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Packing up Christmas!

Posted on December 31, 2008 by in Holiday Organizing, Staying Organized

Happy New Year!  It’s now time to pack up the Christmas Decorations… Here are some great tips to make this as easy and organized as possible!!

1.  Group into Categories-  Group your decorations the way it makes most sense to you.  Here are some suggestions:  Outdoor decorations, Tree Ornaments, Holiday Cards, Decorative Items, Linens, Wrapping Items.  Another way to group is to put your decorations the way you have them displayed, for example; all decorations in the kitchen go into one box, all decorations in living room go into box B and so on.  

2.  Take a picture of how you decorated and put it in the box with the decorations.  This will make decorating next year very easy!  

3.  Obtain appropriate containers-  So many stores are having great sales on storage items, and they have great products just for lights, wreaths etc.  But before going out and buying a bunch of new product, take inventory of what you currently have.  So many times we buy what we do not need.  

4.  Only pack up what you love and only pack what is not broken- If you found items you did not use this year and do not plan on using them again, this is the time to donate.  Don’t waste the space.  Check the lights, there is no sense in packing up lights that no longer work.  

5.  Label your Containers-  It will make it so much easier to find that special something you are looking for next year.

6.  Welcome the New Year to a resolution of living an Organized Life.  Check back for many more details on how to do such a thing..

Happy New Year!

Company is on the Way!

Posted on December 16, 2008 by in Holiday Organizing, Home Organizing, Travel

I have some helpful tips on how to get your home organized for their arrival!

1)  Hall Closets –  Empty the closet out, and get rid of anything that is not being used anymore, items not belonging in the closet, look for new homes.  Clear out a space for your guests coats, and provide plenty of empty hangers.  Add a washable mat for the floor to catch umbrella’s and wet shoes.  Get a basket or bin to put scarves and mittens in.

2)  Guest Bathroom –  Do a deep cleaning of the bathroom, clear all clutter off of counters.  Make sure there is plenty of space for guests to put their belongings.  Put out plenty of towels, soap, etc. for guests to use.   Provide any personal items that a guest may forget, for example, toothpaste, dental floss, extra toothbrush, shampoo, etc.  Add an air freshener or bowl of Christmas Potpourri.

3)  Guest Bedroom-  Completely declutter the space, and make sure there is plenty of room for suitcases and such.  Clean out the closet.  Provide clean linens, extra blankets and pillows.  Make it as comfortable as possible.

4)  Enjoy the season and your family and friends!

5)  Start thinking about the New Year!  Organization is a GREAT NEW YEARS RESOLUTION!!!  More on that later!

Declutter your Kitchen for the Holidays

Posted on November 30, 2008 by in Holiday Organizing, Home Organizing

Here are some tips in helping you declutter your kitchen, not only for the holidays but for the new year.. It’s a great time to get rid of those items that are no longer useful… 

  • Toss your old herbs and spices.  If they no longer smell and you have had them for some time, replace them.  Keep the jars and buy new spices in bulk, you will save a lot of money.  Any spices you do not use very often, buy in small amounts. 
  • Go through each of your cabinets and donate any old dishes, coffee cups, glasses, etc. that you no longer use, and anything broken get rid of.  
  • Go through your appliances, are you using the deep fryer or bread machine?  If not, it’s time to donate and free up your valuable space.  If you want to keep it, consider moving it somewhere else outside of the kitchen.  Make sure everything you keep is in good working order.
  • Go through drawers, and get rid of any duplicates or gadgets you no longer use.  Keep only your best measuring spoons, vegetable peeler and so on.  Throw out items that are broken or missing pieces.  
  • Go through your junk drawer.  This is a great thing to do at the end of the year… Get rid of menus you no longer like, or coupons that have expired.  Get rid of trash.  Whatever is left, figure out where it’s best home may be and move it out of the drawer.  Start fresh for the New Year.
  • Go through your pantry, get rid of anything expired.  Anything that has been on the shelve for awhile, donate it to a food shelter. 
When you declutter your space, you free up your space!  

Thanksgiving Organizing Tips

Posted on November 19, 2008 by in Holiday Organizing, Travel

It will be here next week, ready or not… With a solid to do list, some planning and preparation you will be on your way to a very successful Thanksgiving! Here are some tips on how to organize your to do list:

1. Write everything down that needs to be done by next week.

2. Sort into categories.

3. Write all tasks within category.

4. Check off as you complete!

Following in an example of a to do list:

Menu: Decide on all menus, including breakfast the next morning if you are having overnight guests. Bring out all of the recipes and sort by meal. Place menu on refrigerator. Count your RSVP’s. Figure out what you can make ahead of time and a timeline of how you will be cooking your meal.

Shopping: Make a detailed grocery list and review your recipes twice so you do not forget anything. Buy all staples now and only go to the store around the holiday for items that need to be fresh.

Cooking: Refer to your list above, what is your timeline? What needs to be cooked first and what needs to be last? Delegate some of the cooking. Have other family members bring side dishes, drinks, and/or dessert.

Cleaning: Recruit members of your immediate family to help with these chores. Know who is doing what and when you need it to be done. Do deep cleaning a few days before guests arrival. The night before and day of should only be touch up cleaning. Tasks for cleaning could include: cleaning the refrigerator inside and out, cleaning stoves and ovens, cleaning china and platters, guest bathroom, etc.

Activities: For children, research the web or go to a craft store for fun art and holiday activities to keep them busy. Bring out your board games or cards for a fun fulfilled evening of games while waiting for dessert! And of course get the TV area ready for the football games!

This is not meant to be a complete list only to get you started on your way. Fill in what you need to do for your own home, traditions and holiday. Being organized is about planning ahead and being prepared! Happy Preparing!

CD / DVD Storage

Posted on November 12, 2008 by in Home Organizing

On the right, I have displayed a recommended product for Handstands 48 CD and DVD storage binder through Amazon.com.  This has been a great solution for our family in organizing our DVD’s and video games.  It eliminates having all of the cases spread around and instead of having a traditional CD/DVD storage system which can take a lot of room, this is something that can easily be put on a shelf or in a drawer.  You can either get rid of the extra cases, or if you want to save them, which we did, for resale or whatever purpose, I put the cases in a clear bin with a label, DVD Cases.  Then the box goes into storage.  It’s a very easy process and can save you a lot of space and time looking for a particular movie or game!