Home Organizing Tips

It is funny how we almost always save spring cleaning or general cleaning to last minute before guests arrive. Does home organizing really have to be such a burden? Truth be told, it really does not have to be such a hassle to have to be organized on a daily basis. Home organization does not have to be done when we expect guests.

Home Tips: Spring Cleaning and Children Stuff

Spring cleaning was coined after the general clean up that is done right after winter. Usually, when spring cleaning is used it almost always mean thorough clean out of things that are not being used anymore, more than just the dusting and wiping of things around the home. 

Spring cleaning comes more than just once a year for mothers who have babies and children. This is because kids grow up so fast and you will have to take out from the closet a handful of clothes and toys that they have outgrown or else things will just overflow and you will find your house loaded with all toys and clothes that are not being used anymore. This is especially true for those huge toys, baby stuff like bouncers, swing sets and even high chairs.

More often than not, we give out these things to charity. Others of entrepreneurial tendencies sell them out on ebay and that’s okay too. The profits from the sale could be used for new stuff our growing kids will need that will replace the outgrown ones. Spring cleaning and sorting out baby and toddler stuff come so close together for a mother and is usually done atleast twice a year. 

Keeping Away from the Tendency to Hoard

The post after this will be of spring cleaning, which could be one way to prevent the tendency to hoard. It will surprise you to know the number of percentage of the population who are considered to be compulsive hoarders. America alone presents an estimated 2 million of people who has this disorder. 

Personally I know of two or three people who has this very tendency and it is easy to get into it, if we will not watch it. One shopping time after another and with all these marketers presenting you with all the wonderful products that will actually make you think you need them and you end up not using them or stocking them for future use.  

Here is a tip to break away from this tendency. If you should at all buy anything, make it a point to get something from your closet that you have least used and give it away. As you are blessed by something new, it is good to bless others as well by giving something away.

Tips on Organizing Files

How do you effectively organize files? Effective meaning, it will not go into chaos the minute you’re done with organizing. First thing to do is know where the file is going. For example if you are looking into organizing your files in your computer, then create folders and subfolders first. The same way with papers and get them into labeled folders.

Sort the files by classifications and into the subfolders. Categorizing is the key. If for example you have personal and office files. Determine where your file falls under, then that should be a no brainer from there. Labeling is the key.

If you have done the organizing the proper way, there is no way you will go back to messing up your whole system. Putting everything back in their proper places will be easier.

Drawer Convenience on Closet Arrangements

Just when you thought arrangement of a man’s closet is way easier than a woman’s, think again. Sure, accessories might not include all those blings and sexy wigs, but a man’s closet can still be a challenge sometimes.  

It will be extra convenient if a man’s closet has separate drawers to house his underwear, boxers and shorts. Another drawer should be dedicated for the socks. One side for the dress socks, another one for everyday ones. A third drawer should be for undershirts. Drawers can help to keep things in order. 

Keeping Desk Neat

How does one exactly keep a desk clutter free?  Truth is, it has been a real personal challenge for a long time. What makes sense is to really choose to keep a clutter free desk by providing boxes for your clutters.  Label them accordingly and you will see, even as you make sure you put them in its proper places at the end of each day, it will become a habit.  

An old box or get yourself a DIY from old shoe box and cover it up with old magazine pages or gift wrappers. :-)

Tips on Clutter Control

This is the one challenge that I am still figuring out for myself. Having a toddler in the house can really transform the house into a playground. Here are three things to consider to make clutter control an easier task.

First is make sure that you have a special place to store special toys and clothes in. Seasonal outfits like make believe costumes, swords, et. al. Second is to give small toys a cart or a box to hold them. Provide small buckets for crayons, pencils chalks and bigger buckets for blocks, bricks and balls. Third is to stash away those bulky toys out of sight. A multi function table can do the trick and serve this purpose.

Tips on Strengthening Shelves

Did you know that to strengthen a shelf, all you need to do is attach a 1 x 2 or even a larger wood strip along its front edge. Consider putting astrip under its rear edge or provide support from below at midspan. If you would rather that the span is thicker then use nominal 2 inch board lumber or glue two pieces of 3/4 inch plywood together and nail 1 x 2 on the exposed edges.

