Gift List Manager App

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

Birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah, Weddings, Housewarmings… no matter what the occasion, when a gift is needed, my mind goes blank. Somewhere in the corner of my mind is the perfect gift, something I had seen months before, something that the harder I try to remember, the more elusive it becomes. To help me break that cycle and beat these black-out moments, I began using a sanity-saving gift app called mGifts – Gift List Manager.

Yes, this app serves the same purpose as a pen and paper, but those little lists go missing so easily, and can never be found when you need them most. This easy-to-use app allows you to make notes instantly as you are out shopping, browsing online, reading a magazine or envying a friend’s new toy. You can file away gift ideas by topic, share them with friends, back them up to a cloud server, sync them across multiple devices, and even password protect your ideas to keep everything hush-hush.

With mGifts you can sort your list by store, by person, by holiday—even by the current status of your gift (e.g. purchased, wrapped, shipped, etc.)! It also allows you to archive your lists so that you can keep track of what you’ve already purchased for friends and family. This app is an easy way to keep your gift list on track no matter where you are, leaving you confident and stress-free so you can focus on some of your other holiday tasks.

mGifts is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

mGifts App Icon

Work Happy – Poppin $25 Gift Card Giveaway

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

Poppin is one of my favorite companies at the moment.  I’ve been watching them grow over the past year as they transitioned from their beta phase to their full scale launch, which took place several weeks ago.  So, you can imagine my excitement when they sent me several items to test out and offered 2 – $25 gift cards for me to give away to my readers!

From the moment I opened the Poppin box there was an infectious smile that spread across my face.  I could immediately tell that there has been an incredible amount of detail put into making sure that the Poppin customer is happy – from the shipping package all the way down to their request for feedback listed on their cute product packaging, every detail has been thought out to make these basic office products the most fun and productive options on the market (not to mention cost effective).

After sorting through my new Poppin items, I quickly gave my desk an organizational makeover that left me with an even bigger smile and a more stylish desk.  The Pen Cup with built-in divider keeps my pens and pencils separated and organized so I don’t have to always fight to find what I want and the Bits + Bobs Tray, which can stack with the Pen Cup if you are short on space, gives me a place to neatly store my paperclips, thumbtacks and Post-Its so that they are easily accessible.  In addition, Poppin’s Gel Ink Pens provides a smooth and consistent stream of ink that didn’t leave any of my documents with smudges, and the sturdy Folio has been keeping my documents safe and presentable for transport to client meetings.

Available in almost every color of the rainbow, Poppin’s office products and desktop organizing solutions help bring a bit of joy to your desk so you can, as they say at Poppin, “work happy.” 🙂

HOW DO I ENTER THE GIVEAWAY?
To enter the giveaway, all you need to do to is…

1) Like Poppin + Jeffrey Phillip on Facebook

If you already “like” us, then show us some love on our walls.  The entrance period will end on Saturday, September 22 and I’ll be announcing the winner via Facebook on Monday, September 24 so be sure to tune in then!  In the meantime, as you are waiting on pins and needles, be sure to check out Poppin.com to explore the entire product line from desks to paperclips.

How to Organize Your Pantry with Sara Jane Mercer

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

CLICK TO WATCH “HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR PANTRY”

If you like to cook, or dream of cooking more often, having an organized kitchen is imperative.  By keeping your kitchen and pantry organized you will have the proper foods and tools more accessible, which will ultimately lead to a healthier diet and greater ease moving around your space while you’re slicing, dicing and sauteing.

I recently had the opportunity to work with my friend, whole living guru Sara Jane Mercer, to help her organize her pantry.  Since Sara spends a large part of her day in the kitchen creating new recipes and discovering ways to help her clients eat more healthfully in an easy and simple way, having the right foods easily accessible is very important to her.

After spending some time sorting, editing and labeling, we were able to create an organizational system that allows Sara to always see what she has on hand; saving her time and money (no more buying unnecessary duplicates).  To learn about the great tips and tricks I taught Sara and see the changes we made to improve her pantry, check out our quick and fun video.

CLICK TO WATCH “HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR PANTRY”

Strikey: Key & Accessory Holder

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

Do you often find yourself looking for a place to drop your keys and sunglasses when you get home?  Do you struggle to find your keys before you leave your home?  Or do you just completely forget to grab them on the way out the door?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Strikey from 2ND Shift Design Studio in Cleveland, OH is the very handy solution that will put an end to any or all of these everyday problems.  A redesign to the standard strike plate found on most standard door frames, the Strikey is a simple solution and a fast install.  Simply remove your current strike plate and replace it with this newer, more functional version and you’ll be good to go. 😎

Strikey is made in America and available at www.objeti.com

A Flexible Organizing Solution: SHUFFLE Tidy

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

When it comes to organizing, I like flexibility, which is one of the reasons I’m in love with SHUFFLE Tidy from the London based company RALLI Design.

