Poor Neglected Walls ...

Have you ever noticed how versatile walls are? They hold almost anything imaginable ... artwork, of course ... kitchen utensils, bath essentials, (what a killer rhyme) ... white boards for notes & reminders ... hats, coats, scarves, clocks, books on shelves, TV's & other electronics.

The possibilities for creative asthetics with inherent functionality is almost endless.

So, next time you need to "re-oganize" a room, don't forget to fully utilize the walls. This is my newest project ... we'll see how it goes!

By the way, here are some great pictures I had stashed away in my "binder of good ideas" (most likely from Queen Martha - she is inspiring! or PB)

First Tenet of Organization ....

The First Tenet of Organization ... as I see it ... is 'Everything has its place'.

The basis of organization is making sure there is a place for everything, even if that place is the trash can or recycle bin. Clutter is the ultimate organizational foe and must be fought relentlessly to conquer.

Here are a couple ways to deal with Physical Clutter ...

Mail ... specify a place for 1) Outgoing mail; 2) bills to be paid; 3) mail that has a task associated with it, such as a dental reminder to make an appointment or coupons to cut; 4) items to shred & Most importantly, have a recycle bin close by for all of the junk mail & envelopes

School Items ... for those of us with school aged children ... schools tend to send home immense amounts of paperwork in the form of notices, awards and completed work. I have found having a small folder usually suffices to keep all the notices/student handbooks, etc. for the year. Also, having a special place (such as the refridgerator) to post the childs most current or favorite paper/award, etc. makes for happy kids (& proud teenagers, too ... even though they may not show it). Just remember, after a set amount of time - week or month or until the next item is brought home, take down the paper and either store it right away in a specific place (not in a stack).

Other Organizations ... most hobbies (sports teams, clubs of any sort, memberships, etc.) have paperwork associated with them. If you don't have to access this routinely, this would fit nicely in with other files. However, if you will utilize the information regularly, best to keep it in a folder or binder (depending on quantity of items) and neatly stacked with other like folders.

Other People's Items ... if your house is like my house, the other occupants often get items out, forget to put them back and leave. Having a bin for each person in the family works well. Items go in the bin until the end of the day/night when the owner of the basket is required to return the items to their place.

Purse Hanger

We women love our purses! We buy them to match our shoes, a special outfit, for everyday of the week or just because we may need a pick-me-up. (a new purse usually does the trick, by the way.)


One problem I have always had, I never had a good place to put my current purse when I am home. In my closet, I lovingly keep my purses on a shelf for themselves, where they stay all tucked into their own little sleeping bag to keep them dust free. But my current purse would get set in a chair or - heaven help me - on the floor, until it was needed.


Voila! I am happy to say, that I have found a solution that works for me and may help you. I have been using this for sometime now and love it!


I use a 'wreath hook' on my home office door. I am not sure it 'wreath hook' is technically the correct term ... it is a thin piece of metal that forms a gentle hook on one end and slides over the top of the door on the other. This can be used on almost any door and may work especially well with a walk-in closet.



Here is an example. They come in multiple colors - I prefer silver - but you can find almost anything if you look!

(This can be found at the Container Store.)

At the End of a Busy Day

It is usually at the end of a very busy day (as they all seem to be at this point in life), the entire family is wiped out and ready to call it a day when, unfortunately, the house usually looks as bad as we do.

I have committed to myself to make sure the house is clean every night, so the next tumultuous day can start fresh. I say clean, but clutter free is possibly a more accurate term. I have noticed, when the house is put away before bed I sleep better and actually wake up in a better mood.

Now, with 4 small kids, this is NO small task. I have figured out a couple of tricks that make the evening chores more of a quick run through rather than an all out war!

Daily Tips for a more Managed Home:

1) De-clutter as you go - when leaving a room, glance around to see if there is anything out of place that can be put away right then (this will save a ton of time at night)

2) Make sure beds are made in the morning - unless you like the bedding thrown around during the day or toys hidden under blankets

3) Wipe up spills as they occur - it is easy to fall into the "I'll get it in a second" mentality, but the result is usually a bigger mess the later you tend to it and requires a lot more elbow grease to clean it

4) Sweep the kitchen & dining room nightly

5) Kids bin - rather than running back and forth all day to children's bedrooms, each child has a basket to fill with items that need to be put away and they are required to empty it nightly ... this may work well with a spouse as well

Good luck & good night!
Teresa

And so it begins ...

Once upon a time, I was extremely organized. I never missed a birthday, always remembered to call and followed through on every promise. I was known professionally by my peers for these attributes. When I left the corporate rat race to stay at home with my (then two) sons and ultimately help my husband start his own business, things slowly changed.

Years later, I remember my husband asking in a loving, teasing way “Didn’t you used to be organized ... What happened?” UGH!!! One really analytical and deep introspection later, I realized just how out of hand things really had gotten. Needless to say, this was not one of my best days!

Happily now on the “Road to Recovery”, as I call it and implementing tools learned professionally, I am starting this blog to help others that may be momentarily life management challenged or just looking for small ways to improve.

I firmly believe in collaboration being the best igniter of creativity, so if you have ideas or comments, I would love to hear them!

Happy Organizing!
Teresa