Clutter Control Products
New Products
Product of the Week: Breakfast Carts!
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Color AND Space Efficiency, all in one piece!
Breakfast carts are not just for tiny homes. These nifty, space saving carts can be used for a multitude of purposes in homes, both large and small.
In larger houses, where a formal dining room is already available, a breakfast cart can be used in the kitchen as a gathering place for the family – a great place for kids to do their homework, parents to pay bills and singles to enjoy a quick meal.
In apartments, condos and smaller houses, a breakfast cart can do double duty in the kitchen as a prep area and eating area, and provides a great buffet and serving table at dinner parties.
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Space Efficient Patio Furniture
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Summer is here, which means lots of evenings outdoors: barbecuing, entertaining and relaxing. A nice chair to sit in and a place to rest your drink are key to enjoying this warm, treasured season!
However, for many of us, a new, full size patio furniture set may be out of the question. Maybe for financial reasons, or maybe for lack of space, but whatever the reason, be hopeful that you can find patio furniture that fits both your patio and your budget.
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Product of the Week: Store It On The Door!
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Some of my favorite organizing products are ones that hang on the back of doors. I think I just really like the idea of using the unused and unexpected space for organizing. Most are very easy to install, and many of them can be used for a variety of storage ideas far beyond their intended uses. Take these two, for example:
Over-the-door Hanging Purse Organizer
Over-the-door Belt and Scarf Organizer
What fantastic storage ideas! I could see all my purses, scarves and belts at once. My mornings would go so much easier! No more digging through drawers and closets!
With the adjustable clips, I'll bet these could also be used in the kids room for light weight stuffed animals and toys, in the bathroom for hair accessories, in the laundry room for socks without mates (lol!), maybe even in the kitchen or pantry for spice packets and mixes! The possibilities are endless - now all I need are more doors! 
Product of the Week: Baby Memories Box
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This may sound familiar to some of you moms and dads: it took my sister almost 3 years to pull together a baby book of her daughter’s first year.
Today’s busy parents have a hard enough time keeping up with the daily routine, so it’s no wonder that the keepsakes album gets put off until well into the toddler years, if it happens at all!
The problem with the traditional baby book, my sister found, is that it only holds 2 dimensional items.
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Product of the Week: Mario Batali Lunch Totes
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“Dear Mario, Your Lunch Bags Make Me Swoon!”
I used to carry my lunch in one of the many plastic grocery bags cluttering the cabinet under my sink, but ever since I started using reusable grocery bags, I ran into a little problem – no more lunch bags!
I may have outgrown my cutesie lunchbox, but I’m definitely not too old for a chic and class lunch tote.
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Product of the Week: This is how we stroll…
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Ever tried pushing a stroller while carrying a beverage, or anything in your hands for that matter? As if strollers weren’t cumbersome enough, then you go and stuff your pockets with your keys, cell phone, spare binkies, wallet and a baggy of Cheerios.
Very attractive, I must say!
And then when you need one of these bulky items, you go on a mining expedition through the depths of your cargo pants when you could be…Oh, I dunno, watching where you’re walking?
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Lunch Bags are Never Big Enough!
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I can't tell you how many lunch bags I've tried out at one point or another looking for a convenient way to "brown-bag" it at work, only to find that they just don't cut it for me. They are all too small!
Now if I were the kind of person who took a little time in the morning to make a sandwich, wash my berries, and measure a little salsa out of the jar, I suppose I would be fine. It might all fit. On a good day.
But me, I never have quite enough time in the morning (because I love my bed way too much!) to get me, my son, and my lunch ready to go. So I find myself grabbing a grocery bag and tossing in a loaf of bread, a brick of cheese, a box of strawberries, and anything else I find that's not bolted down!
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Finally Keep the Stuffed Animals off the Floor
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There's nothing better than starting your children off right in life with good habits (cuz the bad ones are so hard to break!).
Like keeping their space organized. And this is such a cute idea to help them do that!
The Stuffed Animal Vertical Toy Storage Organizer is a great solution to any child’s stuffed animal dilemma and takes up almost no room at all. You just slip the doll or stuffed animal through the elastic strap (preferably under their arms and not by their poor little necks) and, voila! 42 toys off the floor!
And when it’s full, it’s actually a pretty cute room decoration. You can get one here.
Un-Deck Your Halls the Right Way!
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As you un-deck your halls this year, be thinking about improving your Holiday storage.
Do you store your decorations in cardboard boxes? Not so good if you store them outside. Plastic bins make the perfect outdoor storage solution. There are even bins with dividers specifically for delicate ornaments!
