/boot storage for a small apartment?

2009

• Book review: Career Renegade
  If you’re ready to have a career you love, then Career Renegade is the book for you.
• Productivity and organizing insights found in Lean systems
  Programs that strive to increase productivity in the workplace are usually worthwhile systems that increase morale and creative thinking, instead of stifle it. Additionally, most have proven records of increasing quality and efficiency.
• Choose from the heart: Clutter free and feeling fine
  Danielle LaPorte heads helpful advice for keeping your clutter under control.

2008

• Reader suggestion: Cleaning ornaments
  Clean ornaments with compressed air.

Posted by PJ on Jan 16, 2012 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2011

• January 2011 resolutions and a plan of action
  I am ready for a year of 100 percent success, and monthly resolutions with daily schedules will be my plan of action to make that happen.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Snap Jack Pancake Cutter
  Are you against owning any knives? Do you really like pancakes? If you answered both questions affirmatively, well then I have the perfect product for you! Introducing the Snap Jack Pancake Cutter.
• The Fujitsu ScanSnap S1100: An ultra-portable paper clutter reducer
  Yesterday at CES, Fujitsu released its latest model in its ScanSnap scanner series. The S1100 is a mobile color scanner, smaller than my shoe.
• Review: The Procrastination Equation
  Piers Steel, PhD, has produced an exhaustive look at the research, history, definition, forms, and treatment of procrastination.

2010

• Increasing energy: Erin’s first set of 2010 resolutions
  I’ve written in the past about how getting adequate sleep is linked to an uncluttered life. If I’m exhausted, I’m less likely to eat well and exercise (also energy related), tackle items on my to-do list, think and work efficiently and clearly, keep up with chores, stay focused, and respond well under stress. One hour of missed sleep can tank my productivity the following day.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Chair socks
  Look at these cute socks. Oh, wait. You’re saying they’re not socks I can wear? They’re socks for my chairs?
• James Jamerson’s Uncluttered Bass Rig
  I’ve written before about my constant battle with an affliction called Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS). It’s an almost compulsive need to purchase new equipment in the firm belief that the new item, be it a guitar, amp, or effect pedal, will be the spark that ignites stale monotony into inspired genius. Sometimes it works, but I find that more often, buying new equipment is just a substitute for doing the hard work required to be creative.
• Build your own recyclable furniture with Grid Beam
  Grid Beam allows you to use a few standard modular and reusable components to create whatever structure you need at the moment.
• Multipurpose games
  Avoid board game clutter by purchasing games that serve multiple purposes.

2009

• Book review: The Power of Less
  If you are looking for sound advice on how to improve your productivity, The Power of Less will help you to be more efficient in all your dealings.
• January is Get Organized Month
  The National Association of Professional Organizers has once again declared January Get Organized Month.

2008

• Post-holiday cleanup, part 2
  Storing ornaments through out the year is a bit of a pain, but it is necessary if you do have a Christmas tree to decorate this time of year.
• Post-holiday cleanup, part 3

Posted by PJ on Jan 11, 2012 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Unitasker Wednesday: Inflatable meal
  In this holiday season, we wanted to invite all of you to join us for a (virtual) meal. Come on in, grab a seat, sit down, and let’s enjoy a meal together.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Electronic bubble wrap
  Popping bubble wrap no longer needs to involve bubble wrap, thanks to the Mugen Pop Pop Endless Bubble Popping Keychain.

2009

• Unitasker Wednesday: Fingertip oven mitts
  That’s right, fingertip-only oven mitts do not look safe in the least. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that they look unsafe. And, all you can do is grab a plate with them. You certainly couldn’t use them while grilling, reaching into boiling water, or removing a pan from the oven.
• Gadgets of the decade that helped unclutter our lives
  For all the unitaskers and useless doo dads the past decade gave us, at least there were a few gadgets that helped to get clutter out of our lives.
• Sort, scan, and file your stacks of papers
  If you’re looking at a Great Paperwork Filing Project of 2009 or 2010, try the following method from the “Tuesday at Work: Fixing Your Files” section of Unclutter Your Life in One Week to get it under control.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Gift Wrap Cutter
  Scissors are so obsolete. Sure, they have efficiently and effectively cut billions of things for more than 3,500 years, but whatever. You’re not into multi-taskers. You’re all about tools that only have one specific purpose, like the Gift Wrap Cutter.

