3 Ways to Label Your Shoe Boxes

Hi, Christel here from Space to Love, and it’s been a while since I have written a blog on organizing and decorating. I’m glad to be here today and share a quick tip on 3 ways to label your shoe boxes.

My closet is pretty organized, but I wanted to take it one step further by adding pictures of the shoes to the boxes.

I used to live in New York, the East Village, in a really, really small apartment. My bedroom was only 6’ x 9’; it’s all about the location and not the space when living in Manhattan. Anyway, for my shoe organization, I bought white shoe boxes from Uline, then I used my roommate’s Polaroid camera to take pictures and double-sided tape to attach them to the boxes.

Fast forward to today, and living in Los Angeles, my room is a little bigger, and I actually have space in my closet for my shoes. Yay!

I have clear bins from the Container Store and am no longer using the white Uline boxes. However, I find it hard to see exactly what shoes are in what box when looking down in front of my closet, trying to get dressed. So, I thought I would recreate the NY shoe system here in LA.

Watch the video below, or keep on reading.

I don’t have a Polaroid camera or a roommate anymore, but I do have a mini photo printer with 2” label tape that prints sticker photos. I went ahead and took pictures of all my shoes, printed them out, and adhered them to the clear shoe boxes.

Space to Love - Before Clear Shoe Bins

Space to Love - After Clear Shoe Bins

Another way to achieve a similar look is to use a regular printer and then laminate them. I uploaded all my pictures to my computer, put them in a Word doc, made each photo 2”x3”, and then printed them out. I used a laminator and paper cutter from Amazon and double-sided tape.

Space to Love

The 3rd way is by using the old favorite, a label maker. This will make sure you know which pair of shoes go back into which box. I would print a label that says the designer’s name and then another to go underneath with the style of the shoe, i.e., Calvin Klein, Gold Wedge. This will make it clear, and you know exactly what’s in the box. Now, your shoes will always go back to where they belong, and this will help you stay organized.

No matter which way you go, make sure your labels are nice and straight:)

Keeping them in bins helps you stay organized, but also, putting them in categories in the closet will help you find what you’re looking for faster. It’s all about saving time. So instead of just randomly putting them back, put them back in categories, i.e., sandals, flats, work heels, dressy heels, boots, sneakers, and so on. Create categories that work best for you.

When I'm looking for my sandals, I know what row to look in and find them quickly. I don’t have that many shoes, so it's not crazy necessary, but when you have triple the amount of shoes or more, it's really great to make your categories and organize your shoes that way. You will thank yourself for it.

Some people ask me, “How many shoes do you have?” or “What do you think the perfect amount of shoes is?” and I think that you want to live within the means of your space. I started this project with 30 pairs of shoes. With that amount, I don't feel like I'm overflowing at all, and I think I'm living within the means of my space. I’m also not overwhelmed by having too many choices when it comes to what shoes to wear; this can be very time-consuming. There are only so many decisions you can make in a day, don’t waste them on what shoes.

All the shoes I do have, I wear and love them. However, I will never pass up an opportunity to go through and do a little decluttering if I can. As I take the pictures of the shoes, I will ask myself these questions…

1- When was the last time I wore them? If longer than six months, Do I plan on wearing them again? If not, donate.

2- Do they hurt my feet? Is it worth it…probably not, donate.

3- Are they in style and still represent who I am? If not, donate.

4- Are they too worn out and can’t be fixed? If yes, trash.

While asking yourself the questions above…feel free to try on all your shoes and walk around; this will make it easier to make those decisions.

I did get rid of two pairs of shoes. I actually liked both of them, but I wore them out too much, so they have definitely seen better days, and I had to let them go. I'm now down to 28 pairs of shoes. I just made some room for new things to come into my life:)

I hope you found this helpful and inspiring. Do you have any shoe-organizing tips that you'd like to share with us at the Space to Love community? Please comment below; we would love to hear from you. Happy organizing!!

How To Organize Your Pantry

I love organizing and I love to travel. As a professional organizer, I sometimes get to do both. This pantry was in Malibu, CA. In this video, you may actually be able to hear the ocean in the background.

Pantries are one of the most satisfying areas of the kitchen to organize. It’s amazing how once you declutter and create categories, then put them back into the pantry, what a big difference it makes. It helps you save time, money and be less stressed. When it’s time to cook, shop, or just look for a quick snack you are fully supported by a well-organized panty.

In this video, I go through the Space to Love® 5 Step Method on how to organize your pantry.

Setup, Sort, Select, Sanitize, Style™

4 Quick tips from the video I want to share.

1 - Take everything out.

2 - Create categories for all your items and group them together.

3 - Get rid of everything that is expired.

4 - When putting food into airtight bins cut out the directions, write the expiration date on it and keep it in the bin.

Watch this short video below for the full process.

This is not the first video I have done on organizing a pantry and it probably won’t be my last:) I really can’t help myself!

I hope you found this helpful and we’re always looking for new ways to improve. What organizing tips do you have for the panty that you would like to share? Leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you.

