Real Simple: October 2005

Reasons why the October issue of Real Simple magazine (Which seriously? You need to get your hands on*) paid for itself:

1. Clutter Busting tip # 1
Throughout the year, I make it a habit to clean out my closet and fill a bag with travel-size soaps, shampoos, and other toiletries. Then I give the bag to a local women’s shelter. [So clever and thoughtful.]

2. Clutter Busting tip #2
Instead of keeping the hard copies, I scan my bank statements and save them as JPEG files on my computer. I also use software to do my bank reconciliations. It saves me from accumulating more than a hundred sheets of paper a year. [This reinforces my need to get a scanner, as listed on item no. 96 on my 101 in 1001 list.]

3. Clutter Busting tip #3
Our family uses over-the-door plastic-pocket shoe holders to store odds and ends. One holds all our son’s small stuffed animals for easy play and cleanup. Another, in our linen closet, stores everything from extra toothpaste and soap to pain medication and Band-Aids. Everything is visible, and dangerous items can be kept in the top pockets, out of the reach of little hands. We can always tell when we’re running low on something, and our closets are clutter-free. [I'm going to use this in my bathroom, which is horribly lacking in any sort of storage/counter space.]

4. New Uses for Old Things
Tall, clear vase.
ORIGINAL PURPOSE: Showing off all those long-stemmed roses from gentlemen callers [Uh, sure. See item no. 90 on aforesaid list.]
AHA! USE: Helping toilet paper hide in plain sight.
REWARD: Guests don't have to root around for a new roll in your not absolutely positively tidy vanity, and you always know when you're running low. [Clever AND pretty.]

I hear tell that PBS is currently producing a televised version of the magazine, which I pray to God someone uploads in bittorrent form.

* I'm a self-professed magazine junkie, and one of the most important things for me in a publication is the visual appeal. RS is beautifully designed, and there hasn't been an issue to date in which I haven't found an incredibly clever idea. I can't admit to actually using too many of the ideas, but I sure am earnest when I tell myself I will.

Posted by raptorgirl at September 25, 2005 12:51 PM