| For the last few years Thursday's have been my | | | | At this point I would recommend buying everything |
| favorite day. | | | | for that child that has to do with school in the same |
| Every time I walk through my front door to find my | | | | color. If you find a green notebook laying around the |
| house immaculately clean I find myself automatically | | | | kitchen table, you no longer have to ask everyone |
| distressed, content and happy. | | | | who's it is. It can now go back to that green bin by |
| Now, don't get me wrong, my house is usually clean. | | | | the door. |
| However, we have so much "family traffic" that | | | | The best thing about these bins is that they are light, |
| unless you have someone cleaning up through out | | | | and can be picked up and moved out of site during a |
| the day every day, it's impossible to have it always | | | | dinner party or if you are expecting guests. |
| looking spotless. | | | | 9.The Bathroom's. |
| We usually have at least 10 people at our dinner | | | | This drill has to be applied in every bathroom of your |
| table, and at least that many teenagers in and out of | | | | home. |
| the house on a daily basis. With access to a cleaning | | | | Go through drawers and toss everything that's old |
| lady only once a week, this system is imperative in | | | | and spoiled, or not going to be used. |
| up keeping a clean and vibrant household. | | | | Wiping shelves with baby wipes always makes my |
| That's where my "Get Organized System" comes in. | | | | cabinets smell fresh. |
| Follow these simple steps only 15 minutes a day to | | | | Your make up drawer needs your attention. Many |
| have your house organized in 20 days or less. No one | | | | make up products such lipstick, mascara and liquid |
| plans to fail, we just fail to plan. | | | | foundation go bad quickly and need to be changed |
| 1.Make a plan of what needs to be done for the | | | | frequently to maintain healthy skin. |
| next 14 days. | | | | 10. Bills, Holliday Cards and & Reminders. |
| Write down what supplies you will need such as | | | | With on line banking available by every bank, it has |
| boxes, containers, trash bags. | | | | never been easier to pay your bills and keep track of |
| 2. Start with the highest trafficking area such as your | | | | everything that's going on with your finances. If you |
| kitchen counter. | | | | haven't done so already set up your on line banking |
| Most of the stuff on the counters gets there | | | | account today. |
| because we are too lazy to put it in the proper place | | | | |
| to begin with. | | | | 1. Buy an expandable filing folder from Staples with |
| For the next 15 minutes examine your counters and | | | | dividers for every month. (This is where you keep |
| see if anything can be put away or tossed, such as | | | | your paid bills, so when the tax season comes around |
| junk mail, or stuff you no longer need. Don't save it, | | | | all the bills are sorted by month and are very easily |
| TRASH IT. | | | | tracked) Buy another folder, and every time you get |
| If you can make your counters clutter free, every | | | | a bill in the mail, it goes inside that folder. |
| time you walk into the kitchen you'll have a feeling of | | | | 2. Every month on the 1st and the 15th, pay all the |
| accomplishment. | | | | bills from the bill folder, and file them in the other |
| If your counters are clean, skip to the next day. | | | | folder under the appropriate month. Simple enough, |
| 3. The Hidden Drawer. | | | | right? |
| We all have them and they are usually filled with | | | | 3. Birthday's, Anniversaries and Special Occasions. |
| mostly junk that we haven't used and need to toss. | | | | Let's Face it, everyone likes to feel special-it's part of |
| For the next 15 minutes go through each drawer and | | | | our human nature! Why not develop a personal |
| after you are done tossing all the junk, arrange | | | | system that remembers birthdays, family and friends |
| everything neatly. | | | | wedding anniversaries and a schedule that sends |
| Continue to the next drawer until every drawer in | | | | 4. I have a special folder that is dedicated to all of |
| your kitchen has been done. | | | | the warranties for appliances in our home. Within that |
| This is a great exercise to do with your teenage kids. | | | | folder is a calendar that outlines annual check ups, |
| I remember once I had three of them doing different | | | | filter replacements, batteries, etc. It also has all of |
| drawers, and we were actually done with all of them | | | | the phone numbers of the people I use to service |
| in half in a hour. | | | | my appliances, plumbing and repairs. |
| 4. Don't forget the cupboards. | | | | 11. Now you are ready for every room in your home. |
| Your cabinets need order too. | | | | Remember it should only take you 15 minutes a day |
| It's always a good idea to keep your shelves | | | | to access and re-organize. If it cannot be done in |
