Filed under: Bathroom
By Debbie Lillard, Professional Organizer, Space to Spare
Did you ever have one of those days where you stay in your pajamas and pound away at the computer until you finally look up and the kids are home from school? I’ve had those too. And sometimes they’re fun. But if you make a habit of those, you will eventually have to leave the house looking like you just rolled out of bed.
On the flip side, if you get up early enough to get a shower, put on some make-up and a decent outfit, you can feel more professional and put together before you have to walk out the door. This is one of my absolutes or organizing: start the day off right – on your terms. (from my book Absolutely Organized- A Mom’s Guide To a No-Stress Schedule and a Clutter-Free Home) In order to do this, you’ve got to have a beauty regimen that is quick, easy and effective. As a mother of three who gets up at 6:30 am I know time is limited, and that’s why I have all the essentials at my fingertips and a method of getting ready in 20 minutes. So let me share my tips as both a Professional Organizer and a previous Mary Kay consultant:
- Use skin care products from one company: that includes your cleanser, moisturizer, any toners or masks that you may use and your foundation. Skin care companies design these to work together and if you mix & match, you could have a chemical reaction right on your face.
- Clean out your make up on a regular basis. If you go to the dentist every 6 months, you usually replace your toothbrush, right? Use that day to replace your mascara and eye-liners too. You definitely don’t want any bacteria going into your eyes and that’s about the shelf life of these items.
- Check for expiration dates and if you can’t find them, use these basic rules of thumb for what to toss:
- Perfume or white creams that have turned yellow
- Sunscreen after one year
- Powders that have a shiny finish to them (from facial oils)
- Thick creams that have since become watery
- Anything you don’t remember buying!
- Brushes should be cleaned more frequently – about once a week. Think about this on a Sunday. Just run the brushes under warm water and rub them with soap, rinse and leave them in a mug or stand-up container to air dry. They’ll be good to go on Monday morning.
- Keep everyday items in one container in your bathroom – preferably in a drawer or cabinet. My everyday items include: concealer, foundation, eyeliner, mascara and blush. Lipsticks usually stay in my purse and get applied before I leave the driveway each morning. That way you have them handy for touch-ups.
- Keep your refills in another drawer or in a plastic bin in the linen closet. I think people often make the mistake of buying cute canvas or wicker bins for the bathroom but they forget that most of these products leak! So plastic or vinyl is the way to go for bathroom products.
- For traveling, find a fold-up makeup bag with several sections. I pack my beauty products the morning of my trips. As I use each item, I put it in the bag. That way I don’t forget any of my essentials. The bag can lay flat so it’s the last item to go into the suitcase. When I arrive at my destination, it gets hung on the back of the bathroom door. No unpacking & losing little items!
- Once your products are cleaned out and contained properly, take a look at your method. I like to treat the beauty regimen like a recipe. I put all my ingredients on the left side of my sink. As I use each item, it goes to the right. That way, if I get interrupted I remember to use everything. (don’t you hate it when you forget the deodorant?)When I’m finished, everything goes back in its container under the sink.
So there you have it – eight steps to go from frumpy mom to professional woman! I think we all deserve a little time to take care of ourselves each day because when you look good, you feel good and that positive attitude will carry you through your day.
Special thanks to Organized A to Z.com partner Debbie Lillard for contributing this article. Debbie is a Professional Organizer serving the Philadelphia area since 2003. Since starting her business, she has appeared on local and national television, including: HGTV’S Mission Organization, Hoarders on A&E, The 10!Show and Talk Philly. in Philadelphia She is a published author and nationally recognized expert on organization in the home. She is also an active board member of the National Association of Professional Organizers Greater Philadelphia Chapter (NAPO-GPC). Learn more about her organizing specialties on her website at www.spacetospare.com.
November 1, 2011
Where do I put the clean towels? I’ve heard it time and time again. Bathrooms are often crowded and storage space is limited. You may be storing toiletries, cleaning products and paper products in your bathroom cabinets, leaving precious little space for those fluffy towels. What’s a person to do?