How to Organize Paperwork

Ugh! Paperwork is the worst. This is my least favorite thing to organize but somebody has to do it. If you have paper clutter, I’m sorry and here is a simple way to get that mess off of your desk and into the proper place.

Most of the time I’m showing you examples of client homes but since I would be spending more time on the east coast and I had to set up another office there, I thought I would show you the system I created for myself. I will walk you through how to set up a filing system for yourself using the Space to Love® 5 Step Method to getting and staying organized.

Step 1 - Set up, you will need Post-it notes, a marker, cleaning supplies, file folders (left), trash, recycle, shred pile and a label maker.

Step 2 - Sort, Bring all your paperwork together to start forming your macro categories. Some examples of your macro categories could be House, Work and Personal. Once you figure out what the big categories are then you break them down into micro categories. Let’s say for your House category, you will separate the Water bill, Electric bill, House Repairs etc. Then with your Personal category, smaller categories might be Health Insurance, Car Insurance, Kids, Vital Records. I added a Work Category because I lot of us are working from home and it is good to keep personal and work separate.

Step 3 - Select, for paperwork the selection process is different then clothes or other house hold objects. Some of the papers or notebooks you are going through could be from old classes or seminars that you took. I know your will feel like you need to keep them and reference them but if you haven’ t looked at them in a couple of months or even years chances are you will not need them. When selecting keep in mind what you can access on-line, whether it be with bills and statements or info that Siri can tell you in a few seconds that would take you hours to find in your old notes. This is where you really try to see how much paperwork you can let go of.

Step 4 - Sanitize, get out your cleaning supplies and wipe down the desk and your computer. It always feels good the clean and it’s easier when everything is out of your way.

Step 5 - Style, this is personal and you have to see how many files you are left with and how much space you have and need. I used this filing system from The Container Store because I do like the way it looks and I wanted it open so I can see all my folders. If you wanted a closed option this is one of my go-to’s for my clients. However, you may need a bigger option like this if you have more paperwork. With any option you will need to have hanging folders, to be used for you macro categories.

I hope you found this useful and we would love to hear what you think.

If you are struggling to get organized don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help:)

Client Video Testimonial for Space to Love

April fools day:) You thought you were going to get another quick tip from Space to Love....sorry, no organizing tips today but all kidding aside....

Instead, I had the rare privilege of interviewing one of my long time clients and that is no joke! It’s a fact, most people don’t want others to know that they hired a professional organizer let alone talk about it on camera.

Sofia is amazing and one of the first to find and hire me on Yelp. While we had lunch in this beautiful park, we got to talking about all things organized and what we had accomplished over the past 6 years.

I’m so grateful for the time she took out to do this and that she could answer some questions that a lot of potential clients would always ask. Here are some of the things we talk about in the video.

*Once we are organized do you have to keep coming back?

*What is your method?

*Do I have to get rid of everything?

*Are all organizers alike?

*Can I maintain the organization on my own when we are done?

*What about memorabilia?

*Will I feel judged?

*What is the best thing about hiring a professional organizer?

I hope you enjoy this video of us going down memory lane.

Life is a journey, and as you can see from this video, that journey is so much better when organized.

How to Have Better Pot & Pan Placement in Your Kitchen

Did you know that the best place to keep your pots and pans in the kitchen is right by the stove. I know you’re saying, “Of course, where else would you keep them?!”

Yet, so many times I go into a client’s kitchen and other items are in the cabinets right by the stove. This happens time and time again and at no fault of their own. I find that it’s because when they move in they may not be the ones unpacking and that the moving person might not care where the items go or they’re in a rush and put anything anywhere and think the homeowner will change it later.

Well…I hate to say it but that “later” never comes. I know this to be true because when I get into my client’s cabinets and ask, “Are these here for a reason? Because I think I they will be more useful in another area.” The response I hear is usually, “Oh wow, I actually never thought about changing it” or “It was like that when we moved in and we just left it that way” or “I know it’s not working but I didn’t know how to make it better.”

Once I change things around for them they can’t imagine it ever being the other way again.

In this short video we rearrange two cabinets in this kitchen that my client was so thrilled about…sometimes it’s the little things that make a big impact.

What can you switch around in your kitchen today that would make your cooking life a whole lot easier? If you need any suggestions don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to help when you’re ready:)

How to Be More Efficient in The Kitchen

When you think about organizing your kitchen drawers what comes to mind? How would you make improvements? Some might say get better drawer organizers and/or get rid of stuff. This is true but did you think about the items that were in the drawers and where they should be placed within the kitchen?

The drawers were a small part of this overall kitchen organization project but it really made a big impact for this New York client. It’s amazing how many times I am organizing kitchen drawers and see the cooking utensil far from the stove or the junk drawer having the prime real estate and I ask “What made you set it up this way?” nine times out of ten, I hear “We moved in and just put things away and that’s where they stayed.”

