Organize Your Home

The rules of home organization

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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The bottom-line test for organization is function. Does your house work for you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Can you find things, carry out tasks, and live daily life without stress? To <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-organize-your-home-bathroom.html" rel="nofollow">organize a home</a></b>, follow the three rules of home organization: a place for everything, bring the family on board, and create centers for household activities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: #999999;">1- A place for everything.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s an old saw, but it still cuts: “A place for everything, and everything in its place” is a </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPIXleEt4n8/Um_7tMSRP1I/AAAAAAAAALA/EnFYkwQxm5s/s1600/The-rules-of-home-organization.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The rules of home organization" border="0" height="221" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPIXleEt4n8/Um_7tMSRP1I/AAAAAAAAALA/EnFYkwQxm5s/s320/The-rules-of-home-organization.png" title="The rules of home organization" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">watchword for true home organization. Possessions, like people, need homes. Find them that home, defend their turf with labels, dividers, and organizers, and you’ve won most of the battle for an <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/decluttering-your-home-decluttering.html" rel="nofollow">organized home</a></b>.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“It’s an old saw, but it still cuts: ‘A place for everything, and everything in its place.’”</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Be creative when it comes to finding homes for household stuff—and rearrange your thinking. So what if stores sell towels in matched sets of three? Break up the trio and store them where they’re needed: hand towels stacked in washrooms near living areas; bath towels and washcloths in the bathroom where they’re most used. Don’t hide pizza coupons and take-out menus away in a kitchen drawer where they’ll get forgotten: store them in a folder near the phone where they’ll be most useful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: #999999;">2- Bring the family on board.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/managing-your-house.html" rel="nofollow">Getting organized</a></b> is not simply a matter of domestic real estate; it’s an integrated process involving all members of the household. Any organizing scheme or system will fail unless all family members understand it and can follow it. Bring the family on board as you <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-journey-to-organized-home.html" rel="nofollow">organize your stuff</a></b> and your surroundings. For example, when organizing where to put items in the kitchen, store plates, bowls, and unbreakable glasses in low cabinets. Younger family members can set the table only if they can reach the dishware; by storing tableware</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">in an accessible place for them, you’ll be helping all of the family to help you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3- Create “centers” for household activities.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Looking for a model of a well-<b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/organize-your-home-maintaining-order.html" rel="nofollow">organized home</a></b>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Head back to preschool! Preschool teachers are model organizers because they have to be. Without a plan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">for classroom structure, 18 or 20 energetic little people could create plaything havoc in mere moments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To keep their schoolroom running smoothly, preschool teachers apply the concept of “centers”: dedicated areas for a single activity, like blocks, dress-up, or sand play, with storage for all the playthings required by that activity. In the playhouse, kitchen toys, pots, and pans encourage role-playing; at the art table, paper, paints, and brushes are within easy reach. At pick-up time, children know to return costumes to the dressup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">pole, and park the trucks in the “parking lot” storage area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On the domestic front, you can set up centers that work the same way, to focus and support the everyday activities that are carried on in the home. To create them, you’ll designate:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">▪ A focus. Allocate one focused activity to each center.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">▪ A specified area. Set aside a single place to perform the activity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">▪ Storage for tools and supplies. Ensure that all items needed are present and available in the center.</span></div>
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The bottom-line test for organization is function. Does your house work for you? Can you find things, carry out tasks, and live daily li...

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The Simple Way to De-clutter Any Room Quickly

