Today’s Friday Favorite is the Command Hook from 3M. They are functional and attractive hooks that our organizers use and recommend frequently. These easy to use and removable hooks help make use of vertical wall space absolutely anywhere. The Command Hooks by 3M are not only good looking hooks, they are also completely removable with no damage to the walls. I use them in my mudroom. When the kids were little, I placed the hooks at an appropriate height so they could hang up their own coats as soon as they were able—it’s great to get them in that habit as soon as possible! Another great use for command hooks is in a closet or a bathroom—especially with kids—hanging towels, robes etc… at the appropriate height allows them to start taking the responsibility of putting their own things away. Apartment buildings, office space, teacher’s classrooms, there’s many places that having a removable, non damaging hook can come in handy. You can purchase Command Hooks at The Container Store or online at Amazon.com.
It’s the middle of summer and if you’re a pool goer or frequent shower taker, you know that towels take forever to dry during the humid summer months. I know its a crazy time of year to be talking about heaters, but today’s Friday Favorite is a heated towel bar. I have found it to be a great solution to keeping your towels from getting that stinky mildew smell on them, not to mention the extra loads of laundry with so many towels in use. Have you ever forgotten about a load of laundry in the washer, only to realize a day later that it all smells
like mildew? You can re-wash the load and even add a bit of vinegar to remove the smell, but if towels and damp clothes lie around, the will get that aweful smell on them. I usually get beach towels to dry quickly by setting them in the sun, but it’s inconvenient to have to do that with the bath towels. If you have thick towels, they take forever to dry—especially when it’s humid. We have a heated towel bar like the one in the photo and it’s great at keeping towels warm and dry all year long. You can purchase a bar of hooks to hang on the bar and that makes it even easier to throw your towels up on the heater. It’s great to get out of the shower to a nice warm towel, but it’s even better to keep towels mildew free in the summer. Our towel bar is made by Runtal, and there are many different types of heated bars to choose from. Remember to not keep the heat on too long. If the towel bar is heated when you’re finished with a shower and you’re leaving the house, just turn it off, the heat will dry up the towel quickly—no need to heat up the room when it’s 95 outside!
Ziploc bags are an essential element in any organized home (we also find plenty of them in not-so-organized homes). We are mid-way through March and that means that many people are planning spring break get-aways. Ziploc bags are perfect for travel. Now that sectioning out your liquids into 3oz containers when flying is the norm, the Ziploc bag is more handy than ever. Even before we had to put liquids into clear bags for flying, they were still the optimal choice because they protect leak-ables from oozing onto other items. I always travel with an extra stash, they’re great for toiletries, food (that’s what they were meant for, right?), sectioning and sorting everything from tiny toys to papers and puzzles, the list is endless. There’s also Ziploc Big Bags which are great for sorting clothes, keeping sets of linens together, etc…what do you use Ziploc bags for?
Last week, we packed up the kids and the car and set out on a road trip to Texas. I was looking forward to the extra time spent with my family in the car. Now that the kids, especially my boys, are getting older (11 and 13), I was anxious to get them to a place where we could have some quantity time together. As much as I enjoy organizing, I do not like packing. In the past year I’ve tried to challenge myself to travel light and really think hard about what pieces to bring on a trip. I used to feel you needed a different outfit for each day (my husband still packs like that). I’ve changed my thinking. Now I pack only versatile clothing that can be worn and changed into several different outfits. I was very proud that on a recent ski trip, I packed for four days of skiing in a small cary on bag that fit under the seat on the airplane!
One thing I did very different on this trip, was that none of us brought a suitcase. Each family member got a basket. I love these collapsible baskets from The Container Store. I use them all the time in my laundry room, and now they serve a new purpose as travel bags. I packed one extra basket with all the items necessary for our one night in a hotel on the road. When we arrived at the hotel, only one basket came out of the car. When we arrived at our destination, each person had their basket of clothes and the extra basket was used for dirty clothing and laundry. No suitcases to zipper, and easy access to everything. Give it a try sometime, think outside the suitcase and work with what makes traveling efficient and easy for you.
We recently spent the day at the International Housewares Show. We didn’t see everything, you’d have to walk over 13 miles to see the entire show! Here are a few items of interest we found:
- Seville Classics: This is a terrific laundry sorter. I’m a huge advocate for having the whole family place their laundry into a common sorter. When the sorter is full, throw in a load. The rod above the bins is an added bonus!
- Sterilite Shelving and Containers: Sterilite will be coming out with a nice line of shelving that’s the perfect size to house their containers. The set would be perfect in a garage or a basement. I was not able to find images of it online, but I will keep an eye out to see when they are released. I think many of our clients would find the set useful.
- Spice Device: No more having to grab the set of measuring spoons. Stick the spice device on frequently used spices to quickly measure and add to a recipe!
- Dry Dock: This is a nice big antibacterial
sponge to set your drying dishes on. Rather than using a large dish rack, place them on this Dry Dock and let them dry.
InstaHanger: Here’s a cute idea for a foyer, porch or any other area you’d like to have the option of hanging up some extra items. When not in use, it makes a nice decorative frame for photos.
*Chaos To Order has no financial relationship with any of these companies and did not receive any free product. These items were selected based on vendors we visited at the International Housewares Show.