Use the walls, of course! Think about the last time you were in a hotel bathroom. There were no storage cabinets in the room and they used a towel rack to hang the towels on the wall- making GREAT use of vertical space. If you haven’t looked lately, there are lots of styles available to match the decor in any home. Buy some new fluffy towels that match your bathroom and store them on the wall! Here are some links to a couple different options.
Bamboo Towel Rack by Organize It All
Over the Door Towel Rack (3 bars)
Bamboo Tiered Tower by Organize It All
Thanks to Organized A to Z.com partner Susan Stewart for contributing this article. Susan is a professional organizer and owner of Perfectly Placed. She has been organizing in the Phoenix, AZ area for 5 years. With a BS in Human Development & The Family and a background in coaching and teaching, Susan is equipped in simplifying the organization process and teaching it to others. Visit her Web site at www.perfectlyplaced.org.
October 11, 2010
Medicines expire:
Most people don’t pay attention to their medicines or their expiration date. But the dates are there for a reason. Medicines lose their potency. For example, if you have a prescription for an antibiotic that you didn’t finish, and a year later you have a re-occurrence of that same illness, the medicine that you saved is probably no longer any good. You are not saving any money by saving medications for future use if that medication is expired. You will not get better if you take expired medication.
Medicines can also lose their potency or become altered if they are not stored properly. Heat, humidity and sunlight can all affect medications. With the humidity of a bathroom, the medicine cabinet is really not the ideal place for medicine.
If you have children a medicine cabinet is not recommended because it is usually not a place that can lock and children get into everything. Use a locked box and put it on the top shelf of your closet so that little children can’t reach it (the lock should keep older children out). Accidental poisoning is a leading cause of death in children.
Get into the habit of going through your medicine cabinet and checking the expiration dates on your medication. You should do this at least twice a year. Or coordinate it with the change of seasons (for four times a year). Get rid of anything that is expired or damaged. Be sure to always keep medications in their original containers so that you know what the expiration date is.
Besides prescription medications you don’t want to forget “over-the-counter” medications such as aspirin, cold medications, antibiotic ointments and anything else in your cabinet. They all have expiration dates.
A very important detail: DO NOT FLUSH YOUR EXPIRED OR UNUSED MEDICATION DOWN THE TOILET! The medications can contaminate groundwater. Even putting it into the garbage can contaminate the soil. Some cities have collection sites for expired or unused medications.
Makeup:
Women tend to forget that make-up also expires. When you buy a new cosmetic mark the date you purchased it (or opened it) directly on the cosmetic with a black marker. That way you won’t forget when you started using it.
Replace your makeup in the following manner:
Mascara & Eyeliner – every 3 months
Lipstick & Lip liner – once a year
Eye Shadow (powder) – every 2 years
Eye Shadow (cream) – every 1 year
Makeup sponges – every week
Makeup brushes – should be washed every week.
Don’t use mascara if you have an eye infection and never share makeup.
Placement of items in your medicine cabinet:
Group like items alike. Keep only one (1) of everything in your medicine cabinet so that it is not overcrowded. That means one deodorant, one dental floss, one eye drops, one toothpaste….. Keep the extra’s in a closet or under the sink (if you have room).
If you don’t have kids and you keep your medicines in your medicine cabinet, group all like medicines together. All pain reliever’s together, cold medicines together and so on.
Thanks to Organized A to Z.com partner Karin E. Fried, CPC, for contributing this article. Karen is owner of Organizational Consulting Services and you can visit her Web site at www.organizationalconsultingservices.com.
October 1, 2010
I have a great idea for families who have several people taking medications each morning. A cloth place mat, folded in half length-ways, sewn around the edges. With a permanent marker trace around a cup and label each circle with a member of the family’s name. Whoever gets up first in the morning can place everyone’s medication in the appropriate circle. Because the surface is cloth, the medications do not roll together and everyone remembers because it’s right there for them as they begin their day.
Thanks to Organized A to Z.com partner Michele Rivard for contributing these tips. Michele is owner of Conquer The Clutter, LLC. You can visit her Web site at www.conquertheclutter.net.
August 25, 2010
Richmond, VA – Kathy Jenkins, CEO of online retailer Organized A to Z.com, has announced the addition of stainless steel motion sensor trash cans to the company’s inventory of organizing and storage products.