23:51 organize home 0

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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What makes <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/decluttering-your-home-decluttering.html#.Umr0PBeCxOQ" rel="nofollow">de-cluttering</a></b> easy? It’s having a simple plan.  Making a plan will allow you to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yjf8qDpD_0w/Umrzq7xcCgI/AAAAAAAAAKw/BOPAc9C5PH0/s1600/Declutter-Any-Room-Quickly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="De-clutter Any Room Quickly " border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yjf8qDpD_0w/Umrzq7xcCgI/AAAAAAAAAKw/BOPAc9C5PH0/s320/Declutter-Any-Room-Quickly.jpg" title="De-clutter Any Room Quickly " width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">check on the step by step progress that you have done so far. In this chapter, I will explain to you the idea of having 4 boxes at the ready for you to start clearing up the <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/keep-clutter-from-coming-back.html#.Umr0WxeCxOQ" rel="nofollow">clutter </a></b>in your home or business. We will categorize these boxes into the sell, donate, throw out and “belongs in a different room” containers. For each room, you would initially sort any items that you know fit into one of those categories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Choose one room at a time, as an example go into your <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/07/organizing-your-home-master-bedroom.html#.Umr1JheCxOQ" rel="nofollow">bedroom </a></b>and place items that you no longer need into the 4 boxes that we have. Browse your closet and see if there are any hanging clothes that you have not used in the last 12 months. You can then move the hanging pieces until they are hung the way you want them to be. A great trick is to keep them day-coded, hang the clothes that you have aligned in a way that will mimic the days in a week. Next, begin on the clothes that are folded and start putting the ones that are no longer of use in any of the 4 boxes that best fits their category.  </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another trick to improve the time you spend each morning preparing for work is to pick out the clothes that you will be wearing for the next 3 days. This will only take you 5-10 minutes and will make your life easier. The process could save you over 30 minutes in the next 3 mornings just by taking the 5 or 10 minutes right now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Straighten out any items on your night table. Keep the surfaces in your bedroom clear of any unnecessary items; keep things that are out on display to a minimum. This alone will make your rooms look less <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/decluttering-your-home-decluttering.html#.Umr0hBeCxOQ" rel="nofollow">cluttered</a></b>. Move any unrelated materials out of the bedroom into your “belongs in a different room” box or just relocate them to the ideal areas of <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/solution-to-organize-your-home-skill.html#.Umr1TReCxOQ" rel="nofollow">your home</a></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s great to think about zones when you are reorganizing any space. By organizing zones in each room, you will be giving yourself a logical order to keep things in. It’s amazing how any room can be rezoned into different areas without adding to the <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/stop-clutter-around-house-declutter.html#.Umr0pReCxOQ" rel="nofollow">clutter </a></b>just by applying this simple trick. Take some time out to think about what each area is used for or could be used for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So after you have thoroughly been through your <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/07/organizing-your-home-master-bedroom.html#.Umr1bReCxOQ" rel="nofollow">bedroom</a></b>, move to the next room, say the kitchen. Place the four boxes there and go through the same process, first placing anything that will go into the boxes in the appropriate one. Next, sort through the counter tops, <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/07/organizing-your-home-kitchen.html#.Umr1iheCxOQ" rel="nofollow">kitchen </a></b>table and your island if you have one and put everything back in its appropriate place. Take items that do not belong in the kitchen either straight out or into its box. Place the appliances that you have back to their rightful storage areas and neatly wrap their electrical cords. If there is a certain appliance that always ends up on the countertop, opt to move it to an easier-to-reach spot in your kitchen cabinets. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s important to note that you must finish <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/clearing-clutter.html#.Umr0yxeCxOQ" rel="nofollow">de-cluttering</a></b> each room before you move on to the next. You would not want to keep repeating what you have done throughout this task so make sure you accomplish de-cluttering and clearing each room before starting on the next, and if you are able to, it is preferable that you get one room done in one session.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you find items <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-journey-to-organized-home.html#.Umr1rxeCxOQ" rel="nofollow">in your home</a></b> that no longer fit into your new <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/managing-your-house.html" rel="nofollow">uncluttered </a></b>look, but that also don't belong in one of your boxes, then I suggest you work on having one area that will store all of those things. This can be the attic or the garage depending on your choice and home capacity. Whichever of the two you choose, this room should be the one sorted out last, as this is where you will store all the other equipment and items that do not belong elsewhere.</span></div>
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declutter The Simple Way to De-clutter Any Room Quickly

What makes de-cluttering easy? It’s having a simple plan. Making a plan will allow you to check on the step by step progress that you...

