The 9th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

ON THE NINTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

So you bought a fancy looking pair of sunglasses. Whether you shelled a pretty penny at a designer store or bargained down to an actual penny at a street fair, you may have ended up with an equally fancy carrying case that’s more bulky than its worth. Nowadays, sunglasses are bigger and more audacious than in decades past, so naturally their cases have been designed to match. I can probably guarantee you that if the sunglasses case is hard covered, it probably takes up more than its fair share of real estate in your bag or briefcase.

Fortunately, I’ve got a fun solution to take back your tote and free up some space while still keeping those gorgeous sun-shielders protected. Meet the Flipcase™, an incredibly simple, smart design from Alison Wong at Integral Design based in San Francisco, California. The Flipcase™ goes from sturdy protective case to flattened space saver in seconds. It slides smoothly back in your bag or even in your back pocket. Manufactured using the same quality materials that protect your tablets and other digital devices, this little space-saver is beyond reliable. Flipcase™ is designed to fit 99% of sunglasses on the market, and the microfiber interior makes sure the lenses stay scratch free. It’s simple, fashionable and brilliant…and the kind of stocking stuffer that will barely take up any space!


The 8th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

I love a kitchen crock. I think they’re useful. I think they are a great fix for those most used or too-long-for-the-drawers kitchen utensils. I think they’re also a wonderful solution if drawer space is limited. The challenge has always remained that before you know it, your slotted spoon has a wooden one shoved through it and the whisk is hugging the tongs. Well, CHEFS® Catalog has come to the rescue with their neat product on this year’s list. Finally a bit of organizational genius! Try as I might to create something like this on my own, nothing beats the real deal. The tall, durable quality stoneware Kitchen Tool Crock comes with a built-in, three-way stoneware divider so you can finally put some order back into your kitchen. Whether you separate by utensil type (wooden, silicone, metal) or utensil purpose (spoons, spatulas, miscellaneous), it’s a very neat-making and visually pleasing solution for any kitchen…and those utensils can finally start behaving themselves.


The 7th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

THE SEVENTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

If the man in your life has a habit of emptying his pockets all over your house – THIS is the gift for him. Mark & Graham come to the Neat List with their offering—not just a catchall, but a personalized swanky leather catchall. These laser-engraved, monogrammed home bases come in three different sizes, depending on what will ultimately find a home there. Leather walls on all sides ensure valuables stay protected and in the same spot.

DISCLAIMER: While this useful entryway or bedroom dresser ornament can be a good home for pocket necessities, it does come with two simple rules of play in order to make sure it doesn’t become a clutter magnet itself. Rule #1: If he wouldn’t carry it in his suit or pants pockets, it shouldn’t live in the catchall. Rule #2: If you decide to buy it, make sure you check in on it periodically to remove items that may have found their way there that don’t belong. (See Rule #1)


The 6th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

ON THE SIXTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

Well, we’re already at the halfway mark for the 12 Days of Neatness and I hope that you’re enjoying these incredibly neat products and gift ideas. For today, I couldn’t resist featuring a tool that sits at the very crossroads of neatness and usefulness. I was first introduced to the Hang & Level™ made by Under the Roof Decorating when I received it as a gift one holiday season myself.  Since then, this nifty little tool is at my side whenever I need to hang any framed picture of any size.  The Hang & Level takes out the frustration out of hanging pictures by assisting you with perfect placement of both the frame and the nail.  At the same time, it also helps you achieve perfect alignment vertically and horizontally along your wall or against adjacent pictures.  Working with the tool couldn’t be easier. Not only do they have web videos that show you exactly how to use it (you become an expert picture hanger in 2 minutes flat), but they have helpful tips on how to use the Hang & Level for multiple pictures or even creating an impressive photo gallery on your wall.

What’s even better about the Hang & Level is the customer support that Under the Roof Decorating provides for their clientele.  They are extremely helpful and ready to assist if you should ever have a question or problem. I’ve used this tool countless times for my clients and several times in my own home.  I can’t tell you enough how smart and convenient it is to use – and really how much time you save!  They’re sold all over the place – check out their website to find out where you can pick one up this holiday season.  They make a fun stocking stuffer and the perfect neat product to have around your home.


The 5th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

ON THE FIFTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

Who needs five gold rings when you can own the multitasking miracle that makes enjoying a nice glass of vino even more enjoyable?! For that special wine connoisseur or sommelier wannabe in your life (even if it’s you), the neat product for today is the incredibly smart, next generation Corkcicle®.ONE. Wine drinkers from Napa to Naples, and even Oprah herself fell in love with the Corkcicle® last year. But these innovative game-changers didn’t rest on their laurels, no sir. They instead came up with the ultimate hat trick! It is my great and intoxicating pleasure to introduce you to this little bit of “three-in-one” heaven. It’s actually a chiller, an aerator, and a pouring spout. Now you’ll have your wine at the optimal temperature, aerating automatically as it pours out of the perfectly clean spout. The Corkcicle.ONE makes wine serving classy, clean, and oh so deliciously easy.

