There are certain organizing techniques and lingo I love. Below is a collection of 7 of my favorites.
Bag of bags – This is a technique I’ve developed to keep shopping bags organized. It is a collection of bags, organized and stored in another bag. We recommend keeping fancier and sturdy shopping bags in one, your fold-able totes in another. To create a bag of bags, take a sturdy shopping bag and put all of your shopping bags in it. I like to organize them by size from largest to smallest so you can easily see what you’ve got. For super easy access, store your bag of bags at the bottom of your closet. You can also create a bag of bags for your gift bags. The best thing about the bag of bags is that it keeps your bags organized and costs nothing, zero, zip, nada!
Body Double – a body double is a term developed by my colleague, professional organizer, Judith Kohlberg (Conquering Chronic Disorganization). A body double is someone that sits with you while you tackle a difficult task. Originally developed for clients with ADHD and issues with chronic disorganization, it has now developed broader application. If there is a task that you know you can do on your own but just need someone to sit with you while you do it, you might need a body double. A body double can be a friend, family member or a professional organizer. A couple of rules of thumb…You’ll want your body double to have good energy, be supportive and most importantly, non judgmental.
2nd Day Pants – I got this term from one of my amazing assistants, Carrie, who is also a comic 🙂 Second day pants are pants that you’ve already worn but are not clean enough to put back in the closet OR dirty enough to put in the hamper. Jeans are a good example of pants that often turn into 2nd day pants. The best way to store 2nd day pants is on a hook on the back of the door.
Nest, Tuck, Stack
Nesting – is a technique where you “nest” smaller items into larger ones like colorful Russian nesting dolls. Nesting is great for items that come in multiple sizes such as bowls, Tupperware and suitcases.
Tucking – is a technique where you “tuck” items vertically into a narrow space oftentimes where one side is a wall or interior of a cabinet. An example of this is tucking cutting boards or cookie sheets inside a cabinet where they are supported by stacked or nested pots and pans. Another example is tucking a step stool or folding chairs in the narrow space between your coats and the side wall of a coat closet.
Stacking – This is a technique that can be used to organize all sorts of things. It is best for storing like items such as dishes, sweaters, t-shirts and other folded clothing. I often like to stack things wedding cake style – This is a term I’ve developed for stacking like items in size order with the largest on the bottom. An example of this is stacking your salad plates on top of your dinner plates for a simple wedding cake effect:) Another example is stacking sets of towels in size order with bath towels on bottom, hand towels and then wash cloths on top – a more elaborate wedding cake:)
Are there organizing techniques and lingo you’ve developed. Leave a comment below and let us know!
Angela,
The beauty of these concepts is that they are trigger devices. As a professional organizer or coach we want to leave clients with skills to do things on their own, and buzz words are wonderful for doing just that. They help with visualizing a solution. “How do I put this stuff away? Oh, stack like a wedding cake… yeah, I can do that!” Lingo, or buzz words, provide powerful ways to remember techniques!
Susan,
thanks for your comment. wedding cake style is one of my favorites. it’s soo visual. everybody gets it.
Angela