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Living Areas : Storage Strategies

23:23 organize home 0

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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Because the common living areas are the most public rooms in the house, it is especially </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L-0wfyqY3Qo/UmBh5nPpWFI/AAAAAAAAAKM/wx1AXiujd8s/s1600/A-media-center.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Living Areas : Storage Strategies" border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L-0wfyqY3Qo/UmBh5nPpWFI/AAAAAAAAAKM/wx1AXiujd8s/s320/A-media-center.png" title="Living Areas : Storage Strategies" width="204" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">important that storage strategies here strike a balance between convenience and appearance. Convenience comes from having your things close to where you use them. Appearance is subject to your taste, of course, but also to your priorities: do you prefer the rooms to be clutter-free at all times, or are you comfortable with a more lived-in look? In general, can you put things away easily when it's time to clean up?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another balancing act required for most living areas is the allocation of space for accommodating storage items vs. display items. Some useful things, such as books, lend themselves to both storage and display because they look good enough to be kept out in the open. Other stuff is best stored behind closed doors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finally, organizing your living spaces wouldn't be complete without some attention paid to entryways and connecting spaces. A good plan in high-traffic areas creates a welcome </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qlVKwrVi81E/UmBieMXAw6I/AAAAAAAAAKU/q20ZOZtipcQ/s1600/flea-market-finds.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Living Areas : Storage Strategies" border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qlVKwrVi81E/UmBieMXAw6I/AAAAAAAAAKU/q20ZOZtipcQ/s320/flea-market-finds.png" title="Living Areas : Storage Strategies" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">greeting to visitors, making them feel at home the moment they walk through the door.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Living room , family room, TV room, rumpus room-whatever you call your favorite hangouts, the storage strategy is pretty straightforward: satisfy every activity that takes place there while keeping clutter to a minimum. In most homes, this is accomplished with thoughtful room arrangement and careful selection and use of furniture and shelving.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Living Rooms & Family Rooms:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In homes with more than one main living space, the living room tends to be centered around social gatherings and quiet family leisure activities. The furniture and layout are geared toward conversation, reading, or relaxing in front of the fireplace . Likewise, storage and display in the living room should reflect these themes of social interaction and hospitality while keeping personal items out of sight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By contrast, the family room, or TV room, is often dominated by the television and media entertainment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's also the usual place for kids' play areas and adjunct work zones such as a hobby table or home office tucked into a corner. Convenience and function are the reigning themes here, and it's often best to set up distinct activity zones so everyone can do their own thing at the same time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If your home has only one main living space to support all of its leisure activities, a zoned arrangement can be most effective, as well as storage pieces that are adaptable for both casual family time and entertaining with guests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The secret to accommodating storage needs in any living space is to substitute conventional furniture and accessories with pieces that do double duty: instead of a traditional sofa table behind the couch, use a long console unit with attractive doors and/or open shelving. Replace end tables and accent tables with credenzas. Prevent coffee table clutter by swapping your four-legged model with a boxy unit with integrated storage spaces. Even an ottoman can lend a hand if it has a lid and a hidden storage compartment inside.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shelving & Bookcase Basics:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shelves and bookcases are the storage workhorses of most living areas, filling odd spaces, defining zones in open-plan rooms, adding color and warmth to empty wall surfaces, and more. Here are some tips for making them work for your storage strategy:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• Use bookcases or banks of shelving as architectural details. For example, two cases </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">meeting at an inside corner create a cozy reading nook; matching cases flanking a couch, sitting area, or bank of windows provide visual balance and help define the intermediate space; a continuous perimeter shelf running close to the ceiling adds a decorative effect similar to a cornice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• Build custom shelves to fill nooks and oddly shaped wall s.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• Arrange books for visual appeal (not just straight-up by size); lay some flat or at an angle; leave a little breathing room by not overcrowding the she lves; intersperse display items if desired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• Conceal paperwork, old magazines, and other less-decorative material inside attractive file boxes or bins; use matching containers to prevent a cluttered look.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">• Include some room for expanding your collection when buying or building new shelving.</span></div>
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organize your closet Organizing Your Home Living Areas : Storage Strategies

Because the common living areas are the most public rooms in the house, it is especially important that storage strategies here strike a...

