by The Organizer Lady dot com on February 25, 2010
by The Organizer Lady dot com on January 15, 2010
The master bedroom should be a comfortable place to rest and relax. The more organized the bedroom is, the easier it is to relax. You won’t have to take time to look for things, which not only saves time, but also is less stressful. Look around the room and see what things you can remove and give a new home.
Start with the dressers and remove things from the top that are just creating clutter. If there are things, like makeup, that you use all the time, why not find a better way to store them. There are nice organizers that will fit into most any décor. Drawer dividers can also help keep things organized in the dresser itself.
Exploring under the bed can be an adventure. There are many nice storage boxes that fit under most beds. The boxes come in many sizes and materials, including plastic, cardboard and wood. The wood and plastic ones often come with wheels, for easy access. Some have lids that are hinged in the middle so you can pull them out from under the bed part way and access the belongings inside. The great thing about the boxes is you can store anything from books to out of season clothing in them.
The closest are usually an area that needs a good bit of work to organize. The best thing is to decide what you want to store there and fix the closet to do what you need done. There are a great number of closet storage systems that can be adapted for just about any size closet to maximize the storage space. Even just adding another bar to hang shirts on can increase your storage space. But there are nice shelve systems that can incorporate hanging clothes, as well as shelves and boxes for things that can be folded. There are also the shoe racks that can be hung on the back of the closet door.
One of the more recent additions to storage options are vacuum storage bag. These are great for storing out of season clothing. You can get more in each bag for the space once the air is sucked out of the bags. These bags will slide under the bed, or on shelves, saving room for other things.
By approaching the master bedroom one area at a time, things will fall into place. By keeping up on the clutter on a daily basis, the room can remain a place to escape it all.
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by The Organizer Lady dot com on October 6, 2009
Have you ever noticed how many things come in two’s? I am making a quilt called “Mile A minute”. I start out with one piece and add it to another piece so I go from a onesies to a twosies and on and on. I know people who give measurements in recipes by saying “you take a pinch of this and a pinch of that”. We love playing the card game Pit and we start out trading with “two for two”. There is a television station that has a program called “Take 2”. I have doubled two and am giving two organizing tips for four rooms in your home when you are organizing clutter.
1. The Kitchen:
·Is your kitchen so small it is a two person room? As you are organizing clutter clear off the counter tops. Take off the large appliances taking up space that you don’t use very often such as a bread machine, large mixer or coffee grinder just to name a few. Find another place for these appliances. That may be in an armoire that is close to the kitchen and can be used as over flow or a shelf in a closet or even in the garage if it is convenient to the kitchen.
Organizing clutter in drawers is done quickly by taking out everything and deciding if you have used each item in the last 12 months. If not, donate them rather than just cluttering up the drawer.
·Divide your kitchen into zones. Keep like things together such as baking supplies, utensils, cooking gadgets, teas and other drinks.
2. Dining Room:
·Is your dining table always a clutter magnet because it is a flat surface? Take a look at what the stuff is and brainstorm solutions for what you find there. If this space is used for hobbies then have places for the supplies to live when they aren’t being used. Supplies could be kept in a plastic drawer system on wheels. If the mail is tossed on the table create a landing place for the mail such as a basket so it doesn’t clutter the table. Are magazines and newspapers the problem? Corral them in a designated basket.
·Keep a table topper or attractive table cloth with a center piece on the table to encourage and remind family members that this is not a place to just dump papers and stuff.
3. Great Room/Family Room:
· For organizing clutter in this frequently used room keep children’s toys, throws or quilts, games, newspapers, books and magazines organized by using multi-purpose furniture. I saw a really nice ottoman the other day that had a lot of storage space inside. Use baskets for magazines and be sure to recycle them at least every three months to keep your basket from over flowing.
·Keep DVDs or CDs in a cabinet or shelving system contained in containers to reduce clutter. Keep all remotes in a basket and place it in a central location. This saves a lot of time and headaches as you won’t have to hunt for the remote!
4. Master Bedroom:
·To start organizing clutter in the bedroom begin from the inside out. Take everything out of your closet and only put back the clothes that you wear. Check for stains or missing buttons. Don’t put these back, put these in a basket to be washed or dry-cleaned. Another container can be used for the mending. If this is a twosies closet only do one side at a time.
·After the closet move on to the dresser and organize the clutter one drawer at a time. Use containers in the drawers to keep socks and underwear, scarves and other items neat and tidy.
Organizing clutter becomes simple when it is done in twos instead of trying to do everything all at once. After doing “twosies” then move on to “threesies” to “foursies” and then to “moriesies”.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Visit her website www.marilynbohn.com for free organizing tips on her blogs, articles and videos.