Tired of trying to fit that round wreath back into a square box? Try a Wreath Keeper!
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A Real Space Saver!
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The folks over at The Home Know-It-All have a great little blog with lots of helpful tips for home design, improvement and repair.
They did us the honor of featuring the Stacks and Stacks Corner Space Saver Bookcase!
Thanks Guys!!
Back to School - With a Twist!
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When I was home schooling, I tried to give our "classroom" the look and feel of an authentic classroom.
I guess part of the reason was that I didn't want my kids to feel so "different" from their non-home-schooling friends. And the other part was because it was just plain fun!
I had a few things to make our home school feel like a classroom;
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Food Drying with an Attitude
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Think food dehydrators are just for jerky and dries apples? Think again!
We found the coolest book – Food Drying with an Attitude!
Along with really cool pictures (like the one here – Dried Pineapple Flowers!), it has directions for making everything from melt-in-your-mouth Kale Flakes to Unforgettable Spam Jerky (yeah, you read it right – Spam!).
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Product of the Week: Powell All-In-One Piece
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Talk about a kid's dream fort! I would have loved one of these bed/dresser/desk combos when I was a kid! It even had a hiding place in the back (I'm sure this is designed for storage, but it would be so much better for hide-and-seek!)
It's made out of solid pine and plywood (no particle board here!) and it has a full sized bed on the top. You can hang clothes in the back storage area, and the desk is big enough to accomodate a full sized computer or a TV and game console.
Considering you're getting two beds, a desk, a dresser and an armoire in one piece of furniture, $1699 is a steal!
Product of the Week: Kitchen Composter
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Here's a handy little item to help "green" up your kitchen - the Kitchen Compost Bin.
It's small enough (11"H x 9"W x 8.5"D) to keep tucked away in the kitchen, but large enough that you don't have to empty it daily (don't worry, it has a carbon filter in the lid to keep odors to a minimum!). You can easily mount it to a wall or the inside of a cabinet door by way of two screw slots in the back, and then simply slip it off and carry it out by the handle.
It's dishwasher safe and a great deal at $23.99.
Product of the Week & Repurposed Product: Moon and Stars Store & Take-along
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Since I forgot to post the Repurposed Item of the Week last week, I thought I'd give you a two in one this week with the Moon and Stars Store & Take-along.
It's intended for kid's toy storage, but wouldn't it be great for crafts or stamping? Or maybe school supplies or toiletries? Even snacks in the pantry! And if the primary colors aren't you style, a quick coat of paint would make it suitable for any room.
Where would you use it??
Get Organized for Tax Season!
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TAXES. The very word is cringe-worthy! But no matter how much you dread them…how long you procrastinate on doing them…how often you put off calling your tax adviser…eventually, taxes must be done!
Thankfully, there are products created specifically for the tax hater in all of us. Products like the Buttoned Up® Tax Filer™ (available online here) are designed to help us get organized for tax season and eliminate the stress associated with the April 15th deadline!
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Product of the Week: Stacking Bins
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We recently added the cutest little stacking bins to our Stacks and Stacks website!
These handy little bins come in three different sizes; small, medium and large. They're made from a hard but not brittle plastic that's super chip resistant and crystal clear. They're great for CDs, craft or office supplies, seasoning packets in the kitchen, in the bathroom for hair ties.
Their only limit is your imagination!
Is Your Laundry Room Organized?
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Unless you are very fortunate (and already very organized), your laundry room is probably like most; small, and one of the last places you think of organizing. But when you think about it, it’s a vital room to keep on top of. Since I have no garage or hall closet, my laundry room is cleaning and storage central for our home. When it’s disorganized, that feeling of chaos spreads to all my other tasks as well.
Here are a few tips for organizing that all-important room:
• Make the most of your walls - Items like a mop and broom rack, an ironing board rack and fold-out laundry hanger will give you the most bang for your buck and make the most of your otherwise unused wall space.
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Product of the Week: Monitor Stand
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I have trouble with most monitor stands. They’re too tall. But without one, the monitor is too low. Either way, it’s literally a pain in the neck. I had to settle for a ream of printer paper until I found this.
It’s covered in a leather-look black vinyl with white stitching. It has little catch-all pockets on both sides, but the best part is the magnetic-closure drop-down door in the front that hides enough storage space underneath to hide my ream of paper!
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Product of the Week: Light Keeper
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Holiday decorating is so much fun – until you’re confronted with a massive tangled ball of lights! We found a great solution!