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How to organize your home: bathroom _Storage_Strategies

23:13 organize home 0

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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Awell-planned bathroom blurs the line between utility space and living space; it is both functional and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. The secret to finding the right balance is to first determine what each bathroom really needs to serve its purpose, then to look for storage solutions that meet those needs while complementing the overall scheme.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A busy family bathroom may have very different requirements from a half bath used primarily by guests. In the former, it's OK to store toiletries and medicines out in the open and to hang wet towels on the back of the bathroom door. In the latter, only essential powder room supplies are appropriate:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">soaps, hand towels, lotions, tissues, etc. Homes with a Single bathroom present a bigger challenge, but this can be met with a combination of concealed storage and practical but attractive accessories. Consider the</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">following options and strategies to find the best plan for your private or public retreats.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6SOF_eBKRXU/Ul8NHmA9ymI/AAAAAAAAAJo/EybYJ_wQ09M/s1600/bathroom-storage-strategies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bathroom _Storage_Strategies" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6SOF_eBKRXU/Ul8NHmA9ymI/AAAAAAAAAJo/EybYJ_wQ09M/s1600/bathroom-storage-strategies.png" title="bathroom _Storage_Strategies" /></a></div>
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<b><i style="background-color: #999999;">An assortment of economical bathroom storage units and accessories can be found at most neighborhood home centers. For more distinctive pieces, shop online, where you can find a full range of styles and designs from classic American to modern.</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Bathroom storage options:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For sheer quantity of storage space in any bathroom, you can't beat a traditional vanity </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JYKcV45SCZk/Ul8PLGA2gJI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/yNHIn_ju5-M/s1600/bathroom-storage-strategie.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Bathroom storage options" border="0" height="253" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JYKcV45SCZk/Ul8PLGA2gJI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/yNHIn_ju5-M/s320/bathroom-storage-strategie.png" title="Bathroom storage options" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">cabinet or a built-in linen closet. They're ideal for storing everything you don't want out in the open and for keeping towels and paper products clean and dry. The tips on page 64 can help you make the most of these workhorse storage units. If you're lacking a cabinet or closet, perhaps you can find room for a freestanding storage cabinet, such as an armoire or a small chest of drawers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The medicine cabinet is another reliable standard, ideally sized and located for storing the jumble of small bathroom items you need every day. Recessed cabinets with mirrors are a prime example of efficient bathroom storage: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the cabinet box uses the free space between wall studs, while the mirror provides an essential bathroom feature-all with virtually no loss of room space. As an alternative, wall-mounted medicine cabinets with solid-wood doors offer space-efficient concealed storage in a furniture-quality unit. Deeper wall cabinets can hold bulkier items like towels and toilet paper rolls without taking up floor space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shelves can be a real boon to a bathroom storage plan because they can take almost any form and fit where other units won't. A wall-length ledge capping a tall wainscot of paneling or wallpaper provides a natural visual transition and is great for holding glass jars, perfume bottles, and display items. Small glass shelves above a sink work well in lieu of a medicine cabinet or vanity drawers. For a nice custom shelving unit, you can build a niche inside a wall-stud cavity and finish it with tile or another washable surface.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And don't forget the empty wall space above the toilet:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">it can be filled with custom wall-to-wall shelves or a freestanding or wall-mounted </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2zbLTk_00xY/Ul8PYKNVPdI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/OLayB6h5RAU/s1600/bathroom-storage-strategiess.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Bathroom storage options" border="0" height="260" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2zbLTk_00xY/Ul8PYKNVPdI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/OLayB6h5RAU/s320/bathroom-storage-strategiess.png" title="Bathroom storage options" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">etagere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hardworking bathrooms can never have too many hooks or towel bars. Make sure you have them within arm's reach of the tub or shower, as well as next to each sink. In addition to holding wet towels, hooks are great for hanging bathrobes and c lothes, shower bags, and totes fi lled with extra bath supplies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Empty wall spaces can double your towel storage when bars are mounted with one above the other (you can also find double bars that hang two towels in single fi le). If you'd rather not use up wall space with standard hooks or bars, you can substitute with a floor-standing towel tree or, for a creative touch, a conve ntional coat tree.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And keep in mind that hooks and some bars can go almost anywhere-on furniture pieces, at the front or sides of vanity cabinets, on door and window trim, or on the bathroom door itself.</span></div>

Organizing Your Home How to organize your home: bathroom _Storage_Strategies

Awell-planned bathroom blurs the line between utility space and living space; it is both functional and aesthetically pleasing at the same ...

