Search Results for: blog top five tips for keeping clutter in check

What Constitutes Clutter?

Managing clutter, conquering clutter—these seem to be ongoing pastimes for the average family. But, before we can really get a handle on all the clutter of family life, we might first have to figure out what exactly constitutes clutter. After all, one parent’s clutter is another child’s treasures… I cannot count the times that I have done battle with my kids—or at least had some pretty intense discussions about what is neat and tidy, what is garbage, and what is just dangerous clutter. I have tried the “fire trap” approach and the “someone is going to break a leg trying … Continue reading →

The Golden Rule of De-cluttering

The “golden rule” when it comes to getting rid of clutter is take out as much as you bring in. While it’s not really possible to do so precisely, it’s a good goal to shoot for. After Christmas is the perfect time to work on this strategy. It’s also a great time to teach it to your kids, and they will thank you later. Even if you organized and purged ahead of time, there are probably some things you can still part with. Around here, there are many. While it may take a little more effort to convince the kiddos, … Continue reading →

Organize Your Mornings: Stick to the System

Okay, it’s time. The whole “make it up as we go” system of getting everyone ready and out the door in the morning just isn’t working. It’s definitely time to create a more organized system that will make mornings less chaotic. Gather your kids and your spouse or your roommates and work together to come up with a system that everyone can accept. When getting started, you might want to post a schedule. You can draw up a simple timeline on a dry erase board or a piece of poster board, or you can simply type it up on the … Continue reading →

Losing Stuff

There are only so many places in our homes where things can hide. Still, it’s interesting to see some of the locations where things turn up isn’t it? Once when I was putting away groceries, I put a can of soup in the fridge and my can of soda in the pantry. I couldn’t imagine what I had done with my soda. Later, I quizzically pulled the soup from the fridge, thinking, “How did that get in there?” When I went to the pantry for more items to make dinner, I found my soda. Sometimes, we don’t find stuff that … Continue reading →

Problem Areas

What’s your biggest problem area when it comes to keeping your home neat and tidy? Every home has problem areas. Some have more than one, because not only do they have common problem areas but they also have those unique to their home or family. Common Inside the front door is one space that is an issue for many. Family members come in and kick off shoes, drop jackets and bags, or forget to wipe their feet. The back door area may also have similar troubles of its own. Playrooms may be problematic for some families, because they can all … Continue reading →

Finding More Space

Wouldn’t it be great if you could add a few extra feet to your home here and there? Heck, even a few extra inches would make a difference in some cases. Well, you might be surprised by just how much unused space there really is in your home. Behind Doors You might find that there is a good deal of space behind bedroom doors. Even those that open into the room, as many do, can open quite wide while still allowing for some added storage. If you can find or build a shelf that is about as wide as the … Continue reading →

Clean up the Hall or Entryway in Style

When your spouse and your kids come through the front door, do they leave a trail behind them? Coats, backpacks, books, briefcase, mail, keys, and just about anything else imaginable may land in roughly the same area, the entryway or the hallway. Well, you’d probably like to clean these areas up and keep them neater and more organized. This is especially true with wet and wintry weather coming soon or perhaps already being upon you. There are some great options you can choose to help you shape things up –and keep them shaped up- in no time. Boot Trays Have … Continue reading →

Top Ten Tips to Organize Your Home Office, II

Continuing where we left off yesterday, here are five more organization tips for the home office: 5. Arrange separate trays for items that need to remain on your desk, such as papers you need to reference while working on a project. Create an inbox/outbox system, and use storage units in different styles or colors to keep different types of items organized. If you don’t want too many different colors, choose uniform containers but add colored labels. Vendors’ catalogs and the like may be stored in magazine file boxes, while owner’s manuals for office equipment might be stored in a small … Continue reading →