I love the fact that part of my job is looking for and learning about supplies that help make getting and staying organized easier. Though the right tools alone can't make you organized, no matter how fancy or functionality-filled they might be, they're an important part of most organizing systems.
Here's a peek inside the organizing toolkit I take with me when I meet with clients, as well as a chance for you to share with other BellaOnline readers your favorite organizing supplies and gadgets.
In my toolkit
I use (and recommend) all different kinds of tools and products in the work I do, but these are the ones I've found I'm most likely to need:
- Hanging and manila file folders (these are the basis of every filing system; colored folders are great if we're creating a color-coded system)
- Tabs and inserts for hanging file folders
- Paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands, and a stapler
- Paper and pens
- A box cutter or an X-acto knife
- Trash bags
- A label maker (I use a Brother P-Touch) and extra label tapes
- Label It Now storage bin labels (these are a great way of keeping tabs on what's in plastic storage bins; see the link on the right side of this page for more info)
- A tape measure, hammer, screwdriver, and level
- A thick black permanent marker
- Current catalogs for the organizing and home improvement stores I recommend most often (such as Ikea, The Container Store, and Hold Everything)
- Hand sanitizing wipes (because organizing can be a dusty, dirty task)
All of these supplies are inexpensive, no-frills, and easy to store together in a divided toolbox or bin (I use Rubbermaid's mobile office, which has space for items of many different sizes). Keeping them together and easily accessible makes it easy to get through organizing tasks without having to stop and hunt down the supplies we need.
Your favorite tools and gadgets
I often learn about new organizing gadgets--or new uses for old gadgets--from my clients, friends, and family. Seeing what products others use and swear by is a great way for me to learn more than I could on my own.
So here's your chance to share your favorite organizing tools, gadgets, and supplies with me and your fellow BellaOnline readers. E-mail me at organization@bellaonline.com and let me know what gadgets you use to get organized, or what out-of-the-ordinary use you've found for tools and supplies that were originally intended for other purposes. I'll publish the replies I get in a future article.
