5 Organizing Rules to Live By in 2018

Hello, hello! In honor of "Get Organized Month" it's time I let you in on a few secrets that can help you get your space in check.

RULE 1: Organize First, Shop Second

One of the most fun parts of organizing is making that trip to the Container Store! It's so easy to get lost wandering the aisles and even easier to fill your cart to the brim with all of their amazing solutions. However, I always focus on decluttering first. Once you see what you are left with, try and utilize items on hand, even if they may not be conventional storage solutions. Once you've done that, then take that well-deserved trip to the store and choose products that will finish off the space, like my favorites here.

The Baer Minimalist's Favorite Organizing Products

As we settle into the new year, I'm sure many of you have made resolutions that include things like decluttering your house, spending more time with family and friends or just being more organized/on top of things in general.

By starting small, with a single closet or space, you might be surprised at the motivation this causes in other areas of your life.

I recently had a friend reach out as she was stumped with how to organize her hall closet which needed to house everything from linens to beach towels to medicine for her family of four. She was several states away, so this was my first time tackling a virtual organization job and it was so fun to see the progress after a shopping trip on her end and about one hour of time organizing the closet.

Which leads me to sharing a few of my favorite products for organization (many of which I recommended in her space).

PROJECT // Kitchen Pantries Before + Afters

Oh Pantries! How I love organizing these little (and sometimes big) spaces!!

It always starts the same way...checking those handy expiration dates. It's amazing how many items are hidden inside the pantry that expired one, two, sometimes eight years ago. Once we've cleared the clutter, it's time to get things in order.

No matter what the space looks like, my goal is to create zones on the shelves that fit the family's lifestyle. These could be anything from beverages, to breakfast, to baking, to grab-and-go snacks.

Pantries are also probably the space in your home that are replenished most often, so labeling is uber-important. My favorite markers for labeling are these chalk markers that come in such vibrant colors and work on tons of different surfaces. White and black are certainly the go-tos, but adding a pop of color is so fun, especially when kiddos are using the space.

Where to Donate Just About Everything in Indianapolis

This summer I was chatting with a woman who used to sell Creative Memories scrapbooking kits. She had boxes and boxes filling an entire walk-in closet and portion of a guest bedroom (and they'd been there for years). She no longer wanted or needed these items, but because of the large investment she made, she just couldn't bear the idea of dropping items off at a spot where items would be resold.

I made a few calls and discovered that she could bring these items down to Riley Children's Hospital. Craft supplies would be used for kids in the Child Life Zone, and the journals and scrapbooking kits would be placed in a closet that parents with little ones in to NICU would have access to, so they can document their time at the hospital.

Indy Business Owners’ Tips for an Organized Holiday

Last month, I joined forces with five other female business owners in Indianapolis to chat about our favorite online tools over on Kahunify's Blog.

This month, we are coming together to share our tips for staying focused and organized during the busiest season of the year. I could talk about organizational hacks all day long and learned so much from each of these ladies as we shared our tips. Enjoy and Happy Holidays from the Business Bloggers of Indy!

PROJECT // Polished Family Room for Four

A few months back, I was tasked with helping a family of (almost) four style their family room. They wanted a cozy, comfortable vibe, but also felt like it was time to upgrade furniture that had been moving from house to house with them since college!

Could I help pull together this room? Shop on their behalf? Style the bookshelves?

Um....yes please!

Here is a sneak peek from my very first visit - it was time to say goodbye to the maroon chair + ottoman and pull this room together!

Organized | LIFE, Organized | SPACESMaria BaerNovember 20, 2017The Baer Minimalist, LLCBefore/After, Stylized, Client ProjectComment

The Baer Minimalist's Pre-Vacation Organization Tips

With all sorts of travel scheduled in the coming weeks, I wanted to share a couple of tips for getting ORGANIZED prior to vacation. I’m all about ENJOYING every minute of a vacation, and for me, that means not having to worry about things at home while I’m away.

My husband and I LOVE to travel! Our relationship has taken us to six continents together, starting by meeting 13 years ago studying abroad in Wellington, New Zealand. See if you can spot us from that time period below - shouldn't be too tough!

With each of these trips, we seem to hone in on ways to ease the stress of getting out the door on vacation.

10 Tips for an ORGANIZED + ENJOYABLE Holiday Season!

I absolutely adore everything about this time of year! The celebrations, the decorations, the extra time with loved ones spread across the winter months. It should be such a joyous time of year.

And yet, it can be totally stress-inducing without a little planning ahead!

So today I want to share my top 10 tips for an ORGANIZED + ENJOYABLE holiday season! I've got a few timesaver tips and a handful of hacks that will provide you with the ability to just relish in the true meaning of the season.

How California Closets is Using Virtual Reality to Help You Better Organize Your Space

I love geeking out over new technology and just learned about a concept that is going to be a total game-changer in the closet organization world.

Introducing, VIRTUAL REALITY for closet design! I can’t even WAIT to see this in action!

California Closets is introducing VR into their client experience, giving people a chance to visualize ALL of the possibilities before getting started on a project.

Tiny Space // Max Potential

I recently worked with a client who lives in a one-bedroom home in a really cool little pocket of Indianapolis called Fountain Square. This lucky gal is within walking distance to work, groceries, restaurants & bars. Dream life, right?!

However, this 600-square foot home has just one closet (located in the bedroom), so she’s had to be very creative when it comes to housing all of her possessions. Upon move-in she opted to have the stackable washer/dryer removed so that she’d have one more space to keep belongings.

Well, this space has become her true catch-all. In her words, “The only spot I have for major storage had become a black hole for odds and ends in my house.” She had quite the mix of electronics, toiletries, gift wrapping supplies, sheets, towels, games and and memorabilia all craving to be organized.

Books and DVDs and CDs, Oh My!

I absolutely love to read…in fact, I had a goal growing up that I would read every book in our library. Spoiler alert, this is not achievable.

I love curling up with a book in my hand and was super resistant to adapting to a Kindle when I received one as a gift years ago. But it has been a total game changer, so much so that I’ve edited the books in my home down to a couple dozen.

Going through my collection of beloved books, sparked a mission of downsizing my various collections of CDs, DVDs and magazines. It’s amazing how much space these items can take up and how they find their way into every room of a house.

But it can be challenging too, as it seems that each item evokes a memory of the past. I wanted to come up with some ways to ease the decluttering process of these beloved collections.

Home Maintenance Calendar

Hey gang! I wanted to share a tip for organizing your home maintenance needs - rather than just waiting for your favorite service providers to keep you in check or WORSE, coming home to appliances that have decided to fall apart in one way or another.

Something that has helped us stay organized is creating a "Home Maintenance" calendar in Google that can be shared between me and the Baer. When working with families, I always recommend creating a calendar for each family member's schedule (and the home that keeps your family safe is no exception) - it's quick, color-coded and can be turned on/off depending on what all you want to view on a particular day.

The Baer Minimalist® Blog -- Tips, Tricks and Hacks on living a more ORGANIZED + STYLIZED Life

RULE 1: Organize First, Shop Second