I can’t tell you the joy that I get, as a professional organizer, when I rearrange and organize a few things and then my client is like “I wish we had you here sooner or had you here to help us when we moved in!”

Check out this short video where I show you how things can be placed in the kitchen to be more efficient while prepping and cooking your meals.

I hope you found this helpful. Do you have some kitchen hacks that make your life easier? We would love to hear about them. Share in the comments below.

Happy organizing:)

How to Organize Your Gift Wrapping Supplies

It’s January and that means it is the official Get Organized Month! Do you have any organizing goals you would like to accomplish this month? If yes, start small with a junk drawer, spice cabinet or a coat closet….

I had so much fun working with this client in New York organizing her coat closet that was also part gift wrapping closet. You never know what you are going to find or what is the best organizing solution until you get in their closets and see what’s going on. However, it didn’t take any time at all with this closet because when I saw all those rolls of wrapping paper and ribbons and bows I knew right away what organizing system this closet needed.

As you watch the video below you will see how we used the Space to Love® 5 Step Method to get this coat/wrapping closet whipped in shape. Then we added the Elfa Gift Wrap over the door rack to help my client get and stay organized.

I hope you found this useful and feel free to share your organizing goals with us. We are here to help:)

Happy Get Organized Month!!!

Want to Lose Weight? Start by Organizing Your Fridge:)

Happy New Year!! I’m so happy to see 2020 in the the rear view. While it has been a tough year for most of us I want to stay positive and look to the future.

We all have new year’s resolutions, what’s yours? lose weight? Exercise more? Get out of debt? How about getting organized? I can help you with the last one and combine it with the first.

They say one of the best things you can do when starting a new diet or cleanse is to clear out your fridge and pantry. It gives you the opportunity to get rid of all the unhealthy food items and make room for the good ones. In the video below I help my client clear out her fridge by using the Space to Love® 5 Step Method. Through the process we take everything out, sort “like with like” items and get rid of all unwanted and expired food. This client was not going on a diet but the process is the same. Just by following these simple steps you can created more room for a healthier more organized life.

In the video I show a few things to use to help you stay organized but I want to add on to Step 5 - Style, here are some more items to help keep your refrigerator organized.

Long Bins - Container Store, Target, BedBath&Beyond, and Amazon.

Stackable Drawers & Containers - Container Store, Target, BedBath&Beyond, and Amazon.

Stackable Containers for Leftovers - Container Store, Target, BedBath&Beyond, and Amazon.

Lazy Susan - Container Store, Target, BedBath&Beyond, and Amazon.

Drinks & bottle Holders - Container Store, Target, BedBath&Beyond, and Amazon.

Thanks for reading and watching the video. I hope you found this helpful.

How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets

I love it when my friends hire me to help them get organized. This friend of mine was going to use her crockpot but couldn’t find the lid…so she called me and said, “Ok, let’s do this organizing thing, the holidays are coming and it’s now or never.” I made a quick video of the process. I hope you find this helpful:)

This video goes through the Space to Love® 5 Step Method on how to organize your kitchen cabinets.

5 Steps to Organizing Your Pantry

It was such a treat to help this organizing client in Los Angeles get their pantry clutter-free and in order. I’m so grateful that they let me film it, and that I get to share it with all of you. By using the Space to Love® 5 step method: Setup, Sort, Select, Sanitize, Style, it makes it easy to breakdown the process so you can get and stay organized. Check out the video below.

As an alternative to watching the video, below is a quick breakdown of the steps to follow so you can get and stay organized.

Step 1, Setup. Before you go to the store to buy bins or start pulling everything out of the pantry it’s important to take a few preparation steps prior to getting started. You want to make sure you have enough room to work and the proper tools are on hand. You will probably need markers, post-its, garbage bags, donations bags, a recycle bin, scissors, and a box cutter. This will make it easier to stay on track.

Step 2, Sort. Start pulling everything out of the pantry and sort items into like categories. Some common category examples are baking, sides and pasta, snacks, canned goods, etc. Use your post-it notes to label your categories for a quicker sorting process. Pro-tip, check all expiration dates before putting into categories.

Step 3, Select. Now that all the items are sorted into like piles it is easier to make decisions on which items you want to keep. You can donate your unwanted items that are not open or expired to your local church or food bank.

Step 4, Sanitize. Before returning all your selected items back into the panty, it’s so important to give those shelves a good scrub down because these areas rarely get the chance to be properly cleaned. Feng Shui tip, all dirt and dust is sha chi (negative energy) and should be removed to promote more positive energy in your home.

Step 5, Style. Most of my clients want to purchase containers and decorative items for the pantry before they even start step 1. However, it’s important to wait until after the sort and selection process because you will have a better understanding of what is going back into your cabinet. Step 5 is the time to take measurements and purchase organizing products such as bins, baskets, etc. Once you’ve bought the bins and baskets for the pantry you’ll want to label them with the different categories. Place your items back in the proper categories and this will help you stay organized.

What do you think? By using these steps will it make it easier to get and stay organized? Comment below.