The Posh Blog

I’m always looking for attractive yet functional containers for various projects or clients.  I was browsing the Restoration Hardware Baby & Child web site  the other day and I found some really neat things.  Now I know you hear “Baby & Child” and you automatically assume that this is not for you, but I would tell you don’t let a title keep you away from a really beautiful, stylish, and useful product.  Inspiration is everywhere!

Here are a few of my favorite finds:

Stuff Basket

I love the look of this industrial basket with the STUFF liner!  Obviously great in a boys room, laundry room, or even in a bathroom as shown above.  But this would also work at a lake or beach house for storing beach towels or other items.  Again, love the look!  Click here for product web-site. 

Burlap Storage Collection 
These boxes are simple and stylish and work well in a family room, home office, media room, closet, I love them for a laundry room.  The options are endless, really!  Since they do not have a bold pattern they are very versatile.  Trim color available in ivory, marine (shown), and petal (pink) click here for web-site.  Personally, I think the blue or ivory would be the most versatile. 

Large Open Box: 16″L x 6″W x 6″H.  This is the ideal size box for storing CD’s.  If you have a deep media cabinet these are perfect.  It’s difficult to find boxes that are as long as this one and you will be able to utilize most of the space in your media cabinet.  LOVE it!  May I reiterate, it is EXTREMELY difficult to find containers that are this deep and narrow to hold CD’s AND that are stylish too.  This is a FIND!

Small Closed Box: 11″L x 12″W x 10″H.  The size of this box is perfect for fitting on most bookcases or shelves.  Perfect for storing items you don’t use frequently.  These would be great on an open shelf in a laundry room or the top of a master closet for storing keepsakes.

Large Closed Box: 11″L x 16″W x 11″H.  Again, I love the look of this box.  This one is larger so it will fit on deeper shelves. 

If you are looking for just the right storage solution don’t be afraid to look in the not so common places, you never know what you might find!

Happy hunting,

Angela

Photos from rhbabyandchild.com

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

For the past month I have been testing the Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit thanks to the good folks at SC Johnson A Family Company.  I was very excited to be able to test this product because for years I have been using a Foodsaver Vacuum Food Sealer.  The Foodsaver is great, but it was inconvenient to pull the entire system out, then make a bag, seal the food, seal the bag again, and finally put the Foodsaver away.  The Foodsaver was pretty large too and since I didn’t use it on a daily basis it was not conveniently located.  I loved the outcome of the Foodsaver, but found using it to be inconvenient.    I like using a vacuum sealing systems because cook and bake a lot but I am mindful of being efficient with my time.  If I can chop up an onion once and freeze it in ¼ cup or ½ cup increments that will save me prep time the next time I am cooking.   

The Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit comes with a small handheld vacuum pump and three quart size bags.  I also received a box of the gallon and quart size bags.  I found that I used the quart size bags the most.  

Some of the items I froze during my testing include; diced onions, sliced cheddar cheese, and ground turkey meat.  All items remained in excellent condition free from freezer burn when removed.  But what impressed me the most was when I used the smaller bags for guacamole.  Normally there is not a way of saving avocado or guacamole without it turning brown due to exposure to air.  The Ziploc Vacuum bags have been the only way I could make guacamole last longer than a day in my refrigerator.  I was amazed! 

I also liked that the vacuum pump was easy to clean by hand or by tossing it in the dishwasher.  It’s also small enough to fit in a drawer or basket in your pantry.  Love that!

Locally I found the starter kits and both the gallon size and quart size bags at Target and Wal-Mart.  You can also check your local grocery store. 

Overall I give the Ziploc Vacuum Kit and bags 5 out of 5 diamonds!  I was really impressed with how well the product worked, the ease of using it, and the easy to store small size.  The one thing I would improve is the quantity of bags that comes in a package.  Because I do cook a lot I found that I used up the quart size box very quickly. 

Thanks SC Johnson for letting me test out your product.  SC Johnson was also kind enough to donate a second kit, a box of quart size bags, and a box of gallon size bags to one of my readers.  Leave a comment below telling me why you would like to try the Ziploc Vacuum Kit and you will be entered into a drawing to receive this prize package! 

Good luck and happy food storage!

Angela
 
 Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

I had the very rare pleasure this morning of catching a glimpse of the Today Show.  They were talking about cool back to school items and here are some of the jewels I learned about.  

Dynamic Frames.  Time and time again mom’s ask me “what do I do with my children’s artwork?”.  Well, this amazing frame will give you a place to showcase each master piece and when the new one comes in you simply add the newest version on the top.  Your frame serves as a place to store the old artwork and a place to highlight the new pieces.  LOVE it! 

School Year Organizer from MomAgenda.   Sad but true, many busy moms I meet with just don’t have time to keep up with a scrapbook for their children.  This School Year Organizer gives you a place to put a class picture, report cards, and a sampling of important items from each year your child is in school.  Make it easy on yourself and start the school year off with a place to put all those mementoes that will soon be coming in! 