Organizing Your Phonebook

Keeping records of people in your contacts like the pedia, general doctor, even plumbers, electricians or other people and companies to contact for particular concerns is going to prove handy. You would also have to include in the first page of your phone book, the fire department, police, etc. You may choose to provide a special phonebook for this one or have the contacts in one book with the regular one that sits beside your home phone. The suggestion will be for you to provide a special page for these contacts.

Incidentally, if you happen to need a massachusetts oui lawyer, you might want to jot down the information from maduilaw.com. In any event that you or anyone that you know is in a circumstance that you need to get someone who you can rely on to your defense, the expertise and professional counsel of Ed Sharkansy might just be what you will need. For someone who knows what the district prosecutors are looking for, you are in the right hand with this team.

We all know that when we are pressured it is hard to think straight and it is just right to be ready and organize your household with what seems to be trivial and jot things down, just in case.

Organizing Linens

Make sure that freshly laundered linens go on the bottom of the pile in the closet. This allows for uniform wearing of all the linens that you have. This will also make it easier for you to recycle the linens throughout the year and easy access to the next ones from the top.

Donate Old Toys and Clothes to Charity

With a toddler in the house, it will be a serious case of clutter and maybe hoarding if we allow our house to be stuffed with all the toys that he does not play with and clothes that don't fit my son anymore. He is three and is growing up real fast. Some toys are just not worthy to keep anymore, especially if he does not play with them very often. It will be better to give them away. One thing that we are trying to instill in the child while he is still young is to give away one item in his closet whenever he receives something. It is a small gesture of sharing his blessings to others.

Sorting Mails

It is always wise to sort snail mails by date. This is automatically done for us by our electronic mail facility, with snail mails we have to do it ourselves.

Why do we need to sort mails? First reason is so that when we get the chance to get to the pile, the first that came will get the attention first. But it does not really have to be hard at all. You could easily throw unwanted mails right in the trash if it came from those every persisitent marketers - unless of course you would like to check out their products.

Wardrobe Makeover

The start of the year is the best time to rearrange your closet. After having received bunches of additions to your wardrobe during the holidays, it is always best to give some of your old stuff away. A lot of us accumulate articles of clothings over the years that we barely use and as we change wardrobes, it is only right to clean up and rid your closet from clothes you barely use.

One of the things in my to do list for the first quarter of this year is a wardrobe makeover. I recently just got rid of my old socks. And if socks are one of your everyday clothing basics, then you should look into Hue Socks. A lot of women prefer their socks over the regular ones because of its matchless comfort, ever durable – lasting for a real long time. Their body sock stay up without the feeling of uncomfortable tightness that you usually get from other brands. I remember having been stuck with the brands to that got me to adjust and pull up. Hue’s cotton body socks are just a treasure for a working girl, to say the least.

As for my old socks, I really have to think of a clever way to dispose them off. Besides, it is something you don’t give away as hand me downs, right? Any bright ideas?

File Those Bills Payment Receipts!

As organized as I try to be, for some reason, I lost one $13 credit card payment receipt during the holidays. I was shocked to receive a billing statement over email with an amount that of more than $31 than I expect. I make sure I pay the full amount of my bill before the due date, so alarmed as I was, I called Citibank to ask for the breakdown. It turned out, I got penalized and the payment never got through. I always pay via the bank and thought maybe the bank failed to upload the payments over the holidays.

After rummaging for all probable place I could have placed it, I finally saw the receipt which was collected alongside all the other receipts (probably by my weekend cleaning girl), it's on top of the fridge. I found out that the account number that it got credited in was the old Citibank credit card that was long terminated. I called Citiphone again (for the fourth time) and they saw that the payment was indeed credited to the terminated account. I faxed the transaction receipt and they are going to reverse all charges very soon! Whew!

