The Post-It Place

Have you seen the new Rubbermaid Bento Boxes and Toppers???

I am in LOVE

Serious, serious organizational, OCD soothing, love!

Most storage boxes are just that, storage boxes. Bento Boxes are ohhh so much more. They are designed to organize your items rather than just storing them. See, the inside can be divided up into sections, divide and conquer baby!

Bento helps you organize with:

Flex Dividers
Bento’s Flex Dividers allow users to customize the inside of the box, creating organization solutions that are perfect for a variety of needs. Flex Dividers pop open when needed, and simply pop back when not. Each Flex Divider can be opened or closed separately of the others to create a permanent home for belongings.

Toppers
Bento Toppers™ can be used in two distinctive ways. One way is that it can be a tray to display and contain items. By using Bento Toppers this way, you can create boundaries for items that can often take over a counter space such as magazines or mail. Use the Bento Topper on its own, or resting as a tray on top of a Bento Box to contain items like remotes while cov-ering the contents in the box below. The second way to use Bento Toppers is as a lid for the Bento Box by simply flipping over the Topper. This way you can hide things (such as personal bathroom items) that you do not want everyone to see but are needed for easy access.

Design
Bento Boxes and Toppers come in variety of fabric designs and colors to compliment any home décor. The boxes were designed to hold common household items such as DVD & Video Games, File Folders, Mail, Toys, Hair Care Accessories, Audio & Video Accessories, Magazines, Board Games, Crafting Supplies and Office Supplies. Bento Boxes are stackable to make the most out of your space. Covered with polyester, the boxes are durable, yet easy to clean with a damp cloth.

You can visit the Adventures in Organization Blog to read how Rubbermaid and professional organizers use Bento Boxes and Toppers or, here are some ideas and tips for your active storage areas:

Tips for creating Organized Active Storage

Active Storage [ak-tiv stohr-ij] noun – a designated place for items used on a daily basis and accessed frequently

Creating Organized Active Storage that works for you:

Everyone uses active storage, in fact, I bet you have some sort of active storage in your home that is working for you! However, active storage items can also cause constant frustration if not stored correctly because we do use them so frequently and they are often stored in spaces where everyone can see them. So, here is some advice to getting your active storage organized and under control to make your everyday life a little easier!

Determine where you need work.

To do this, simply ask yourself these simple questions: What am I constantly looking for everyday (is it your keys, your son’s water bottle)? What has a place to go but I never put it there (is it your hair brush, your remote control)? What items are cluttering up flat services in your home (is it mail on your counter top or shoes by your front door)? The answers to your questions will help you determine what you need to find a new organizational solution for.

2. Take a step back and explain why it is not working.

You might have to do some investigative work here. For example, you find that you always leave your hair brush on you bed in the morning. You have a place for it to go in your bathroom but your headbands that you wear are in your closet so you take you brush into your bedroom to use it. Active storage should always be where you actually use the item. Or let’s say your kitchen counter-top is continually piled with junk mail and magazines. Be realistic with yourself and the time you have. You probably do not have time to read 5 magazine subscriptions each month but you do have time to read two. So unsubscribe to all but your two favorite. And finally, those keys you are always losing. Do you actually know where you should be putting them? If things do not have a designated home or a place to go once you are not using them, they will get lost.

3. Be creative and design a solution. Then force yourself to follow through and put things away for 30 days (that’s how long it takes to make something a habit).

Here are some tips to keep in mind: Make them easy to get to. If you have to walk into another room and open two drawers to get to it, you will not put it away. Make sure your things have a DESIGNATED home. Not, oh my keys go somewhere on my table but instead – my keys go in the left corner of the Bento Box on my table. Let everyone in your household know where the designated homes are for these items.

The Rubbermaid Bento Boxes and Toppers are currently available for purchase online at Rubber-maid.com and will be available at retail in late October at Fred Meyer.

And…

…one of you are going to WIN a set of Bento Boxes and Toppers for your home!!! (Retail value of $113.93)

TO ENTER: Leave a comment stating what room you could use Bento in the most.  Or just say I wanna win. Or Hi. Any will do. All entries must be received by Nov. 9th at 11:59 EST.

All entries must have a valid US or Canadian mailing address. Winner will be selected randomly and  will have 3 days to respond to the verification e-mail or another winner will be chosen.

Want Extra Entries:

Subscribe to The Post-It Place (either by a reader or request in your comment to be added to the e-mail list for contests and giveaways).

Follow  Jillybean01 and Rubbermaid on Twitter AND tweet about this giveaway : Enter to win a set of Bento Storage Boxes with @Jillybean01 thanks to @rubbermaid  at  http://bit.ly/sXAxYO

Find Me and Rubbermaid on Facebook AND tell your friends on Facebook about this giveaway. They will love ya for it!

Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post.

“Thank to Rubbermaid for supplying product to help facilitate this review and giveaway. They also supplied some of the info. Of course all the opinions were mine, cause you all know I am pretty opinionated and just can’t imagine letting anyone else inject theirs where mine are due. No other compensation was received and my opinions were in no way influenced by any outside source.”