Tip Tuesday - Under the Kitchen Sink

Keep your soaps, sponges, and supplies inside a plastic dish pan under your kitchen sink to keep them from getting wet should there be a leak from the faucet or dishwasher. If you ever need to dry out that area, it will be easy to just remove the dish pan with the supplies inside which will be dry and safe from ruin. And never store paper goods under the kitchen sink as they will get ruined should there be a leak.

Closet Clean Up - Update on the Backwards Hangers

Well, it's been six months since I first posted this great tip about keeping track of the clothes you wear versus those you never wear by hanging your hangers backwards on the rod and only turning them around after you've worn the item of clothing.

Here is the latest update on how I'm doing.

I have gone through my closet, focusing on those items which are still hung backwards. I have given away 2/3 of these items for various reasons - they don't fit or fit right, they don't look good on me or I know I will never wear them.

I'm happy with the progress I've made on the closet and will continue this process through the summer.

Spring Cleaning - Part I

Spring is here and the weather is (finally) warming up. It’s time to open up the windows and get our homes ready for spring!

The idea of spring cleaning your entire home can be daunting. I recommend 30 minutes a day and sticking to one chore (and room) at a time.

In your living spaces (bedrooms, home offices, living and family rooms), dust all surfaces including tops of bookcases, cabinets, under beds, window blinds and window and door frames. Curtains can be removed and washed or dry-cleaned. Move furniture out from the walls and vacuum or sweep behind. This will not only make for a cleaner room, but if you or anyone in your family suffers from allergies, you’ll be creating a healthier environment for everyone.

In the kitchen, clean behind the refrigerator, and dust under the oven and dishwasher. You can purchase a long dust wand just for this purpose and you will be surprised at the amount of dust that can accumulate under these appliances - especially if you have pets. Clean the oven (including the racks) and remove and wash the vent filter screen above the stove.

In the bedroom, remove all linens (including the mattress pad and bed skirt) from the bed and wash or dry clean. Take your heavy comforters to the dry cleaners to be cleaned for next fall. Put clean, fresh sheets and lighter covers back on the bed. Try using different pillow covers, blankets or quilts – it will help to brighten up the room.

Bathrooms need a little spring cleaning as well. Take stock of the medicine cabinet and throw away any expired medicine or cosmetic products. Make sure you dispose of these products in a safe manner. Do not throw any medicine down the toilet which can harm our oceans.

Next Friday I will post Part II of my Spring Cleaning tips.

Tip Tuesday - Drying out the Wrinkles

We've all done it. Left our clothes in the dryer too long and now they're all wrinkled. Try this tip I got from my step-mother:

Take a small washcloth and dampen it with water. Wring out any excess water and throw it into the dryer with the wrinkled clothes. The moisture from the damp washcloth will take out the wrinkles!

The Power of Less/Zen Habits

I just finished reading this great book "The Power of Less - The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential" by Leo Babuata. You may already be familiar with the author through his website and blog Zenhabits.net

I really enjoyed reading this book for many reasons beginning with setting goals. The author stresses that the way to reach your goals is to focus on one goal at a time until it is completed. This is true for goals which would realistically take 6 months or less to complete. Say your goal is to develop an exercise program - walking, for instance. Follow through with your goal by working on it every day.

Think how much better you'll feel when you accomplish this one goal.

Leo Babuata includes many positive suggestions in his book including setting pre-determined times to read email - once in the morning, once in the afternoon as well as setting limits on internet time as a whole. He stresses doing your most important tasks (MIT's) first thing in the morning. Another suggestion is to make a short list of what is essential in your life and begin to eliminate the non-essentials.

He also reminds us how important a decluttered desk is. Removing all the distractions allows you to focus on the task at hand. Create systems to handle the clutter on your desk.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for more focus in their lives and wants suggestions on how to achieve their goals.

It's Spring - You Know What That Means - Spring Cleaning Starts Now

Finally - the first day of Spring! Wherever you live, there's hope for sunny days and warm, balmy nights. We've already set our clocks ahead one hour and are welcoming longer days. Now is the time to start getting our homes in order for the warmer weather.

Watch my blog in the next few weeks for some great spring cleaning tips and hints to get you motivated to air out your homes and welcome the warmer weather.

Oprah's Messy House Tour - Save 25% at The Container Store Through April 13th

Once again The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Container Store are teaming up to offer you a 25% discount on everything in The Container Store through April 13th.

Click here to get your coupon and Happy Shopping!

Tip Tuesday - Update Your Insurance Policies

Take some time to review your automobile, life and property insurance policies to make sure your coverage is adequate for your life situation.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Wishing everyone a very Happy St. Patrick's day. Hope you're wearing green today!

I'm making corned beef with all the trimmings for dinner. 9 hours in the crockpot and when I get home from the library, dinner will be ready!

Watch on Wednesday - Part 2 of Oprah's Messy House Tour

Be sure to catch part 2 of Oprah's "Clean Up Your Messy House Tour" Wednesday, March 18th on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Peter Walsh and his crew head to Atlanta to clean up some more messy homes.

Real Simple Daily Quote

Here's another daily quote from Real Simple Magazine that I wanted to share with you. Nothing wrong with a little sweat, right?

Sweat is the cologne of accomplishment.

—Heywood Hale Broun

The Organized Parent Website

Thanks to fellow organizer Debbie Jordan Kravitz, I discovered a great website for purchasing organizing supplies: The Organized Parent

The Organized Parent is a website created by Stephanie Vozza, a parent who recognized the need for families to get organized. Her website is full of wonderful organizing products ranging from file systems to message centers, calendars, menu planners and even adorable lunch totes.

I recently purchased the College Application Plan-It Organizer from The Organized Parent website which I will be blogging about in the very near future as my daughter gets ready for the college search and application experience.

Check out this wonderful website and start getting your family organized.

Tip Tuesday - Freezing Meat & Poultry

Avoid freezer burn by removing meats and poultry from the grocery store packaging and wrapping each serving in aluminum foil. Then place the foil packets inside a labeled and dated ziploc bag and store in the freezer.

Calendars & Planners & Techno Gadgets .... Oh My!

No matter what you use to keep track of your busy schedule - Blackberry, Outlook, Day Planner, iPhone, etc. - make sure you only use one and keep all you and your family's schedules on it to make sure nothing gets omitted or scheduling conflicts occur.

Batteries, Beds and Such

Well we've all lost an hour of sleep after having to set our clocks ahead one hour last night. Today, remember to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and next time you change your sheets, flip your mattress over to prolong its life.

Spring Forward - It's Daylight Savings Time

Before you go to bed tonight, remember to set your clocks ahead one hour (unless you live in Hawaii or Arizona), for Daylight Savings Time. Sweet Dreams!

The Closet Purse Hanger - A Winning Idea

I recently won a contest on Twitter held by fellow professional organizer, Allison Carter. I won a set of Closet Purse Hangers which I quickly put to use in my teenage daughter's closet.



All I can say is "wow" - one of the best organizing inventions I've seen in a long time. The Closet Purse Hangers were created by Shawane Thomas. I was so pleased with the results, I wanted to share some pictures of this wonderful invention with you.

These pictures are from Shawane's Closet Purse Hanger website but they tell the true story of how well these hangers work. Click here to get to her website and get some for yourself. You won't be sorry.

Tip Tuesday - Paper Towels & Milk

I find that the plastic milk jugs that I bring home from the store are often moist from condensation and sometimes have dirt or dry milk product on them. When I store them on top of paper towels, this keeps the refrigerator shelves clean and I can just replace the paper towels rather than have to clean the shelves frequently.