Organizing Home Tips

This is the hard working day. Make sure no kids are around. Try to save 5-6 hours uninterrupted. Start with anything that’s on the floors, tables, and counters. Pick them up room by room. Toss out unwanted items and put them in the garbage bag. Save the ones that you need in the plastic bins. This will take you 2 hours depending on how messy your house is.

Next step, go though your drawers in the kitchen, home office, and bedrooms. Toss out and keep. This will take you the rest of the day. Organize items by bins and mark them using the marker.

The most important part of the day is to clean and declutter. Remember the main reason the house is messy is because you saved too much stuff. So please don’t feel obligated to save. Don’t touch the paperwork such as bank statements, bills yet, just put them in a large plastic bin. You will sort them out later on.

1. Are you left handed? Organise your closet left to right so you can always see what you are taking out. Keeps your closet organised.

2. Put an empty coloured hanger in to separate different kinds of clothes.

3. For left handers – put the shoes you use the most at the left hand end.

4. Never overfill the closet. Store things in colour coded bags. Code by season.

5. For closets with lamps – put a daylight bulb in.

6. Clean it regularly. Taking the clothes out lets you review what you do and do not want in there.

Article by Jill Borash

Organizing a home office for little or no cash is all about being creative with what you acquire. That means searching for things that you would commonly toss out and thinking of the way you might employ them instead. More free assistance for your home office at http://www.yourhomeisorganized.com/HomeOfficeOrganization.htm

Article by John Lavoie

Article by Carolyn Anderson

Do you always feel that everything in your life seems to move towards failure?

The ancient Chinese art of feng shui is said to attract the positive energies around us that will dramatically improve the way we run our lives. We most often see feng shui being practiced in homes, businesses and offices to obtain harmony, comfort and balance in our lives.

We spend most of our times in our homes and in our offices, thus feng shui focuses on drawing the positive forces of the nature by bringing harmony into these places, which eventually bring you a positive disposition in life. Especially if we often deal with demanding jobs, busy lifestyle and troubles in finances, or you want to change careers or there are changes in the family, or you want to have changes in your goals in life, drawing positive energy through this ancient art may not be a bad idea after all.

The idea of putting the elements in feng shui in organizing your home is to make the things at home in harmony to each other. It may involve the colors and the shades as well as bringing in the elements of feng shui. It is organizing the home that by bringing close attention to the little details and every object in your house and how it will bring harmony between you, and the space you live in These simple changes in the way you put things in your living space may create big differences in your life.

Organizing your home with this ancient art will involve creating more space, selecting colors, and putting enhancements to create harmony and allowing positive flow of energy. It usually includes putting in the elements of feng shui into your home to create attract the positive energy called Qi.

Each element is said to have a positive and destructive effect on our lives and these are well considered if you want to have balance and harmony. Feng shui recognizes these five elements in organizing your home.

1. Water. Water can have both a positive and negative meaning. It may mean good prospects in career or in wealth or it could be poor health.

2. Fire. The fire element means passion and creating happiness and good energy in the home.

3. Wood. The wood element can be used to improve health, a balanced family life, motivation and inspiration.

4. Metal Elements may represent creativity.

5. Earth. The Earth element represents stability and permanence.

These elements of feng shui are also symbolized by different colors. That also makes color selection essential in bringing this ancient practice into your home.

If you think the elements of feng shui may just be what you needed in your life, you can however find good resources or an expert on this ancient art to help you with it. It does not mean getting rid of everything in your home and bringing in all the things that is recommended, but it can help you organize and arrange what you already have or bring color to your living space that will make it a good place for you to imbibe the positive things in life.

by: Colleen Langenfeld

The thought of closet organizing makes most people groan. But it doesn’t need to be this way! Starting with a messy closet, you can get that closet organized and keep it organized in just 5 minutes a day.

Set a timer and let’s get started!

– Day 1.

Your first 5 minutes will be devoted to staring at the contents of your closet. With pen and paper in hand, jot down what items you haven’t used in years (be honest). You will be throwing or giving these items away. If you can’t bear to toss an item, give some thought as to where the item could go for a new home and a new life.

When your timer goes off, stop. Put the pen and paper on the closet floor and close the door. You’ll be back tomorrow.

