Friday, December 23, 2011

18 You Asked: The Gift of Organization!

Since the giving season is upon us, I have been getting a couple of emails lately asking for smart gift ideas for the organizer on your list {or someone looking to get organized in 2012}.  I adore the idea of giving the gift of organizing help to another, so I had a bit of fun putting together my top 10 organizing gift ideas!  And no worries, these gifts can be given year round, not just for Christmas!  Organizing gifts are those that definitely keep on giving once the holidays are over!

In no particular order...

1.  A great planner!  These days, planners can be found almost anywhere.  And I LOVE that they come in endless stylish options, which just may boost the excitement to use it daily to stay on top of schedules, meal plans and appointments!

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Everyone has different uses and needs for a planner.  Some prefer a full daily schedule laid out, others may just need a blank day to write notes in.  And a little personalization goes a long way, and really shows the gift receiver that you put a bit of extra thought into their gift!



2.  Label Maker!  A label maker doesn't have to be expensive to be awesome.  Snagging one from Target is just as well as going to an expensive office supply store. 

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Label makers are really great for neatly labeling those smaller areas, like shelves, spice containers and binder tabs!  And for added measure, toss in some clear label tape, it offers a cleaner look when making labels and will ensure your gift receiver doesn't have to head out for a replacement parts right off the bat.



3.  Desk Accessories!  What girl wouldn't love a stylish and organized workspace?  From stay at home moms to full time business gals, any girl would be smitten to have their desk spiffed up a bit!

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Anything from magazine files, paper sorters, calendars, pencil cups, clips, magnets and blotters, all give a workspace a little color and a lot of functionality.  I am a believer that a happy work space is a productive work space!


 

4.  A laminator!  A laminator is a great tool for adding longevity to decorative labels and for laminating printables and giving them a reusable dry erase option!


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5.  A Pre-Filled Cleaning Caddy!  I am a bit of a believer that a clean home goes hand in hand with an organized home.

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I love the idea of giving an easy to tote around caddy pre-filled with a variety of cleaning goodies that make it easy peasy for anyone to keep a lovely and sparkling home!



6.  A Professional Consultation!  Many people WANT to get organized, they just don't know where to being or feel overwhelmed when evaluating their own personal space.  A Professional Organizer would be a great place to start, as many offer different types of services from consulting to shopping to helping the individual purge and make decisions.  You can find a list of local organizers right on the NAPO website.




7.  Baskets!  Many individuals have a hard time investing in storage bins and baskets {which isn't always a necessity to organize, but it's definitely a perk!}  Baskets come in a large variety of sizes and price ranges, but there are a few options that are versatile enough to help in almost any area of the home for years and years to come!

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To keep this gift on the "safe" side of things, stick with simple designs, such as stainless steel, rattan or white plastic.  This way, they can work in any space that the gift recipient selects!



8.  Books!  There are so many fabulous books out there to provide inspiration and ideas on getting organized!


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Books are a great way to help someone figure out where to begin, find tips and tricks on organizing time and schedules and to find storage solutions for any type of clutter!



9.  Household Binder Kit!  A household binder is a great tool for one to keep all of their important household information in one handy location.

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Centralizing schedules, school information, home and auto maintenance details, budget information, meal planning and shopping lists and contact information is a great way to ensure you can find anything of importance in a snap!  And you can gift the printables or create one from scratch to give, either way, it's sure to be a welcomed hit!



 10.  Gift Certificates!  I know, I know, laaaaame {said in my best 13 year old voice}.  But if you do it to a website or store that specializes in storage and organizing, then it is a great option for those working towards getting organized.  Once they are done evaluating, sorting and purging and finally get to the point of creating storage solutions, they will be so grateful to have a gift card to help them out!



So there you have it!  Of course, there are so many great organizing tools and services and storage solutions out there to select from, these were just the top ideas that came to mind. 

Have you ever given the gift of organization to another?  If so, what was their reaction and what additional ideas do you have?

On a quick sappy note, I am so grateful each day for you and am sending you each giant virtual holiday hugs and love!  I wish you all a safe and bright holiday and hope all of your hearts are filled with giant amounts of joy!