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Organize your Kitchens : Pot Racks

19:28 organize home 0

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Nothing eats up valuable cabinet space like a full set of pots and pans. And for cooks who like to get serious </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O80UMWFqqGs/Ul2Ioy_xYxI/AAAAAAAAAJU/GZd_Xc125-M/s1600/Organize-your-Kitchens.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Organize your Kitchens : Pot Racks" border="0" height="222" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O80UMWFqqGs/Ul2Ioy_xYxI/AAAAAAAAAJU/GZd_Xc125-M/s320/Organize-your-Kitchens.png" title="Organize your Kitchens : Pot Racks" width="320" /></a></div>
in the <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/kitchens-storage-strategies.html#.Ul2I52DBgas" rel="nofollow">kitchen</a></b>, rummaging through stacks of pans in the heat of preparation is a major inconvenience. That's why many home chefs prefer to store their most-used cookware on an overhead rack, where all of the pieces are visible at a glance and you can easily reach up and pluck down what you need without having to search through a cabinet.<br />
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The three custom pot racks shown on the following pages combine the space-saving convenience of pot hangers with a deep storage shelf aboveperfect for storing stock pots and other hard-to-hang pieces or a collection of your favorite cookbooks. The simple designs can be customized with any finish and hardware you like, and you can size your unit to fit any space in your <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/managing-your-house.html#.Ul2JBWDBgas" rel="nofollow">kitchen</a></b>. Because the racks are wallhung,</div>
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you don't need an island or a high ceiling, like you do with many ceiling-hung pot systems.</div>
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All of the materials for these racks are available at most home centers and hardware stores. You can also shop online to choose from a wide range of specialty hardware, including shelf brackets, hanging rods, and hooks in various materials and finishes such as stainless steel, wrought iron, nickel, chrome, and brass. For a built-in look, choose a shelf material and finish that matches your <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/stop-clutter-around-house-declutter.html#.Ul2JIWDBgas" rel="nofollow">kitchen's </a></b>cabinets and woodwork. </div>
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Lumberyards and hardwood suppliers carry solid and edge-glued 1 x 12 stock in almost any species of wood. For a painted shelf, use 3A" poplar, or use basic melaminecoated shelf stock and leave it unpainted.</div>
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how to organize Organize your Kitchens : Pot Racks

Nothing eats up valuable cabinet space like a full set of pots and pans. And for cooks who like to get serious in the kitchen , rummagin...

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Kitchens: Storage Strategies

22:05 organize home 0

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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As the true hub of the modern home, the kitchen M. presents some unique chalJenges for the war on clutter. The biggest challenge is providing storage for a vast and complex assortment of food-related items, from frying pans and corkscrews to linens and dish ware.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">How and where all that stuff is stored is often the biggest factor in how smoothly a kitchen operates. In most kitchens, the storage systems consist of a set of cabinets and a pantry of some sort (if you're lucky). Cabinets hold a lot, but being little more than rectangular boxes, they're not as user-friendly or as space-efficient as they could be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Making the most of this space requires some thoughtful rearranging to ensure everything is right where it belongs. Ordinary cabinets can use some help from simple add-ons and devices that improve access and visibility of stored items, in addition to bumping up their capacity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With all that it's required to hold and do, a kitchen is a complicated room, to say the least.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Space is at an absolute premium, and fitting in all the necessary tools and supplies in an organized manner can be like packing the trunk of a car for a long road trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To help you solve this spatial jigsaw puzzle, manufacturers and home centers offer an endless array of products designed for maximizing storage and minimizing clutter. These can do for an overloaded cabinet what a filing system does for a stack of paperwork. And where store-bought products don't quite fit your space or offer the look you're after, creating something of your own design (with a little help, of course) is always a good option.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As you dive into the details of organizing your kitchen, it's important to keep in mind the true purpose of this busiest of rooms. The kitchen is a work area, first and foremost. The more you can arrange and maintain the space for storing, cooking, and serving food, the better it will serve your household. Using the counters as a catchall for mail and newspapers, or the cabinets for storing light bulbs and holiday dishware, only means those spaces aren't available for work on a daily basis. Respect the kitchen as a workplace, and you'll find it much easier to control clutter and keep the stage set for fixing the next meal.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCMinjVtxX8/Ulxag2wWFzI/AAAAAAAAAI4/Z3LgkqKRzAA/s1600/kitchen-Storage-Strategies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kitchens: Storage Strategies" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCMinjVtxX8/Ulxag2wWFzI/AAAAAAAAAI4/Z3LgkqKRzAA/s1600/kitchen-Storage-Strategies.png" title="Kitchens: Storage Strategies" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Kitchens: Storage Strategies</b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i>Open counter space is worth its weight in gold in any kitchen. Preventing clutter here is key to an efficient work space-and peace of mind.</i></b></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-69-0Tv2cBGw/Ulxb-mIvg8I/AAAAAAAAAJE/r-szVDHq2q0/s1600/kitchen-Storages-Strategies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kitchens: Storage Strategies" border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-69-0Tv2cBGw/Ulxb-mIvg8I/AAAAAAAAAJE/r-szVDHq2q0/s1600/kitchen-Storages-Strategies.png" title="Kitchens: Storage Strategies" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
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<b><i>Commercial kits make it easy to convert a narrow cabinet into an easyaccess shelving unit. The shelf unit mounts to the cabinet box and has brackets for insta lling your own hardware.</i></b></blockquote>

