Organizing Tips for August

Illustration from marthastewart.com

There are two areas that benefit from organizing in August: school and office.

Many states have a weekend of freedom from sales tax to help with school supplies.  Many office and stationery supplies are covered, too.  These stores will identify covered items for you. In Virginia the tax holiday is the first weekend in August. What's Exempt: During this three-day period, in general purchases of qualifying school supplies selling for $20 or less per item, and purchases of qualifying clothing and footwear selling for $100 or less per item will be exempt from sales tax.

Most stores have increased their inventory of school and office supplies.  You can find a better selection and better prices this month. Make a list and try to find those things you need while there are good choices.   Plan ahead for consumable items like printer paper, notepads, etc.  Be sure you have room to store these items.  For children, check the supply list created by the specific school or teacher. 

Clean out stationery and office items that are no longer useful or in disrepair.  Organizing your files is a great indoor activity when the weather is too hot for outside work.   Look for free shredding events in your area to dispose of confidential papers without burning up your shredder.  We have personal experience in that activity!

Think ahead in purchasing children’s clothing. My oldest child grew 3” the first two months of his 9th grade year. The clothes I purchased early in August to get the best selection were too small in October. (This was before long baggie pants were acceptable.) 

If you plan on having a yard sale in the fall, begin planning now. Start gathering items that you need to move on, clean and price them. Young children have probably outgrown last year’s school attire. Take an inventory to see what you can sell or donate now. As colder weather and winter approach, you may need to take another look at heavier clothing to see what can be eliminated.

Go to Craig’s list or EBay to determine a reasonable price for selling your items. In fact, you may want to put some of the items up for sale on those sites now so they won’t take up storage space in your home. If you want to join with others in a sale, pick a date now that is good for everyone.  Remember, you can always donate items to a local thrift store or charity and possibly bless someone less fortunate.  It is good to pay forward.

Organizing Tips for July

Elfa Over-the-door Media Storage Rack

from The Container Store

      It is July and it is hot and humid, no surprise there.  I wonder if we spend as much time in air conditioning in the summer as we do the heated rooms in the winter.  Since we are enjoying our living rooms, family rooms or dens, let’s get them organized this month.  Here are some tips that might be helpful to you.

• Arrange electronic items such as televisions, CD and DVD players and video games in one area so the wires and cables can be contained together.
• Label each end of cables and wires related to the computer and other electronic equipment.  It will save much time in connecting or reconnecting
• Use wire baskets that can be mounted under shelves or cable ties to contain wires.
• Purge videos, CDs and DVDs that are no longer used.  Sell or donate them to a local charity, nursing home or hospital.  If you want to locate one again, they can be rented or borrowed from local libraries.
• Renting or borrowing movies and games is an excellent organizational choice and sets a good example for your children in managing finances and spaces.
• Store CDs and DVDs in their case vertically on shallow shelves or if space is limited, they can be removed from the case and placed in notebooks or cases with plastic sleeves.  Sort and arrange by category.
• Videos can be stored vertically on shelves or in shoe box type containers.  Do not stack flat as accessing those on the bottom is more difficult.
• Remotes and game joysticks should be contained in a basket, decorative box or container designed specifically for them.  Keep them within easy reach of the chair or sofa.
• Place a table or shelf near every seating area.  Large coffee tables can take the place of several small end tables.  Choose one with storage shelves, cabinet doors or drawers.
• Provide an area for playing with toys if you allow that activity.  A lower cabinet can be used to store those items or they can be taken back to the bedroom in a tote box or rolling crate.
• For reading areas be sure to have a comfortable chair with adequate lighting and a place to store books, magazines, newspapers, etc.
• Books should be purged from bookcases.  Keeping fiction books that you have read serves no purpose except to prove you own them.  Sell or donate them knowing you can borrow it from the library if you have time to read it again.
• Non-fiction books should be grouped by category.  Since information is always changing, using older books as reference many not provide recent findings.  Let them go and use the Internet to find the latest information.  The books are not your brain and letting them go will not cause you to forget what you have learned.  (Old age, however, may cause you to forget.  I speak from experience once again.)
• Sets of encyclopedias are dated the moment you get them.  Use the Internet or library for research.  Use their encyclopedias if you want to teach your children how to use them.
• Make friends with the library.  It is a wonderful place of knowledge and entertainment for your children and prevents book clutter from residing in your house.  Most offer excellent programs for adults and children.
• Mix books, plants, attractive storage containers or photographs on bookshelves for more interesting arrangements.
• Upper bookcase shelves and over the window shelving can be used to display collectables and photographs.
• Collections of similar items are more attractive when grouped together in displays.
• Keep an attractive container with pens, pencils, note pad and scissors in a convenient location in case they are needed.
• Card tables can be used for board games, craft activities or other projects.  When you are finished it can be folded and stored under the sofa, behind large furniture or in a nearby closet.
• If the family office is located in this room, reserve a space for a table or desk.  A drawer or attractive containers can hold desk supplies. 
• If a computer will be located in this room, consider placing a wireless system in your home to eliminate having to connect all of the components with cables.

