Organize your life

Do you feel daunted ever time you open your closet? Do you cringe at the thought of going up into the attic, or down to the basement for fear of getting lost in the mess? Fear no more. You can be clutter free simply by organizing. Whatever the time of year, whatever the task, organization is the key to any successful venture. You've got to be organized to get organized. It isn't very hard, and once you do it, you will be thankful because it will make your life simpler and less stressful. You will be putting that old cliche, "a place for everything and everything in its place," to work. Life can be made so much easier, if you stay organized. It is the key to success, even housekeeping.

The first thing to do is make a list. Jot down everything you want to straighten or clean. The list itself may scare you because it may seem very long and that it covers ever inch of your house. That's ok. Keep the list handy, by posting it on the refrigerator or a cork board where you keep all important reminders. This is a good idea for two reasons. First, every time you go to the fridge for that snack, the list will be staring you in the face reminding you to get things done. Second, when you do, then you can scratch the items off the list when they are finished. This gives you a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of knowing that you can get organized.

• Marking Pencil/Grease Pencil

• Cardboard Boxes

• Plastic Containers

• File Folders/Cabinet

• Corkboard

Once the list is made decide what area is the most important for you to get started on. It might be a good idea to start with the closets because they are something you use everyday. The first thing to do is decide what stays and what goes. If there are clothes in there that you haven't worn since the 1970's, it's a good bet that either a) they won't fit anymore, b) they are extremely out of style, c) the colors hurt your eyes, or d) all of the above. Get yourself a box, mark it Goodwill or yard sale, and start packing. Next, separate your winter and summer clothes. Depending on the season you are in, pack the opposite seasonal clothing into a plastic storage box or any cardboard box. Be sure to mark it so you know what it is. If the bottom of your closet is over run by shoes, take a trip to your local thrift shop and buy an inexpensive shoe rack. There are several that you can choose from depending on your taste. There are ones that hang on the back of the door or stand-up. Choose one and give your shoes a new home. This will clear your floor. If you keep anything else in your closet, organize them into groups and then put the groupings into plastic storage containers that stack on top of each other. This will give you more space then you realized you had. Hanging hooks on the sides of the closet is convenient for belts, hats, scarfs, or purses. If you have a lot of earrings overtaking your jewelry box that always get tangled in your chains, go to your local hardware store and buy a nuts and bolts drawer organizer. This works great and keeps all your earrings in one place, so you always know where to find them. Another good way to closet organization is purchasing an entire closet organizer ensemble. These organizers have baskets, shelves, hanging racks, etc, that fit right into your closet giving you a lot of added space. Stores like The Home Depotâ„¢ and Lowesâ„¢, may have an organization ensemble to fit your needs. Visit your local hardware/home/lumber store and check it out.

If you feel like you always have mail piling up on your kitchen counter, there are ways to take charge of this clutter. Buy yourself a small, two-drawer file cabinet. This will help you organize all the paperwork that comes into your house. The junk mail just throw away. Don't let it pile up. Throw it into your recycle bin. It is a good idea to shred any junk mail that has activation account numbers and to cut any credit cards in half that you don't plan on activating. This is for your own security. You may have room in your closet to fit the file cabinet, if not, put it in a spot where it can be easily utilized, like near your computer center where you do your bills. File what you think you need to keep and recycle or throw away the rest. This will eliminate the paper clutter. The other paperwork that is important are those papers your kids have stuffed into their school bags. Chances are they will forget until the last minute that you need to sign a test score or give them permission to go on a field trip. In the stationary department of your local stores, you can find caddies that serve as a great organizational tool. If you have more than one kid, get one with several slots and put there names in front of each slot. Every day they come home from school, either you or they can put the papers that need your attention into the slots. This will eliminate those last minute rushes to sign things. This way you can sit and go through and read everything before signing your life away.

This organizational technique will work for your bills and important papers too. A file folder that has several compartments is a good place to keep those incoming bills, stamps, return address labels, and any other items pertaining to your monthly bills. It is a good idea to keep your mortgage, property deed, will, life insurance, birth, marriage and any other important certificates in a fire safe box. Also, any savings bonds or other important banking information should be included. It is a good idea to archive each years paperwork in a separate box and mark it according to year. This is important for tax purposes. If the need ever arises, you can just go to the box that contains that years banking and other statements and find what you need. It also prevents your file cabinet from getting overloaded. Usually you only need to keep the current three months for local utilities billing statements. As you get a new month paid, throw away the oldest of the three. This cuts down on the clutter. The key to keeping this organized is file your paperwork right away. Don't let it pile up. That way when you need to access something, you can find it easily and don't have to go rummaging through a whole pile of stuff to get to what you need.

Great, two things scratched off your list, now for the attic. The biggest problem with attics and basements is that they are loaded with junk. Again, separate what you want to keep from what you don't need to keep. Have a box marked yard sale for those items that you can part with. It is important to not be too nostalgic when going through the attic. Those prom gowns that you or your daughter aren't ever going to wear again, get rid off. If you must, cut a small piece off from underneath and get rid of the rest. Organize your attic by grouping all the seasonal stuff together. Make sure you mark all the boxes according to their holiday and then stack them together. The plastic storage boxes come in real handy when organizing your attic, but sturdy card board boxes can do the trick as well. The key to organizing your attic is getting rid of what you don't need anymore. Keeping old mementos is great, but if you keep too many you won't have room for anything else. If you do keep them, put them in a box together and mark them. Your basement can be organized in much the same way as your attic. It is important to be aware of how much moisture your basement receives and how hot your attic gets in the summer. You want to be carful storing such things as photo albums, scrapbooks, old records, Compact Discs, videos, or anything that is heat, cold, or moisture sensitive. In fact, this would be a great opportunity to organize those pictures that are sitting in boxes. There are many different and fun ways to do this. For all the stuff you decide you don't need anymore have a yard sale. You won't believe what some of the "junk" in your attic is worth. Did you ever hear of the old saying, "one persons trash is another's treasure?" This could be true for you. If it is, you have an added bonus to being organized, by having a little extra jingle money. Or you could donate the stuff to a charitable organization that can put it to good use.

For those weekly cleaning chores, there are ways to be organized and cut down on the amount of time it takes you to clean. Make a chore list and post it where everyone can see it. Even the wee little ones can do chores. In fact, it may be easier to get them to help when they are two or three as opposed to when they are twelve or thirteen. Just by keeping the clutter of paperwork and junk mail organized will help with your weekly chores. You won't have to move things out of your way to clean. It will already be out of your way, so all you have to do is go through with the duster and vacuum cleaner. There are new disinfectant wipes on the market now, that help you keep things clean as you go through your week. By doing a little bit each day or every other day, you will never have to take several hours to clean your house all at once. It will always be neat, clean, and organized, although lived in. A fun thing you can do is make a list of house rules. Be creative and tailor it to specifics in your family. Some things that can be included on your house rules list are: if you use it, put it away, if you sleep in it, make it, if it barks, feed it, etc. Have a little fun with this, it will be a great stress reliever.

Things You Need To Do:

• Make A List

• Make a Chore Chart

• Designate Chores

• Decide What Stays And What Goes

• Mark Boxes

Your house doesn't have to be spotless to be "clean." A house is more a home if it is lived in and enjoyed by the family. Keeping your house organized and clutter free will give you more time to spend enjoying your home with your family. And when it comes time to get the Christmas decorations down from the attic you can smile knowing how easy you have made that task and any other future endeavor just by getting and staying organized.