Kitchens: Storage Strategies

As the true hub of the modern home, the kitchen M. presents some unique chalJenges for the war on clutter. The biggest challenge is providi...

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organize your closet like a pro: 5 Ways

15:40 organize home 0

how to organize organize your closet Organizing Your Home organize your closet like a pro: 5 Ways

organize your closet like a pro: 5 Ways

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Organize your Home: Maintaining Order

20:04 organize home 0

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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No matter how much stuff you purged in step one or how well you planned your new storage systems, you'll soon be right back where you started without a little discipline. That's the bad news. The good news is you don't have to be an organized person by nature to keep a tidy home. What you need are effective systems and handy storage spaces that allow you to take charge of your stuff with less effort.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Consider this real-life example: You're a passionate foodie who subscribes to several </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZX8SVOC0KJ4/UlhLbFpOkbI/AAAAAAAAAIY/IAkbVaVdaZM/s1600/Maintaining-Order.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Maintaining Order" border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZX8SVOC0KJ4/UlhLbFpOkbI/AAAAAAAAAIY/IAkbVaVdaZM/s1600/Maintaining-Order.png" title="Maintaining Order" width="215" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">cooking magazines. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You seldom have the time to read each issue before the next one arrives in the mail, so the old ones start </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to pile up. You might even leave new issues lying around in conspicuous places (like the kitchen table) </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to remind yourself to read them. Does this work? If it did, you wouldn't have a clutter problem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Instead, store any unfinished magazines near your favorite reading chair. Don't worry, you won't forget </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">they're there. And when you get a few moments to read, you won't waste precious time looking for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next problem to tackle is the inevitable stockpile of old, unread magazines at your reading spot. It's time </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to separate the wheat from the chaff: look through the table of contents in each issue and tear out the must-read articles and recipes. Recycle the rest of the magazine (at this point, it's mostly ads anyv.ray).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Prioritize the articles so you read those you're most interested in first, and file any recipes you really want </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to try. Now you've reduced a stack of old magazines to a handful of select pages.</span></div>
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<b style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Basic Principles of Organization</span></b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>1. </b><b>Efficiency follows reality. Storage solutions must </b></span><b><span style="background-color: white;">co</span>nform to the way you really live. If you tend to leave coats draped over kitchen chairs instead of hanging them in the coat closet, you need a better storage solution-perhaps some coat hooks or a coat tree next to the entry door.</b></span></div>
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<b>2. Store the most-used stuff close at hand.  </b><b>Everyday cooking utensils and pots and pans should be reachable from the stove. Magazines and newspapers belong near your reading chair. </b></div>
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<b>3. Beware of container clutter. Too many boxes, bins, and bags can lead to more clutter than the stuff itself. weeding out excess items periodically and moving seldom-used th ings to long-term storage reduces the need for more storage vessels.</b></div>
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<b>4. Keep it simple. Complicated storage systems are bound to be ignored, especially by kids. </b></div>
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<b>5. Leave room to grow. Plan some extra room for the ebb and flow of accumulated stuff. Space flexibility helps contain clutter between periodic weed-out sessions.</b></div>
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<b>6. Never trust your memory. Clearly label all boxes used for long-term storage, or use clear plastic bins that reveal the contents at a glance.</b></div>
</span>

