Time for Autumn Clothes!

CLOSET LAYOUT BASICS

ORGANIZING BASICS

1. 
   Remove all items from closet. Vacuum shelves and flooring.
   
2. Sort items in closet into 4 piles: Keep in this closet, Repairs (mark on calendar to do so within a week), Discard (broken,damaged beyond repair, Giveaway (friends or charity).
   Re-examine the Keep pile:
   How long have I had it?
   Does it still function?
   Is it a duplicate of something I already own?
   When was the last time it was used/worn?
   
3. Move more items to Giveaway pile
4. Keep pile: group like items together. Make sure the piles belong in the closet they came from. Move piles as necessary to other closets.
5. Make an inventory of what you have: measure how many linear feet of clothing you have, how many pairs of shoes, umbrellas, wrapping paper, etc. Write down measurements and quantities.
6. Measure closet space and see if your existing layout is adequate for what you intend to store in it. Put items into bins and baskets, hang on hangers, etc. and make sure to vacuum and dust shelves at least twice a month.

Bathroom Organization

Next to the kitchen, the bathroom gets more regular use than any other room in the house. There is a lot of potential for disorganization and clutter. Because it's usually a small room, it's easier to declutter and organize than other rooms.

1. Start with the medicine cabinet. Flush away all expired prescription medications and any over the counter medicines more than 2 years old.
2. Organize your products by category into plastic (easy to wash) or wicker (attractive if out on display) bins:

• makeup
• hair care
• bathing supplies
• nail care
• dental care
• skin care
• first aid
• meds-cold, tummy, allergy

3. Keep all purpose cleaner, window cleaner, and paper towels under the sink. Take just a few seconds to wipe down the sink and mirror before you leave for the day.

4. Remove all "reading material" from the bathroom. That's just plain old gross.

Thrifty Thursday

Rearranging your furniture can be one of the best ways to redecorate and give your room a fresh new look without spending a cent! Take everything out of the room, add the largest pieces back in (sofa along the longest wall), flank sofa with two chairs, place the tables so everyone seated has a spot for a drink. Hang the artwork in a new spot if necessary.

Refresh with light colored slipcovers for the spring/summer season.

Enjoy!

Tuesday Tips

So many people I meet are drowning in paper! Here are a few tips to tame the paper tiger:

1. We've all heard to only touch a paper once. So really do it. If it's information you can easily access elsewhere (on line for example) ditch the paper and just bookmark the page and add it to your favorites.

2. Recycle any catalogs immediately upon bringing in the mail. All companies have websites and if you really need to order something, do it paperlessly.

3. Reduce your "to do" list by taking action on items immediately. Procrastination leads to inaction!

Have a great day,
Pamela

Creative Uncluttering for Cash

If you are an avid reader, books are found all through the home. However, you might not really NEED all of them...if you reference things often, create a special section on your bookshelves for the reference books and group them according to category.

If you need cash more than keeping the books for reference, you can sell them. Amazon.com is a great place to sell your old books. You can also check out usedbookscentral.com

Clearing the Clutter

What kinds of clutter are you tolerating in your home? Stand in your most cluttered area for five minutes. Don't do anything, just absorb its energy. Now stand for five minutes in your least cluttered area. If your whole house is cluttered, stand outside for 5 minutes. See how you feel now. When I do this exercise with my clients, the resposes are usually along the lines of : "I felt like I was choking in the cluttered room, hopeless and lost. Outside I could breathe and feel the clarity."

Take a few mintues to see what kinds of clutter you are tolerating:

• no garbage can in the laundry room for the lint
• junk mail
• piles of twisted cords and you don't know what they're for
• running out of AA batteries
• running out of essential kitchen supplies like milk
• socks that don't match and have no hope of finding a mate
• too many plastic bags
• bits and pieces to "something"
• items to give away but you haven't
• missing scissors, tape, staplers
• clothes that don't fit or don't flatter you
• wobbly chairs and tables
• too many clothes hangers (ususally tangled)
• junk drawers
• expired coupons
• outdated, expired cosmetics
• stacks of magazines or papers you'll never find time to read

Tolerating clutter takes up a lot of time and energy, but resolving it can be a quick process. Just choose five items from your personal list and vow to resolve them by Friday. You'll be glad you did!

Safety First Friday

Be sure to store an extra key in a safe but accessible place. Under the doormat or over the door is not a safe place: choose the garage, a rock in the garden, or a specially designed "key hider" sculpture for the garden. You can also give a key to a trusted neighbor who is often home...nothing worse than locking yourself out of your home.

Enjoy the weekend,
Pamela