Organizing Tips for June

Illustration from RealSimple.com

June is filled with activities and it is difficult to think about organizing.  The best approach is to work in the areas that are already requiring time.  Since it is the end of the school year and the children or grandchildren will be around, one subject to consider is their spaces and the keepsakes you have been saving for them.  Of course travel is on the mind of most of us, too.

An avalanche of school papers may be arriving for you to handle this month.  My best advice is to let the child decide which to keep.  Keepsake boxes or binders can be used for these.  Give one to each child and let it be the only place for special saved items.  If it gets too full, let the child decide what to keep and what can go.  Resist the urge to get more or bigger boxes.  Think about how many things you really need from your childhood to remember the good times.  Of course there are items they have made that you will store with your keepsakes, but be selective. 

Children now have time to go through their rooms and eliminate items they have not used or no longer want or like.  Clothing that no longer fits can be sorted for sale or donation.  Children grow quickly and by fall most of what they wore during the past year will not fit.  Thankfully not much variety in clothing is need for the summer months.  If you are storing them for younger siblings, remember to label them as to sex, size and season.

Children need limits on everything except love and affection.  They should not be allowed to collect an unlimited amount of matchbox cars, Barbie clothes, t-shirts, flip-flops or anything else.  Let the space determine how much can be easily organized in the given space and draw the line there.  You will be teaching them good organizing habits and a lesson that there are limits in life.  Should they want a new item, remind them something they already have must go.  This is the “one in—one out” rule that we all should follow.

Too many of anything means none of them are special.  This includes collections such as china, dolls, salt and pepper shakers, stamps, etc.  If space is limited and many of these items are stored in the attic or closets, consider saving only those that have special meaning and letting the remainder go to other family members or donate or sell them to anyone else who will appreciate them and has room for them.  Storing keepsakes out of site does not honor or respect the memories that go with them.  Put those that you choose to keep in a place where they can be enjoyed and given the honor and respect they deserve.

Photographs are another source of keepsake clutter.  Save only the best from each activity.  No one needs 100 pictures of the beach vacation.  A few special pictures are all that is needed to capture that special time.  There are lots of ways to sort and save them in colorful scrapbooks and online in creative formats.  I am not a scrapbooker, but I do admire the projects and products available from Creative Memories and other sources.

Make a point of enjoying the outdoors while the weather is nice.  Keep outdoor umbrellas closed when not in use.  It will extend their usefulness and prevent damage during high winds or thunderstorms.  I have personal experience with this one.

And speaking of storms, this is the beginning of hurricane season.  If you live in an area affected by hurricanes, high winds or rising waters, you should review the list of necessary emergency items and secure those now.  Be sure to update your household inventory.  More information on it can be found on a previous Blog I posted: Click here.