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by The Organizer Lady dot com on October 6, 2009
Let’s face it, there are some things that we don’t like to do either because we think they are hard or we don’t know where to begin or how to do them. A few years ago I was making one of my daughters her freedom quilt (this is a red, white and blue quilt I give them on their 21st birthday). I was appliquéing blue snowflakes onto a white background. I hit a wall and I couldn’t continue making the quilt. Just the thought of sewing on it almost made me ill. Another daughter suggested I make only 21 blocks instead of the number I was aiming for. That one small suggestion is all it took; I changed the pattern and was able to finish creating this beautiful quilt.
If you are stuck with clutter and you want to change but don’t know where to start I have several tips on how to get rid of clutter in four rooms in your home.
1. Office: When you think of the paper in your home do you cringe from the sheer volume that you have to deal with every day? How long has it been since you saw the top of your desk? Are papers scattered all over your house? Do you blame yourself for the paper clutter in your home? You are not alone if you feel this way!
To get rid of clutter designate a place for everything and after using it put it back in its place. Keep the things you use most often within arm’s reach. Things you don’t use as often keep in a drawer. Extra supplies can be stored where you can get to it readily but not so close that it creates clutter in your work area. Store supplies in a closet, on a shelf or in drawers.
2. Children’s Bedrooms:
Do you ever blame your kids or “get after them” for having a messy room? Maybe they aren’t at fault. Do they have places to put their toys, books and craft items? Create places for these things by using containers to hold their toys and other items. These can be kept in the closet, under the bed or in attractive containers in their room.
Sort through their toys every 4 to 6 months and donate those that they don’t play with. You will be making someone else happy and will get rid of clutter at the same time. Things can also be given away by listing them on a website such as Freecycle or Craigslist. As crayons get broken and paint dries up or note pads are all used immediately throw them away. This is a simple way to get rid of clutter rather than waiting for things to pile up.
3. Bathroom:
Get rid of clutter on the counter by having containers for the things you use most often. Cosmetics can be kept in containers and either kept on the counter or placed in drawers. If you have products you don’t use, get rid of them. There is no need to hold on to them just because you bought it, clutter does not bring back the money you spent. Let it go or return it for cash or credit.
Do you keep medicine in your bathroom? This is not the best place because of the humidity in the room. Declutter your medicines by going through all the boxes and bottles and checking the expiration dates.
4. Garage:
I don’t know about you but this is a place where I only think about when I drive my car in or out or I need to find a tool or something else that is stored there. It is so easy to clutter this space because it is “there” but not an area we are in all the time like other rooms in our homes.
To get rid of clutter in the garage set up activity zones. Group like things together such as placing all of the sporting gear in one place, gardening tools in another and other tools together in their space.
Using the walls and the ceiling for storage helps you make better use of the space and it increases the useable space you have. Several storage solutions are available such as plastic bins (label what is in them by using a 3 X 5 card and tape it securely to the end). Peg boards are great to hang up a variety of tools. Cabinets can be used to store paint, tools or other items. The items are out of site yet are convenient to use.
Get rid of clutter by streamlining what you have and say goodbye to old stuff you never use or things you don’t like.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Visit her website www.marilynbohn.com for free organizing tips on her blogs, articles and videos.
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by The Organizer Lady dot com on March 28, 2009
As your children continue to get more toys with each passing birthday, Christmas and other special occasions, space becomes a premium, and clutter can begin to take over. So how do you keep it in check and still enjoy giving them new things? You have to balance “out with the old and in with the new”. If there are toys that are broken, or games and puzzles with missing pieces, they can probably be thrown away.
Why not set aside different times of year that you go through all of the toys and decide what needs to be given away? This can be a month or so before birthdays and Christmas. However, if you wait until after they get new things, they might be more willing to part with the older toys. It is important to talk to the children about it beforehand, if they are old enough to understand. Let them help decide which toys they might want to give away.
As the children go through their toys, let the younger siblings see if there is anything they’d like to keep from their older brothers or sisters, but if they do they have to give up something from their toys. Try to keep it even with how much the kids are getting rid of, as you don’t want them to feel like they are sacrificing more than the others.
If the weather is nice, you could even encourage your children to participate in a family yard sale. They get to keep the money for any of their things they sell. This takes a bit more thought and organization. First, they have to make sure that what they are selling is in good enough shape to sell, and that all the pieces are there.
One important thing to keep in mind, especially with the younger children, is to give them time to adjust to the idea of giving things away. Young children can often be generous with their things, but then later realize they gave away a “favorite” toy. Let them practice for a few days, or even weeks. Put the things away in a box where they can’t get them. If they realize they don’t miss the toys, then they should be ok with going ahead and getting rid of them.
It is also good to encourage sharing their blessings by donating some nicer toys and games they’ve outgrown. There are many charities that take gently used books, toys and games, including hospitals and shelters. This is a great way of not only reducing the clutter in your home, but also helping someone less fortunate.
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