2008

• 2008 Gift Giving Guide: Gifts of clutter
  It’s the holiday season, and we all need a little smile. Similar to our Unitasker Wednesday posts, we think you might enjoy our favorite gifts of clutter.
• 2008 Gift Giving Guide: Digital giving
  This installment of the Unclutterer Gift Giving Guide explores the virtual world of digital products.
• Preparing your car for a road trip
  Guest author John Walton gives advice for organizing your car before a big road trip.

Posted by PJ on Dec 20, 2011 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Ask Unclutterer: Regrets and legacy items
  Andrew wants to know: “Have you ever regretted getting rid of something?” and “What do you do about ‘legacy’ items?”
• Pack rats in fiction: Through the Looking Glass
  In chapter eight of the tale “It’s My Own Invention,” Alice encounters the White Knight, a man with a nasty manifestation of Just-in Case syndrome.

2009

• PDFs and t-shirts: New in the Unclutterer store
  Introducing the new internal Unclutterer store. Available are two t-shirts: “Simplicity is revolutionary” and “Less is more.” Also available are the seven worksheet PDFs that accompany the book Unclutter Your Life in One Week.
• Unitasker Wednesday: USB-powered eyelash curler
  Why should I safely curl my eyelashes in front of a mirror when I could do it blindly in front of my laptop with 5V current?

2008

• Built NY lunch bag for kids
  The Munchler is a lunch bag that can also be carried like a backpack. It also unzips into a place-mat for easy use. Made from polypropylene, it will insulate your child’s food.
• 2008 Gift Giving Guide: Useful gifts under $35
  If you’re going to buy something tangible, we suggest getting gifts that work with our motto: A place for everything, and everything in its place.

Posted by PJ on Dec 12, 2011 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Holiday season perfect time to sell or donate items
  Gift giving items are in high demand on Craigslist and eBary right now if you’re looking to get rid of lightly used items not being used in your home.
• 2010 Holiday Gift Giving Guide: Ultimate generosity
  This year’s ultimate generosity uncluttered gift are the Intellishred crosscut paper shredders from Fellowes.

2009

• 2009 Gift Giving Guide: The Six O’Clock Scramble
  If you or anyone you know struggles to figure out what is for dinner, a Scramble subscription might be a welcome gift this holiday season.
• 2009 Gift Giving Guide: Gifts for kids
  In our seventh installment of Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide we’re discussing gifts for children.
• An author’s minimalist home of the future
  In 1952, Popular Mechanics magazine ran an article about science fiction author
  Robert Heinlein‘s then-new 1,150-square-foot minimalist home. Titled “A House To Make Life Easy,” the article written by Thomas E. Stimson, Jr., explores the “house that’s called extreme today but may become conventional before the 20th century has run its course.”
• 2009 Gift Giving Guide: Gifts the Unclutterers are giving
  In our eighth installment of Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide we’re discussing gifts the Unclutterer team members are giving this holiday season.

2008

• Bedroom storage
  Excess storage in the bedroom can lead to expanding one’s wardrobe beyond what is needed.
• Pet hair gets everywhere
  I definitely miss not having a cat, but one thing I don’t miss is cleaning up cat hair all the time.

Posted by PJ on Dec 4, 2011 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• 2010 Holiday Gift Giving Guide: Organized gifts for kids
  A list of practical gifts for kids that they can unwrap, which help to keep their lives more organized.
• Being organized before a doctor’s visit
  Doctors can be intimidating, even those with amazing bedside manners. It can be easy to be anxious and/or timid around them — especially when they’re wearing those impersonal white lab coats. A little organizing can help reduce these anxieties.
• Review: Five Books
  What are the five books you should read to learn as much as possible about a specific subject? Five Books has the answer.
• 2010 Holiday Gift Giving Guide: Pampered grooming gifts for him
  There aren’t many gifts more practical than grooming items. All of these items are utilitarian and functional, but are luxurious enough that they’re likely not something a man in your life will routinely buy for himself. You can pamper him, and know the gift won’t clutter up his space.
• 2010 Holiday Gift Giving Guide: Kits
  A kit can be an extremely practical gift, one that could make a real difference in an emergency situation.

