Sunday, June 19, 2011
Organize Your Holiday and Bring Joy to Your World
Planning and Organizing a Successful Yard Sale
Create a Unique Scrapbook with Everyday Items You Already Have at Home
Organize your Bill Paying to Avoid Stress and Worry
Keep a Detailed Home Maintenance and Renovation Diary
Organize Your Home Business and Reap the Rewards of Success
Be Safe and Sound When Repairing or Remodeling your Home
To Keep or not to Keep, that is the Question
Laundry Room Logistics
Put the Brakes on the Junk Mail Express
Making the Most of your Workday
Affordable No Sew Curtains for Your Home
Keep your Contacts in Order and Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
Get Organized and Save Some Money on your Move
Conquer Bathroom Clutter Simply and Effectively
Organizing and Planning a Successful Family Vacation
Keep your Kitchen or Dining Room Table Clutter-Free
Efficiently Organizing your Small Bathroom Makes Big Sense
Turn your Junk Drawer into your Neat Drawer
We're probably all guilty of having at least one junk drawer somewhere in our house. This is the drawer that started out as a helpful drawer that kept all the handy items in one place like tape, tacks, buttons, safety pins, and so forth in one central location, but turned into the drawer where other things manage to accumulate when people don't know where they go or don't feel like taking the time to put them away properly. Get this drawer (or drawers) back into useful mode again by using a few simple steps to bring things back under control.
First of all, in order to clean it out, you've got to empty it out. Remove everything. Place a piece of paper or tea towel down to protect your countertop or table surface, and literally dump the drawer on top if possible. Otherwise make sure all items are placed on this protected surface.
Once it's out of the drawer, it needs to be sorted. Group all similar items together, and if you can't determine what something is or if it's needed after consulting with others in your family, get rid of it. If there are things in this drawer belong in another location, be sure they are put away promptly. Clean the drawer completely and wipe dry. Afterwards, lay a fresh drawer liner or contact paper inside.
The next trick is devising a simple, workable organized system that everyone in the family can use. Ice cube trays, egg cartons, small boxes or even 35-mm film containers work well to store small things in. If you cannot see into it to determine its contents, make sure it's clearly labeled. Small plastic sandwich bags are ideal for organizing and storing rubber bands, thread, and string. If you store glues or other adhesives in this drawer, make sure they have lids that are secured. It might also be a good idea to get into the habit of storing them inside a plastic storage bag in order to avoid a mess down the road should the lid become unsecured in the shuffle or is not properly tightened after use.
Most importantly, encourage your family to keep the drawer organized and neat. If it's properly maintained, there should be no need to shuffle through the drawer looking for things, creating an even bigger mess to clean out yet again in a few months.
Organize your Finances and Save Your Money
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Make your Closet Easily Accessible
Smart Grocery Shopping Strategies
Creative and Affordable Ideas to Bring your Living Room to Life
Careful Organization and Planning Helps Preserve your Favorite Photos
Probably the most important tool to have when you begin your photo organization project is a trash can. Statistics show the average person develops one roll of 24 pictures a month but only seven are worth keeping. That being said, you'll probably find many photos in your collection that simply aren't worth keeping.
Another tool you'll need during your organization process is several manila envelopes. Do your best to sort the photos by year, and place each group in the envelope with the year clearly marked on it. Place these envelopes in a strong cardboard box or storage bin. You'll probably be able to store a decade's worth of photos in a single container.
Collages and shadow boxes are great ways to display several photos from a selected year. Include mementos and keepsakes in the shadowbox to add a unique personality. Special photos should be enlarged and framed to be displayed around your home.
Take special care to purchase photo albums that are made with acid-free paper. The acid used in processing everyday paper can be very damaging to photographs over the long haul.
Scrapbooking is a growing trend and a clever and creative way to display your photos. Craft stores have an abundance of scrapbook supplies, including stencils, decorative scissors, background papers, rubber stamps and permanent markers. You can also utilize everyday items around your house such as ribbons, magazine clippings, and fabrics. Again, take care to ensure that the paper you use is acid-free or is displayed separately from your favorite photos.
Lastly, just in case something should happen to your photos, make sure you have a backup plan to replace them. Store the negatives of your most important and cherished photographs in your safe deposit box to also protect against theft or destruction from elements such as fires or floods.
Organize your Family to Become Better Organized
Organize your Move and Reduce your Stress
Garage Organization Made Simple
42 Learn to Cook for the Week Ahead and Save Both Time and Money
Think Green when you Clean
We all want to do our part in ensuring our environment stays as safe and healthy as possible for our children and future generations to come. Many people don't stop to think how their household cleaners can affect the environment, and how toxic they can make the immediate environment of your home. With some careful forethought, planning and effort, your home can be cleaned safely and effectively, sparing the environment, your home, family and pets from toxic chemicals and fumes.
