Households are bombarded with paper on a daily basis. Bills, statements, pay stubs, calendars, schedules, menus and permission slips seem innocent enough individually, but when joined with the other piles of unattended paperwork, they can form an army that overwhelms even the best defenses.

But you shouldn’t feel defenseless against this persistent warrior.  With an organized plan of attack and some disciplined strategy, the paperwork enemy can be conquered and tamed.

First of all, take a look at the type of paperwork that’s overwhelming you the most.  Is it those bills that go unpaid when you can’t locate them?

Is it the mounds of artwork your children have lovingly created and decorated your refrigerator with?  Maybe it’s the constantly changing soccer schedule or troop meetings.

Once you determined the most invasive paper culprit or culprits, it’s time to line them up and sort them out.  A successful filling system has three main components.

A file for those things that need to be acted on immediately, one for those that are part of a household’s ongoing management, and one for those that are more infrequent but nevertheless crucial, such as tax records, insurance policies, wills, and home maintenance documents.

When conquering the paperwork monster, make a promise to yourself to deal with each item the first time you handle it.  Get out of the habit of rifling through your mail and tossing it aside.

Set aside time each day to open mail, go through paperwork in your inbox and sort and file appropriately.  Decide if each item is something to be paid, something to be done, or something to be filed.

At the end of each week, take out each file and respond appropriately by paying the bill, responding to the request, or moving items that need to be filed into their permanent locations.

Of course, if you know something is urgent and can’t wait until week’s end, clip it to the front of your file box or place it in front in a folder labeled Urgent and act accordingly.

Save telephone time by keeping calendars, schedules, take-out menus and phone lists into clear page protectors in a 3-ring binder.   Flip through the household notebook to quickly check meeting dates or find phone numbers.

Create your own forms, or use our free printable Household Notebook forms. This is also a great place to put correspondence addressed to the entire family.

Organize magazines and newspapers into baskets kept near couches and living room chairs for people to look at during their free time.

Be sure to keep in the habit of sorting through this on a regular basis and filing those magazines you decide to keep and tossing old newspapers and magazines you wish you toss.

You’ve conquered your house, your home office, and your car, and you’ve mastered the art of scheduling and cooking in bulk.  But your garage is still a cluttered and unorganized mess.

As with everything else, a neat and organized garage is attainable with just a little elbow grease and some simple storage solutions.
First, get a handle on the mess by moving everything out to sort through what goes and what stays.  Large, clear plastic containers can help you do this. They’re great for clearing away the clutter and then using for storage.

Be ruthless with yourself during the sorting and purging process.  Don’t keep paint from a project from two years ago, and if you have parts to things you no longer have, get rid of the parts as well.

Consider adding a cabinet to your garage. Look for units that offer keyed locks, so you’re able to store poisonous materials and sharp tools out of children’s reach.

The garage is also where most of your kid’s sporting goods land. To keep bats and balls organized, purchase a hamper-style organizer. Designate a section for each child. Add a bin or shelf outside to store messy, muddy shoes as well.

Find a workable storage solution for all the little things in your garage.  Organize bolts, screws, nails, fasteners and other small parts into small clear containers so you can easily see what each contains.

Organize into steady stacks or consider installing a shelving unit to house these out of the reach of small and curious fingers.

For long-handled items, such as rakes and shovels, look for storage units to keep everything straight or use a durable rubber trash can.  Pegboards can also be installed on garage walls, and can be a simple solution for hanging items such as rakes or shovels out of the way.

They can also be hung on hooks. Inexpensive hooks come in a variety of sizes. Large deep hooks are perfect for hanging a ladder and bikes can be hung and kept off the garage floor as well.

Now that you’ve practiced on your house, your office and your car, organizing your garage is a snap with a little creativity, some hard work, and a well thought out plan.

The most common problem most people have with getting rid of clutter and getting organized is not knowing how to begin or where to get started.

So it gets put off until…later.

Of course, the reasons are usually decent.

For one, there’s a lot going on in our lives. We go in so many directions and there never seems to be enough time to get anything done.

And it’s easier to put organizing off because you think it’ll take up too much time right now.

The other priorities — like eating and sleeping (minor things, right?) of course take first on the list.

But getting organized doesn’t have to take a lot of time every single day.

And if you don’t start getting organized, even just a little bit at a time, there are some very real negative affects that, well, could kill you.

A little drastic… I know.

But the affect clutter and disorganization has on your health is very, very real.

It adds stress to your already busy life.

It sucks away your energy and makes you tired.

In many people, it increases the symptoms of depression.