2009

• As seen on Lifehacker
  This past week, Lifehacker ran a fantastic post showing how to creatively display power cords instead of hiding them.
• Is ‘user-friendly’ and ‘intuitive’ software really simpler?
  Should software developers expect more from end-users?
• 2009 Gift Giving Guide: All the small things
  We’re starting off Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide talking about stocking stuffers.
• 2009 Gift Giving Guide: Gifts that reflect what matters most to you
  In our second installment of Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide we’re discussing gifts that reflect your personal priorities and desires. Initially, this may appear to be a little self-serving (and, well, it is a little bit), but keep reading before you dismiss the idea entirely.
• 2009 Gift Giving Guide: The gift of education
  In our third installment of Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide we’re discussing gifts of knowledge.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Plastic wishbones
  To get us all into the Thanksgiving holiday spirit (and those of you outside the U.S., feel welcome to laugh along), I present to you synthetic Lucky Break Wishbones in packs of 4, 5, 8, or 10 wishbones!
• 2009 Gift Giving Guide: Ultimate uncluttering
  In our fourth installment of Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide we discuss the ultimate gift of our Guide.

2008

• The Kindle saves space, but can it save you money
  A ZDNet article explores the answer to the question if a Kindle device saves money for college students and average readers.
• The Puj Tub
  I was intrigued by the Puj Tub as a solution to small space baby bathing.

Posted by PJ on Nov 30, 2011 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• A woman in uniform: Angelina Jolie
  Angelina Jolie admits to having a small closet, and her wardrobe of all coordinating, multi-functioning pieces is helpful to maintaining its small size.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Tiger Taco
  This week’s unitasker selection was guaranteed a spot in our feature simply because of its name: The Tiger Taco.

2009

• Introducing the Unclutterer Forums
  The Unclutterer Forums are now open to anyone who wants to register for them.
• Unitasker Wednesday: USB-Powered Hamster Wheel
  The list of unitaskers available for your computer’s USB ports just got a little bit longer thanks to the extremely necessary USB-powered Hamster Wheel.
• A simple Thanksgiving solution
  Until yesterday, I had no idea that chalk wrote easily on matte-finish oilcloth. The concept is so basic, yet its implications have my head spinning. I’m no longer trying to think of ways to decorate my Thanksgiving table, entertain the kids during mealtime, or am worried about a centerpiece — I have my solution.

2008

• Unitasker Wednesday: Piercey the egg piercer
  Piercey will make your hard boiled egg preparation easy and friendly.

Posted by PJ on Nov 20, 2011 | Comment | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Never lose your lens cap again
  It might seem obvious, but it often makes sense for loss-prone items to be physically secured so they won’t end up missing when needed.
• Review: Real Simple’s 869 New Uses for Old Things
  The editors at Real Simple magazine have put together a hardcover collection of multi-tasking equipment and suggestions to honor their 10th anniversary. The book, Real Simple: 869 New Uses for Old Things, is an alphabetical listing of unexpected uses for wine corks, olive oil, old jump ropes, Q-tips, salt, soap and hundreds of other common household items.
• Really small spaces: Portland coop
  Not everything with a clean and uncluttered design makes your life easier.

