Okay, so in my last video clip I talked about putting matboard up. For me, matboard is an alternative to refrigerator frames with magnets. I thought it was a better option to tape the matboard on my fridge to highlight memories or just showcase pictures that will accent my kitchen.

I just worked with arranging the matboard on my fridge the other day and I think I’ve got the look I want. I’m still not sure just yet, but here’s the arrangement that I’ve got at the moment (see above photo).

I keep thinking maybe I should remove the two frames with the oval shapes in the center. I’m not sure if they’re too much. Maybe less is more in this situation or I need to add other types of decoration in their place. I have to admit… something’s bothering me about the arrangement. Maybe I’m being silly, but we’ll see.

Anyway, I haven’t printed any photos yet. Right now I’m just working with the look and feel and once I’m sure how I like how they’re arranged I’ll put up photos of friends and family or print off some great photos I like from the web.

This is just to tease you for the time being and give you an idea of where it’s all going. More coming shortly….

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Okay, so I purchased two Walmart lamps and placed them on my shelving in my living room. The problem isn’t with the lamp on the first shelf, but rather with the one on the top shelf. I can’t reach it and I’ll be darned if I’m going to climb up and down on a step ladder every single day to turn it off.

And I don’t want to flip the switch on the surge protector to turn it off because it turns everything off (i.e. tv, dvd player, etc.). Also, I hate the idea of pulling the plug out of the surge protector every time I want to turn the lamp off.

So I started thinking about other options and a moment later it hit me… the track lighting in my room came with a cord switch. Why not get one of those for my lamp?

So I just ordered one.

It’s pretty simple to use, but it will only work for you if your item is plugged into a reachable outlet. Remember, you have to be able to reach the switch otherwise using it is pointless.

So how does it work?

Simply plug the lamp cord into the cord switch, then plug the cord switch into an outlet or surge protector and flip the button on the cord on and off as needed. No more unplugging cords and no need to climb up and down to get to the on and off switch on the lamp, etc.

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Closet Rod Paper Towel Holder

If you have a small storage closet (or coat closet) and the room to spare, you can use the clothes rod as a paper towel holder. My closet rod is expandable so it was simple enough for me to pull it away from the wall.

All I had to do was lift up on the side and push in on it in order to adjust it to the size I needed so I would have room to put my paper towel on the rod, then I extended the rod back out and latched it back onto the hook on the wall.

I was able to fit 3 paper towels on the rod.

I’ll be using this closet to store a few cleaning supplies but mainly it will serve as a dog room for my dog Val.

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Woven Hamper & Basket Set

If you have the room and prefer the put-it-all-in-one-place approach, aside from wicker baskets and storage bins, you can quickly and easily store a multitude of (cleaning) supplies in your bathroom in a small laundry basket or hamper under your sink or in any location you prefer. This will take up even more room and is quite a bit larger, but if you prefer more order, you can go for a laundry hamper that has sorter compartments (a laundry sorter) instead.

It will allow you to organize your items a bit better. Many sorters will provide you with three pockets–so you can have some leeway to get those miscellaneous items out of sight and clear clutter elsewhere.

Just remember if you decide to do this, proceed with a little bit of caution. Obviously, it’s not a good idea to throw some items in a “bin.” Liquids, perishables, etc.

There are various types of hampers/sorters. Low cost options include canvas and wicker. Higher priced options include wood–woven or otherwise.

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I can personally vouch for this since I’ve done it (during two moves). On my first move I ran out of boxes, so I supplemented them with grocery bags. It was then during my move I realized it was a blessing in disguise. That I’d moved almost all of my stuff in half the time it would’ve normally taken.

Since then I’ve never returned to boxes during a move–except for when they were absolutely necessary.

My sister and mother also agree. After I suggested they do the same when they moved, they were shocked at how much faster they were able to move things to their new place.

So, give it a try and if you like it, stick with it. If you don’t… well, you tried and that’s the best that anyone can do for themselves. Remember, during your move, it doesn’t mean you have to omit moving with boxes all together. Just use them only when absolutely necessary and commit to using bags for the majority of your items.

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This is the fifth alternative in the series on finding space saving alternatives to clothes dryers. You can find the first post, which is the entire tip list, here.

With small clothes drying racks, the opportunities are abound. You’ve got a selection that it sure to suit you in spite of the fact that your space may be fairly small.

The obvious option is your basic drying rack, if made small enough works great in bathtubs so that you may place your wet clothes on it and let them drip-dry overnight. Larger version, however may not work in a bathtub if your tub is of average size, so you may have to consider placing it elsewhere (laundry rooms, etc).

Next, you may consider wall drying racks. The advantage with wall drying racks is that they save floor space, but beware that the indoor wooden wall drying rack may not take as much weight as a sturdy framed outdoor wall drying rack which tends to be made out of pre-coated rust resistant metal tubing.

Further down the line, you can even choose to use a ceiling mounted drying rack if you want to take advantage of the space above. Two worth considering are the Air Dry Ceiling Rack and the Suspended Ceiling Clothes Drying Rack by Joyful Spin Cycle. Both can be hung in your bathroom above your bathtub so that clothes may drip-dry with no difficulty.

