Answer :

          The Container Store

   "If you're aiming to organize a chaotic and cluttered home, the most dangerous place on earth may be the Container Store." -  

                                              The Wall Street Journal  4/8/10   

    It's true: I've seen it first-hand...people who think they can solve their organizing problems by making a pilgrimage to the Holy Grail of storage supplies (a.k.a. the Container Store); their homes are filled to the rafters with organizing supplies, so much so they can barely move.  The very supplies that were bought in an effort to get organized are crowding them out, making them feel even less organized, and taking up precious space; the bins are actually contributing to the clutter problem in their home. Sometimes they don't even realize it, but it's really container clutter, and I call it Tupperware Syndrome......(you may suffer from this syndrome yourself). You'll recognize the symptoms immediately. Do you have a larger-than usual collection of unused Tupperware (containers) in your kitchen which are used seldom-to-never, while the food for which they were intended lives in its' original packaging??????? Uh oh!   

     So it is with storgage containers: If they're not being used, they're clutter. Here's what you need to know so you don't fall prey to "Tupperware Syndrome".  

     1)  SHOP LAST. Organize first.  RESIST the temptation to run and buy organizing supplies until you've done the basic preliminaries (sorting and eliminating). It's the biggest mistake that people make. Granted, it's tempting to race off to buy supplies. Those gorrrrrrgeous boxes and bins, crates, baskets, shelves, and cubes fill us with hope and the promise of more organized days ahead. Yes, the thinking goes, these new _____ (fill in the blank) will solve my storage needs, my clutter problem, and maybe even my life. It doesn't work that way. 

     Supplies go home from the store where they too often sit idly in a corner (lost or forgotten), and they start collecting more dust than clutter. Ironic, isn't it? And the worst part is, these beauteous receptacles often ATTRACT more clutter than they prevent, which brings me to my next point. 

             2) Shop with a definite purpose in mind.  If you don't have a very specific purpose in mind for an item you're considering, LEAVE THE ITEM IN THE STORE. (You can get it at a later date if you really need it).  

     Items, especially bins, that don't have a specific, intended use become clutter magnets. They attract "a little of this, a little of that", and before long you end up with a bin full of clutter. Ouch! 

            3) Make a list of the items that need to be stored. If you work off a master list, you'll be less likely to impulse-shop. Those impulse-buys can become clutter in less time than it takes to say disorganization.  

            4) Measure twice, buy once.......Make sure to take  measurements along with you when shopping for supplies.  

            5)  Think uniformity:  If you're buying hangers, buy all the same style and color - ditto for baskets, ditto for bins. Nothing says "organized" more than uniformity.  

            6)   Shop your home before heading to out for supplies. More often than not, people have what they need right under their nose. Shoe boxes, vases, tins, mugs, jars, Ziplock bags, are often

perfect. I'm looking at my own desk drawer now, and I kid you not; I'm using the lid to a can of cooking oil to hold paper clips. C'mon! See how creative you can be. You can always beautify (shop) later.  

Interestingly. 9 out of 10 people ask me what they should buy before we start working together. The answer is always a resounding - NOTHING!  

            7)  Try to avoid "just-in-case" thinking, which invariably leads to overbuying. That's where the list will help you trmendously. 

     And finally, resolve yourself  NOT to get caught up in sales or promotions that draw you into the store unless there's something specific you need. The slickly merchandised displays will lure you into thinking you need something you most probably don't.    

    Even I - a seasoned organizing consultant - have to do everything in my power to remind myself that the beauty of the Container Store - and everything in it - is that it's 100% devoid of clutter. Is it any wonder it all looks so good?  

      So Caveat Emptor, Dear Readers......The displays are there to entice. The list you take to the store with you is there to keep you focused and on track.  

      As always, be well, be safe, be organized!   xxx's,

      Nancy