But enough of the negative stuff!

Here’s how we can benefit from being organized and getting rid of clutter…

-More sleep.

-A better mood every day.

-Better relationships.

-Easier house management.

-Your bills get paid on time.

-More space.

-More time to do things you actually enjoy!

This is all very real stuff and getting organized should not be put on the back burner any longer.

But I know…it’s still too easy to put it off for “later.”

I will admit, the here and now makes it easier to pile things on the counter, on chairs and tables or toss things in closets and drawers.

It’s too easy to put things down and ignore my simple and important rule of “touch it once.”

Though, like I said earlier…clutter can be deadly.

No joke.

Back in January of this year a 62 year old woman from Washington was found dead under nearly six feet of dishes, boxes and “clutter” that apparently collapsed on her.

A very sad, and very drastic story.

Take this poor woman’s life back about thirty years. How many days went by when she procrastinated and said she would “get to it tomorrow.”

Now I hope your situation is not as drastic but reality is reality. And unless you get things under control right away, you just don’t know what a disorganized house can lead to.

At the very least I bet you’re feeling stressed and a little frustrated with a real desire to simplify your life at home.

It’s not a lot to ask, is it?

And we all know stress is not good.

But maybe your situation isn’t so out-of-control, and you just want to get rid of clutter and get your things in order.

Or you need to manage papers better because once in a while you forget to pay a bill that was sitting somewhere in a pile (because you don’t have a real system for your bills — which you need.)

No big deal, right?

After all, what’s a $5 payment here or a $35 late fee there?

It adds up.

So how ’bout you take a step towards ending clutter in your home and getting organized…before it kills you?

Bathrooms seem to be notorious for becoming cluttered and unkempt.  Between small makeup compacts, medicine bottles, hair accessories, razors and the like, it can be quite easy to lose things in the shuffle.

Assess your bathroom and its contents and utilize a few simple ideas and you’ll find more space and tranquility as a result.

First, take a good look at your medicine cabinets.  Ironically, it’s probably not a good idea to store medicine in your medicine cabinet, as most bathrooms become hot and humid during showers and baths, and can be detrimental to medication that requires being stored at room temperature.

Don’t keep medicines past their expiration date, even if you’ve never opened them or have used them very little.  Try storing your medications on a high shelf in your linen closet with a lock-tight lid.

This will help lengthen their shelf life as well as keep them out of reach of curious little hands.

The same should be done with old makeup.  Generally speaking, most makeup will last about 18-24 months, with the exception of mascara, which lasts about three months, and liquid eyeliner, which lasts about three to six months.

Nail polish generally only holds up for about a year, so if you have any older than that, get rid of them.  And since many makeup products have animal-based ingredients, it’s also important to pay attention to how they smell.

If they smell like they’ve gone bad, they probably have, so toss them. Try using a permanent marker to mark the purchase date on the back of the item, so that way you won’t have to try to remember just how long it’s been since you purchased something.

If you take a look in your favorite discount store’s home organization aisle,  you’ll find lots of inexpensive storage containers that can easily be utilized in bathroom drawers, under the sink, and for shower and bathtub areas as well.  Since bathrooms are full of small things, they can easily be organized in small bins, baskets or boxes.

If you have a busy family that seems to be traveling in different directions constantly, you know how challenging it can be to coordinate everyone’s schedules.

Between projects and deadlines at the office, meetings with your children’s teachers, after school activities like soccer practice and troop meetings, not to mention the household chores, it can be a dizzying and confusing task.

But if each family member is committed and communicates effectively, the task of creating a combined family schedule is a manageable one for you.

The first step is to commit to weekly family meetings.  Make it mandatory that each family member is there so that the schedule can be discussed and organized.  This should also double as a great opportunity to schedule quality family time together, so make sure it’s held at a time when everyone is able to attend.

Next, design a schedule that can be easily accessed by all family members, so that everyone knows where everyone else should be at any given time.  This can be done by designing one yourself using materials such as poster board, markers, pushpins and index cards that can be pinned to the schedule, allowing for changes that can occur from week to week.

It could also be designed on your family computer and saved onto the desktop, so each family member can readily access it and make changes if necessary.  Have family members get into the habit of indicating on the schedule specific addresses or contact telephone numbers if the activity is new or changes from week to week.

Be sure that care providers for your children such as grandparents and babysitters are familiar with your scheduling system and know how to use it.

Again, with a commitment from each family member and open lines of communication, the family schedule can be a useful tool for everyone.

Is your house so messy you can never find what you’re looking for?  Are you often late for work because you can never find your car keys?  These tips will help save time and keep you more organized.