| organized by a certain product. | | | | fifteen minutes break it up in a few days. |
| For instance you should have shelves separately for: | | | | Don't go to the next room until the room that you |
| Canned goods. | | | | initially started is done. |
| Pasta and Rice. | | | | Trash/Charity/Other |
| Cereals and Breakfast Products | | | | I would imagine that by now you have a pile of |
| Oils and Spices | | | | "stuff" that you don't know what to do with. This is |
| Keep in mind that you need to organize your shelves | | | | the time you separate this "stuff" into three piles. |
| in the orderyou use them. Place the most frequently | | | | Give away to charity, to someone you know can |
| used items in the most conveniently used shelf. | | | | use this, or simply trash the pile. Package accordingly |
| 5.Now it's time for your Fridge Door. | | | | and MOVE IT OUT, remember to always have |
| I love my kids too, but enough with their projects, | | | | MOVEMENT; you need to clean it up and take it out. |
| notes, and all kinds of phone numbers plastered all | | | | 12. Bedrooms. |
| over the fridge door. | | | | Time to declutter your bedside tables and everything |
| Strip everything from your fridge door and watch | | | | that's on top of them. Are you really reading these |
| your kitchen shine. | | | | three books at the same time? |
| This is also a good time to check your freezer and | | | | Do you really need two bottles of lotion on your |
| throw away old frozen meats, poultry, etc. | | | | bedside table? |
| Inside the fridge you should have everything that | | | | Choose only what's necessary and put the rest away |
| you will use. Get rid of anything that has been there | | | | in the appropriate cabinet, drawer in your bathroom, |
| for over two or three weeks that haven't been | | | | or hide it in the lower shelf in your nightstand. |
| used. | | | | Remember not to clutter. |
| 6.Your Medicine Cabinet requires attention. | | | | 13. Closets. |
| I keep my meds in the kitchen; so I'm attributing this | | | | |
| task to go along with my kitchen chores. If your | | | | 1. Begin with your closet, and do not get |
| med. cabinet is in your bathroom, skip to the day | | | | overwhelmed. |
| that we are focusing on the bathroom cabinets. | | | | 2. One area of the closet at a time. Start with the |
| Going over your medicine requires attention. Check all | | | | shirts, progress to pants, then jackets, etc. |
| of the expiration dates on each bottle, and toss the | | | | 3. Set aside clothes that you haven't worn in two or |
| ones that expired. | | | | more years, because chances are that you are not |
| Check to see that your first aid kit is in tack and | | | | going to wear them. And about these jeans...if you |
| make sure you have enough band aids, Neosporin | | | | haven't been able to get into them for the last 5 |
| and sun screen on your shelf. | | | | years, give them away or throw them out. If you |
| 7.Laundry Room. | | | | happen to loose that weight again, you will reward |
| I'm not sure why, but my kids just love to throw | | | | yourself with a new, in style pair. You deserve it. |
| things in the laundry room and shut the door. | | | | 4. If you are planning to have more kids and would |
| Laundry Room is your next destination. | | | | like to store kids clothing, make a box with a label on |
| Buy different color bins that stack on top of each | | | | it describing for example, Girls Clothes ages 7 to 8. |
| other and can be easily pulled out. Store things neatly | | | | That way when you need to locate a box you don't |
| inside them, such as detergents, rags, and soaps. | | | | have to go through all of them. |
| Pretty bins and neatly stored items make your | | | | 14. Family Room. |
| laundry room a place you actually want to visit. | | | | The coffee table is not a storage space for your old |
| 8.Your Front Entry. | | | | magazines. Leave one or two on the table, and take |
| When my children were small, they would come | | | | the rest to your car to read while your kids are |
| through the door and throw their back packs all over | | | | playing soccer, or while you are waiting for an |
| the front entrance, immediately making the house | | | | appointment. After you read a magazine, discard |
| look like a mess. | | | | appropriately. |
| It took me a while to find out how I can prevent this | | | | This whole process should not take more than two |
| from happening, the following method works really | | | | weeks, but should organize your house and put you |
| well. | | | | in a better mood. |
| Make your child feel special, assign a color to each | | | | This is also a great way to engage your children to |
| family member | | | | help you with keeping the house neat. If you follow |
| Buy Nice Looking Bins to place by the door. That | | | | this method several times a year, you'll never have |
| way when they get back from school everything | | | | to blush again by opening a messy drawer. |
| going inside their bin. | | | | |