Positive Motivation May Help You Organize the House

Some people may not want to organize their house because they may feel overwhelmed and have great difficulty finding enough time to do the work involved. 

Many moms  have part-time or full-time jobs outside of the house and their everyday schedules may be very demanding. It is hard to imagine adding on more tasks onto the busy calendar. 

However, there are realistic methods to accomplish many organizing goals. It may be helpful to focus on small projects one at a time. For example, if you want to organize the whole kitchen, you may think about cleaning and organizing one kitchen cabinet each day, until your whole project is complete.

Sometimes, it may be helpful to reward yourself after you accomplish a project. You could look forward to watching one of your favorite movies after you complete your main chore or goal for the day. That can be a little positive motivation to help you achieve your organizing goals.

If you like to read about home organization, you may enjoy reading 

Keeping the House Free of Clutter

Are you reading books about organizing your home and time management? Have you recently been setting short-term and long-terms goals for organizing your whole house? Maybe you are working on improving your environment at home or at your office.

I routinely feel more relaxed and in control of my life when my house is nicely organized. I find it easier to function on a daily basis with my household responsibilities when I can easily find everything I am looking for at my house. I like to routinely keep everything clutter-free.

It takes time to declutter and organize a house. I try to plan my organizing projects by breaking them down into manageable tasks that I can realistically accomplish.

I don't think of the "all or none" idea when I am planning my projects. I try to set aside at least 30 minutes a day to complete one small organizing project in the house. It gives me positive reinforcement to see the results of my efforts around the house. Household chores and daily maintenance gets a little easier each time I organize a new area in my house.

I especially like to try to keep most flat surfaces and counter tops clear and free of clutter. I keep the kitchen sink clean and try to do all of the dishes after each meal. It's a nice habit to make all of the beds everyday. All of these things help to keep your home neat and tidy.

Organizing the Coat Closet

By Julie Riber 

The coat closet is always crowded with many coats, hats, gloves, umbrellas and other items that seem to find a home in the coat closet. Many coat closets seem too small to hold all the coats and items end up on the floor or crammed in so tight that nothing can go in or out. Many of the closets have one rod and a shelf.

There are a few tips to make the closet hold more and be organized which will be covered in this article. As in all of the other closets we have covered, the first step is to remove everything from the closet. Sort the coats into seasons and sort the gloves and hats into types such as driving and outdoor. Separate the scarves and all other items so you know what you have at hand. Go through all the items to make sure they still fit, gloves all have a match, and you are not storing a coat you will never wear.

I always recommend purchasing an over the door hanger with clear pockets. You can purchase these at many stores and they are inexpensive. In the pockets, put the children's gloves, hats and scarves. This allows the children to retrieve the items instead of calling you each time they need a hat or gloves. It will also eliminate the constant gathering of gloves and hats on the floor when they cannot reach the shelf to put them away. It takes a few times, but they do catch on. These pockets are also a great place for guests to put their hats and gloves. The pockets can hold small umbrellas, binoculars, scarves, hoods to coats, and other items you keep in your coat closet.

If your coat closet has one shelf, and a large space above, consider installing another shelf. Purchase baskets to fit on the shelf (try for at least 3 per shelf). Place your driving gloves in one, hats in another and outdoor activity gloves in another. If you have a 2nd shelf or have decided to install another one, put items in baskets that are for the other season such as ponchos, umbrellas, rain pants, and maybe even stadium cushions.

When it comes to hats, I find many of my clients collect caps at different events or have them from work, but never plan on wearing them. To eliminate the guilt, they just throw them in the closet. It is time to give them to someone who needs and wears the caps. Do not keep items you will never wear in an already crammed space. Try keeping the winter hats in one of the baskets and the caps in another location if space is short.

If you have closet that is too small to hold all your coats, try separating them by season. Put only the current season in the closet. Fall and winter coats take up the most space as they are bulky. For spring and summer jackets, since they take up much less space and usually there are fewer, leave the long coats in the closet and just store the winter jackets elsewhere. Many stores sell cloth bags you can store your off season clothes in. Do not store coats in dry cleaner bags, as they contain chemicals and could cause harm to your coat. Make sure you look at each coat to decide if you need to keep it. Have you worn it in the last 2 years? Is it in the color and style you appreciate?

