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

Fall time=purge time

Fall is the time of year that makes you want to start the preparations for staying inside where it is warm. The winter chill will soon be in the air and hot chocolate, fires in the fire place and warm fuzzy blankets draped over the coach will be a fixture in homes.

Kids move all their play time inside and mom's can no longer say ride your bike (to wear off that excess energy) outside, giving moms a small moment of piece.

That reminds me of my Fall ritual which always helps to make the coming winter months a little more bearable.

1. Move all the summer clothes out to other closets or to the back of the closet space.
2. Clean out the kids clothes, starting with last years winter clothes that may no longer fit or are worn and give to a charity or bring to a resale shop
3. Start clearing out the pantry - Are you ever going to use those noodles that fell to the back of the cabinet?
4. Go through book shelves and the kids room to donate books that either are not worth keeping (will you ever read it again?) or the kids have out grown (preschools love donations of books for younger kids).
5. Time to move the bikes, floats,  sports equipment and all other summer items to the cabinets or in the attic. Pull out the snow shovels, sleds and other winter sports.

Now that everything has it's place, it is time to embrace the winter.

Keeping your Kids Organized!

If you can't see the floor of your children's rooms (or are to afraid to open the door) then it is time to take action! Help children organize their rooms in a way that make their space fun and easy to keep clean. Reassure them that putting their room in order doesn't mean they have to throw away any of their good stuff.

Organizing a Kid's Closet

Organizing a kid's closet presents a unique challenge, mainly because most children's clothes are smaller than standard hanging systems. In addition, the space often needs to double as a place for toys and games storage. Below are top tips for organizing a child's closet space:

• Keep in mind children grow so adjustable shelving and poles are important
• Make it kid friendly. Use baskets to hold odd shaped toys and low shelving to put their favorite toys.
• Consider safety. Make sure that the shelving is secure and that it can't easily pull out from the wall.
• Don't forget a laundry basket. Wire laundry baskets allow for ventilation to the dirty clothes and easily removed to bring to the laundry room.