– Tomorrow is here!

Continue your closet organizing adventure. Go to your closet and pick up your pen and paper. Keep on creating your list of what in your closet you can get rid of and what items need to find a new home. Use as many 5 minute sessions as necessary on this step. Feel like you’re not getting anywhere? Nonsense! This step makes all the difference down the road when you are maintaining your organized closet.

Simply stated, it will be A LOT easier to keep your closet organized when it only contains what you truly use and is not being used as your personal archive. (In fact, it will probably help you if you can designate one closet or space in your home as a storage container for all those items you need seasonally or for keepsakes. Things you only access occasionally.)

In addition, doing this one step over several days will give you a chance to really think about those items you have collected over the years. You’ll find you’re ready to give or throw away things on Day 5 that you couldn’t bear to part with on Day 1.

– The next step to your closet organizing.

Once you have completed the list of unnecessary items in your closet, grab a couple of boxes and your timer. Set your 5 minutes and, using your list, toss the trash in the trash box and the give-away items in the give-away box. If this takes you more than 5 minutes, stop and continue tomorrow. This step will go fairly quickly, however, if you’ve done a thorough job with your list from Day 1.

– Moving right along.

Now that all the excess stuff is gone from your closet, you can get down to organizing what is left. Use your 5 minutes to genuinely study what’s remaining in your closet.

* Which items do you use everyday?

* Which items can be stored together?

* Which items can be stored on shelves?

* Which items can be stored in drawers?

* Which items should be put in bins?

* Which items simply don’t belong in this closet?

Take notes during this step and use as many 5 minutes as you need. Again, doing this over several days gives you time to consider how you use each item in your closet each day and what type of organizational system will make the most sense for you. You’re aiming for usability here and it may take a bit of trial and error. That’s fine because the end result will be a closet you can easily keep organized without even thinking about it.

– Time to organize your closet.

Using your notes from the previous step, get the supplies you need to organize your closet. Again, take your time with this step, noting what is working and what is not along the way. Tweak as necessary.

* Need more hangars, bins, baskets? Put them on your shopping list for next time you go to the discount store.

* For starters, use whatever organizing supplies you already have including old boxes. It can help to live with your ideas for a week or two to enable you to understand exactly the type of organizing supplies that will serve you the best, so feel free to use temporary containers while you’re at this stage of your closet organizing project.

* OR…if you’re unsure about sizes and shapes of organizing products, buy just a few samples, leave the tags on and try them out. Then return what you don’t need and purchase what you do.

This step can either be completed as part of your normal shopping (requiring no extra trip to the store and keeping within the 5 minute concept) or simply dive in and do one big shopping trip. Your choice.

– Live with it.

There’s no substitute for living with your organizing to see what you’ve accomplished and what you need to change. Use your 5-minutes-a-day to ask yourself what you like and don’t like about your newly organized closet. Take notes and make changes.

– Last step.

This is the maintenance step and it’s easier than you think. For your closet organizing enterprise to give you the results you want, you’ll need to take 5 minutes each day and put things away in your closet where they belong.

But beware. Skip this step for just 7 days and you’ll need to put in 35 minutes to get back on track. Maybe you don’t have 35 minutes to organize your closet, so you don’t do it. It won’t be long before your closet will be in chaos again and you’re using EXTRA time every day just to locate items that should be at your fingertips.

That’s right, you’re going to use the time anyway. Being disorganized is a huge time waster. So stick to your 5 minutes a day, no matter what. It won’t be long until your new habit becomes second nature and you can’t imagine NOT doing a quick tidy-up each day.

All it takes is 5 minutes.

About The Author

Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 26 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com. Visit her website and get more closet tips at http://www.paintedgold.com/Organize/closet-organizing.html .

Organizing your home is a tedious process that presents many obstacles. There may be times when the challenges appear to be insurmountable, but with the proper home organization plan, these challenges can be overcome. Several challenges faced while cleaning your house are creating a strategic plan, finding the right storage products and putting your items back into their proper location. Completing this process is a rewarding experience.