2009

• Official release: Unclutter Your Life in One Week
  If you buy the book or request it at the library or borrow it from a friend, I hope you enjoy reading it and find it helpful and motivating. I tried my best to write the book I needed when I was overwhelmed with clutter, and I hope it speaks to you wherever you are on your uncluttering journey.
• Unitasker Wednesday: TwitterPeek
  This item was sent to us by many Unclutterer readers, and I specifically liked the humor expressed by those who sent it to us over Twitter. Today’s unitasker is the TwitterPeek.
• Video tour of Jay Shafer’s 96-square-foot house
  Take a video tour of a house smaller than some people’s closets.
• Let go of the past from your wardrobe
  In Unclutter Your Life in One Week, I talk about setting guidelines for your wardrobe to help you decide what can stay and what should go. The eighth item on this list is “You should have an occasion in the next year to wear it.”

2008

• Reader suggestion: Storing a George Foreman Grill
  Reader Liz sent us the following solution for storing the removable plates and body of her George Foreman Grill.

Posted by PJ on Nov 6, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Unitasker Wednesday: Asparagus Peeler
  The Orka Asparagus Peeler is for all those times you peel your asparagus, which, at least for me, is never.
• Unclutter your wallet by keeping a second wallet in your glove box
  To avoid the symptom’s of “Costanza wallet,” keep a second wallet for loyalty cards in the glove box of your car.

2009

• Unitasker Wednesday: Chef’n Garlic Zoom
  Most multi-tasking or high-utility kitchen products have simple names that begin with lowercase letters: skillet, oven, knife, plate. A good sign that something might be a unitasker is when its name is cutesy and trademarked: JerkyXpress, Plater Grater, Nostalgia Cotton Candy Maker. By all accounts, the Chef’n Garlic Zoom is destined for unitasker greatness based on the fact that it includes a random apostrophe and the word zoom.
• Space-saving cheese grater
  The Joseph Joseph brand cheese grater folds flat for storage and up for use. It’s sturdy and comes in a handful of colors. It’s great for small-space living.

2008

• JBL module makes any speaker wireless
  The JBL WEM-1 Wireless Expansion Module promises to extend your speakers wirelessly up to 70 feet.

Posted by PJ on Oct 23, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Simple, utilitarian, uncluttered cooking ideas
  Unless you’re a professional chef or have super powers, your cooking routines are likely similar to mine; you’re interested in finding meals you can make when you’re wearing your proverbial Cook’s hair net instead of your Chef’s hat. Here are more than 100 ideas to get you cooking, uncluttered style.
• Workspace of the Week: No-mayhem mudroom
  It’s not really a workspace, but it’s still an inspiring space — a narrow hallway that was transformed into a highly functional mudroom.

2009

• Unclutter Your Life in One Week: Your questions answered
  Answers to your most pressing questions about my (then) new book.
• Ask Unclutterer: Overwhelmed with clutter
  My daughter’s birthday is in two days and I’ll have grandparents in my house doing that heavy sigh “at least they seem happy” thing … I guess I am looking for a band aid before the transfusion that is your book.

2008

• Bare bones baby buying guide
  Discussing the bare necessities in the baby buying world.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Zing! Catapult Spoon
  The Zing! is a spring action spoon that can really fling food like a catapult should.

Posted by PJ on Oct 19, 2011 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Simple strategies for marking items
  After Saturday’s simple tape suggestion, PJ and I have been talking about our favorite tricks for marking items. Here are a handful more tips for identifying items in your home and workspace.
• Sleek and streamlined diaper bags
  Diaper bags — like purses and wallets — can be magnets for clutter. I speak from personal experience when I say that things go into them and rarely, if ever, come out. The smaller the bag, usually the easier it is to keep it clutter free and stuffed only with essentials.
• Organize your writing, J.K. Rowling style
  The website /Film reported on Friday about author J.K. Rowling’s method for organizing her books. Using pen, notebook paper, and a simple grid, she plotted out the direction of her stories.

Posted by PJ on Oct 12, 2011 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Review: Essential Travel Jacket by Scottevest
  Ordinarily, garments with an extreme number of pockets tend to make the wearer look like either Walter Sobchak or a pro bass fisherman. This jacket is both fashionably simple and inconspicuous.
• Ask Unclutterer: Design ideas for odd space above kitchen cabinets
  Reader Bonnie wants to know what to do with the foot-and-a-half space that exists above her kitchen cabinets and the ceiling in her home.
• Easily identify metric and SAE tools with red electrical tape
  Colored electrical tape is a great way to keep things grouped.
• Creating a mail center in your home
  One of the easiest ways to keep paper clutter from overwhelming your space is to set up a mail processing center immediately inside the door by your mailbox.

