North Bay Woman

F A L L 2 0 1 9 | NORTH BAY WOMAN 13 For one of her clients with multiple guest beds, storing the bedding and towel sets for one into their own "bed-and-bath in a bag" and was a streamlined solution. "It eliminates any last minute frenzy," Benetz Parker explains. She used large storage bags from the Container Store, labeled each one and tucked them into the guest closet where they are ready to go. Most kitchens have a closet, if not a full pantry, so organizing them is a big help when it comes to easy entertaining. "Organize 'like' items with 'like' items such as platters with platters, and then rectangular platters with rectangular ones and ovals with ovals," she explains. "Label the shelf where they belong and never stack anything more than three high, placing the heaviest items on the bottom of the stack. Place the items you use the most, at eye-level and just below, where you can easily reach them." To maximize the height of shelves, she suggests using shelf risers that are available from The Container Store or Amazon. Put less-frequently used items on the highest shelf in bins and label them. She also applies her "like-with-like" strategy to holiday décor organizing, as she recommends storing all ornaments together, all lights together and all mantle decorations together. She prefers to store them in well-labeled clear bins. "Labeling takes the guess work out of everything," she says, but emphasizes that labels must be specifi c. "A label that just says Christmas is too over-arching. A bin labeled tree skirt and stockings is more helpful." Also, "labels are a great help when you have to ask a family member or housekeeper to retrieve the bin and labeling the shelf where each item belongs makes putting it away simple," she adds. And while she happily wields her label maker, she fi nds colored masking tape in different widths especially useful in these cases. "I might use orange tape for Halloween or red or green for Christmas," she explains. Coat closets are often overlooked until the last minute but ideally they shouldn't be full of the family's coats. If they are, she says, temporarily move them to other closets Pam Benetz Parker shares her top must-have organizing products for closets Scottsdale laundry room by California Closets combines a polished look with functional design. – Photo courtesy California Closets Clear bins by Interdesign Linus. "Clear bins are great because they help keep shelves tidy while making it easy to see what's stored inside," she says. "These sturdy plastic bins come in various sizes and can be easily cleaned if there are spills. These versatile bins can be used in every room of the house." Non-slip hangers. "Gain more space on your closet rod with these slim, velvet-fl ocked hangers," she says. "They're sturdy and can hold heavier fabrics with no problem." Lazy Susan by Madesmart. "Also known as a turntable, this little number is a workhorse when it comes to keeping things organized in cabinets, on shelves, on tables and in refrigerators," she says. "This inexpensive, multi-purpose Lazy Susan has a non-slip grip surface and a small lip around the edge to keep things in place." Large shoe or sweater drawers by The Container Store. "While I do love these for shoes and sweaters, most often I use these drawers for closet storage and underneath cabinets in bathrooms and kitchens." Document box by Semikolon. "I simply adore all Semikolon products because they're well made and are offered in an abundance of colors," she says. "But, more importantly they serve as a pretty way to keep paper piles organized." 1 2 4 5 F A L L 2 0 1 9 | NORTH BAY WOMAN 13 – Photo courtesy of Life Well Organized 3

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