organizing — Read — Julianna Strickland

how to organize your gift wrapping supplies

Julianna Strickland’s Gift Wrapping Resume:

Wichita Kansas, 1998: Attended afternoon gift-wrapping class with mother. Learned various ways to enfold items in cellophane and tulle.

Wichita, Kansas 1998 – 2004: Worked as “Strickland Family Personal Gift Wrapper” (an esteemed but unpaid position). Wrapped everyone’s gifts except for own.

Los Angeles, CA 2010: Was short on cash and put listing on Craigslist as, “Freelance Professional Gift Wrapper.” Hired once, made approx. $75.

Los Angeles, CA 2010 – Present: Currently in possession of one extremely messy under-bed gift-wrap storage box (see below).

5 packing secrets from a professional organizer

I haven’t always been a light packer. Growing up (when there was free checked luggage on flights), I adhered to the “more is more” mentality. This escalated to a point when I was twelve years old and brought an enormous, person-sized blue feather and a four foot inflatable crayon on vacation to decorate my hotel room. I remember carefully arranging those items in the room and thinking THIS HAS GONE TOO FAR. Surprisingly, I didn’t learn to hone it in until I was in college, but I suppose better late than never.

how to organize vitamins and medicines in the kitchen

Most of my organizing clients want an organized home not only because it looks clean and tidy, but also because it makes life more efficient and comfortable. When I organize in people’s homes, I like to think of storage space as “real estate,” and one of the most desirable places in most houses is the kitchen. The kitchen is usually centrally located in the house, it’s the hub of all activity, and because of this, it’s not just a place for food and cooking implements to live. Having a dedicated storage area for medicine and vitamins in the kitchen can be a game changer for people. It allows them to quickly find supplements and daily medication, and it means that first aid supplies are always easy to find in case of minor cuts & burns in the kitchen. Also it’s a daily reminder to take any necessary pills with meals or before running out the door for a busy day.

how to make a bento box lunch

I don’t have kids yet, but I like to think I’m qualified to offer advice on them because 1) I have spent a bajillion hours babysitting and 2) I like a lot of the same things kids like. So when I say, “hey do this for your kid,” I’m also suggesting things that I already do for myself. And lunch is included in that suggestion, and not just regular lunch, but really fun lunch.

health, organizing, recipeJulianna StricklandOctober 13, 2017lunch, bento box, bento, kids, kid, children, food, recipe, organization, organized

organizing natasha's pantry

My friend (and C&S partner!) Natasha just moved and asked me to help her plan a pantry system that wouldn't dissolve into mayhem after a few months of use (as pantries often do). She's lucky to have a pantry space with pull out drawers, but even with this luxury, without a system these drawers could quickly become overloaded with food. Check out what we did below, hopefully it will help you get your pantry in shape, too. (And if you still feel overwhelmed, you can hire me to come do it for you!).