Psssst!  I wasn't paid or swayed to write this post or to share any of the above mentioned products or services.  I am just sharing my personal opinion and offering up great organizing gift ideas!

18 comments:

  1. Great ideas! I would love to get my hands on that Real Simple book. I have pinned it as you posted it before. it looks good!

    Merry Christmas Jen!

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  2. I love my Erin Condren Planner and I just bought that same laminator off Amazon last week for $16!! Whoo hoo!

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  3. Awesome ideas! Love the planners & label makers!


    The Urban Umbrella
    xoxo

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  4. Those are great ideas! I may have to get myself a few gifts this year!

    If you have any readers on your gift list you might want to check out the gift guide on Turning The Page.

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  5. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my life planner from erin condren!!! I highly recommend it! =)

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  6. so... here's a question for you. i have already dubbed 2012 the year of organization but... do you have any tips on where to get or how to create an easy to follow and use budget planner? or a template? any info would be greatly appreciated!! merry christmas to you and yours. your blog is so inspiring and i'm so glad i found you (via pinterest)

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  7. I heart all these ideas. Love this post.

    Wishing you a VERY Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays, from MelissaMEvans.

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  8. This makes my own personla wish list a little longer ... ;)
    Jen, I just wanted to say thank you for all the good ideas you share with us all the time. You have inspired me and I have done so much in our house because I got some really helpful hints here on your blog. I wish you a very happy christmas with your lovely family and hope to read lots more here in 2012...
    Jule

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  9. I gave my sister in law a book about getting organized for her birthday (along with a gift card to Target) and she was SO OFFENDED!!! lolol.... she said, "you think I'm disorganized?" and she was seriously offended. Her house is a rats nest of disorganization and every time she comes to my house she makes a comment about how organized we are... I thought it was a good, thoughtful and useful gift.

    Not so much. :-) but it sure does make me chuckle!

    great post Jen - love all of those items and I want that Real Simple book!

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  10. Thank you! I finally got my own label maker. Yahoo!

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  11. Thanks for the ideas! You made a comment in this post about baskets and containers not always being necessary for organization, is that always the case? I'm starting from scratch as far as organizing is concerned and I don't have many baskets and containers.

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  12. Someone gave us a DVD storage organization thingy (for lack of a better word) from discgear.com and we LOVE it! It holds 100 DVD's or CD's. Both my husband and I like to be organized and I was thrilled with this gift. In fact, I was so in love with it that the giver gave us a 2nd one that she wasn't going to use! SCORE!!! Merry Christmas!

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  13. Hi Everyone!
    I am so thankful that I stumbled upon this site as I am in the "business" of organizing too! My goal is to remove as much from the floor as possible, not only to open up floor space but to allow for easier household cleaning :-)
    If you'd like to check out some of the cool products that can help you with vertical storage, visit my website:

    www.clevercontainer.com/lisat

    Merry Christmas to all....and Happy Organizing!!
    Lisa

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  14. Hi Jen,
    Great gift suggestions....I am currently going through Organized Simplicity now and have found it an invaluable tool to help me slim down clutter (clothes, more clothes, shoes, you get it). Merry Christmas and God bless!

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  15. Merry Christmas to you and your family! Thank you for all of these wonderful organizing inspirations.
    Please check out my blog, I'm new to blogland.

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  16. Congrats! I just nominated your blog for The Versatile Blogger Award. :)

    Here is the link announcing it: http://livesimplylivethriftylivesavvy.com/2011/12/24/i-got-my-christmas-gift-the-versatile-blogger-award/ .

    Thanks for being inspiring, and make sure to pass the award along to your favorite blogs!

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  17. Great list, Jen! Thanks for the NAPO mention. Readers can also search for a local NAPO chapter in their area to find an organizer or related events (http://www.napo.net/who/chapters.aspx). Lots of events this month as January is National Get Organized (GO) Month!
    Thx again!
    -Lauren Halagarda, NAPO Technology Director (& IHeartOrganizing fan)

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  18. Not sure if this one is available outside Australia yet but it's the best planner I've come across so far:

    Inner-B Mum Organiser
    http://www.inner-b.com.au/shop-online/3/flypage_newtpl/shopproduct_details/6

    It really has been well thought out and I'm really happy with the quality.

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