Please click here for an important update about Streamlined by Steven's pay-what-you-can (including $0!) remote offerings during this challenging time. 

Thank you for everything you do to take care of others. We need one another even more than usual, these days.

Binder pencil cases are inexpensive all year round, but especially now, when back-to-school supplies are on clearance.
It’s a great time of year to stock up on cases for your home, office, car, gym bag... you name it!
The cases are perfectly sized for your:

• ​backup smartphone battery pack and wall charger
• swim cap, goggles, and combination lock for the pool
• keep-kids-occupied kit (ideal for unexpected delays during errands, at the doctor, etc.): game cards, stickers, finger puppets, crayons, origami paper
• & more!

Long time, no post, for the best of reasons: I've been busy with a fun and fascinating range of client projects!

So, if you're like many people, you have a Post-it/sticky note habit... which makes sense because they're just so handy. This is not judgment, but rather offering information so you can make the decisions that feel right for you.

Sticky notes:

• Usually cost you money, unless you get them for free from your job or a promo
• Definitely cost us trees
• Are frustrating when you can't find a specific note--or when it turns out the adhesive weakened and the note fell somewhere
• Also, did you know that sticky notes can damage your books and damage recycling equipment?!

If you want to save money, trees, and time spent on the floor searching for Post-its... you've come to the right place! 

Here are a few suggestions to reduce the eco-impact of sticky notes. These are roughly in order of increasing eco-friendliness:

• If you're buying stickies, get recycled ones that are also compatible with future recycling, like these (as always, no product endorsement implied: this is just an example).
• Use scrap paper for jotting notes or reminders
• Purchase a reusable, erasable board, ideally something glass instead of plastic
• Use a note-taking app on your phone: Apple also offers a proprietary Notes app, while Google has a Reminders function in Google Calendar. There are also many free options in app stores. 
  • Most of these programs are searchable and back up to the cloud, so you never have to worry about losing a specific note again!

Ah, office supplies. Necessary--and yet so easy to misplace!

Searching for a stapler, scissors, or tape isn't just frustrating: it also takes up your valuable time and risks interrupting your work flow. Plus, many people just end up buying more when they can't find what they already have. 

Save stress, time, and money: let me help put your supplies at your fingertips! Here's an example, posted with client permission.

Note: your solution will be tailored to you, just as this client's was. I believe that you know yourself best, and that my role is to facilitate how you prefer to work and live!

Liberate your silverware organizers from the bounds of the kitchen! :) Try expandable silverware organizers (also known as utensil or flatware organizers) throughout your home.

• Home office: organize office supplies like pens, scissors, & sticky notes. Silverware organizers work well atop a desk or inside a drawer. Friendly reminder: if you plan to use the organizer in-drawer, always measure the inside dimensions of your desk drawer before purchasing! :)

 

• Small apartments: these organizers are particularly well-suited for apartments without much storage space, because they come in various attractive materials: bamboo, copper, walnut, and more.* Use it for both organization and decor! 
  (The dimensions are also great for a few basic tools--screwdrivers, measuring tape, nails--if you don't have room for a full toolbox.)

 

• Craft rooms and art studios: for paintbrushes, tubes of paint, markers, chalk, & more.

 

• Kid's or teen's homework area: glue sticks, sticker sheets, crayons, ruler, compass, protractor, pencil sharpeners, erasers... 

Goodwill often has silverware organizers for sale. If you can't find them, look for silverware itself: the organizers are usually shelved nearby. Goodwill can be a great choice: less impact on your wallet, and on the Earth!
​
Frantically searching for your screwdriver or scissors is a source of stress and irritation. Knowing where things are, by contrast, helps you stay calmer--and frees up your emotional energy to be more patient and present!

*As always, no compensation was received for linking to these products: they're merely examples, not endorsements. 

​Sometimes, people mistakenly assume that getting organized requires purchasing lots of storage supplies.

While purchasing new bins, boxes, etc. can be fun, it is definitely not your only option!

Many household items that would otherwise go to waste can be re-purposed for organizing. Reusing items for organization is an all-around win: it saves you money, keeps non-recyclable items out of landfills, and reduces the energy costs of processing recyclables!

Some ideas to get you started:

1. Cut the flaps off of cardboard boxes to use as in-drawer dividers
2. Use plastic Crystal Light (or other powdered beverage) containers to hold writing utensils; see topmost photo, above
3. Remove the labels from empty pill bottles--you may need an adhesive remover, like Goo-Gone--and use the bottles to hold earrings, cufflinks, etc. while traveling
4. Rinse clear plastic or glass spice jars, then use as holders for office or arts and crafts supplies. See lower photo
   Tip: Jars with perforated lids make especially good glitter shakers!  
5. Add casters to outgrown, small chests of drawers (e.g., those for children's clothes) to create a mobile cart for reading material, office supplies, or snacks
6. Turn old curtains into an attractive bedskirt (no sewing required!)--and then use under-bed space for storage!