If you are lucky enough to have a larger coat closet, consider making part of it a double hang. This way you can fit twice as many coats in and not have to store out of season elsewhere.

Boots can go on the floor and if you keep your vacuum in the coat closet, put it to the side to avoid damage to the coats. Go through your coats at the end of each season especially if you have children. They can out grow them quickly and someone else could be using them. You might decide the color and style you chose 15 years ago is not what you currently like and look good in. Others can use your coats.

Julie Riber is a professional organizer in the central Ohio area for over 5 years. She helps organize individuals spaces, time, and lives and she helps businesses streamline processes, increase productivity, and organize their spaces. She is a Golden Circle member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and Immediate Past President of the Ohio Chapter of NAPO. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter with organizing tips. http://www.transformare.net

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Organization for the Home

Photo Credits: By Rubbermaid Products

Make the Most of Vertical Space

By Susan Stewart 

When working with small spaces, it is imperative to make use of vertical space. If you can't go out, you've got to go up! Choose a product that is attractive, and your organization is now doing double duty as wall decor. Here are 3 tips for making the most of vertical storage.

1. Pick the color intentionally, not spontaneously. Many people choose a product spontaneously because they like a color they see in the store. When they get home and realize it doesn't match the room they want to put it in, they become frustrated. A little planning can go a long way here. Think through where you will use it and choose your color accordingly.

2. Do not let pockets, baskets, or any container become a "catch all" or that is exactly what it will do. Containers that become "catch all's" are containers that gather dust. No one wants to sort through miscellaneous junk to find what they are looking for. Instead, give things a home and be consistent about placing that particular item (and only that particular item) in that spot. You can still use baskets or containers for these homes.

3. Too many sticky notes or things on a bulletin board or magnet board makes clutter. People tend to post notes as a reminder but when a board is covered with notes, the note doesn't get seen. Using a to do list for lists works better and easier to read. Use the board for morning reminders or motivating quotes.

Susan Stewart is a professional organizer and the founder of Perfectly Placed Professional Organization and Design in the Phoenix area. Perfectly Placed specializes in bringing peace and order to busy families through organization. You can find out more about Susan and Perfectly Placed at her website: http://www.perfectlyplaced.org/

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Home Organization

Photo Credits: By Rubbermaid Products

Declutter Your Dining Room and Kitchen Table

Many families are so busy these days. Often times, both parents may be working and children may have a variety of school responsibilities. People may begin to feel disorganized when their homes become cluttered. This type of situation can be stressful and interfere with our daily lives. Clutter can easily affect the function of a room in your home.

This is especially true for dining room and kitchen areas in many busy homes. Family members may have a habit of walking through the front door and placing some of the following common items on a dining room or kitchen table: mail, newspapers, handbags, car keys, bags of groceries from the store, school books, homework papers, and book bags. The dining room table is a likely spot where paperwork in general may collect, such as bills and coupons for the grocery store, etc.

One helpful solution is to have a designated container, or storage box for each individual family member with their name on it that would be located at a central location in your home. Possibly, you could set up a nicely organized area in the entrance area of your house, so each family member would have a temporary space that would be suitable to place some of their miscellaneous belongings. Maybe a nice bench with shelves or decorative baskets may come in handy to help hold book bags, umbrellas, or handbags. There are beautiful storage solutions, such as sturdy cloth boxes in different colors, a variety of wicker baskets, and even durable plastic containers.

If your children happen to have art or homework projects, you may also want to have special containers to keep their school supplies for their projects. You can label the containers. It may be a good organizing habit to encourage everyone to put away their supplies after they are done using them.

These things sound simple; however, if practiced on a regular basis they can help to keep the household going along on a smooth routine. When you become organized, you will save time and labor in the future while maintaining your home and keeping it tidy.

Some family members may routinely have different working schedules and after-school events. People often become so busy that they forget about the importance of sitting down all together as a family at least once a day for a nice family meal. If the dining room table happens to be cluttered the majority of the time, there won't be any room for the family members to gather around to eat, relax, and communicate during a meal.