Manufactured by Nine Stars USA, the motion sensor trash can allows users to have little or no contact with trash when throwing items away. The lid automatically opens when motion is detected within 10 inches of the infrared motion sensor on the top of the can.
“These trash cans are great for any kitchen, bathroom, or in any room of your home or office,” said Jenkins. “When trash accumulates in a can, germs build up, too. By avoiding contact with the lid and other trash, we reduce the chance of coming in contact with those germs and getting sick from them.”
Since they open on their own, these trash cans also make it easier for those with physical challenges to discard items in the trash.
“The lids are perfectly engineered with a tight fit to insure odors are kept inside the can. They are produced from high quality stainless steel to protect from rust and water damage, so they are durable and will last a long time,” said Jenkins.
The motion sensor trash cans are battery operated, and each trash can will get a minimum of 10,000 open and closings before new batteries are needed. Most households will be able to use the trash cans for at least six months before replacing the batteries.
The trash cans come in a variety of sizes, including a round 1.3 gallon, and rectangular 6.3 gallon, 7.9 gallon, 11.1 gallon, and 13.2 gallon.
Based in Richmond, Virginia, Organized A to Z.com offers over 1,300 products to help consumers organize any room of their home or office. Jenkins, a residential professional organizer with Come To Order® and member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), focuses on choosing products that are both stylish and functional. To shop for organizational and storage products to simplify your life, go to Organized A to Z.com at www.organizedatoz.com.
June 24, 2010
Organized A to Z.com has added the Mineral Case Makeup Organizer to our product line. This cosmetic organizer features a variety of sizes of spaces the hold makeup jars securely and prevent them rolling or spilling. 
It stores and organizes jars of loose powder eye shadows, blush, foundations, and bronzers, as well as cream-based lip gloss and make-up as well. It is designed to hold a wide range of makeup brands in their original containers, and comes in black and brown.
Makeup brands such as Bare Escentuals, Clinique, Lancôme, Pur Minerals, and Vincent Longo fit perfectly in the case, as well as many others.
We love this organizer because it not only reduces countertop clutter but also gives you a perfect view of all or your makeup, making it convenient to grab what you need without searching through a makeup bag. In addition, you can organize your make up by color and season so you can easily create the look you want.
This makeup organizer is the perfect shape and size for smaller spaces and is also ideal for travelers. The lid locks securely for travel and slides under the case to form a pedestal when in use. It fits easily in a drawer, cabinet, suitcase or tote.
December 23, 2009
It’s the last day our of birthday specials! We will close out the celebration with our Deluxe Triple Laundry Sorter. This wonderful laundry helper saves your time because you can sort clothes automatically and easily toss a load in the washer. No more piles of dirty clothes on the floor!
Organized A to Z is celebrating our birthday in July, but we’re giving you the presents! Each day, we are offering our favorite products at 25% off. The discount is good today only, so get it now! Thanks for all of your support!
July 31, 2009
To celebrate our July birthday, today we are featuring InterDesign’s Marcel Over Cabinet Towel Bar. Another functional and stylish piece that conveniently installs over a cabinet door. I really like bronze finish and the hardware-free installation. Great for kitchen or bath!
Organized A to Z is celebrating our birthday in July, but we’re giving you the presents! Each day, we are offering our favorite products at 25% off. The discount is good today only, so get it now!
July 29, 2009
Our Chrome Sliding Cabinet Organizers will get your kitchen in tip-top shape and still make it easy to access supplies! I love these organizers because you don’t have to dig to the back to find hidden ingredients or risk losing ingredients way at the back of your cupboards. You will really maximize your space and eliminate time-intensive searching! We carry several sizes:
Organized A to Z is celebrating our birthday in July, but we’re giving you the presents! Each day, we are offering our favorite products at 25% off. The discount is good today only, so get it now!
July 22, 2009
Today’s Birthday Special is the Stuff Bucket. I love the convenient, easy-to-access pockets that allow you to see where everything is stored. Perfect for organizing scrapbooking materials, art supplies, small kid’s toys, bath and beauty supplies, and much more!
Organized A to Z is celebrating our birthday in July, but we’re giving you the presents! Each day, we are offering our favorite products at 25% off. The discount is good today only, so get it now!
July 13, 2009
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