This stacking cylinder system (made-up of six ceramic cylinders, six wooden bases and a wooden plinth) allows you to customize your very own configurations by removing a cylinder’s wood base and stacking the cylinders to create your perfect tabletop organizing solution.  The configurations seem endless as you can use each cylinder individually to store and stack small items like pushpins, paperclips, jewelry and hair ties, or you can remove the wood bottoms and combine several cylinders to hold larger items like pencils and pens, nail files and hair brushes.

Unfortunately, this good looking organizing solution is not yet available in the US, but fingers crossed it will be here soon to help us neatly contain all our tabletop thingamabobs and doodads.

Superior Canvas Baskets for Storage

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

A sturdy, well-designed and reliable basket or bin is a invaluable asset around the home.  Whether it is used for laundry, sports paraphernalia, blankets or bushels of stuffed animals, it seems as though you can almost never have enough of these storage solutions.

Several months ago, one of my clients introduced me to the highly reputable, family run Steele Canvas Basket Company based in Chelsea, MA.  Established in 1921, this family run business makes some of the toughest, most superior baskets around… and they are all made in America.

Available in various sizes and styles (carry baskets, wheeled baskets, covered baskets, even tote bags), these customizable solutions are stylish enough to use in your home and sturdy enough to use in your garage.  You can even order them in a waterproof, anti-bacterial fabric that is tear-resistant and just as tough as canvas.

Some great examples of what they can be used for are: blankets, toys, stuffed animals, hampers/laundry, tools, sporting equipment, sports balls, firewood, picking fruit/vegetables,  pool toys, beach toys, the list goes on and on… what will your use be?

Available from: Steele Canvas Basket Company

 

A Better Beater Whisk

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

Maybe it’s because I love food and secretly have a burning desire to open a bakery, or maybe it’s because there always seems to be room for improvement in this often overcrowded room, but I frequently find myself talking about kitchen products that help improve the room’s functionality, efficiency and storage.  So it should come as no surprise that my latest favorite find is this collapsible whisk from German design studio Ding3000.

This space-saving whisk can easily be put into action by sliding the colorful ring, which doubles as a hook for storage, to expand the whisking tentacles.  Made of nylon this cheery kitchen tool is easy to clean, dishwasher safe and sure to put a smile on any chef’s face.

Available from: Gretel

Keep Your Beach Bag Organized

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

I am fairly certain that the last thing you are thinking about while you’re dreaming of escaping the oppressive city heat this week is keeping your beach bag organized, but here is a tip to prevent you from losing your Chapstick or your favorite necklace at the bottom of your bag this summer.

Since most beach bags are created as one large open tote, use an insert to help you make the most of your favorite bag.  Products like Purse To Go, Purse Perfector and Cocoon Innovations’ Grid-It! are perfect solutions to help you keep all your items organized.  Each of these products will allow you to give your summer necessities a home within your favorite bag or tote, as well as make everything easily accessible to prevent you from having to dump out the entire bag to find that refreshing pack of gum.

To keep smaller items like coins and jewelry organized, use small change purses or make-up bags to keep like items together and to keep things easily identifiable and accessible.  Oh, and don’t forget to pack a small bag for all those beautiful seashells you’ll collect as you stroll along the beach this summer. 🙂

Hug-A-Plug: The Right-Angle Outlet Extension

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

When living in a small space, it is important to make every inch count; even those couple inches behind the sofa, bed or media console that are often taken up by cords sticking out of the electrical outlets in the wall.  While many of us still try to make use of this space by shoving the furniture as close as possible and bending the power cords, there is a safer and more practical way to get your furniture closer to the wall.

Hug-A-Plug, the 90-degree angle outlet extension, allows you to plug your cords in parallel to the wall so you can safely place your furniture or appliances a couple inches closer.  You can even create more connections in each outlet due to Hug-A-Plug’s stackable design.

This tiny, made in the USA problem solver is guaranteed to answer years of frustration for all!

The Valet: A Must Have for Every Man

Posted on by Jeffrey Phillip

Ideaco Coin/Key Valet

Whether it is by the front door, in the bedroom or in the office, the contents of most men’s pockets are destined to land in a sloppy pile on the first open surface that can be found.   The keys, loose change, gum wrappers, business cards and even pieces of lint quickly accumulate leading clutter.

The valet (also known as a catch-all) not only provides a place for a man to empty his pockets, but it also helps to corral the pocket clutter and protect the surface of the dumping area.  Try using a sturdy decorative bowl that you have in the house, or one of the various designs that be found online or in stores.  My newly discovered favorite combines a valet with a coin bank, making it even easier to stay organized.

Regardless of the style you choose, I promise it will make your life more neat and make it easier for you to grab all your necessities next time you leave home, minus the lint.

Favorite Item – Valet Coin Bank by Ideaco

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