I believe a better plan is to get into the habit of routinely keeping your dining room or kitchen table clean and free of all clutter. It may be a nice idea to place a pretty tablecloth on your table. After dinner is finished, you can make sure the table is clean and the dishes are done. If appropriate, some of the family members may share in the responsibility of setting the table and clean-up after the meal. This provides some special time together to share stories from the day and communicate in general.

If family members have snacks before bedtime, you can quickly straighten up the area once again. I have gotten into the habit of doing a quick walk through the rooms in my home in the evening to declutter anything that needs my attention. It is so much nicer to wake up to a clean kitchen and dining room area at breakfast time.

These may be sensible organizational tips for easy everyday clean-up; however, a few simple tips can help with maintaining an orderly home. Learning to organize your home may help you to save time in the future while doing your daily chores in the house.

When you sort through and organize your home, hopefully, you will find a good place to routinely keep most of the items in your house. As you become more organized, you will be pleasantly surprised about how easy it will become to find specific items in your home. As you declutter areas in your house and stay organized, you may feel less stressed in general and more productive with work.

10 Baby Steps To Getting and Staying Organized

By Elvie Look 

Do you purchase magazines that talk about ways to get organized? Do you look through them, enjoy the pictures, but do not seem to have the energy to do them? Do you look around your home and wonder "where do I start?" Do you feel the task is over whelming? If you do feel over whelmed, chances are you will do nothing.

So, let's do baby steps. Here are ten small things you can start on that can make a difference, and will give you the feeling of accomplishment, not failure. You don't even have to do these all today. Try doing one step a day for the next ten days:

Paper: seems to mount up and soon get out of control. If you have a paper delivered to your home everyday, plus flyers, plus mail and magazines, this can instantly become clutter. Blitz through your home collecting up all newspapers and magazines and put into your recycling bin. You should keep only current reading material in your magazine rack or basket. I keep one magazine basket in both of my bathrooms, and one in the living room. Rotate your magazines, and put your older issues in a donation bag or into your recycling bin. Collect up all mail, paper receipts, notes, appointment slips, etc. that you have tucked into cupboards, on the counters, your purse, on the table, and put them all in one central location like your desk. You can even organize them into piles - like with like. All your receipts in one pile, bills in another, etc. Just by putting into one central location will eliminate that scattered feeling.

Kitchen Counters: Clean off your kitchen counter top. If you have papers there, collect them all up and take them to your office or your desk. You can deal with them later, but if you have a clean kitchen counter, it will feel and look instantly gratifyingly, clutter free and organized. Take time now to remove everything that does not belong on your kitchen counters, wash up the dishes, scrub the sink and make it shine.

The Floor: is not storage space. Do you have clothes lying around? Go through now picking them up and putting them away in their respective rooms, closets or into the laundry hamper. While you're at it, throw a load of laundry in. If you have clothes that need folding, do that and get them put away.

Toys: If you have children you should get them on board with collecting up toys and putting them into their toy station or play box.

Entrances: Attack your entrances by organizing your foot wear neatly, hanging up all your coats and removing anything that does not belong in this area. If you have sports equipment, homework and backpacks, put them into the rooms they belong.

Home for purged items: Create a bin or box for "donation" and one for "garage sale." Have a place for them. As you clean up and organize, you have a place to store things that you no longer wear or use. This prevents them from accumulating in your closets and becoming clutter in your home.

Start Purging: Now set a goal everyday to be "purge conscious." Getting organized doesn't mean stripping your home of things you love or use. You just need to be conscious of the things you are not using or are outdated, cracked or broken. Make decisions daily and put these trinkets or items into your bins. You still have time to retrieve them if you change your mind and made a mistake. But put them into the bin and just see if you will even miss them. Just by purging one thing everyday will take away the overwhelming feeling and start you on the road to de-cluttering your home and closets. It could be a shirt you never wear, a trinket on the side table that is just collecting dust, or a bowl that has a chip in it.

Bulletin Board: Create a bulletin board to post your messages, appointments, coupons, phone numbers, pictures, receipts, "to do" lists, instructions, etc. Just by making a home for these in one central location removes a lot of clutter.