Keep things in a place that makes sense.  Drop your keys in a dish by the front door so you won’t waste time looking for them throughout the house.  Put anything you need to take with you by the front door- outgoing mail, your briefcase or the library books that need to be returned.  This will save you time in the morning because you won’t be running around trying to gather what you need for the day.

Straighten up as you go. Pick up the newspaper and put in the recycle bin instead of leaving it on the coffee table. Fill the dishwasher after every meal instead of once a day. Put your groceries away rather than leave them on the kitchen table.  How can you possibly know what food you do or don’t have if last week’s haul is still in the bag? This makes the kitchen an appealing place to enjoy a meal instead of a constant reminder of chores that need to be done.

Finish one project before starting another.  I have a friend who has started to update his bathroom, never finished the project and is now working on his kitchen.  His house is constantly in a state of confusion and he never manages to get any project completed because it’s now so overwhelming.

Keep your bathroom tidy.  Wipe up the sink and vanity top after you shave or wash your face and put your toiletries away.  Doing these small things as you go keeps the bathroom looking cleaner in case unexpected guests stop by- you won’t have to be embarrassed if they ask to use the facilities.

Organize your closets.  If your closet is filled to capacity, you can’t see what you have. Instead of squeezing everything into your closet, keep out of season clothes in the spare bedroom closet. Keep shoes in boxes or shoe racks.  Donate any garments that no longer fit or if you haven’t worn them in the past season.  Don’t hang onto things you can’t use anymore because there is someone out there who will be grateful to have it.

Keep your important documents and papers in a safe place.  Birth certificates, passports, marriage license, divorce papers, the deed to your house and the title to your car should be filed in a fireproof lock box.

Better yet, they should be kept in a safe deposit box at a bank close to home so it’s convenient for you to retrieve them when needed.  If you keep important financial information on your home computer, it’s a good idea to backup to a flash drive and keep this at the bank too.

The cost of a safe deposit box is worth the peace of mind knowing you won’t have to replace these documents if they were ever lost in a disaster.

Taking small steps every day to keep organized will help keep your casa cozy and clutter-free.

Professional Organizer’s are becoming increasingly popular, for a very good reason.

The past decade has seen life become increasingly sophisticated yet far less labor intensive for most of us. If you want to get and stay ahead, make use of professional organizer services, or what I call ‘efficiency services’.

We outsource more and more tasks in our home to other companies just as if our home life was a business. A few of the efficiency services that you probably use include: Delivery services, car wash, launderette, various home maintenance, etc.

Now more of us can afford for those chores to be taken care of by others, what is there left for us to do? How can we use our money to maximize the opportunity of our time? That is where professional organizers come in.

Imagine what a professional organizer working for you could do for your personal organization. Everything comes from organization. As a professional organizer I consult with many people to organize everything in their life, organize goals, organize home, organize time, etc. I have chosen three core tips to help you choose a professional organizer that is suitable for you personally.

This may seem strange but I believe the skill of listening is one of the most important that a good professional organizer can have. If the professional organizer can not fully and completely listen to everything you are about and where you are coming from they will never be able to take you to a level of personal organization that satisfies you.

Choosing a professional organizer can be a cause for anxiety itself, which defeats the point of organization services. So here are some key insider tips from a professional organizer, on how you can choose a good professional organizer for your own style and way of doing things.

Make a list of 10 or so professional organizers by doing a search online or in a phone directory. Contact them by phone or email and let them know you are contacting 9 others to find one suitable for you. This lets them know they can not ‘hard sell’ you.

Take a look at their website, read some of their articles, and read their reply email or hear them out by phone. Tell them you still have the others to contact before making your decision. A good professional organizer will approve of your organized approach.

On your check list you need to score them on ‘How good they listen to you and hear you out’. ‘How interesting and thoughtful they’re products and articles are’. ‘How they’re email response made you feel about them’.

Those three factors alone will give you enough to be able to at least make a short list and might allow you to choose a professional organizer in no time at all.

In modern life I believe time becomes so precious to the potential of opportunities and experiences life has to offer. Using a professional organizer will allow you to maximize the life opportunities you can take advantage of.

Photos can be a wonderful way to preserve memories and relive favorite past moments.  However, they can also become a cluttered mess without an organized storage plan.

Probably the most important tool to have when you begin your photo organization project is a trash can.  Statistics show the average person develops one roll of 24 pictures a month but only seven are worth keeping.

That being said, you’ll probably find many photos in your collection that simply aren’t worth keeping.

