Organizing Tips to Live By

1. Have a home for everything

• No halfway houses. If you have a home for your keys, shoes, etc. then you won’t spend valuable time searching for lost items.

2. One life – One calendar

• Keep one calendar for the family. This eliminates double booking or missing appointments. Keep it somewhere visible so everyone can see it. Review with the whole family every Sunday.

3. 70-80% of all paper should be read and tossed immediately

• This includes mail, flyers, newspapers and other paper items. When you open the mail, make a decision immediately to keep it or throw it away. If it is an invitation or mailing for an important date, mark it on the calendar and put it in a home near the calendar

4. Clean as soon as you clutter

• Put items away after each use. Customized storage systems give you a home for every item to put away.

5. Use clear plastic bins for storage

• Plastic makes it easier to identify items. It also saves your items from weather damage such as water or humidity.

6. Keep an inventory of what you have in storage

• This will save you from buying duplicate items. Especially seasonal items such as decorations or outdoor items

7. Limit incoming information via e-mail

• Unsubscribe from any e-mail lists that you don’t look at regularly. Unsubscribe from getting junk mail at www.dma.consumer.org. Also, make sure you are on the do not call list to avoid unwanted phone solicitors.

8. Use on-line bill payment

• Most on-line bill payments are free and will save you time from writing out bills, save you money from stamps and helps avoid paying bills late. The banks are secure to avoid abuse or hackers.

9. Keep like categories together

• When organizing your closet, put all your shoes in the same section, all pants in one section, etc. In the pantry, put all cereal boxes together, cans together, etc. This allows you to see all choices at once.

10. Have a launch pad

• Make a space in your home near the front door for items that you need to take in the morning. Set the items out the night before when you are less rushed.

 

For more information or to get additional tips on organizing:

Arranged By Erin

Erin Kelly

 

www.arrangedbyerin.com

What is the investment of a custom closet?

Taking Stock of Storage


A tip-top closet is a substantial investment, so it is wise to enlist the expertise of a closet-design specialist. On average, a professionally designed closet will cost around $2,000, but depending on the size of the space, the size of your wardrobe, and the amenities you choose, you can easily spend $40,000 or more.

The first step in any closet design is tabulating inventory. To ensure the most space-efficient layout, every tie, earring, and pair of shoes must be accounted for. "We want to see it," David Linda, president of SpaceMan Home & Office, always tells new clients. "We don't want you to tell us, we want to see what [clothes] you have." The average person, he adds in his defense, has no idea how many clothes he or she actually has until they come to him for an audit.

Storage preferences also play an important role in the design process. Jennifer Williams, president of St. Louis Closet Co., never overlooks any lifestyle detail when considering a new design: "Are your pants hung over the hanger or by the cuff? Do you roll your ties or hang them? Are sweaters folded or hung? Do you want drawers for your undergarments?" Those are a few of the detailed questions she asks clients.

How Much Room?

The space itself is the next major concern. In new homes, designers typically have a lot more control over the size and shape of a closet. David Linda's SpaceMan Home & Office is based in Houston, where a good chunk of business comes from newly developed high-end properties. "Everything here is new and more modern, and they actually plan for closets, as opposed to old houses," he says. "They frequently have 15-by-20-foot closets."

Many people in the market for a closet makeover don't have the luxury of a newly built space—particularly those in confining urban apartments. Some closet designers specialize in making efficient use of small spaces. For one job in a tiny loft apartment in New York's Tribeca neighborhood, Charlton brought in a library-style rolling ladder and added a roll-out shelving system to take advantage of the closet's vertical dimensions.

* Article from Business Week

Summer is here! Now Lets Enjoy it!

Summer is a time for rest and relaxation. Having an organized home makes one feel more relaxed throughout the day. We have to put together a few tips to help you get and stay organized so you can enjoy the summer!

Tips for Designing a Laundry Room

Laundry rooms are typically a home organizer's nightmare. They are those little messy rooms that just keep getting cluttered no matter how hard you try to organize them. Here are a few simple and bright ideas to help you make your laundry room a better and more inviting place:

1. Good Lighting - Lighting up the laundry area can bring up a dramatic difference in the space. Also having windows through which light and air can flow in would be a good boost to the whole washing experience.


2. Orderly Arrangement - Like any other room, unnecessary clutter can give the space a dirty look. Having a closed basket for dumping soiled clothes rather than heaping them on the floor or inside the cabinet would give a more organized look.


3. Having overhead closed cabinet spaces gives more space and scope for artistic and creative ideas to flow. The cabinets can be painted in creative designs and colors to bring life to the area.


4. Keeping detergents, sewing kit, laundry shampoos, start and other such items needed in the laundry room within cabinets gives it easier access and avoids using up other storing spaces in the house.


5. The wall attached ironing board is an ideal option for laundry areas with less space. Having the iron box in the laundry room ensures that clothes leave the laundry room in wearable form.


6. Like any other area of your house, you can add to the ambience of the laundry room or area with potted plants, different color patterns.

Bring out your music system to your laundry area, let the music play or get that book you always wanted to read and enjoy it while your clothes spin. Laundry time would never be a chore again!!

Source: Homedesigning.com

New Year New Organized You!

Did you know that 48% of American's Adults say they are at least somewhat likely to make a New year's Resolution this year? What made your list for 2010? If getting organized and making more time to spend with family and friends tops your list, here are some ideas to get you started and help you find more time.

Closet Organization Tips

• If you haven't worn it in the last 12 months, it doesn't fit, if it's out of style or you don't feel good about yourself when you wear it, get rid of it!



• Store your clothes according to season you can keep your "off-season" in a different part of the house if you run short on space.



• You can organize your clothing according to purpose (formal, casual), type (shirts, pants), style (short sleeves, long sleeves) and color (light to dark).



• Seperate out catagories of clothing like men's / women's, pant/shirts by assigning each section a different part of the closet.



• You can hang just about anything from hooks or racks attached to your closet walls: purses, belts, ties, jewelry, ect.

Fall into a Routine

When it comes to organization, developing a routine can be the key to success.
Below are a few quick tips that if done repeatedly can lead to an everyday organized lifestyle.

1. Plan ahead - Choose your clothes for the next day the night before.

2. Go through your mail daily and divide it into separate categories* Action required
(Pay, call, RSVP)* File* Shred and toss (keep a shredder near your waste/recycle)

3. Invest in a custom organizational system complete with a built-in jewelry drawer, laundry
basket or ironing board (select from dozens of accessories!)

4. If it's dirty-throw it in the hamper! Get your family accustomed to this routine and finding
favorite pieces might get a little easier

5. Designate a space for everything. Start with the essentials (keys, ties,earrings, belts, etc).