One of the greatest challenges facing the intrepid home organizer is finding time to take apart an entire household and put it back together with some semblance of efficiency. Many people tend to think that all housework needs to be completed at the same time; however, this is not the case. There is nothing wrong with working on the bedroom one day, and cleaning the kitchen a few weeks later. You can even follow this pattern until you clean the entire house. Each room should only take a day, and it can be relatively simply to set aside a day and time.

Another way to reduce the time spent organizing your home is to plan everything out. Take a day and go through your entire house with a pencil and paper. Take note of where everything is located and what can be improved. Draw a rough plan, and then remove each item as you begin organizing your house. This way, you should know precisely where every item is going to be stored. This simple preparation can save hours of work on each room, and in turn, it substantially reduces the amount of time needed to complete the process.

Another major problem faced by budding home decorators, is finding the right resources to properly organize the various items scattered throughout the living space. An investment in the best storage products for the job can turn even the smallest of homes into seemingly spacious abodes. Whether you are struggling with all of the small miscellaneous items that never seem to have a place to stay, or some major equipment from your favorite hobby, there is an organizational tool that meets your needs.

It is important to properly identify what your needs are. If you are an avid cook, then make sure you invest heavily in your kitchen organization, and do not worry as much about spending for the rest of the house. If you are a sportsman, or really enjoy working in your garden, then outfitting your garage with some of the best products should be a priority. However, do not waste your money on items that you are not planning to use. This scenario requires proper planning and inventory.

You do not need to know every item that you own, but you should have a good idea of what you are getting into before investing in storage products. In a broad sense, good storage devices should follow a few rules. The storage solution should allow for easy access to the items that they are holding. The items should also be easy to retrieve. Accessibility is crucial and quality containers or racks should be sturdy, durable, and easy to move around. Reducing clutter is one of the main reasons for getting organized in the first place and because of this you should find the best storage solutions for your home. If your storage containers make it difficult to get everything in order, your may need to rethink your organizational strategy.

Another problem that is often faced while organizing your home is when you begin moving your items around. This issue is the moment when you realize that you have forgotten something important, and have no simple solution. This is where a willingness to be flexible comes into play. Efficient systems are not inherently rigid and in many cases, the more rigid systems fall apart shortly after they are started. This is simply because if you miss one step, the entire process can fail. Be sure to build flexibility into your home. Do not buy just enough storage to cram everything in, because you want to stay organized during the cleaning process. Make sure to leave room for new items that you plan to purchase. Leave extra space for these anticipated purchases, and there may be things that catch you off guard. A flexible system is often the easiest to follow.

Having the efficient and organized home that you have dreamed of is within your reach. With good time management, planning, investment in storage devices and flexibility, even the most difficult projects can be completed in an efficient time frame. Remember to be patient with whatever system you choose, and patience is important for successfully organizing your home. Revising a solid plan is easier than trying to make a new one, and being willing to troubleshoot can save time, money and stress. You can overcome your home organizational problems by following these tips.
About The Author

Nick Kakolowski is a freelance writer and blogger who writes about DIY topics and home care, often focusing on a specific area such as home organization.

http://www.shopgetorganized.com

TAKE BACK YOUR SPACE! Letting Go of Your ‘Stuff’

If any of you have ever watched an organizing show or read a book on organization, the purge is one of the most heart wrenching things to do. Why is this? Why is a broken old vacuum cleaner so impossible to part with? Well, here is the main reason: We are emotionally attached to our things. How can we possibly give them up when they have served us so well? This is their house; they have lived in it all their lives. Can we just kick them out? That would be heartless, wouldn’t it? They hold so many fond memories – would they take them with them?

Please listen carefully (or read carefully I should say), YOU ARE NOT YOUR POSSESSIONS! They should not own you and your space! I am telling you now – TAKE BACK THAT CONTROL. Don’t let them bully you any more! Your house is your house; you’re paying the mortgage or rent, not ‘them’. They are taking up valuable real estate and cluttering up your life. The only things that should live in your space are things you need, use or love, and yourself and your family.

When you are ready to take back the control of your space, these are the questions you need to ask yourself about the things that are currently residing with you:

Do I need this? Be honest with yourself and do not answer that you might, maybe, someday need this. Do you need this now? Does this need to take up space in your house? Is it serving a purpose? I’m referring to things like irons for example. I do not love my iron and I don’t really use it too often, but I need to have one in the house for those special occasions when I need clothes to be wrinkle-free.

