Put an end to wasting food...
Why would I choose the fridge of all things to feature this week? Well, November is Organizing Your Refrigerator Month! I imagine it's because of all of those Thanksgiving prep & leftovers...
I used to waste food. A lot of food. I would have great intentions of eating my fruits and veggies, but they'd just end up rotting away in the drawers. Or I would attempt to cook new and 'exciting' recipes, only to get lazy and go out to eat instead - so those ingredients fell by the
Creating a home away from home...
Sometimes our homes are so familiar to us that we overlook basic essentials. By placing yourself in your guest’s shoes, you can best address their needs. Here are some tips to being a gracious host by creating a home away from home: Bedroom: Is the bed comfortable? Are there enough pillows? Is it dark enough? Are there strange bumps in the night? Purchasing a foam mattress topper, firm and soft pillows (one each per guest is ideal), a pair of room darkening shades, and a w
Organizing children's books...
I have a secret love for children's books. Even before I had kids, I was purchasing them by the dozen! Isn't that what all Elementary Education majors do? ;) I also shamelessly purchased gobs of paperbacks from the Scholastic book orders... can you relate?? So what can you do to keep this growing collection from taking over the entire house? Keep in mind... your kiddos don't have to have access to all of the books, all of the time. Consider designating certain book bins or
Organizing your clothes...
Did you know we only wear 20% of the clothes we own? What?! So what should we do with the remaining 80%? Start by gathering ALL of your clothes into one area (every last piece!) and go through each item individually. Sometimes it is helpful to have a friend or family member hold up the item while you make a decision whether to keep, toss, or donate. There is a thing called tactile sympathy - we become [re]attached to something when we touch it, making it harder to let it go
Organizing a home office...
An organized space is a productive space! If your office space is new, I would recommend working a few weeks before trying to organize it. This might sound counter-productive, but it allows you to identify exactly how you are using the space and what you will need to make it function specifically for your business. Generally, a home office is set up in “zones.” Zone 1: Items within arm’s reach, like your computer, printer, phone, stapler, post-its, pens and current projects.
End kitchen countertop clutter...
Is it just me, or does every horizontal flat space beg to be covered? It cries out, "Fill me!! Fill me!! Look at all this glorious room for STUFF! Like that toy you just took away from your kid... yea, bring that over here. That hammer you just used to hang that picture? Give it to me! All that mail/school papers/bills to be paid/coupons... right here, baby! Oh, and how about those appliances that might get used once a month.... I love a good quesadilla maker in my life! Th
Organizing your mail...
Bills, forms, checks, coupons... plus all the junk you get in the mail these days. What's your system? Do you bring it in the house and toss it on the counter/table? Undoubtedly you say to yourself "I'll go through that later." Maybe you sort through it, toss the junk, then throw the unopened bills on your desk... and they remain unopened until past their due date because you forgot about them. Or maybe you (or your spouse...) open everything, then leave it - ripped envelopes
ESCAPE from Clutter
Ah, the quintessential “drop spot.” It’s the area in your home where things get placed — and sometimes shoved — with the intention of getting to it later. As many of us can relate, intentions only get us so far. I’ll walk you through a system that can be used to organize any space in your home. ESCAPE is an acronym I came up with because that’s exactly what I want to do when my house is disorganized! Here is the breakdown: E is for Empty. Take everything (yes, everything!) o
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