Stuff I Like: January Edition

Yay, it's January. The month in which we're supposed to magically reinvent ourselves into better, cleaner, more organized humans, That seems...hard. But, with this in mind today's Stuff I Like is related to organization, cleaning, and some other crap. The usual. Ain't we fun.

Adrien: 

The Tidying Up Show Which is Not Great, But.
Like most people I've been watching the very odd Tidying Up with Marie Kondo show on Netflix and, while it's not actually a very good show, I do really like the book and method. Marie is delightful oddball and maybe also a robot? I did the Konmari method on my apartment a few years ago and it was very helpful but unfortunately it didn't stick. Her new show, while awkward and a little flat, has still managed to fire me up to get more organized. Watch out, sock drawer.

This Detergent That Saved My Workout Leggings.
My friend Pamela posted about this eco-friendly detergent for active wear on FB and I was intrigued because I have some older workout and bike kit stuff that I'd stopped wearing because the odors just get trapped in that fabric and woooo, when you heat up? It's not great. I splurged on the Active Wear Detergent and soaked my worst offenders for a few hours (the water was...disgusting) and then washed them and OMG. It actually works. It seriously does! I can wear my cute camo leggings again!  Rockin Green has a whole line of detergent options, all of which are eco friendly. I sincerely love this stuff and if you go through my link you get 10% off. (Full disclosure, you can get 10% off by just going directly to the site, so you don't have to go through my link, but thank you if you do.)

This Weird Shoe Conditioner That is Basically Magic.
I found a beat up pair of Dankso clogs that I wanted to sell on Poshmark and the Dr. Martens Wonder Balsam was recommended. It's a little expensive but I am suggestible so I bought it and yay! This stuff is leather magic. A little bit goes a long way, so worth the price!  I'm now working my way through all my leather shoes because check out this before and after (or, after and before):

I KNOW. You should be taking care of your shoes anyway, and this stuff is great for badly scuffed, dried out leather. For handbags I recommend Apple Brand Leather Care.


Marianne:

The Bins That Make Me Look Organized
Like so many of us, I have been tackling clutter in the new year (and no, it wasn't inspired by the Marie Kondo show). This time of year generally inspires me to literally get my shit together, and now that is compounded by knowing that we are moving later in the spring and will have to sell our house. Enter, these bins. Here's why they are the best:

1. They come in multiple sizes.
2. They are opaque, so if you suffer from lots of open shelving (I say suffer because if you fill the shelves they look messy no matter what), everything can be easily accessed but visually it's hidden away.
3. They don't have lids, see the "easily accessed" comment above. If bins have lids, it's too easy to do one of two things--forget what is in there, or not put things away.
4. They look damn great with a label on them (the PTouch labelmaker and I are in a serious relationship).
5. They are CHEAP. Bins and baskets can be criminally expensive, and you can buy these by the case for a really reasonable price.

I wasn't joking about buying by the case--I have now gone through 3 cases of the medium bins and two each of the small and large. I have them in bathrooms, closets, bookshelves, under sinks, in cabinets, and the pantry. Will people who view our house think I am a terrifying control freak? Maybe. But I don't care. You can follow along with my assault on Stuff on instagram, I'm @mariannecanada. I'll make a story highlight with organizing porn. Don't google that, it's probably gross.