If you will be traveling this summer, create a permanent travel kit with activities for yourself and family.  If it is only used for travel, the items will appear to be almost new and more interesting. 

 If you travel often and if you have storage space, create a permanent supply box or bag with items you always need.  Some of these may be duplicates of items you use everyday at home but you will not need to disturb those.

A permanent travel checklist that you keep on your computer or in a convenient notebook is a great strategy to prevent forgetting items you always need.  I keep one just for quilt retreats, my favorite travel experience! 

For information on organizing your suitcase, check out this article I posted for the local newspaper:

Click here

Enjoy this month of weddings, graduations, flowers and outdoor opportunities.  June is special in many ways.

Organizing Tips for May

No one wants to be inside in the month of May.  Flowers have been blooming, the weather is mostly nice and we are tired of being in the house.  This is a good time to work on organizing the garage and getting the outdoors ready for summer activities.

Since the Garage is never first on our list of projects, let’s begin there.  During the winter it often becomes a temporary dumping ground for items.  If this is the spouse’s territory, be sure to work together as a team.  God forbid that you should purge or arrange items that were “special”.  I have found the most effective way to motivate a spouse is to begin purging and organizing your things.  Sometimes the guilt factor is motivating.  Sometimes.  Regardless, you never really can win a battle with a spouse.

Take advantage of systems that will allow you to organize your items off the floor.  It is much easier and faster to clean with fewer items on it.   For pennies or hundreds of dollars, you can invest in organizing solutions that will work for you.  Check out the home improvement stores for hooks, peg boards or shelving units to hold items that are now stacked on the floor. Be sure to label bins and cardboard boxes used for storage. 

Move out items you no longer need.  Only things you continually use should be kept.  Boxes of old magazines, newspapers, etc. should be recycled.  Let’s face it.  You didn’t have time to read them before and you won’t later on.  There are too many new ideas coming at us everyday and those articles are outdated.

Review the sporting equipment to see if it is still needed.  Move on any you no longer use.  For those you save, look for specialty hooks, bags and shelves to store those.  Be sure to keep children’s things at lower levels so they can access them without your help.

A great plan would be to make room for the car if you have not already done this.  Your automobile is probably the second most expensive investment you have made so take care of it.  Mark off a space for it on the floor.  Identify a wall item or hang a string or chain from the ceiling as a marker for how far you should pull forward.

If outdoor, yard or garden items are kept in the garage, garden tools and accessories, look over each one.  Remove rusted, broken or stained plant containers, stepping stones and other garden fixtures.  Create racks or hooks for the tools and locate them together in one area.  Specialty items are also available to hang rakes, shovels, etc. so they do not get tangled together or take up floor space.

Outdoor furniture may need to be cleaned before using, so check over each piece.  Toys that are outgrown or no longer needed can be moved on.  If you have water sports equipment or pool accessories, try to store those in good condition in their own area for convenience when they are needed. 

Yard art is becoming very popular but be careful you do not allow it to take over.  It can become clutter just like anything else.  There is nothing more beautiful then flowering or luscious plants, shrubs and trees, so make them your focal point.  Adding hanging baskets or a border of blooming flowers can make a significant impact.

Once your garage is cleaned, you may consider a Garage or Yard Sale.  Here are some reminders.

**Collect, clean and repair items weeks ahead as you purge spaces. 

**Check prices of similar items.  Put on price tags and store in a common area.  (Preprinted price tags can be found in some stationery stores, dollar stores, etc.)

**Choose a sale date.  Join with neighbors if possible for a common date.

**Check community rules and get permits if necessary.

**Arrange for charity pickup or make plans for items not sold.

**Write ad for newspaper, Craig’s List, newsletters, etc.

**Make signs and flyers for bulletin boards and curbs where allowed.

**Obtain sufficient tables, racks, etc. for items to be displayed.

**Get change for large bills and newspaper, bags, etc. for fragile items or large sales.

**Use extension cords for testing electrical items.

**Place pens, paper, calculator, extra price tags, tape, and stapler at check out table.

**After sale, remove signs, clean area and dispose of unsold items as planned earlier.

A few other reminders for May:

Change the a/c filter and have a routine inspection of all its components before the scorching days of summer arrive. Clean ceiling fan blades and give other fans an inspection.