How to organize your office Organizing Your Home Organize your Home: Maintaining Order

No matter how much stuff you purged in step one or how well you planned your new storage systems, you'll soon be right back where you s...

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Decluttering Your Home: The Decluttering Process

11:17 organize home 0

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As evidenced by the numerous books and television shows about home organization, <span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-problem-with-clutter.html" rel="nofollow">decluttering </a></b></span>is much </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WgRTjyucMYs/UlZ9X-0dhjI/AAAAAAAAAII/3eFZjPiU4mg/s1600/Decluttering-Your-Home.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Decluttering Your Home" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WgRTjyucMYs/UlZ9X-0dhjI/AAAAAAAAAII/3eFZjPiU4mg/s1600/Decluttering-Your-Home.png" title="Decluttering Your Home" /></a></div>
more than tidying up around the house. It's also distinctly different from spring cleaning. Cleaning is, for the most part, mindless manual labor (which is probably why many people find it so therapeutic).<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/whats-your-clutter-personality.html" rel="nofollow">Decluttering </a></span></b>is all about making decisions: Will I ever read this book again or should I donate it to the library? Where can I store these craft supplies so my visiting relatives don't have to trip over them? Am I really attached to all of my grandfather's old hats, or will one or two preserve his memory just as well? Why is this house such a wreck all of the time?</div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/clear-clutter-stop-clutter-method.html#.UlZ-MGDBglI" rel="nofollow">Decluttering </a></span></b>is finally saying "the buck stops here," with the primary goal of regaining control of your household and, consequently, a big part of your</div>
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home life. The work is at times difficult and exhausting, but the rewards are almost guaranteed to exceed your expectations. No one knows this better than professional organizers: people who earn a living by helping others make decisions about their own stuff.</div>
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Organizing experts work from different philosophies and methods. Some adhere to the principles of feng</div>
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shui and help clients improve the flow of positive energy in their homes through <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/clearing-clutter.html#.UlZ-U2DBglI" rel="nofollow">decluttering</a></b>, furniture arrangement, and other techniques. Other pros focus more on practical goals than spiritual ones. All, however, recommend a systematic approach to decluttering. They know from experience how hard it is to succeed without some guidelines and planning.</div>
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Following are some tried-and-true tips from the gurus of home organization.</div>
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<b style="background-color: #cccccc;">The <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/keep-clutter-from-coming-back.html#.UlZ-dmDBglI" rel="nofollow">Decluttering </a></span>Process</b></div>
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The goal of decluttering is to get rid of excess stuff until you're left with only the things you really need, use, and love. You will also move items to the places where they really belong. This prepares you for the next big step of organizing and storing your things in each space so everything looks and works just right. Start by breaking up the job into smaller tasks. For the initial battle of sorting and pitching, arm yourself with these tools:</div>
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<b>1</b>. Boxes or trash bags for throw-away junk</div>
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<b>2</b>. A "donate" box for items you'll take to a local charity</div>
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<b>3</b>. A "return" box for items that belong to someone else and for things that you want to give away to friends</div>
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<b>4</b>. A "relocate" box for items that you're keeping but that belong in another room or area of the house</div>
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<b>5</b>. Optional: A "sell" box for any valuable items you'd like to resell for cash At the end of each <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/managing-your-house.html#.UlZ-kWDBglI" rel="nofollow">decluttering </a></span></b>session, do the following:</div>
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• Take out the trash. Don't leave your boxes and bags sitting in the house.</div>
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• Put your donate and return boxes in your car, preferably in the passenger's seat. This forces you to deal </div>
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with them soon and prevents you from driving by your friend's house or the charity thlift shop without your drop-off items.</div>
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• Walk through the house with the relocate box and deliver everything to its proper location.</div>
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Set a goal for each sorting session, whether its organizing one shelf in the library or tackling the hall closet, and finish the job completely before starting somewhere else. When each area is decluttered- and, ideally, cleaned- put away the broom and other cleaning supplies that you used. Leaving them out and in the way will only create more <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/stop-clutter-around-house-declutter.html#.UlZ-tmDBglI" rel="nofollow">clutter </a></span></b>and detract from your sense of satisfaction in a job well done.</div>
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For big jobs, schedule plenty of time to complete the task at hand. Treat the session as a work day by starting early and taking as few breaks as possible.</div>
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Scheduling is especially important if roommates or other family members are involved in the effort. Kids who are old enough definitely should take part in helping out.</div>
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However, for some stages of the process, it might be wise to arrange for your kids to sleep over at a friend's house.</div>

