I have tried every accessories organization technique available because dealing with lots of little pieces can quickly become a nightmare.  I have accumulated a lot of jewelry over the years, ranging from $1 costume jewelry pieces to priceless family jewels and somehow I can never find the exact piece that I’m looking for when I’m rushing out the door.  I have hats and scarves and headbands and pins and lots of little things that I love to add to my outfit to have something a little more expressive.  I have decided that the perfect way to organize my accessories involves:

1. displaying my variety of pieces in a way that allows me to see what I have and possibly be inspired to wear something specific
2. keeping my valuable pieces in a special place so that they can be protected and safe; they don’t need to be as easily accessible since they will probably only be worn for special occasions

I use a variety of containers, hooks, and jewelry stands for organizing my accessories.  Here are some key pieces:

• earring stand – A life-changing discovery!  After keeping my earrings in a tiny box for years and always wasting time searching for a pair that matched, I finally discovered the fabulous earring stand.  There are many different artistic varieties that allow you to hang your earrings in a way that displays all of your options and always keeps the pairs together.

Image: Urban Outfitters

Twiggy Jewelry Stand $32 at Urban Outfitters

• small drawers – Find something with lots of little compartments for holding your more precious pieces that usually come in their own protective bags.  You can put just one or two pieces in each drawer.  These pieces are worn less so you don’t need them out on display where they can be seen everyday or possibly lost.  If you can’t find a jewelry box like this, look for a product designed for office supply storage.  I just received the one below as a gift from my mom and I LOVE it!  So perfect for an architect!

Image: Cost Plus

Recycled Ruler Desktop Chest $49.99 at Cost Plus

• necklace hooks – Long chunky necklaces are in style right now, so it’s definitely difficult to find a jewelry box that will hold these larger pieces.  I like to put hooks on my wall to hang these necklaces so I can see them displayed and keep them from getting tangled.  You can just use tiny hooks that attach to your wall from the hardware store, or find a jewelry stand with necklace hooks.

Image: Urban Outfitters

Yes Frills Wall Jewelry Holder $24 at Urban Outfitters

• tiny bowl – I need a place where I can immediately drop my earrings and rings when I get home from work or going out.  When I’m exhausted I don’t want to deal with finding exactly where everything goes, so I drop everything into a pretty little bowl so I can find everything in the morning.

• hats & scarves hooks – An over-the-door hook is perfect for stashing all of your long scarves and hats.  Hanging your hats will prevent them from getting crushed and will let them dry if you’ve worn them in the rain or snow.

• purse hanger – I store most of my purses in felt bags in boxes in my closet, but I like to have a few options readily available to me so I can switch throughout the week for different outfits and events.  I choose a few different sizes and levels of dressiness to display on a purse hanger in my closet so I can switch out quickly without having to dig through boxes when I’m on my way out the door.

Image: Bed Bath & Beyond

Handbag Hangup Natural Purse Hanger $12.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond

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How To Keep Your Accessories Organized

Just yesterday I finally made a bit of progress – I filled up the handsoap dispenser in the downstairs bathroom with A WHOLE TUBE of shower gel (Boots Orange Lemon Grape – the scent was too delicious to keep under wraps so I figured I’d use it more quickly this way).  I finally finished the Palmer’s Cocoal Butter Cream, and almost finished the second small lotion I’m working on (Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Orange Ginger).  Yesterday I took the opportunity to shower at my gym, and I brought ALL my bath goodies.  I think I finally finished the Skindecent Shave Lotion, so it’s time to go shopping in the stash!

In any case – this week’s assignment is all about desktop beauty.  I want you to find a few products that you might have duplicates of, that will come in handy at your desk.  Your desk  may be in an office, or it may be in the spare bedroom at home, but there’s no reason to go without a lovely lotion, a small perfume, some antiperspirant (trust me), etc.  I just realized I had two cuticle creams, so one goes in my work bag to my desk drawer tomorrow.  Leave them sitting out (if you trust your co-workers and the cleaning staff) and you’ll use them often.  I also find this is about the only place I can actually use up an entire lipgloss, because I reapply every few hours out of boredom.  I’ve nearly finished a 4 ounce lotion (since march) just by using it on my hands everytime I go to the restroom and use that harsh anti-bac soap.

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Use it Up Challenge – Week 2!

1. Consolidate. This is really easy with certain types of products. Basically, the less fragranced the item, the easier it becomes, but you can also get creative and blend two complimentary-scented products. I frequently consolidate shampoos, dish soap, sunscreen, nail polish removers, and some skincare items like toner. Obviously you don’t want to go consolidating ammonia with bleach, water with electricity, or anything like that.

