Tag: favorite organizing products

  • Our Favorite Shelving Unit

    As organizers, we have lots of favorite products.  This is, hands down, our favorite shelving unit and has been for the past 10 years (since I first discovered it).  It is the Seville Commercial Industrial Storage Shelving.  We have put together about 50 of these shelving units so far this year, so we are pros (check out our video to learn our tricks).  This blog post is to show you why we love them and the best way to put them together.  We have even filmed a short video to help you put them together in the fastest, most efficient way.

    We typically buy them at Sam’s Club, but they are also available online at Seville Classics.  Before you rush out to Sam’s Club to buy them, bring a friend.  The boxes weigh 80 lbs, so this is not something you want to lift alone.  Also, you always want to measure your area and figure out what you plan to put on the shelves BEFORE you buy them.  Our rule is to NEVER containerize before we have sorted and purged.

    These are our favorite shelving units for several reasons:

    1. They are sturdy and hold a lot of weight (200 lbs per shelf).

    2. They are on wheels so they are mobile.  You can put them in front of water heaters, electrical panels, heat pumps, etc in a basement and move them to to change filters or service them.  This gives you valuable shelving in spaces where you couldn’t put permanent shelving.  It also makes it easy to move them to clean under or around them.

    3. They are adjustable.  You can put the shelves at any height that works for what you plan to store on them.  Don’t need six shelves or have taller bins going on the shelves, then just use five.  Many times when we buy multiple shelving units for clients, we will have one unit with 5 shelves and another with 7.  They are easily customizable for your needs.

    4. They are up off the floor.  So, if you use them in a basement or garage where water could be an issue, they aren’t sitting in the water and will better protect what is on the shelves.

    5. You can take them with you if you move to a different house.  Shelving in basement and garages rarely add value to your home, so having shelving you can take with you, saves you money since you only have to buy it once.

    6. They won’t break like the plastic shelving you can find in many stores AND they aren’t damaged by moisture and therefore won’t warp or rust like the traditional gorilla racks.

    7. They come with a pack of shelf liners, so by lining the shelves you can use them for an overflow pantry or for smaller items that may wobble on the shelf.

     

     

    We have put together hundreds of these and have a few tricks and tips for helping you get it done right the first time.  Now is the perfect time to watch our video so you can prep before you start.  Now, you are ready to open the box.  As with any assembly project, you will want to unpack the box and make sure that everything you need is in the box.  It is extremely rare that we are missing pieces, but it is always better to know before you start.  In our video, I talked about the lines on the poles and the clips for the shelves.  Below is an up close picture of them so you can see exactly what we are talking about.

    We hope you love your new organized area since you have now maximized your storage!  Happy Organizing!

    If you liked today’s post, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Certified Professional Organizer, Certified Organizer Coach and Life Management Expert, Tara Donohue Rudo, helps working moms and families focus on what is important. Get her FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.

     

  • Organize Your Fitness: We LOVE Fitbit!

    At No More Piles we are Fitbit fanatics. Tara and I wear our Fitbits every day. Don’t know what a Fitbit is? Well, some will say it’s just a pedometer, but really, it is so much more.

    It tracks:
    • How many steps you take
    • How many miles you’ve walked
    • How many flights of stairs you have climbed
    • How many calories you have burned
    • How many active minutes you have had in your day
    • GPS your walk, jog or run
    • The Force, Flex and One can even monitor your sleep.

    I have the Force and Tara has the One and we are working on getting them for the rest of our No More Piles team.  But, as organizers, we are analyzing the pros and cons of each model to figure out which is best for each of our lifestyles.  I prefer the Force, but it is currently retired.  Tara has the One and loves it because you can clip it anywhere: shoe strings, bra strap, belt loop, etc.  The only drawback to the One is that you have to remember to move the clip when you change clothes.

    fitbit

    Fitbit also provides you with a free app and website to keep track of your vital information. It syncs via Bluetooth to your device, so you don’t have to do a thing once you initially pair it with your device. You can also log your daily food intake to get an accurate account of the calories you take in and those you burn off (although we prefer to log food with MyFitnessPal app which integrates with the Fitbit app). View all of your information on your smartphone or directly on the FitBit website from your desktop.

    You are able to customize goals. You can set how many steps you want to take per day. You can also set your active minute, ounces of water consumed and weight loss goals. When you reach your daily goal your Fitbit buzzes to let you know or if you are looking at the app or website it send off happy little smiley faces for reaching those targets. It only needs to charge once a week (Tara charges hers in the car on the way to clients) and once it is recharged it always has something nice to say to me. This morning it was “Cheers”.

    Our favorite feature is the ability to compete with your friends. Link up with others who have Fitbits and you are able to see who has the most steps. You can cheer, taunt or message any of your Fitbit friends to up the competition or encourage them to reach their goals.  If you are striving to stay active this is a great product to help keep you motivated. It’s always a big competition between Tara and I to see who is getting the most steps. And if I’m honest sometimes knowing Tara is only a few steps ahead of me, is all the motivation I need to go for a walk in the evening to edge her out!

    Check out the Fitbit we love it!!

    If you liked today’s post, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: No More Piles Project Manager, Joan Robinson, helps working moms and families focus on what is important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.