Do I use this? Again, honesty is the best policy. If you have things that you used to use but that are no longer serving you, then they can go. Those hot rollers that have sat in your linen closet for the past 5 years because you have short hair now and have no immediate plans to grow it long again, can probably go to someone who can use them. You can splurge on yourself for new ones if you ever do grow your hair long again. A good policy for most things is if you have not used it in a year then it can go, but you can decide for yourself what a comfortable time line is. The maximum time limit you should keep anything is no more than 2 years.

Do I love this? Here is the toughest question to decide on. We all love our ‘stuff’ because of the memories associated with that ‘stuff’. But keep in mind that you do not have to keep all your ‘stuff’ to keep the memories. There are ways to keep those memories alive without actually keeping the item. Pictures are a great way to keep things alive, and a picture of your favorite couch takes up much less space than the actual old, worn out couch sitting in your family room.

Anything that has bad memories associated with it should be let go. This will allow room for new and better things to come instead of holding on to the past. Surround yourself with things you truly love – things that make you feel good when you see them or use them.

Letting go of your ‘stuff’ is the hardest part of any organizing project. Allow yourself to mourn the loss of your ‘stuff’ but keep in mind the ultimate goal is that of regaining control your space. The freedom you will experience through this process will be life changing. I guarantee it!
About The Author

As the owner of Kaos Solutions, Kimberly Eagles works with residential and small business clients to assist them in regaining control of their space and time as well as training and educating new organizers in her area. As an active member of Professional Organizers in Canada, Kimberly is a part of the industry’s leading resources for professional organizing.

Kaos Solutions
RPO North End
Moncton NB
Canada
E1G2L5

Phone 1-506-850-1933
Email sales@KaosSolutions.ca
Website http://www.Kaossolutions.ca

Do you ever feel life is passing you by in a whirl wind of activities and personal drama’s? Do you wish for simpler days? That probably isn’t going to happen but what can happen is that you can reduce clutter and simplify your life just by making a few simple choices and maybe a couple of changes. As a professional organizer I suggest 6 organizing tips to reduce clutter and simplify our lives.

1. If you have a project you have been resisting doing and it keeps nagging at you then complete it now. By getting the hardest task or project done and out of the way you won’t have the worry of getting it done later and you will have the freedom of moving on to doing other things you would rather be doing with a clear conscience.

2. Do you get a plethora of paper coming into your home and your life on a daily basis? You can chose to stop unwanted paper from taking up your time, causing you stress and creating clutter. Get off junk mail lists. Proquo.com is just one of many companies that will remove you from unwanted mail lists. To find other companies that offer this service do a search on the Internet. I have reduced the amount of junk mail I receive by 95% by signing up to have my name removed from lists. Reduce the number of catalogs you are receiving and other unwanted mail.

3. Reduce clutter in your home, office and car. Having too much stuff causes stress because it takes time and effort to maintain it and it takes our attention away from other things we would rather be focusing on. It wastes our time because when we have clutter around we have to search for things we have but can’t find quickly. Donate, sell or give away unwanted and unused items. These are great ways to simplify space. We are not only helping ourselves but we are helping our family and others.

4. Getting rid of debt can reduce clutter if this is something that is on your mind and that you worry about. Or if you use your cards to purchase “stuff” because it is on sale or because it is a good buy or too cute to pass up and you have no need for it. Having less is one way to simplify.

5. Pay your bills on line and have companies send your statements over the internet rather than sending paper bills. This eliminates you having to use your time to write out a check, use an envelope and a stamp (which saves money) and put it in the mail box. Make a folder on the computer to send the notifications you receive when your financial institution notifies you that a bill has been paid. This is a great way to reduce clutter and simplify your life.

6. Instead of trying to remember everything you have to do in your mind use a planner. Take it with you everywhere you go. This will reduce clutter in your purse, car, on your desk, and on your kitchen counter as you won’t have those pesky little pieces of paper with notes and appointments stuck or lost all over the place.

Think of the benefits you receive when you reduce clutter and simplify your life. Keep your eye on the goal as you work towards simplifying your life.

About The Author

Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living.

Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.