2. Get Creative. As I mentioned in the kickoff post, just because a product is labeled shower gel doesn’t mean you HAVE to use it in the shower. Use conditioner as shave cream, body spray as linen mist, shower gel as hand soap. I’ve even used cheap shower gel to scrub my toilet. Can you think of any more ways to use things creatively?

3. Pamper yourself. Try to use more products, more often. Take a bath with a bath bomb every night for a week. Light a candle just because, not because you’re expecting company, or because someone did something smelly. One of my favorite ways to really make a dent in my stash and pamper myself is to take a generous amount of body butter or thick body lotion, massage it into my feet, and then wear thick socks to bed. I have heard of people that do this before the gym, which sounds like a great idea as well. In any case, it helps use up lotions which, as you probably know, can turn rancid before you say boo.
4. Take it Back! In the USA, stores have fairly liberal return policies. If you can find the receipt, why not return a few products? Alternatively, many stores like Bath and Body Works will accept returns of new merchandise without a receipt for store credit. You can then gift the credit to a friend, or keep it for a rainy day when you need a quick gift.  I usually only use this method if I’ve bought something that either doesn’t work for me (skincare) or just isn’t to my liking (fragrance).  Be careful, as stores do track what you return and you can actually get blacklisted for chronic returning.  I’m suggesting this only as a one-time fix to help you get a jumpstart on this particular challenge.  The real challenge is learning not to buy because we feel sad, bored, lonely, hungry, or other reasons for ‘retail therapy’.  In addition, SALES are a double edged sword because although we can get good (or great!) deals, sometimes we buy too much.  Think of sales as the Chinese Food Buffet of shopping.  Once in a while is okay, but not frequently,  and even when we do decide to indulge, there is still a need for moderation.

5. Pamper others. Speaking of gifts, you can make someone’s day a bit brighter by surprising them with a bit of scented happiness. And finally, if you’ve REALLY got a big stash, consider donating it to a homeless or battered women’s shelter. Think of how useful and treasured your items will be to the shelter residents, and think of the tax deductions…

There is actually a sixth way to clean out your stash, but it is not recommended to everyone except the die-hard pack rat. If you’ve really let things go, there may be a few or many products that are just not fit to use anymore. Sadly, the best thing you can do at this point is to empty out the container and recycle it. You wouldn’t keep spoiled milk in the fridge would you? Maybe you would, but if you think you might REALLY have a problem with compulsive shopping, hoarding, or other OCD-type issues, my little list probably isn’t much help. The FlyLady is also not for everyone but her method will help chronically disorganized people recover their homes and their lives.

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Use it Up Challenge – 5 Ways to Shrink your Stash

To begin,  gather up ALL your products.  Shower, dresser, under the bed, linen closet – wherever you have it stashed, pull it out.  This might seem like an excellent time to clean the bathroom while you’re at it, but don’t let yourself get distracted just yet.  You will probably find stuff you totally forgot about buying.  I like to call this “shopping in your stash”.  This is the extent of the shopping that you will do during the challenge.

Count how many of each type of item (perfume, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, etc) you have.  It helps to write it down even if you’re not making a spreadsheet.

Now, the key step: pull out ONE of each type of item.  Generally you will want to grab the one that is the most used up.  Leave EVERYTHING ELSE in the hiding place.  In the case of perfume, you may want to use the one that is most appropriate for your current mood and/or weather.  Perfumes are less of a concern right now because they are smaller and also have a very long shelf life (especially if they are kept in a cool, dark place).  Lotions, scrubs,  and oil-based products (perfumed roll-ons, massage oil, etc) have a short shelf life.  Bath bombs and other bath treats also degrade fairly quickly especially if they’re kept in the humidity of a bathroom area.

If the above steps take you more than 30 minutes, you’re either doing it wrong, or you have a really large stash.

Hopefully, in less than a week, you will have finished at least one product.  Make sure to recycle the container if possible,  then head back to the hiding place, and grab the next product.  Again, you will make the most progress if you choose the most used up product.

Sooner or later, you may run out of all your stash of a certain product.  For us product junkies, it’s a crazy feeling when you actually need to buy something because you’re out, instead of feeling compelled by advertising, in need of retail therapy, or etc.  If you’re used to picking up a bottle of this or that everytime you’re at the mall (especially if your mall has a Sephora), this may be somewhat of a shock.  But trust me, it gets easier with every day, and your financial situation will be that much improved.

And keep an eye on your consolidated ’stash’ – we’ll be revisiting it in a few days.  Not that it’s going anywhere…

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Use it Up Challenge – Assignment 1