The Light Keeper kit comes with two spools that mount to the racks inside of the sturdy storage bag. You can remove the spools to dispense the lights or pull them right off the spool while it's in the bag. Each spool will hold approximately 75 to 100 feet of indoor lights. The bag also has an outer pocket that’s great for extension cords and spare bulbs.
Product of the Week: The Decorating Assistant
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The biggest obstacle when completing a decorating project (whether it's an entire house or just one room) is the clutter that ensues. Drawings, swatches, clippings, business cards, and instruction manuals strewn about the house, are the last thing you need if you want a successful job done.
My jaw just about hit the floor when I came across the Decorating Assistant Organizer. As I raised my fists in the air and let out half-elated / half-aggravated roar to the heavens, I thought about my previous projects and the time, confusion, and headaches I could’ve saved myself.
I am so excited about the Decorating Assistant. Not only because it will keep me organized during my next project, but because staying organized will alleviate the disorder, and put the fun back in decorating!
Marcia's New Business Control Journal
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Are you looking for the perfect system for organising your business?
The new 68-page Organise your Business system is here!
This handy system consists of the Business Control Journal and Organise your Business e-book. Comes complete with forms and templates, ready to use.
Get your business organised so you can focus on inc.ome-producing activities.
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Cluttered? Busted! MIT Has a Designed a Clutter Detector
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Visual clutter - the kind that makes it hard to find anything in the picture - can waste time, or even create dangerous situations. So MIT engineers have designed a visual clutter detector to identify when bad design hampers a person’s ability to understand information, causes confusion, or interrupts concentration.
The scientists say the impetus was that "we lack a clear understanding of what clutter is, what features, attributes and factors are relevant, why it presents a problem and how to identify it."
A clutter measuring device may sound funny, but it's actually "a breakthrough that could help everyone from fighter pilots to Web site designers."
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Product of the Week: Iris Stackable Filing Drawer
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I work from a little office in the back of our one bricks and mortar Stacks and Stacks store, so I get to see first hand many of the new products we get. This one's a winner.
These file drawers are stackable. You can use just one on a tabletop or stack them together to create a whole bank of file cabinets. The thing I like most is the sleek rounded lines of the drawer fronts. They really look classy and they are very affordable.
Don't Touch That Trash Can! Say "Open Sesame"
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You know I looooove to throw things away! But it really bugs me to have to touch a garbage can in order to use it. The worst offenders are the large cans in public places that have the hinged front flap that you have to actually put your hand on and push to drop your trash into the can. YUCK. That's a smart design… NOT.
However, I'm happy to say that Simplehuman has developed a really cool line of infrared trash cans that open when they sense your hand over them. This means no more foot pedals to snap off and break (like my cheap plastic kitchen can did years ago) and no more lifting the dirty lid with your clean fingers in the middle of food preparation. This might give me the chance to say OPEN SESAME a lot more often!
Clutter Control for your iPhone
In the place for everything department: here's the SocketPocket being marketed as a way store and charge your iPhone.
You can also charge IPods, cell phones, PDA's, music players, digital cameras, etc. You just replace your current outlet plate with it and you can stop running saying "Where did I leave the damn phone?"
Bibliochaise: a Furniture Mashup and Clutter Hack
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If you've ever lived in a Manhattan studio apartment, or its under 500 sq ft equivalent, you'll immediately see the brilliance of the furniture mashup Bibliochaise by Nobody & Company. It's a great way to show off your book collection and keep them close at hand.
The company also makes a dining table with recesses designed for wrists and elbows, and several other beautifully designed multi-use types of furniture.
via Treehugger
Product of the Week - Pine-wood Storage Bed
Since under-bed storage seems to be a theme here lately, what better product to feature this week?
This Pine-wood Storage Bed has an amazing amount of storage space packed neatly and inconspicuously beneath it. It’s perfect for small rooms and minimalists.
Who needs a dresser?!
Tote-ally
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Efficiency just got a little prettier.
What a great way to tote all of your 'need at your finger tips' items. Sling your craft projects, vanity items, tools, cleaning products - you name it - over you shoulder and go. These bags come in a range of beautiful colors and can be found here
now….where's my pencil??
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I tend to use my pencils as a hair holders…. and then forget they're there. If I had this, I wouldn't have to absent-mindedly grope for a bit of graphite.
A cool looking notebook, with a pencil nestled in to the die cut pages. The book is sealed shut with elastic strapping to ensure that the pencil stays put and never gets lost while you're on the move.
comprised 100 pages of grid lined paper.
available in : small 5” x 3.5”, large 7.5” x 5.5”
imported from the u.k. and available from $12.00 at shopmodi.com