Clean the carpets and floors.  They were used and abused all winter and deserve a thorough cleaning.  If piles of clutter or stacks of items are on them, consider moving the items to shelving, cabinets or tables.  Floors are easier to keep clean when only furniture is on them. 

One reader's response this month

In addition to this blog, I have my articles published in several places including a newsletter I send to a distribution list of tolerant followers.  One of them has sent the following response that is priceless. Everytime I read it I laugh until there are tears rolling down my face.  She has given me permission to reprint it. I know some of you will identify with parts of it but all of you will enjoy it.  Thank you Diane  Kniskern for making my day!

"WHAT?!!! You mean I don't need 8 pillows/4 sets of sheets for guests, even though no one has spent the night with us in over 6 years? What if they all show up at the same time??? Oh, yeah, we don't have any extra beds. Well, we had an overstuffed couch and love seat that I bought for $150 at a yard sale in 1992 at Ft. Sill. I was saving the bedding for those. But they took up almost the whole bonus room and there was no room for the $10 recliner I got for my husband's knee replacement 2 years ago, so I called Good Will to come get them.

Unfortunately, the 300 lb man with breathing problems and the 85 lb teenage driver were unable to lift the couch over the back stair railing to the large front stairs, so the larger man held it while the younger one ran down and around to the bottom of the back stairs. Then the big one let go and the little one almost got crushed at the bottom of the stairs, as the doorway was too small (as I had previously suggested to them...). Well, they finally managed to get it back up to the top and by then, the large man was panting and drenched with sweat. I took his pulse and, fearful he might have a heart attack, told him to lie down on the couch while I got some water for them. Then, I went to garage to get my handy dandy chainsaw and I cut that sucker in half. The couch, I mean! I told the man to get on the love seat. So, they were able to get the couch out in two pieces and the love seat onto their truck. They didn't even take the couch! (They don't take calls from me anymore, either.)

Where was I? Oh, yeah, the 8 pillows/4 sets of sheets. Well, I might make a dog bed some day. I've been saving some big pieces of foam.....

Organizing Tips for April





April cannot decide if it will be warm or cool.  Our area has the last day of potential frost as April 15^th but that has not always proved to be true.  It is also the month of spring rain as in “April showers bring May flowers”.  On the cool or rainy days, take some time to organize your linens and bathroom(s).

If space is limited in linen closets, consider placing extra sheet sets in the bedroom where they are used.  They can be stored in closets, inside under the bed containers or even under the mattress of that bed.

Replace heavier bedding with lighter weight items.  Some quilts or comforters need only to be put through the “air” cycle on the dryer to remove dust.  Store them in pillow cases or the large plastic bags now available to keep them clean.  Vacuum bags can also be used but be aware they will gradually allow air to return.

 Remove sheets, blankets, etc. that are torn or in disrepair.  If they can be fixed, find someone to do it, otherwise, recycle them to local pet shelters or other appropriate places.

 We often collect pillows and other bedding to have on hand in case guests stay overnight.  Evaluate what you have that has rarely or never been used.  Perhaps some of them can replace those you have removed, or they can be donated or sold to allow room for better organization of the space.

Make similar decisions about your bathroom linens.  Towels and wash cloths that are in disrepair should be removed and replaced with those you have been saving for a special occasion or purchase additional items on sale.  Most department stores have linen sales throughout the year and discount or outlet stores also offer good savings. 

 Many cotton items will dry rot if not used over a period of time.  This often occurs on the folded edges so check those that have been sitting on the shelf for a longer period of time.

