Trash Day Tuesday: Electronics

Yaye, Trash Day Tuesday is back! I love this series. I love getting rid of items that no longer serve my needs!

Ok, let's get this post rolling.

Let's start where we always start- reevaluating the electronics that you own. As many electronics/electrically operated items are plugged in and used, you are going to have to take an inventory of everything that you use. I mean it- go into every room and write down EVERYTHING you have, its frequency of use, and your plan for it. Dig all your electronics out. If you are brave enough tackle everything you store in your basement, garage, and attic. Here's my inventory:

This might seem crazy to you but being this thorough helps you be more honest
about your needs. I decided to omit the hallways (we have no electronics there)
and the kitchen (I want to tackle the kitchen another day). On a side note, isn't
it crazy how many electronics we have?! I know this is all for a family of four
but somehow it still seems ridiculous to me, especially if you keep in mind that
some of these items have many components. 

Once you have sorted out the things to remove from your house, the work gets MUCH easier. If you are feeling generous consider donating your working electronics to Goodwill, Oxfam, the Salvation Army, etc.  Whatever doesn't work or doesn't work well can be recycled responsibly through ANY electronic manufacturer or dealer. Seriously, free of cost to you, the company HAS to provide a way for you to recycle your electronics. I believe this is the case for most US states- I don't know if any similar laws exist internationally but I am sure there are some sort of organizations that deal with recycling e-waste. It gets better, most manufactures/dealers offer incentives to customers for taking part in such recycling programs. In my personal experience Apple, Verizon, and Best Buy all have trade-in-programs where you get monetary credit for items that they determine have value to them.** If they don't offer money for your products they will at least take the product off your hands and recycle it. If they don't accept your particular electronic, give 1800RECYCLING a call/Google search. In total, I recycled 11 items which is awesome even though mom and dad wouldn't let me toss everything that I wanted to toss. All about compromise I guess. :)

How many unused electronics did you have? Were you able to take advantage of the various trade-in-programs?

** Please note that the company determines the value of your product. Not everything you hand in will be worth money. Everything but the Canon camera was worth absolutely nothing, which I didn't mind- more important to me to get these unused/broken items out of my house and recycled responsibly. Make sure you delete all personal or sensitive information from your electronics- I had to smash my hark drives with a hammer because my computers were lemons and didn't turn on to be cleared.

Trash Day Tuesday: Hangers

As I am gearing up to renovate my closet to maximize space and accommodate my growing closet, I thought this post would be relevant. Most of my clothing hangs in my closet and thus hangers are personal to me. They should be to you as well!

Why good hangers are important?
Sturdy, well structured hangers provide the best support for clothing, which helps them maintain their shape and keeps fabric in tact.

Why hanger uniformity is important?
The answer to this question is mostly based on aesthetics, with a hint of positive reinforcement. Obviously having all hangers be of the same style, color, brand, etc is pretty to look at, but it's more than just that. This uniformity, because it it visually pleasing, compels you to keep your closet neat. If something's a mess, it's harder to clean it. It something look neat, it's easier to maintain it. It's a simple change that you can make to help reinforce a behavior that is favorable.

With all this as background, let's talk about what to keep and what to toss.

To Toss //

• Wire hangers from the dry cleaner (these are SO BAD for your clothing).
• Broken hangers.
• Hangers that are warped.
• Hangers that are too big/too small.

To Keep //

• When looking for new hangers or which hangers to keep, think about the hanger's function. You don't have to have the exact same hanger for every type of clothing. Skirts should be hung on skirt hangers, blazers should be hung on padded hangers. Keep function in mind, when choosing the proper hangers for your needs.
• I would recommend felt, wooden, metal, or plastic hangers- all depends on what you are hanging. (Tip: If your clothing slips from the hangers, try tying a rubber band on each hanger shoulder so prevent clothing from slipping off.)

Trash Day Tuesday: Spare Wires, Cords, and Cables.

If you suffer from a surplus of collected wires, cords, and cables, then this post is meant for you. Almost all of us own some sort of electronics that require the use of these electric snakes. The trouble is, without us knowing, they seem to multiple and engage in epic tangling wars when we are not looking. Plainly stated, they are a messy annoyance. Therefore, this Trash Day Tuesday is dedicated to purging and organizing our spare wires, cords, and cables! (Do not mistake this post for organizing solutions when it comes to cable management- that'll happen another day when I am brave enough to tackle my family's entertainment center. Yikes!)

We all feel this way when dealing with wires, cords, and cables.
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The Process //

Here's the step by step guide to getting your wires, cords, and cables in order:

Use this chart to help you organize your wires, cords, and cables. 

Wrapping Techniques //

Over-Under Method- creates a circular loop which is as easy to unravel as it is to wrap. 

Daisy Chain- creates a braid by crocheting the wire into itself. Note, keeping the two ends together helps prevent knots from occurring. 

 

Electrician's Wrap-creates a neatly wrapped and knotted figure. Instead of laying the cable on the ground, some people loop the cable over their forearm.

Storage Ideas //

Labeling

When it comes to labeling, the sky is really the limit.
I personally like the idea of small tags, such as
these ElastiNotes- simple and effective.Source

Label each charger, wire, and cord if it belongs to a specific
electronic. Never frantically search for a charger ever again.
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Storing

Use toilet rolls for storing cords and keep
cords separated. Label each roll and store
vertically in a container. No more tangles!
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Store small cords and wires in ziplock bags and label them
accordingly. This method is so helpful when traveling
because you can just grab and go.
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Use a plastic box with dividers to organize cords and
wires into categories. These dividers are home made!
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For those of you wondering what my before and after looks like, here it is:

Where to start?! Our cords weren't so much tangled as they were improperly stored and not labeled.
I had tried to tackle this mess once before so the cords and wires are relatively neatly wrapped-
although, some were improperly wrapped. We also had a surplus of unused cables and electronics.
To be honest, I didn't even know what half these cables were for or to what they belonged. 

