Do you feel overwhelmed that your home is a big mess? Just looking at it, you do not know where to begin? Try this: Take a big green trash bag and go in each room, Put everything that is laying around into this bag; clothes, toys, shoes, just what ever is on the floor and such. You will have a clean home in 10 minutes. Then while you are sitting down watching a movie, go through this bag and put everything in place. It gives such peace of mind
By Karen from MO
When reorganizing my home, I used to forget where seldom-used items got redirected to. After some frustrations, I learned to keep a recipe card file of alphabetized note cards, one for each item I moved.
Use a clutter jail to help kids pick up their stuff. If you pick something of theirs off the floor they then have to pick a card from a jar, and complete the task before they get their item returned.
Clutter can become overwhelming. My solution is to create a master list of things that are needed to live. Clothes that are needed for our/your way of life, groceries, furniture, and just basic needs which are placed in categories.
Crisscross several thin, braided elastic headbands around the front cover of a three-ring binder, and your child can tuck pens, pencils, and reminder notes under them. You can also use the same concept on the sun visors in your car.
I recently got 3/$1.00 baskets that are absolutely invaluable to me. They are useful for so many things, especially when you have limited counter and desk space.
I have a 3 lb coffee can that I add all screws, pieces of blinds, wing nuts, lamp parts and "what have you" that are left over. For over 30 years now if I have needed something to hang a picture, anchor or screw I just look in the "MAGIC CAN" and there it is.
I had an old roll-up front wooden breadbox that I was loathe to part with, but didn't need for bread keeping so I re-purposed it as a kitchen organizer.
I recently redecorated the bedroom by turning it into the "combo room". Very soon you will see the massive job it was, but for now, this is what I came up with.
Controlling clutter with kids is not an easy task! To try to control the clutter in the living room, kitchen, and dining room, we have to do a walk-through everyday (or at least every other day).
If you have some clean cans and some strong bulldog clips, you can have a catch all to keep handy. Just put the clip everywhere the tins meet, and fill evenly with things like I did.
I worked for an apt complex for 9 years. Our residents were mostly college students. When they graduated and moved a lot of them left everything behind.
I started gathering up the stuff that was left. I have 18 vacuum cleaners and over 300 T-shirts, as an example of what I have. I've said, "I have found everything except a house and a gun". I gathered too much stuff and now my friends think I am a hoarder. But, I've got so much stuff, I don't know where to begin to get rid of it.
I've been told to take it all to the flea market and sell there. I have a 10 room house, 5 of the rooms are almost completely dedicated to stuff I want to get rid of. Are there garage sale experts who can give me advice?
By Lotzamoxie from Waco, TX
If you don't want to donate or give it away, you can always try Craig's List. Then you don't have to bother hauling the stuff to the flea market, just post the info & sell it. Follow precaution though, don't let them come to your house, arrange to meet them in a public place like the parking lot of your corner convenience store or grocery store or something & don't go alone.
waco.craigslist.org/
www.craigslist.org/
Wait until spring and have a garage sale, or yard sale. Run an add in you're town news paper, and sell the best if you need a little cash. Then donate the rest. Don't take checks, ask for cash in your ad. You should make some good cash. You have kept the items this long. So you can surely keep them until spring, Lot of people buy old clothing to make crafts out of.
Hope this helps.
My folks owned a "seasonal residential hotel" for many years. The people would come and stay for just one season, and then move on. Usually , they were just considered tourists, but some followed "where the work was". They bought everything new when they came, and left it all sitting there when they packed up the clothing they wanted and left. Sometimes, we'd see them several years in a row just in the summertime.
I'm sure they had homes and I know they didn't always buy the best of everything to use for the time they were in the hotel. When they'd leave though, my parents would call the agency that oversaw "Battered Women" as they were always the most in need of clothing, and household items in order to make a home for their children.
Now, I always find the same outlet for anything I have to share. Those women need everything, and as a rule, they've left abusive situations with nothing except the clothes on their backs and the backs of their children. Very few of them are in a position to find a job yet, but they still need certain things which are just out of their reach.
I urge every woman reading this to consider giving clothing and household items to an agency that will get it all to "Battered Women". No one in our country needs your help more than they do.
With 18 vacuum cleaners and over 300 T-shirts, you could do a lot of good all at once.
MisMachado
Keep a basket in each room for clutter. Have the family help clean out the baskets once a week. When unexpected company arrives, simply put the baskets in the closet.