And lastly if you’re looking for something that’s the best of both worlds, then there’s also the D-Rack Clothes Drying Rack which can fold flat against the wall, serve as a wall drying rack or as a free-standing drying rack.

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Portable Clothes Dryers

This is the first alternative in the series on finding space saving alternatives to clothes dryers. You can find the first post, which is the entire tip list, here.

Portable Clothes Dryers are your best friend if you need something small and, of course portable, to take care of your occasional drying needs. They’re great if you live in a studio apartment, dorm room or even a one bedroom. Basically Portable Clothes Dryers are great in any place in which space is limited.

You’ll find them convenient if you only need to dry a few clothes at a time. Also be aware that often with portable items such as this what it doesn’t take up in space it takes up in time. That is, be prepared to deal with it taking longer to dry your clothes versus a basic clothes dryers, such as a tumble dryer.

And in some cases Portable Clothes Dryers may not dry your clothes fully. If you’re not familiar with dryers that basically take the place of the wring cycle in a washing machine, they’re called spin dryers. What they do is simply spin out the excess water in your clothes so they will air dry quickly. They typically go hand in hand with portable washing machines which do not have a wringing cycle.

However, in a situation in which you are using a portable washing machine, there’s nothing stopping you from combining all three alternatives together. If you have a portable washing machine and need to get excess water out (besides dripping drying) you could get a spin dryer and during times in which you can’t afford to wait for your clothes to air dry you could use an (over the door) electric portable clothes dryer to dry them.

You gotta be inventive in times like these, right?

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Wall Mounted Clothes Dryers

This is the second alternative in the series on finding space saving alternatives to clothes dryers. You can find the first post, which is the entire tip list, here.

If you’re looking for a space saving alternative, a wall-mounted clothes dryer might interest you. The ability to save floor space in a small home can make the idea of owning a wall-mounted clothes dryer very appealing.

However, the downside is that there are very few on the market. In fact, when I say very few… I mean one–at least there’s only one that I know of. And that’s the Haier Wall Mounted Clothes Dryer. Weighing in at only 50 lbs, you can look forward to it heating your clothes at 1100 watts.

Comparing it to an average dryer, it’s said to take quite a bit longer to get your clothes dry. So you should have the patience to deal with the unavoidable lengthy drying times. However, if you’re sick of frequent trips to the laundry mat this might be just a small inconvenience to you.

It’ll plug into a standard outlet and the dimensions of the dryer are 2.2′H x 2′W x 1.4′D. So this makes the Wall Mounted Clothes Dryer great for small apartment use. Pair it up with a portable washer and the combination will allow you to relax at home while your clothes are being washed and dried versus dealing with the inconvenience of frequent trips and heavy clothes basket hauling to the laundry mat.

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When money is low, you may like the idea of using a pedestal fan to dry your clothes. Obviously, there’s the option of air-drying–which I generally do. But there are times when you want to speed the process up (from a day to a couple of hours). This is when a pedestal fan can be your best friend.

Simply hang your clothes up. If you don’t have a wringer, spin dryer or a washing machine that wrings out the extra water, try to get out all of the extra water yourself. The less water, the quicker your clothes will dry.

But if you can’t get it all out and some of your clothes need to drip-dry, just put them on a clothes drying rack in the bathtub and when they are done dripping, transfer them to the shower curtain rod so they will start a-dryin’.

When hanging the clothes up, try and space them out nicely, so there’s some space between them. Place your fan in position, turn it on the highest setting. Generally I don’t have the fan oscillate (but if you need yours to, hit the oscillating button). Then point it and close the door.

I usually put the fan in my bathroom and do this, particularly since my clothes drip-dry and even if I wring out as much water as possible, they’re still a bit more damp than clothes that go through the wringing process.

Check on the clothes here and there to make sure everything’s getting dry. Pull clothes down as they get dry and move clothes that are still damp in the line of fire (so to speak) until everything is dry and ready to be put away.

You should also know that the basic pedestal fan is usually performs best. Tower fans will work but not as well–particularly since they don’t adjust as well and the scope of air they blow isn’t as well directed. So you’ll likely want a basic pedestal fan to do this type of job and will only want to use a tower fan if you have no other alternative.

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Are you an avid reader like me? Maybe you like to read more than you like to watch TV? If so, then you might find it annoying to deal with library books lying all over the place. Maybe you want a strategic system that will allow you to handle a multitude of books?

For some reason, for me the closet just won’t do. I’ll put them in there and then find I can’t sort through the books well and a day or two later they end up all over the place. So, what I did to remedy this problem is use a shelf in my home office and dedicate it to all the library books I check out.

The books are displayed on a shelf like the books I own. And since I usually check out more when I take others back, there’s always a stash to keep the shelf looking nice with a selection of books.

Note: Keep in mind you can do this with bookcases at home as well. You don’t necessarily have to go out and purchase a shelving system. Look around your home first and see if there’s something that you can use that’s already there–a system tailored to your needs.

I have used a small decorative shelf that I purchased from Lowes for about $10. However, I think I’ll return and get a shelving system that will go down my wall (one that will look a lot less plain). It will then allow me to use the two shelf for library books and the others for a few other things lying around in my home that would look nice on display.

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