Stay Organized Organizing Secret: Every activity must have a station. Every thing must have a home. Take a moment to consider what is becoming clutter - most likely it doesn't have a home or activity station. Give consideration to some place you can make a station for that activity. For example, If you con't have a desk or office for doing your bookwork, then it will pile up onto your dining room table. Make a station for this activity, either a nook where you can put a table or desk. Or, a basket with a lid that can store all of supplies like your cheque book, calculator, pens, stapler, bills. If it has a home, it won't become clutter.

Stay Organized Organizing Secret: Make the most of every step. Never walk by dirty dishes on the coffee table, or wrappers, empty pop cans. If you are going by, pick it up and take it with you. If you are going downstairs, take a load of laundry, if you coming upstairs, bring up the folded clothes and put them away.

Elvie Look is an Entrepreneur, Expert Organizer, Cook and Seamstress. She provides organizing solutions, tips, menus and recipes at: http://www.elviesessentials.com

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Downsizing Your Home - Downsizing Your Life

By Elvie Look 

When situations turned and we had to move, I was faced with downsizing. We had to leave out 3 story home in the country for an apartment in the city. Then a couple years later we had to downsize again to a single floor home. After 10 years we were faced with yet another move, this time to another province and a small bungalow. Again I was faced with having to downsize and simplify. Here are 9 things I learned in those 3 moves:

1. Purge

When you are looking at moving, you have to purge. We all accumulate things that you have to reconsider when looking at the expense of moving. A huge key to purging is to do it as soon as you know you are moving, do not wait until close to moving day. Otherwise the task is overwhelming.

I found it helpful when you purge to keep thinking about your new space and your new life. Think about having more time and less work when you purge, it makes the job so much easier. For example, I am passionate about sewing. When we were faced with moving, I had a huge stash of fabric that I accumulated over the years. I kept only extra special and unusual fabric and gave away about 70% of my stockpile. I even gave away unfinished projects. Just be realistic to what you can complete within 3 months or even a year. Once it goes you forget about it and feel quite free.

2. Purge Again

No, this isn't a typo. When you enter your new home, you begin unpacking all the boxes that require the essential items. Once you are basically settled, the rest of the boxes are stored in the basement or garage until you get to them, in a month, year, or even longer. The fact of the matter is, that is a clue you should purge them. I wonder if you can just get rid of them without going through them? Hmmmm. If you can you are amazing. I couldn't. I only allowed myself to bring in things I knew I would need and reminded myself I lived without it and didn't even miss it. Don't allow the unnecessary back into your great new space.

3. Downsize Furniture

We all accumulate many things over time, and when we live in a larger home, we fill the space. Now when faced with moving and downsizing, you need to downsize your furnishings as well. Many sell their homes furnished, and then purchase new to fit their new location.

Or, reduce what you already have. To do this, you need to measure your new space, and then measure your existing furniture. I draw out the space and furniture to scale on grid paper.

I used to have 3 bookshelves all full with books and a U-Shaped desk. I paired it down to one desk and 2 bookshelves, purged books, and this even allowed me room for an exercising station in my family room.

4. Add Shelves To Dead Space

Our bungalow was built in the early 50's and I don't know how they existed with so few and so tiny closets. Honestly, some of the shelves are 6 inches deep. We fixed the storage problem by adding extra shelves in the closets, the pantry and cupboards, and some decorative shelves.

5. Look "Up" For Storage

It is amazing with a little ingenuity how you can make extra storage. Our kitchen was the size of a matchbox and very little counter space. We cut a hole in the wall in our breakfast nook which went into our garage, and built a cabinet to display our dishes. Years later when we were finally able to renovate our kitchen, this unit got recycled to my cousin's. She did the same thing, cut a hole that backed to a closet, and she loves her new cupboard.

We have a very tiny garage and had nowhere to store all of our camping and scuba gear. So we cut a hole above the garage, made a door and stairs to access this space to the attic and now have a wonderful place for this as well as seasonal clothing and my canning jars. The ladder swings up and down on a pulley, and is secured with a safety chain.

