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Let’s Get Organized!
Easy and Simple Strategies to Getting (and Staying) Organized
Best Secrets to Getting and
Staying Organized
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Tell yourself (and believe)
that some degree of clutter with a child is going to happen no
matter what!
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Begin with messes and clutter
that you see every day. Work on organizing your kitchen and
family room before your hallway closet.
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Assign everything in your house
a place. This way when your family searches for something they
need, they will know exactly where to find it and where to put
it away.
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Use this same principle to
organize your silverware, with clearly defined places for every
fork and knife, or drawers for ties and socks or, underwear.
Think in this same way for every aspect of your home. This will
save many hours of searching for things. It will dramatically
cut down on the clutter of items left out "for now" or "until I
find a place for it." Develop a new mantra: everything has its
place and a place for everything!
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Enlist a new rule: throw out
one old thing for every new purchase that enters your home.
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When using stairs, never go up
or down them empty-handed. Always grab some items that belong to
upstairs rooms and quickly put it away while you are there.
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Make a mental note to observe
what things pile up in your house and where they cluster, and
then come up with a place nearby that becomes the official home
where those things will reside. Introduce baskets, shelves, and
folders for this purpose. They work well. Set aside one basket
for you and your partner for incoming mail, bills, and receipts
and letters.
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Create a number of brightly
marked folders for discount coupons, invitations and directions,
and other time-sensitive papers that just clutter your
counters.
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Keep items that are used
frequently in places where you can reach them without stooping
or bending, and store them close to the place they will be
needed.
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Use drawer dividers for socks,
underwear, lingerie, and tiny items, to keep them separated and
organized.
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Hang hooks for your keys and
purse at the entry to your home, so each time you walk in, you
can hang them up.
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Establish one defined place in
your house for storing library books, and end a house-wide hunt
when it is time to read or return them.
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Get rid of all junk drawers, or
allow yourself just one that you clear out once a week or more.
When you establish certain items are being used repeatedly,
designate a drawer for those.
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Things you don’t need any
longer:
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Magazines you meant to read but
have never taken the time for
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Expired medications
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Clothes you no longer wear
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Sunscreen that's expired or
more than one year old
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Extra paper or plastic grocery
bags
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Makeup and samples you have
never worn
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Cookbooks you rarely use. Cut
out your favorite recipes only
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Organize your coupons and throw
out all that have expired
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Stuff your crumpled plastic bags from your grocer inside a
cardboard roll like a hand towel roll. Keep under your sink.
Getting rid of your
clutter and organizing your home top to bottom will free your
mind to remember your daily chores. Be vigilant about cleaning
about once a month and you will find it much easier to keep up,
week-by-week.
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