I always file my receipts, but because of busyness and because of the amount of the receipt was too small to bother with, I took for granted to keep it until I receive a confirmation of the receipt of payment. No, I don't keep my receipts for ages to gather dust and all. I have my email archive to do the job- a confirmation receipt is enough. Another lesson learned by yours truly. As much as I was confident that I paid my obligation, it was not enough. I have got to get hold of the receipt for proof until it gets credited and I have received confirmation.

Meanwhile, I am happy that I don't need to pay that extra $31 (charges and penalty) for that would have been treated as $13 unpaid bill. Atleast the company gave me credit for the good standing and prompt payments I have always had with them. :-)

Posting of Weekly Menu

If you are a work from home mom like me, chances are the major part of your household chores is preparing the menu for each of the three meals a day, week in and week out. It is often a treat to just eat out, or order in. But this is not the case if you have a budget to consider, like I do.

Getting down to listing down the recipe should be done in the most relaxed day of the week. Putting it all together from a collection as you plan out your week will be relief, knowing you know what ingredients to buy ahead of time.

This will prove to be beneficial even as you become more efficient in doing the things you need to do, not having to crank out every single time you are left with little time to prepare your meal.

Watch Style

Most of us have our little indulgences. For some it is shoes, some bags, watches, jewelries, perfumes, et.al. I know a handful of people who have a closet full of shoes. Whatever it is that you collect, it is wise to get your collection a place of its own. For one, why would you collect if you would have them sit around in disarray, right? It is one thing to be a collector and it is another to be a hoarder. What makes one different from the other is the way you handle your supposed collection.

Incidentally, I chanced upon this website that has a selection of lovely Watch Bands. To date, I have only kept one Swiss watch and it is now more than a decade old. I have no idea anymore whatever happened to all the other watches I have had. This site carries brand name watch bands for high end watches. I am currently looking for bands and straps to match my Bulova watch.

What is so sweet about thiese bands is that HIRSCH Artisanal leather ones are handcrafter no less and those babies are even 100m water resistant and guaranteed with no allergy system. Head over the site if you would like to spark up your watch plain or not, for that band replacement, even just for the sake of a band change.

Pack Away Time

This is the time of the year that you have to gather all those Christmas ornaments to properly store them. But the question is how does one do it the organized way?

Before going to properly storing away those decors, try to decide if you can if you will use the same ornaments or would want to give them away. Storing things that you know you will not use anymore is not wise.

The next question is, is there really an easy way to packing away those Christmas decorations? In fact there is and I hope to share with you, my dear readers, the basics. First is, put on labels for easy access to them in the future. Keep lights and ornaments for the Christmas tree in one box, for instance and properly label them. Use plastic wraps, bubble wraps, for example to protect the some delicate trimmings and crystals, if any.

Packing away does not really need to be overwhelming. If you apply the said system, things will be more easy than it seems.

How to Kepp Cut Flower Fresh Longer

Always pick flowers early in the morning or early evening. Wrap theou use a in paper towels around the stems until you get them inside the house and immediately immerse the stems into a container of water.

Before immersion, cut the stems at an angle and put them in a pail of tepid water. Please make sure you use a sharp knife and not scissors. Scissors will compress the stems and will not allow the water to freely seep in them.

Keep the vase where you put the flowers away from drafts, including fans and air conditioners, even out of direct sunlight.

Cupboard Cleanup

This is my next project. My cupboard now is okay, but there are just some things that have to go already. Things that don't get used for months should really be inside the cabinet rather than sit on the cupboard to gather dust.

Will be going down to do this as soon as the holiday events have settled down. Maybe early next week. Meanwhile I have more cookies to bake for my friends' kids who are coming over tomorrow. :-)

DIY Organizers

A lot of different organizers are now up for grabs. It's the time of the year. Do you kow that instead of spending a lot of money on fancy organizers with all those expensive inserts, you can actually customize and make your own one?

All you have to do is buy a small loose leaf binder in a stationery store. Choose the one with pockets in the front and back to possibly store in your small calculator and business cards. Loose leaf papers and dividers are also available to fit the binders.

Consider the categories you need to get included in your organizer (addresses, contact numbers, errands, long term projects, appointments, expenses, et. al) Make sure you insert a small calendar in the appointments section. Now you're ready to make your very own customized organizer.