When we finally renovated our kitchen, I made use of the space above the cupboards for extra storage. Usually this space is drywalled off, or left open and everything gets dusty. I designed glass doors and lighting, and this replaces my need for a china cabinet, which I did not have room for in my tiny dining room.

6. Look "Down" For Storage

I am not a fan of things under my bed, it feels cluttered. But when you are faced with a smaller home and live in the north where we are required to have 4 full sets of seasonal clothing and bedding, ya just have to do what you have to do. So I purchased bins for under the bed that have lids and highly recommend them. I store my seasonal shoes, yarn, and gift wrap now under the bed. They make great bins with wheels and lids that have hinges to keep the dust out and make everything accessible.

When you purchase furniture, look for ones with hidden storage, such as coffee tables, ottomans, beds, or even chairs as shown here.

7. Introduce Organizers

Keep your eyes open for organizers that will fit your space. You can fit them into little corners or below your clothes in the closet. It is amazing how much they hold.

8. Rotate

We used to run a picture framing business, so I had so many beautiful framed prints, more than I had wall space. After purging and only keep the very best, I stored half in my storage closet, and after a year or two, change-up the pictures. I also do this with my vases and accessories. You don't have to display everything all at once. By rotating your things, you don't feel the urge to shop as much, everything feels new and fresh.

9. Be Content With Less

I no longer have walk-in closets or a jacuzzi tub, downsizing means a simplified life. And a simplified life means more time and less stress. With less things, you have less to fix, maintain or clean, thus more time to do things that are really important. We have learned to be content with less and are enjoying a simpler life.

Elvie Look: Your Professional Organizing Coach who is helping people get organized with her easy tips and suggestions. These systems help the busy mom, businessman or woman,  entrepreneur or student learn the keys to organizing in simple, actionable and manageable steps. She teaches how to get organized and maintain your organized space while carrying on your normal busy life. She is the author of "21 Steps From Chaos To Calm. http://elviesessentials.com

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Organize Your Office And Reduce Clutter In Your Home

By Sasha Jenkins 

If your home, particularly your office, has become too cluttered it may be time to eliminate some of that clutter and get more organized. There are a few basic and simple things you can do to organize your home and your office.

Organizing Your Office And Paperwork

The office is an area that can get particularly cluttered with mail and paperwork. Get a document organizer to help organize your paperwork. You can find document organizers for both digital and paper files, so you can scan documents and keep them online or get a file cabinet where you can store them. Sometimes a combination of the two is the best fit.

If your desk is buried under a pile of paperwork you may benefit from a desktop document organizer. This type of organizer can help you keep your paperwork neatly sorted and safe. There are a few types of organizers that fit into this category, so shop around until you find one that fits your desk and your style of work. Everyone works a little differently; if you don't take this into consideration when buying a desktop organizer it may not work for you the way you had intended.

There are stacking organizers that allow you to easily access and store paperwork in different levels so you can sort your documents and neatly store both the organizer and the documents right on your desk. There are also desktop organizers that allow you to sort and divide your documents horizontally instead of vertically. It's just a matter of preference.

Organizing Other Areas Of Your Home

If you have other areas of your home that need to be better organized, but they look particularly daunting, just start small. Start cleaning and organizing one section at a time so it isn't such an overwhelming project. Those little things add up quickly to make a big difference over time.

Another thing that can help you keep your home organized is to put things away when you are finished using them. This includes things like recycling. Read your mail, paper or magazines and recycle them as soon as you are finished. Clip articles you want to keep and store them in a designated space. Don't be afraid to get rid of things. Really think about how much you need some of the items in your home. If you truly never use them maybe you don't need to keep them.

Little changes in your habits will make a difference. Making the effort to get more organized will help you save time, reduce frustration and create a better feel in your home.

Use Sasha's online guide to learn more about the different types of document organizers available and discover how they can help you organize your home office: Document Organizers

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Simple Tips To Help Organize Your Life

By Sasha Jenkins 

Has your life become stressed and a mess? By utilizing a few simple organizing tips you could reduce your stress and get your life back on the right track.