2009

• Organizing a party pantry
  I was recently given a copy of the book Simple Stunning Parties at Home by its author Karen Bussen. In the book, Karen suggests organizing a “party pantry” so that “when it’s time to throw a dinner party or a wine and cheese night on the spur of the moment, I look [to it] for design inspiration, and I pull together all the elements I need.” She lives in a small New York City apartment, so her party pantry isn’t large or cluttered. She recommends a “small closet, a cupboard in the kitchen, or an antique hutch — whatever works for you.”
• DIY everyday camera bag
  How to create a camera bag that will also hold all your equipment.
• Rethinking the vase for a small space
  I recently learned about the store-flat reusable Vazu vases and instantly thought about our apartment and small-space dwelling readers.

Posted by PJ on Oct 9, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Unitasker Wednesday: Cool Cones
  Is eating store-bought ice cream bringing you down? Well, let Cool Cones turn that around!
• Exercise and focus
  A neuroscientist at the University of Illinois, Arthur Kramer, in “Ageing, Fitness and Neurocognitive Function” in Nature magazine, reports on another way to improve your ability to focus and brain cognition. The answer: Regularly participating in aerobic exercise.
• Gorgeous gifts without all the clutter
  Simply using construction paper and a razor blade, a plain brown package is transformed into a beautiful gift.

2009

• Bento 3 adds sharing and security, integrates iPhoto
  New version of FileMaker’s Bento supports encryption and sharing.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Rock, Paper, Scissors Card Game
  First, you need hands to be able to deal, hold, and play the cards. Hands that you could simply use to PLAY THE GAME. Second, you — wait, forget a second point. I think the first point about HANDS says it all.
• Eliminate collaboration clutter with Subversion
• Ask Unclutterer: Partner’s messy desk
  I’ve been living with my boyfriend for 3 years now. We live in a flat, not very big. I’m really worried about his stuff.
• Reasons to unclutter
  The September 1 issue of Woman’s Day magazine provides 12 “surprising benefits of getting organized.”

Posted by PJ on Oct 2, 2011 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

• Multifunctional children’s furniture
  The multifunctional WeeCANDU Chair can be transformed into a playtable/desk, bedside table, easel, step stool, rocking chair, regular chair, and magazine/book rack.
• Qualities of a good to-do method
  After years of auditioning the most popular to-do management methods (and a few obscure methods, as well), I’ve found that it’s incredibly obvious which methods are likely to be helpful and which ones are duds. For a method to be good at actually getting me to do my work, it has to have the following components.
• Ask Unclutterer: Clutter is causing marriage woes
  Reader Jenny is worried her clutter and lack of house-keeping skills is damaging her marriage.

2009

• Unitasker Wednesday: Even more elaborate butter cutters
  I am 100 percent serious when I say that I don’t understand why someone would prefer to use one of these butter cutting devices instead of a knife.
• The Stash for organizing the small stuff
  Organizing small things, specifically small things you regularly need at your fingertips, can be frustrating. Most of the pre-made organizing products for small things aren’t very attractive and/or made exclusively for drawers. While searching for a way to organize my son’s bath supplies, I came across an attractive organizing system that is made specifically for small things that sit out on a counter or hang on the wall. The Stash by Boon.
• Need motivation? Send an invitation
  One of the most fun ways to motivate yourself to unclutter your home and/or office is to invite someone to visit.

2008

• Sponges: Separating the new from the used
  Reader Kathryn makes suggestions for how to keep sponges from cross contaminating your kitchen.
• Unitasker Wednesday: Onion goggles
  Don’t let your eyes tear up uncontrollably again. Take control of the situation and slip on some Onion Goggles.

Posted by PJ on Sep 25, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

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