Most people firmly believe that surfaces in their homes must be disinfected on a continual basis to prevent illness and the spread of disease. But the truth is most areas of your home don't need to be disinfected to prevent the spread of germs. This includes your bathroom. Mild detergents, hot water, and some elbow grease can generally do the trick.
The exception to this rule is the kitchen. Anything involved in food preparation should be completely scrubbed down and disinfected with each use. This includes food preparation surfaces, utensils, cleaning clothes, and sponges.
When shopping for cleaning products, pay special attention to those with the words poison or danger on the label. These words indicate the highest level of hazard, under federal law. Products labeled with the words caution or warning can present a moderate hazard and should be regarded with care. Always read labels and follow the directions.
Never mix cleaning products, such as those containing chlorine with those containing ammonia.
Consider using products such as vinegar, baking soda, and mild detergent when cleaning your home. If you have questions about how to properly dispose of toxic household cleaning chemicals, contact your local health department or county sanitation office for advice and assistance. Most areas provide a household hazardous waste collection site for residents to properly dispose of such items.
Eliminate the Chaos of Home Office Clutter
Attractive Arrangement of your Furniture Enhances your Room's Décor
Beginning Recycling at Home
Storage and Organization Products that Will not Break the Bank
Keep your Car Organized and Simplify Your Life on the Go
Set Reminders to Yourself to do Your Chores and Find More Time As a Result
It's been said through the ages that all work and no play made Jack a dull boy. But Jack knew that there was a time for play, and that was after the work was done. By setting priorities and goals for ourselves when it comes to our household chores and making a dedicated commitment to meet those goals, we also benefit from reduced stress levels and increased free time to pursue those things we like to do, or do nothing at all should we choose.
Write down all the things that need to be done in order of their importance. The greater the importance of the task, the higher it goes on the list. Put your distractions in their place, which is at the very bottom of the list, after all your chores have been successfully completed.
Don't look at a big task as a big task. Break it up into smaller more manageable segments. Commit to completing it a segment at a time. If needed make an outline before and as you accomplish each part of the outline, check it off. Pretty soon you'll have a crossed-off outline and one large project effectively and efficiently completed. This works especially well to tackle the chores we're dreading the most. We can easily handle an unpleasant task if we know it's for a short time and in small doses.
Have all your materials and supplies ready before you begin. Use a daily schedule and have it with you all the time. If needed, post reminders to yourself in conspicuous spots, and commit to others verbally that you'll complete the project. But most importantly, commit to yourself that you'll complete the project.
Celebrate, pat yourself on the back, smile, and let yourself enjoy the completion of even the smallest of tasks. Don't minimize your efforts; recognize even the smallest accomplishment.
Organizing your Child's Bedroom Can Be Fun
Never attempt it without their permission, input and most importantly their active participation. Don't surprise your child and go ahead and organize their room for them. Just as you expect your privacy and possessions to be respected, so should theirs.
Teach your child as soon as possible the importance of keeping their room tidy and orderly, so they'll have a strong appreciation for neatness and order as they grow. With a little patience and cooperation, even the youngest can be taught this habit early on, simply by learning how to put toys and other belongings like books and art supplies away after use.
When organizing your child's room, make sure it's fun and creative, so they are interested in maintaining it. And as we all know, children grow and change rapidly, so their rooms should have the room to grow with them. Make sure your organizational method has room to grow and change as well. And above all, make sure you get their ideas about what they think will work the best for them. Make sure that all their favorites are well within reach and easy to put away.
Place things that they use on an infrequent basis on the top shelves in their closet, and devise a workable system for hanging and organizing clothes and grouping favorite outfits together. When it comes time to put laundry away, ask if they need your help, but try to give them the space when possible to do it themselves, and it will grow into a good habit as they grow older. Hanging storage closet systems are ideal for kids. They are bright and colorful and are able to contain closet items in a way that enhances visibility for a child. Designed with roomy pockets they hold an array of shoes, toys, and clothes, and hang over any standard closet rod. Their front openings make it simple and quick for any child to use.
Also consider a desk with drawers or other filing system for your child's school work, art work, awards, report cards, and other papers. There are many brightly-colored and durable storage bins, desks and organizers available for your child's room, so take them shopping with you so you can both select the best option.
And most importantly, keep your room neat and organized, and maintain it on a daily basis. Don't expect your child to maintain a nice, tidy room if you're not doing the same. The best teacher is your example.