Another tool you’ll need during your organization process is several manila envelopes.  Do your best to sort the photos by year, and place each group in the envelope with the year clearly marked on it.  Place these envelopes in a strong cardboard box or storage bin.  You’ll probably be able to store a decade’s worth of photos in a single container.

Collages and shadow boxes are great ways to display several photos from a selected year.  Include mementos and keepsakes in the shadowbox to add a unique personality.  Special photos should be enlarged and framed to be displayed around your home.

Take special care to purchase photo albums that are made with acid-free paper.  The acid used in processing everyday paper can be very damaging to photographs over the long haul.

Scrap booking is a growing trend and a clever and creative way to display your photos. Craft stores have an abundance of scrapbook supplies, including stencils, decorative scissors, background papers, rubber stamps and permanent markers.

You can also utilize everyday items around your house such as ribbons, magazine clippings, and fabrics.  Again, take care to ensure that the paper you use is acid-free or is displayed separately from your favorite photos.

Lastly, just in case something should happen to your photos, make sure you have a backup plan to replace them. Store the negatives of your most important and cherished photographs in your safe deposit box to also protect against theft or destruction from elements such as fires or floods.

Every year, tons of material that could be recycled aren’t, and end up clogging our already overwhelmed dumps, waterways and roadsides.  Most people think it’s a difficult undertaking to organize a recycling center at home.

However, with some creativity and commitment, it can be easy to do.  You’ll feel better about yourself doing your part to care for the environment as a result, too.

Find a convenient place in your home or apartment for the center. It doesn’t take much
room for your recyclables. The garages, a storage closet, corner of the kitchen, or under your kitchen sink all make great locations.  Find and clearly label containers in which to store your recycled materials.  Plastic buckets, storage containers or even trash cans work great depending on the amount of room you have available.

Get your family actively involved in the recycling process.  Make sure they all are aware of what products can be recycled.  Teach them the difference between the aluminum can bin and the tin can bin.  While doing their weekly chores, teach them to be on the lookout for recyclable material lying around the house, and encourage them to place it in the proper storage bins.

Encourage them to come up with ideas for reducing the amount of recycled material that’s consumed by your household.  Take them along with you to the recycling center in your neighborhood so they can witness the process firsthand.  Show them how they can reuse recyclable materials in their own organizational efforts at home.  Perhaps a large cardboard box can double as a bin for all their shoes, or a coffee can be re-purposed as a penny bank.

And when they learn the money that can be both saved and earned from recycling and reusing products, they’ll have developed an environmentally healthy and thrifty habit for life.

Home improvement projects can be dangerous. Many tasks call for sharp tools or power tools that can cause injuries. You can’t successfully repair or tackle home improvement projects your home if you’re not careful.

With a little careful organization and forethought, even the most difficult home improvement tasks can be conquered safely and successfully.

Be sure to completely read the instruction manual for your power tools and follow the manufacturer’s safety cautions. Tighten any adjustments and check that the guard is working before you operate a tool.

Keep power tools dry, and plug them into grounded electrical outlets. Take care not to cut the power cord. Never store your power tools while they are still connected to the power supply.

Keep fingers well away from a power blade. Clamp small pieces of wood before cutting them, rather than holding them. It’s imperative to wear work gloves when you’re handling rough materials such as wood, glass, or metal, but take them off when using a power tool so you have complete control over it.

Never use any kind of power tool without proper protective eyewear. Unplug a power saw before changing the blade or doing any other kind of maintenance or cleaning to it. Learn how to properly support a board when you cut it with a power tool so it doesn’t kick back towards you during use.

Always completely shut off power or water when working with the electrical wiring or the plumbing.  One of the first questions you should ask as a new homeowner is where your shutoffs are located.

When working on a ladder, don’t lean out to either side. Keep your body weight between the sides of the ladder. It may take longer to get off the ladder and move it to reach farther, but it is well worth your time.

Falls are one of the most common causes of injuries in the home. If you’re not used to the physical element of doing construction, remodeling, or renovation work, you might easily injure yourself or strain your muscles.  You may not even notice the aches and pains until you wake up the next day.

Don’t take chances and overexert yourself when lifting heavy objects, or when repeatedly lifting lighter loads. Get a helper to do some of the work, and take plenty of breaks. Listen to your body’s signals and realize when enough is enough.  Learn to bend and lift with the knees and not your back.
You’re going to find a great satisfaction and pride knowing that you’re able to safely and successfully accomplish repair, remodeling and renovation projects around your house as long as you’re smart, safe, and keep yourself organized, focused and on task.