Get A Calendar

Keeping a family calendar out where everyone can see it and has access to it can help reduce your stress and keeps everyone in the know about what is going on this week. If you find that you often have a lot going on each week and usually forget one or more task or event you really need to use a family calendar. The best ones are ones that are large enough to fit every ones schedule on the same calendar. That way when something comes up and you go to check your calendar you have a clear picture of what is happening and when so you can better schedule yourself and the rest of your family. You can even take it a step further and color code your calendar by importance of event or by person.

Write Things Down

A lot of times we forget important things until the last minute. One way to improve your memory and better organize your life is to write down important things like grocery lists, errands that you need to run or appointments that you need to keep. The act of taking time out of your day to actually write down what you need to remember makes you far more likely to remember it.

Clean Your Refrigerator

You may not know it, but there is likely something going to waste in your refrigerator right now. When is the last time you cleaned out your refrigerator or pantry? If you take the time to do a quick clean of your refrigerator, no more than 15 minutes each week, you will waste less of your groceries and have an easier time deciding what to have for dinner. By regularly tossing the things that are expired you keep a mental inventory of what is on hand and what is not. This may be one of the most important organizing tips for your kitchen.

Lay Things Out The Night Before

Often times when people wake up in the morning they are running late. To make your life a little easier lay your things out for the next day the night before. Choose your outfit and set it out so that you can easily get dressed without wasting time standing in front of your closet for half an hour. Have the kids gather their home work and books and put their back packs by the door so they are ready in the morning and nothing important gets left behind. This one simple change in routine can save you lots of stress in the morning so you can start your day off on a positive note.

Using these simple tips to help organize your life can help save you time on a regular basis.

Another great thing you can do to better organize your life is to use document organizers for your paperwork. Read Sasha's guide on organizing documents to discover how things like a travel organizer can make your life a little easier: Travel Document Organizer

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Home Organization Tips That Can Make Life Easier

By Sasha Jenkins

Everyone wants their lives and their homes to be more organized and easier to manage. In today's society there are dozens of reasons why we all get sidetracked, disorganized and stressed out. By keeping up with a few simple tasks each day you can get your home back on track and minimize your stress due to a cluttered and un-organized home.

Start With A Clean Sink

The best advice anyone ever gave me to keep my home organized and keep my stress levels down, was to clean my sink. Every night before bed I make sure that my sink is clean. You might think this is a small silly task that has no real value to you but I assure you that you will feel better when you wake up to a kitchen that doesn't have dishes hanging out in the sink to be cleaned or put away. It's a small task, it never takes more than 15 minutes and it is an incredible stress reliever. So for the sake of your sanity, go clean your sink!

A Little At A Time

Another tip you can use in any room in the house is to organize one drawer or shelf each day. Really this shouldn't take long. Clear the clutter, toss the trash, donate the things you not longer use and place things neatly back in their place. I always use a timer for tasks like this. I set it for 15 minutes and then I get to work. I never takes longer than 15 minutes.

15 minutes is all you need to get your home organized. You read that right, just 15 minutes of work on a regular basis can get your home organized and clean. Take a timer and set it for 15 minutes and then start in an area of your home that needs help. Once the timer goes off, stop. Don't worry if it isn't perfect yet, just stop and move on with your day. You can come back later for another 15 minutes when you have time.

Out With The Old

If you are like many other people your kitchen and your closets are probably the areas that needs the most help. These areas accumulate a lot of stuff. One way to help organize your kitchen, closet or other problem area is to go in and toss something once a day. Most people have something that can go, things you don't use, broken things, old food. Just pick up something that doesn't need to be there and get it out of your house either with the trash or by donating it to someone who could use it.

By doing these few simple things you will find your house to be a more peaceful, organized, inviting environment in no time.

Paperwork and offices are another common problem area for people. Using the right tools, like an effective document organizer, can greatly help in this area. Get information about the different types organizers available, from paper to electronic, and tips on how to use them effectively using Sasha's online guide: Document Organizer.

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Simple Steps to Cleaning Clutter on Your Kitchen Table So That a Family Dinner is Possible

By Wendy Mitchell 

If you are like me then odds are the majority of the clutter in your home resides on your kitchen table. While this is most commonly the place were you may enjoy meals with the family, it may also be the dumping location for mail and anything else that may not have a set place in your home. Here are some key tips that can help you keep your kitchen table clutter free so it can be used for only the tasks as it was intended.