THE cutest Custom Labels I’ve Ever Seen
Here are two different companies that offer different ways to keep track of your child’s belongings while the kids are away.  Outrageously cute!
EM Tanner Designs.  EM Tanner Designs offers items you can customize with both your child’s name and an image that looks like your child.  Personalized items include:  lunch boxes, water bottles, backpacks, and hairclips. 

Scribbling Club. Scribbling Club also offers custom items you can add your child’s name to or an image that looks like your child.  Personalized items include:  Stamps (stamp the inside of books, notepads, folders, and more), waterproof vinyl stickers (for backpacks and lunch boxes), and bookplates.

WOW!  These are some amazing products.  I hope some of these fabulous ideas inspire you to start getting your organizing systems in place before the school year starts.  What is your biggest challenge related to staying organized during the school year?

Here’s to the organized Mom!

Angela
Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

It’s February the month for love and romance.  But did you know it is also archive your files month?   Yes, it’s time to show your files a little love!  So what does archive your files mean anyway? 

If you don’t have a system in place for consistently purging and cleaning out your files on a regular basis you will probably get to a point where your file cabinet may be overflowing and stuffed with paper.  If this is the case for you then you may need to archive some of the files that you do not use or need on a regular basis.  If you don’t use the paper or files at least once a year then you can place the documents in a file cabinet or container in a closet, garage, attic, basement, etc.  Some examples of papers you can archive include your old tax files, old tax returns, and a limited amount of mementos or memorabilia.  

The files you keep nearby in your home or home office should be the files you need to get to on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.  You can take this opportunity to go through all your files and shred or toss out anything that is old and out of date.

Of course I recommend using the FreedomFiler filing system to help you get started with a paper filing system that will let you know how long to keep different types of paper and has built in systems that help you know when it is time to purge items.  It’s a fantastic product. 

Happy archiving!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

This week’s deal of the week is a limited time offer from Pottery Barn Kids.  You can receive 20% off any single item this Saturday and Sunday only at Pottery Barn Kids with this coupon. 

Forget the gift wrapping get a great basket or tote at Pottery Barn Kids to put your Christmas goodies in under the tree.  Not only will they look beautiful and festive, but you will be able to use them after the holidays to organize toys, hats, books, socks, you name it! 

Or if you have been planning to get your children’s room organized now might be the time to get a bookcase or dresser.  I love the Extra Wide Dressers that Pottery Barn Kids makes.  They are sturdy and are the perfect height for children to get their clothes while still being able to see into the drawers. 

They also offer a super cute vanity  that would be perfect to help any little princess keep all her accessories organized.  What little girl wouldn’t want to see that on Christmas morning?

There is also a fabulous play table for children to spread out on that includes bins beneath it to store toys, crafts, or games. 

Okay, now you have lots of ideas to help you get your child a cool gift for 20% off that will also help keep them organized!

Happy saving!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

By now you have probably already begun to receive a flurry of cards in the mail from your friends and family.  Smiling faces and beautiful cards are such a sweet treat during the holidays.  But, if you haven’t so much as put the first thought towards your holiday cards, relax, there is hope for you yet!

1. Mailing deadline.  If you’ve been keeping up with my 18 Days of Holiday Organizing posts you probably already know that the deadline for First Class Domestic Mail is December 21st.  So if you have your cards in the mail by the 21st they are supposed to arrive by December 25th.  So there really is still time to get your cards in the mail.  See my previous post Three Must Have’s – Holiday Shipping  for more tips for getting your cards to the right location.

 
2. Send Out Cards.  This is an awesome card sending service that I learned about this year.  You can choose a card from hundreds of designs, write your personal message in the card, enter the address and then hit the send button.  Then Send Out Cards does the rest, from printing your card, addressing your card, putting a stamp on your card, and getting it in the mail.  It is amazing!  They send a real card for you.  You can even add your own pictures!  You can see more details on this at Send Out Cards.

 
3. E-cards.  If you are rushed for time you can also send an electronic or e-card.  You can visit Blue Mountain  and Hallmark . Many of these services cost a small fee, but the fact that they are so easy to do may be worth it!  You are also being environmentally conscience by not sending something that will most likely get tossed in the trash. 

 
4. Buck the system.  If the holidays have you so stressed out that you just don’t know how you can get holiday cards out then perhaps you should opt for New Year’s Cards or Valentine’s Day cards.  This has been a long standing tradition in my household and we get many comments from friends and family who love this.  They have told us they can enjoy our card more because it is not arriving at the same time as 50 other cards.

Don’t be afraid to get some help this year with your holiday cards.  Whether you send them electronically, use a system like Send Out Cards to help you get them addressed and in the mail, or you just put the cards off until the New Year, give yourself a break if you need one.

I hope you enjoyed the bonus tip, today’s blog should have been: Four Things You Must Know About Holiday Cards! 

Good luck and happy card sending!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.