 Clear the bathroom counters and contain any times that must remain there.  Use trays, baskets, bins, etc. to make clean up easier there.   Be diligent in removing old or expired products and store duplicates of items in another area.

 Be sure all products in the bathroom have a label.  This is especially important with medicines.  You may check out taking expired medicines to your local pharmacy or ask them the best way to dispose of them.  Flushing in the toilet or garbage disposal is no longer recommended because of contamination of local waters.

 If the bathroom needs updating, consider using hooks rather than bars for towels.  Children find them much easier to use so be sure to put those lower on the wall or door.  Consider using dark or disposable towels for removing make-up

 Placing a magnifying mirror on the wall saves space and is more convenient that a portable model.  Using pull out shelves or wire baskets under the sink will make access much easier to items stored in the back of those cabinets.

 Keeping these areas organized requires daily maintenance because of daily use.  Setting up a schedule and requiring participation of all the family members can help keep them clean and neat.

If you have organizing ideas or questions, I would love to hear from you.  You can contact me by email:  maryfrances@orderlyplaces.com

Organizing Tips for March

Spring arrives this month, at least on the calendar. Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 11^th.  Set your clock ahead one hour.  This month we are concentrating on the attic and clothing.

• This is the time to get indoor tasks finished so you can enjoy the outdoors as soon as the warm weather is here.  Whatever the project, do not let it drag on or remain unfinished until next winter.  Make that final to-do list and get it done. 

• The Attic.  Unless you are storing items for another family member, the goal is to keep as little as possible in the attic.  It is usually inconvenient to access and too hot or cold to spend time there.  The extreme temperatures are also not good for many items to be kept there safely.  In addition, you must take care to prevent invasion by critters.

      If you are storing items for adult children or other friends or family consider  asking them to retrieve them.  Setting a deadline to have them removed or they will be donated may spur them into action.  In my professional and personal  experience, I have found that most people don’t really want them after being without for awhile.  You may be surprised that is the case with items you may have stored for others.

            For safety reasons and convenience, add lighting and secure floor boards in areas of the attic you must use.  

            For items you must keep, create zones for the types of items you are storing.  For example, holiday items can be labeled and stored together. 

            Use color coded containers or labels to help identify containers quickly.

            Take care to cover wood furnishings with sheets or blankets.  Upholstered furniture should not be stored in the attic for many reasons.

            The attic is not suitable for candles, photographs, soft plastics such as in dolls,  electronic media such as tapes, and many fabrics.

            If there are many items left to store after sorting, purging and cleaning the attic space, it is a good idea to create a map of where items are located.  This will save much time when it is necessary to recover them.

• Clothing   As the days are longer and warmer, remove the heaviest clothing you will save to summer storage.  This may mean to the back of the closet, to another closet or storage area, or out of the house permanently.  If they will be part of a future yard sale, store them in the area set aside for that.

      Winter clothing takes up lots of room in closets and drawers because they are  heavier and have long sleeves.  If there are items you did not use or those that children have outgrown, consider moving them out now. 

      Clothing closets are one of the most frequently requested areas to organize.  While there are great strategies to use in setting up closet systems, the biggest problem is too many items.  Pareto’s rule applies here.  You usually wear only 20% of your clothing 80% of the time.  Being willing to let go of those items that you don’t wear, for whatever reason, will make the task of organizing the closet much easier.

      While consignment shops usually only take current season clothing, removed items can be donated to a charity or sold in a yard sale.  Moving them out will give you more space for the items that you do love and wear.

• If you have considered the possibility of having a yard or tag sale. It is never too early to plan and prepare for one.  This month is the time to set the date and work towards that goal.  May and June are great choices as it is not too hot and people are on the move.  Consider going in with neighbors or friends to draw more customers onto your street. 

In the March 2011 checklist, I promised not to complain about the summer heat after last year’s cold temperatures and I kept that promise.  The mild weather this winter was my reward.  My fall camellias were still blooming in January while the spring varieties were just beginning to blossom.  I love it!