Organizing Your Dorm Room
August 16, 2010
Well, it’s that time of year again when kids and parents are preparing for the start of school. If you or your child is heading off to college, you might be wondering how you will possibly fit all that stuff into an area seemingly smaller than a prison cell. The most important thing to consider is that given the minimal horizontal space, you need to make the most of the vertical space. Here are some examples:
Black Storage Cube
• Interlocking Wire Storage Cubes – these are a staple item in any dorm room. You can store just about anything in them from sweaters to books to snacks. You can also store totes in here to group shower supplies or laundry supplies together.
• Closet Organizers – even though the closets are tiny, there are still things you can do to maximize what little space you do have. A double hang closet rod allows you to double your space for hanging clothes by providing a second rod that hangs from the first. Other options for your closet include hanging shoe organizers, hanging sweater organizers, and shoe racks or stackable drawers for the bottom.
Closet Shelf Organizer
• Shelving – vertical shelving around your desk can provide useful storage space for books, class materials, computer equipment, CDs, DVDs, etc.
• Beds – don’t overlook the beds themselves. If your school will allow it, making your beds into a loft nearly doubles your living space. If that is not an option, see if you can bunk the beds or use bed risers. If neither of these options is feasible in your dorm room, make use of the space under your bed with under bed storage containers. This can be a great place to store bulky items like sweatshirts or sweaters. You can also store your luggage under your bed.
Over-the-Door Shoe Organizer
•Over the Door – there are so many over the door hooks, racks and organizers on the market now. Hooks can be great for hats, coats and wet towels. Shoe organizers can be great for shoes, but you can get creative as well. The pockets can be used for other things like lotions, hair products, hair brushes, accessories and more.
Some schools can provide the dimensions of your room before you arrive. This can be extremely helpful in allowing you to plan before you arrive. In addition to the tips mentioned above, don’t forget to be realistic about how much you really need to take to college. For example, if you are coming home at all during the school year you can swap out clothing for the changing seasons. Now, get packing. Congratulations – college is such an exciting and memorable time in your life. These organizing skills that you practice in your dorm room will serve you well the rest of your life!
– Donna Lindley, Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Rochester Hills, MI-based Organize Your World, Inc.
For more back-to-school organization ideas visit Organize-It.
Introducing our Organizing Expert, Donna Lindley
August 16, 2010
Organize-It is excited to introduce Donna Lindley as our Organizing Expert for our new blog. Donna Lindley is a Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Organize Your World, Inc. based in Rochester Hills, MI.
Donna founded Organize Your World, Inc. in 2003. She and her team of professional organizers bring simplicity to their clients’ lives and environments, and help them to reduce stress, regain control, and find more time to do the things which they enjoy most in life. Organize Your World, Inc. is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).
Prior to founding Organize Your World, Inc., Donna graduated with honors from Hope College, majoring in Mathematics with a minor in Psychology. After graduation, she spent nine years as a Manager with Accenture, a global management consulting company. When she’s not organizing, Donna enjoys exercising, traveling, and spending time with her family.
In this new blog, Donna and her team will convey simple, practical, and easy-to-implement organizing tips and solutions that align with their philosophy “when you organize your life, you simplify your life”.
Visit Organize-It: Your Storage and Organization Resource
Smart Back-to-School Shopping Tips
August 10, 2010
The best part of going back to school is the excitement of starting fresh, and it starts with school supplies. It’s that time of the year to take advantage of the back-to-school sales especially in this economy. Some states even provide tax free holidays. But if your state isn’t on the list, have no fear! These tips should help:
Stick to the List
Some schools send out the supply list a little later than expected but don’t be fooled, start shopping for the basic essentials. Then, when you get the school supply list, buy the necessary items. Don’t consider buying things that aren’t listed, unless it’s well worth it. In most instances, It will never be touched and you could save a few dollars in your wallet.
The Sunday Paper
The paper provides tons of deals and coupons. Make sure to utilize all of the deals from the different stores. If there’s 2 coupons from the same store, split the load up between parents and utilize both coupons.
Clothing
Now-a-days, kids are less label-driven and more concerned about finding the right pieces that are their stylish and fashionable, regardless of price. Your child will outgrow or wear out the clothes faster than you think, so forget the designer labels and start with the store-brand for comparable quality. Begin with discount retailers to purchase the basics and trendier pieces for the right price. Then, head to the brand name stores for a few specialty pieces, but give your child a budget so they can start to learn how to manage money too. This will give you an array of outfits to wear throughout the school year on a friendly budget. Summer clothes are also in their final end-of-summer sales where you can catch great deals while they make room for the fall season. We all know the kids are going to wear those summer polo’s well throughout the year.
College Checklist
If you or your child are heading to college, we’ve made you a Back-to-School College Checklist. Print it out and shop with it to make your college student’s space feel more like home.
For more ideas, check out the back-to-school selection at Organize-It.
Happy shopping!