My kids are finishing school this week and as desks and lockers are being emptied at school, all the chaos is creeping into the house. Cleaning out backpacks exploding with papers, clothing and school supplies can be an overwhelming job for anyone, especially the kids. Here’s how I’m bringing the end of year school chaos…
Your smartphone can be a helpful gadget in the ongoing battle to get and stay organized. If you have a phone with a camera, take some snapshots as a quick way to help keep you organized when you’re on the go. Here’s a list of some handy photos to snap: • Printer cartridge refills. Take a…
If you need to keep dimensions handy for an organizing or remodeling project, the My Measures & Dimensions App is a good choice. For example, if you want to add the right size containers to a shelving unit you own, just snap a photo of the shelving, take the measurements and add them right onto…
I’ve mentioned in the past that I am a huge fan of Apple and how their computers and devices help to keep not only Chaos To Order, but also the Friel family organized. One feature I’ve recently taken to is the App “Reminders” with Siri (who is the talking personal assistant on the iPhone). At…
When we have something to contain, the first impulse (at least for those of us who love organizing) is to go out and purchase a new container. Sometimes you find the perfect container right at home. Here are a few ideas of containers that work better than some of the options you can find in…
Today is my daughter Alissa’s 9th birthday, so on this day, I thought I’d share a gift I give my kids on their birthdays so they will remember the past year. I make an annual digital photo album for each of them. The album goes from birthday to birthday and highlights all the adventures of…
It’s that crazy time of year when kids sporting activities are in full swing. Here’s what our organizer Lara does to keep all the different sporting activities organized in her busy household: My family is involved in multiple sports per person including soccer, baseball, basketball, softball, football and tennis. Recently, our mudroom, which is really…
With Mother’s Day only a few days away, one quick and easy gift option that mothers and grandmothers always love are photos. Walgreens.com is a great site for all kinds of photo related gifts. What I love is that you can upload and order online and pick up in the store. I ordered some poster…
Many Americans have the misperception that estate planning is simply preparing for one’s death and is only necessary for the wealthy. To the contrary, estate planning is for everyone! By taking the time to organize and convey your wishes as to what happens to your assets when you die or become incapacitated, your family/heirs will…
If you have several types and sizes of frying pans in your cabinet, keeping them organized can be a nuisance. They get scratched up when they’re stacked and it’s a hassle to pull the bottom pan out from under all of the others. Here’s a good solution: You can purchase a wire pan organizer like…