Wouldn't it be great, if every area in your house was organized? Realistically, the sheer magnitude of taking on the entire house is overwhelming. Instead of stressing, start with small areas. Choose a project that you can complete in one day or less.
Before you get started try to remember, just because it looks pretty, doesn't mean it's efficient. When deciding where to place things, be sure you can answer yes to these two questions:
1.) Is it easy to put away?
2.) Is it easy to retrieve?
Doing so, will increase your ability to keep your HouseOrganized!
Here are some quick projects and ideas, to get you started . . .
Make your bed EVERY DAY:
It may seem redundant, but do it anyway. This one simple act is a task completed. Not to mention, it looks nice. Give yourself the gift of one finished task, every day.
Encourage your children to make their beds too. It doesn't have to be perfect, just completed. The sheets and blankets pulled up, pillows and stuffed animals placed nice and neat. This task really will help to instill good habits for everyone in the family.
When MAIL is your nightmare: ( and a time thief )
Mail UGGH! Aside from the trees we are losing, what about the time we lose trying to go through it all?
MAIL = Mountains of little TIME THIEFS
Today, try a NEW habit. I realize your goal is to emerge from the piles entirely...but start with something simple.
Today, when you bring in the mail, sort it in front of your paper recycle can. (or..garbage can, or shredder). DO NOT add your mail to yesterday's pile of mail. (We'll deal with it later)
Make this a five minute process, no more. Only SORT the mail. Do not turn on the TV or try to cook. No talking on your phone, or to your family. Give yourself this five minutes to start, and finish a task.
Ready? Now start.....
Bills - keep
Legal & Medical docs - keep
Junk Mail, ads, magazines, catalogs - trash
Not your mail? - out (Scratch thru the name, put back in mail box, now)
Five minutes are up - STOP
All that's left is what really needs your attention (your time). If you don't have one already, designate a place for your bills, and documents. A place that it is easy to get to, and ONLY for these items.
The point of this process is 'no new tasks for later'.
In other words, keeping items that will require your attention will also require your time. You are busy - admit it. Recognizing TIME THIEF'S is essential to controlling your clutter.
Let this be your new habit. Repeating it every day will help you to achieve automaticity, resulting in fewer piles. A giant step towards controlling your environment . . and regaining the peace you desire.
When you feel strong in your ability to let go of mail items, tackle the old piles. I know it's hard not to graze through that 2003 Christmas catalog, but be strong! Don't even open the cover. Just as you have done with your current mail - quickly go through and only keep bills and documents. Let the rest go. Feed your shredder and paper recycle bin! Hold on to your time - don't let it be stolen.
Clean your makeup drawer: (or box, or cabinet..)
Throw away old makeup. Try to throw away half. No one needs 50 lipsticks, and how much eye shadow do you really wear? Be truthful with yourself, are you EVER going to use this makeup? If not - toss it.
(Old makeup can actually be dangerous to your eyes and skin )
Once you have decided what to keep, group by type - liquid makeup, powders, lip color, eye shadow, eye liners, mascara, etc. The goal is to return the products to your drawer, without over lapping them. (Easy to put away, easy to retrieve)
Wash remaining containers, ridding them of old makeup and dust. Return makeup to drawer. Your goal is to KEEP the drawer organized every day. If you catch yourself slipping, start over. Once you've mastered the makeup drawer...move on to bigger projects.
If you purchase new makeup, be sure to discard the old. In with the new, out with the old. This strategy will keep you from stock piling make up you don't need. It will also keep your space, more organized.
Give your clothing closet an easy face lift:
Return ugly metal hangers to the drycleaners for recycling. Replace with good quality, heavy, plastic hangers. One color ONLY. One color encourages uniformity...easy to put away, easy to retrieve.
Hang clothes on NEW hangers. This fresh new look may even inspire you to work on other organizing projects.
(Wal-Mart and Target sell a good selection of heavy hangers. If you're looking for something a little higher end, check out www.clotheshangers.com)
Organizing the Clothing Closet:
Most people do not start a project, because they know it will be time consuming. With this in mind, I suggest that you work this project in phases. Remember, one phase completed, is one step further than you were yesterday.
Phase 1: Grouping
Start by grouping 'like items' together. Pants, shirts, skirts, etc. This alone may take a while. Do NOT try to eliminate anything at this point. For now, only complete the grouping. Your ability to find things will increase. When you have time, you can move on to the next phase.
Phase 2: Elimination
Start weeding through your items. Use the 'keep' or 'go' policy. Ask yourself these questions:
Does it fit?
Will it fit before it goes out of style?
Am I likely to wear it this season?
Do I like this style?
If you answered no to any on these questions, place the item in your 'GO' pile. If it's trash, put it in the trash. If it's still in good shape, donate the item.
Phase 3: Returning items to closet
Remember to keep in groups of like items. If you are hanging the items, hang them all in the same direction. If you are stacking the items, fold in a uniform fashion (T-shirts, no more than ten items per stack; jeans, no more than six pairs per stack; sweaters, no more than four per stack. This will keep the stack from falling apart when you remove an item.)
Phase 4: Color Blocking
Now that you have eliminated and returned items to your closet, it's time to color block them. Work with one group of items at a time. Start grouping items by same or similar colors. For example, put all white shirts together, all grey shirts together, all yellow, all red, all blue, etc. (If you have floral or striped items, group them by the most dominant color) Once you have finished color blocking your shirts, move on to the next 'group' of clothing. Repeat this process until you have all groups of clothing in a repeated color block.
Yes, this is a bit of the OCD in me, but I suggest you try it anyway. Once all your clothing is color blocked, you will start to see that you already have some set patterns of your own. For example, do you have 15 black shirts, but only 1 white? Recognizing this will help you the next time you shop for clothes. You may start asking yourself, before you buy, do I really need this?
Save time, save money, and reduce stress
Cleaning out the Linen Closet:
Whether it's a closet in your hallway, or a cabinet in your bathroom, linen storage areas are often packed with old, un-needed items. Start with elimination..
Sheets: Keep only two sets of sheets, for each bed in your home. (This excludes cribs and baby beds) Remember your reason for purchasing new sheets. Whether it was change in color, style, or simple wear and tear, let go of the old sets.
Sheets and towels that sit, tend to soar. Bleach will not remove this odor, one cup of white distilled vinegar added to a load of laundry will.
Get the Kids Involved:
Our children add so much to our lives. Laughter, pride, joy, energy . . and lots of 'clutter'. Don't stress the clutter. Teach you children, to help themselves.
Young children tend to drop their toys all over the house. Experts tell us that out of sight, is out of mind. Children need to see their toys, to learn and play. Let them play all day. Before bed, have your kids pick up their toys, and toss into designated storage bins. It will take a few days for them to get used to the new system, but by the end of the week, you will have less work, and your kids will be more self sufficient. A win - win situation!
Keys to Donating:
If it's trash, trash it. If it's good, donate it. There are so many families that can use your help. You can donate a shirt, a kitchen utensil, or a large piece of furniture. By un-cluttering your house, you help yourself, and someone else.
Do you have a question or comment?
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