Update to Cranky-pants 1/20/12 Pinterest Post

I totally take back my snarkiness in my earlier post – Pinterest is the greatest thing ever. Since I’m constantly collecting ideas about how to do things better, differently, more – I’ve found that I can categorize all those ideas in an organized way into specific boards. A few I’ve started with include:

• Cleaning Tips
• Small Item Organizing
• Clever Tricks for the Home
• Organized Furniture and Home Design
• Laundry and Mudroom Organizing

I also LOVE the new secret board capabilities. I can set up boards of draft ideas that aren’t fully flushed out yet and keep them on the down-low (my personal dream home design ideas, for instance, or a board for a very specific project or client).

I’m following a few other pinners and boards and am enjoying receiving email updates with recommendations for others I might like to follow, or pins I might like.

Goodbye giant 3-ring binder full of torn magazine pages and web print-outs. Hello new digital idea book!

Pinterest, will you forgive me? I think we can be bestest friends.

Two kids in one room

I recently helped a mom of three organize a bedroom for two of her boys who had just moved in together to make room for their new baby brother to have his own nursery. Making a bedroom for one into a room for two can feel a little overwhelming – especially if you think the space is small to begin with.

This room was plenty big enough for the furniture that the family already had – a twin bed, a convertible crib, a large dresser for the boys to share, and a small bookshelf.

The furniture all fit inside the room perfectly – around the outer wall perimeters, but all of the nooks and crannies (drawers, shelves, and closet space) was either underutilized or overflowing.  So we made a few adjustments by categorizing like items together, putting often accessed toys and games at floor level for little hands to reach, and we found a place for everything – with room to grow!

The convertible crib that the family already owned had built-in storage – an added bonus! Because the pull out storage drawer is not accessible when the crib side is lowered, we put extra blankets and linens into it – things that aren’t frequently used. A dual-purpose piece of furniture like this is a great thing to consider when outfitting a kid’s room.

Search Results for "crib with storage drawer"

When we were cleaning out the closet, we found a collection of adorable small storage boxes that the family had received as a gift, tucked away in the back and forgotten about because no one felt sure about where or how to use them.  We creatively rearranged some books and displayed the storage boxes on the bottom of the book shelf so that the kids could use them to stash their favorite plush toys and knick knacks.

Kids' bookshelf

The boys love being able to pick out bedtime story books on their own!

What’s the big deal with Pinterest?

Seriously. Why is EVERYBODY talking about Pinterest like it’s the greatest thing ever? The thought of sticking all kinds of random things onto a virtual bulletin board did not sound very organized to me when I first heard about this new internet phenomenom – I’ll be honest. So I had to check it out…

I requested an invite at approximately 8:30 a.m. CST on Wednesday, January 18th. I got an email reply thanking me for “joining the Pinterest waiting list,” and that “we’ll be sure to send you an invite soon.”

Um, ok. How soon? Is it just me, or does that sound like a blow-off?

Since I couldn’t create an account and start playing right away, I visited the site to see if I could learn more about how this thing is supposed to work. Apparently the concept revolves around using “boards” (think of a bulletin board or drawing board) to add collections of pinned items in an open forum with the goal of connecting “everyone in the world through the things they find interesting.” Pinning through a “Pin It” button that you add to your browser adds content with links to the original source – allowing for ethical content sharing no matter who pins or re-pins the content. People can set up multiple boards for varying interest areas, such as recipes, parenting tips, art projects and inspiration, wedding planning, and more.

The more I read about Pinterest on its website and in independent user reviews, the more I start to think that this could be a useful tool for Place for Everything to keep track of organizing, cleaning and home design projects, tips and ideas. And there’s an iphone app – so it seems like I could access my pins or search other people’s boards of stuff anytime I want…

So when do I get my access login?!? Why the delay?

Anybody else running into this virtual login-block? Leave a comment about your own experience with Pinterest…

Huff Posted

I never would have known we made the front page of the Huff Post Chicago if my colleague Lesley hadn’t told me! (She’s also a blogger – check out her foodie goodness at http://lesley-cooks.blogspot.com) 

Click the “READ WHOLE POST” button below to see our Huff Post mention.

House tour in Time Out Chicago: Home Design

Check out the famous Dot, posing for Time Out Chicago!

Published in Time Out Chicago on February 25, 2011
House tour: Lincoln Square two-story home
AJ Hassan and Jessica Berger found a Lincoln Square fixer-upper and turned it into a warm, modern home. By Kevin Aeh. Photos by Erica Gannett …Read full article.