First, designate a specific area in your home for mail. Unless you are someone who sorts through the mail as soon as it comes in the door, you will need to have a set area for the mail to be dropped at. Whether it is an organization box that hangs on the wall in your kitchen or a basket near the door, you need to have one place for all the mail to go. Just remember that it will need to be sorted through on a daily basis so bill can be placed in their designated area and junk mail can be filed accordingly so as to prevent clutter from occurring in other areas of your home.

Second, find a home for the unknowns. Odds are you have at least one or two items sitting on your table that have no home of their own. Items with no home are the second largest cause of clutter because these items tend to sit in one area for an extended period of time because we do not know what to do with them. Take the time to find a home for the item in question so it is gone from the table. Every item that has a home is one less item that can cause clutter on your table.

Lastly, start recycling. More than likely the last thing that still resides on your kitchen table is all the newspapers that you either purchased or have delivered to you on a daily or weekly basis. Newspapers are the most common form of clutter because the pile seems to grow nearly overnight and finding a place to put them usually ends up forming more clutter just in a different location. Start recycling your newspapers and any other paper goods that your home uses. This way you can designate a specific are in your home for papers only and once a week the pile will be taken care of. You can either drop them at the curb for garbage pickup or drop them of at your nearest recycling center. Either way you have a plan for the newspapers which eliminates another cause of clutter in your home.

Cleaning Clutter From Your Home Is The Key To Living A Stress Free Life. Get Started Today ORGANIZATION FOR THE HOME

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A Simple Guide to Home Organization and Making a Stress-Free Home

By Carolyn Anderson 

One of the things that can make our lives stressful is living in a cluttered home or working on a cluttered office desk that will later send you scrambling for some things that you just can't find. To help you start living a spacious and refreshing abode, start with having a simple guide to home organization and be free yourself from more stress at home.

- Start with small steps and start now. Before you are overwhelmed with what to do and where to start, start in small steps towards organizing your home. Start by organizing shoes first, or your set of bags, or clearing the counter top in the kitchen, or organizing the bathroom after a bath. However small it may be, it can contribute a lot to being organized day by day.

- Have a place for everything. Of course, one guide to home organization is to have a place for everything in the house. Storage spaces are very important in home organizing and even from the start, consider having storage places in the kitchen, in the bathroom, in the living room, the kid's rooms etc. If you have storage for all the things you intend to keep, it will be a lot easier to put everything in their proper places.

- Set your mood to really like home organizing. Finding a motivation to do the task is also an important part of organizing. Of course, your attitude towards it matters. If you think there is not much enough time to do it, then you have to overcome this thinking as it can lead to procrastination. One tip to set your motivation is to browse some home organization images or articles in magazines or the internet to help you jumpstart your organizing plans. By merely looking at how clean and how pleasing a well-kept and organized home is, you can find great ideas on how you can organize your living space too.

- Make home organizing fun. Beat your thoughts and make home organizing fun and enjoyable. One thing to do it is to find someone who can help you with organizing - be it your partner in life, or your kid or a good friend who loves to put her creative juices on home organizing. It helps also to plan to give yourself a reward after you have done everything with the home organizing.

- Delegate some of the work to the rest of the family. Share and delegate the responsibility to keep your home clutter-free and organized. Teach your kids how they too can start organizing their room - from their toys to their books and everything else. This does not only take loads from you, it will also help teach the kids early on how to make their living spaces clutter-free and clean.

- Learn to let go. The more you cling to something that is not needed anymore, the more it can build up to be a clutter. Of course, you have to let go of dresses that have been sitting in your closet for years and years, and those pair of shoes that only gathers dust, and those broken kitchen utensils and the many things that haven't been used for ages. Letting go may be difficult but it is one good start in maintaining a clutter-free and stress-free home.

Find a great guide to home organization that will help you go into the details of how you can organize your home.

Carolyn Anderson loves to use her creativity in designing and organizing at home. To learn more about details on how you can maintain a clutter-free home, check out Guide To Home Organization. Also check out Declutter Fast, where you can find simple methods to de-clutter your home or office.

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