 

The 4th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

ON THE FOURTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

I gotta say when it comes to style and efficiency the folks at Joseph Joseph® have it mastered. The Nest™ 9 Plus mixing bowl to measuring spoon set is perfection on so many levels, it keeps words from coming out of my mouth in complete sentences. The classic and simple design, and its unique ability to skimp on bulk makes this four-in-one kitchen staple perfect for every kind of cook. This clever set saves precious drawer space, which can be primo real estate in a kitchen with limited storage options. The Nest 9 Plus includes 5 measuring cups which snap together into a small unit. They’re designed to fit perfectly in the small mixing bowl, which then sits inside a stainless steel mesh sieve, which THEN all fits neatly into a medium plastic strainer/colander and FINALLY, all collectively rest compactly and perfectly inside one large mixing bowl. This kind of space-saving brilliance is a neat product that truly speaks my language.


The 3rd Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

ON THE THIRD DAY OF NEATNESS…

Entryway clutter can be a problem for a lot of people. Truth be told, I have to make a daily effort to keep my entire foyer from becoming a catchall. However, there’s one neat product in particular that has caught my eye in the quest to keep things tidy in our entryways. And, as it’s the result of a successful 2013 Kickstarter campaign, it’s an exciting new find for my product arsenal. Made in the good ol’ US of A, Upwell Design has created the Walhub, switchplates that double as a keeper for the entryway clutter culprits like keys, umbrellas, dog leashes, and the perpetual stack of to-be-mailed items. Now the same switchplates that give your light switches a finished look can also keep things off of entryway flat surfaces or nearby tables. Plus, they give a clever, permanent home to smaller items that are easily misplaced. Walhub has multiple designs available in different sizes and organizational options, depending on how much wall space and the type of switch you have. The end result is a clean, stylish solution that can be used in just about any home. I’d pick the Walhub over three French hens any day. The 12 Days of Neatness continues tomorrow with a handy little item for that handy dandy person on your list. Make sure to come back and check it out!


The 2nd Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

ON THE SECOND DAY OF NEATNESS…

If you’ve spent enough time with me, you know I’m a huge fan of realizing the full potential of any available square footage. It requires the fine art of getting the most utility out of every last square inch of space while keeping it stylishly appealing to the eye. How is that possible you ask? Well, Grasshopper, with inventive solutions and neat products like ShoeStax™, any and all can create order out of a chaotic closet. ShoeStax™ by Boottique is an ingenious solution for shoes (obviously) which effectively doubles the amount of usable shelf storage by having two shoes take the space of only one. Let’s revel in that sentiment for a moment, shall we? Store two shoes for the space of one! ShoeStax™ has a simple metal design that fits neatly inside a variety of women’s shoes, including open-toed and wedge styles, and allows one shoe to rest neatly atop the other. I have happily used this product in several of my clients’ closets and they all continue to be unbelievably pleased with the results. They’re easy to use and they make a fabulously neat gift idea! Check back tomorrow for another neat product on The Third Day of Neatness!


The 12 Days of Neatness – Neat Products for Holiday Giving!

12 Days of Neatness by Jeffrey Phillip

I’m really excited to announce a fun little project I’ve been working on in preparation for the excitement of the holiday season. We’ve all heard of the 12 Days of Christmas (Side note: Anyone who can make it through that song, congratulations. You are a Christmas miracle). However this year, I decided it would be fun to take that concept and make it my own. So, without further ado, I’m thrilled to share my 12 Days of Neatness with you! For the first 12 days of December, I will post a neat product that could make a wonderful gift for the holidays, or something snazzy and useful for you to add to your own wish list. They’re the products that I adore for their creativity, their ease of use and, of course, their stylish neatness. I hope you enjoy! As always, please share your feedback via Twitter, Facebook or Google+, and let me know if you pick any of them up and become a believer yourself! So without further ado…

ON THE FIRST DAY OF NEATNESS…

Let’s face it, whether it’s a sporty backpack, a stylish leather briefcase, a canvas tote, or just good old fashioned family guilt, we’re all carrying some kind of baggage around with us every day. Particularly during the holidays, many of us find ourselves traveling with an arsenal of necessaries wherever we go. For those of us lugging our lives through the subways, airports, train stations and streets, the GRID IT® Accessory Organizer is an incredible creation to help keep your everyday bag clean and clutter-free. It’s totally customizable with several woven, durable elastic straps to keep those sneaky, tricksy little items in place inside whatever carry-all we may be toting. But wait, there’s more! (Now I know why they’re so excited to say that in infomercials.) The flip-side of the organizer has a great little pouch for a tablet or magazine. The entire collection of organizers will ensure that whatever size bag or briefcase you carry your stuff will not only fit, it will actually be find-able. This is an incredible gift for anyone you’ve seen endlessly digging around their bags to find their cell phone, a pack of gum, or that ever elusive pen.


Storing & Sharing Holiday Leftovers

Disposable to-go containers are a must have item during the holidays. Keeping these on hand is a great way to make sure you aren’t stuck with too many leftovers. And, let’s be honest, any organizational item with a festive flare will end up on my good list any holiday season. Pack a small container of yummy goodness for your guests to take with them so they can continue to enjoy your delectable bites upon their return home. Now you won’t have to worry about getting that turkey platter back from Aunt Marge or where you’re going to store an entire green bean casserole. Plus, without a house full of treats to snack on, you won’t have any trouble zipping up any of your favorite holiday duds!

Ziploc Holiday Containers and Bags


Jeffrey Phillip Logo Interior Design + Home Organization
instagram © 2022 Jeffrey Phillip