Going through the process. Took about 15 minutes and I was able to get rid of 3 routers, and give some cords to my
dad because he'll use it for work. Once I organize our entertainment center, I might toss more cords out.

I used the same box, but implemented the ziplock idea. It looks very neat- it actually closes and feels light!

Do you have a spare cord problem as well? What transformations have you made? Any clever storage ideas, like storing wires in circular tuber-ware?

Trash Day Tuesday: Socks

This Tuesday I had planned to write about downsizing Christmas decorations, but then I realized that this year my family didn't decorate so I couldn't actually show you examples of what to do. I thought writing a post without actually doing it myself would lead to inaccuracies. So, here we are today and I am writing about socks instead. Yes, you read correctly- SOCKS! Socks are a must for everyone! Let's tackle that sock drawer today.

Purge //
The first step to clearing out your sock drawer is purging of old, uncomfortable, disliked, or holey socks. I used to keep socks with holes in case I ran out of socks but I quickly realized that made me more self conscious if I had to take my shoes off and sometimes the opening in the sock irritated my skin. Unless it is an absolute must, get rid of socks that are generally considered undesirable.

Categorize //
You are probably getting tired of seeing the same headlines, but that's how organizing works- similar processes for handing all types of situations. You must group your socks into categories. Categories you might have are: trouser socks, gym socks, fuzzy socks, ankle socks, skiing socks, regular socks, etc.

Store //
Storage really depends on your categories and personal taste. I personally just stick all my socks into a drawer after I have balled up each pair. Trouser socks/nylon socks go with other hosiery in my intimates drawer. If I was a heavy duty gymnast, I might have specifically designated socks for gymnastics but since my needs are simple, I only have two categories.

Key Lesson //
The important thing about socks is making sure that the pairs are together and that they are contained in a separate drawer or basket. Socks are so small and numerous that they look messy and easily create disorder. If space is an issue and you are forced to store them with other items then create a CLEAR separation. Get drawer dividers or cloth inserts. Trust me, this will go a long way.

This is what my drawer looks like. Inside, yet it is messy
but this is practical for me. I don't really care what socks
I wear when, so this jumbled "mess" is fine by me.

I could organize my socks by color, as I have done above, or by season-
thin socks for warmer months and thick for colder months.

What do your socks drawers look like? Do you think organizing socks by categories is too tedious of a job or even unrealistic? How do you fold your socks?

Trash Day Tuesday: Umbrellas

Welcome to a new series that I like to call, Trash Day Tuesday. Every Tuesday, we will embark on a mission to de-clutter your home one space at a time by tossing away items that you don't use or need. We often forget to assess our items and their uses, so Trash Day Tuesday will help us do just that and tackle our clutter.

Drowning in umbrellas- at least they aren't broken.
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Today's topic is related to rainy days. No matter where you live, you probably own an umbrella, a poncho, or some other item that helps you stay dry on wet days. When the skies are leaking, umbrellas are a saver. I load up on umbrellas but I only reach for a select few when I actually need them. When umbrellas break on me, I never throw them away, thinking that they might come in useful one day. Sure, the day when all my umbrellas are broken and I'll have to pick the less broken one. When it rains, I shuffle anxiously through hoards of broken umbrellas to find one that stays open. It's frustrating, time consuming, and ridiculous. Tell me I'm not the only one in this boat.

This Tuesday's task is therefore rather simple- going through your umbrella collection. Let's do it!!!

First order of business is to pull out every umbrella in your house, no matter its condition.

Separate umbrellas into 3 categories: broken, flimsy/bad quality, and good quality. Broken umbrellas will obviously be tossed out. Flimsy/bad quality umbrellas you should keep as emergency or guest umbrellas. The good quality umbrellas you will obviously keep and store for your own personal or familial use.

Tada, you are done! And it probably took you 15 minutes and you easily organized one group of items in your house!



Useful Umbrella Tips
1. Every household should have personal sized umbrellas and one large diameter umbrella. There should also be good quality and working umbrellas for every member of the household.

Large cane umbrella, like a porter's umbrella.
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2. Everyone should have a small box of guest umbrellas. These are umbrellas that you don't mind giving away to guests in case it starts raining when they are leaving your house. Dollar stores have cheap umbrellas but you should try to use the umbrellas that you have and don't like- sounds bad but hey, at least you are thoughtful enough to give your guests an umbrella regardless of its condition. :)

3. If you don't fancy being surprised by and unprepared  for rainy weather, then consider having a spare umbrella in your office and in your car for emergencies. The quality of umbrella depends on you.

4. Folding umbrellas are great for travel. I personally love Tote umbrellas. They fit in purses and briefcases and are extremely sturdy, wind resistant, and durable. Most folding or mini umbrellas can not withstand a bit of wind, but these are tough! Plus, they open and close automatically! I recommend Tote umbrellas!

5. After you have used an umbrella make sure you let it fully dry.

6. Umbrella sleeves should not be mislaid. They serve a purpose- to protect your umbrella. Always close your umbrella and place it in its sleeve.

Don't toss or lose your umbrella sleeves. You need them! Use them!
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Storage Tips

1. Store guest umbrellas in a box near your front entrance.

2. Store personal umbrellas in an umbrella basket. These baskets can be decorative and, in my opinion, can add an old world charm to your house.

I love these types of umbrella baskets.
These would look beautiful near the front
entrance- aesthetic and functional.
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Show me your umbrella basket.