Clearing Clutter clutter Decluttering Your Home: The Decluttering Process

As evidenced by the numerous books and television shows about home organization, decluttering is much more than tidying up around the ho...

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The Problem with Clutter

20:00 organize home 0

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<b>B</b>efore we get into a full-scale character attack on <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/whats-your-clutter-personality.html" rel="nofollow">clutter </a></b>and what it does to our homes and happiness, let's start by defining what clutter really is. Clutter is not just stuff that's <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/managing-your-house.html" rel="nofollow">disorganized </a></b>or out of place, like the rolls</div>
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of holiday wrapping paper stashed behind your office door or last year's tax returns covering every inch of the dining room table. Clutter is also the direct result of a slow but steady accumulation of things that we didn't ask for, shouldn't have bought, or no longer need.</div>
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<b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/clear-clutter-stop-clutter-method.html" rel="nofollow">Clutter </a></b>is gifts that we keep out of guilt, like that horribly tacky party tray from your sister-in-law (which you strongly suspect was regifted). Clutter is broken things that you never got around to fixing.</div>
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Clutter is bits and pieces of nostalgia that you hoard for posterity. In short, clutter is all the stuff that you'd get rid of or move to a more suitable place if you only had the time to go through it and the will to make the tough decision to toss.</div>
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So, aside from how it looks, why is <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/whats-your-clutter-personality.html" rel="nofollow">clutter </a></b>so bad? For starters, it affects us all in both practical and psychological ways. It doesn't just fill our living spaces; it fills our minds. Seeing a jumble of misplaced items</div>
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in every room is a constant reminder of unfinished business and unresolved issues. All this emotional</div>
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baggage weighs heavily on the spirit, sapping our energy and possibly keeping us from doing something new, something positive.</div>
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The practical effects of <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/keep-clutter-from-coming-back.html" rel="nofollow">clutter </a></b>are more obvious. You simply can't live and work effiCiently or peacefully in your home when the traffic routes are blocked with laundry and every flat surface is covered with old papers. Clutter makes everyday things (car keys) hard to find and time-sensitive things (mortgage bills) easy to forget. Perhaps most important, clutter takes up valuable storage and display space where cherished and truly useful items could go. That's why you have to minimize your <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/whats-your-clutter-personality.html" rel="nofollow">clutter </a></b>before you can plan new storage systems. If you don't, you'll just be bailing out a sinking boat by moving the water from bow to stern.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RWSYmJvmTns/UlWlW5zZx5I/AAAAAAAAAHs/LQunwJS0lT4/s1600/The-Problem-with-Clutter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Problem with Clutter" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RWSYmJvmTns/UlWlW5zZx5I/AAAAAAAAAHs/LQunwJS0lT4/s1600/The-Problem-with-Clutter.png" title="The Problem with Clutter" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Clutter eventually becomes its own problem. Before a cleanup, this guest room served only as a huge receptacle for miscellaneous stuff. Taking the time to pitch unwanted junk and organizing the space with efficient storage and a work area transformed it into a pleasant guest room that also serves as a home office.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-89nDdcV-5k0/UlWnEumED1I/AAAAAAAAAH4/n_1iE3QQUU0/s1600/The-Problem-with-Clutter-after.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Problem with Clutter" border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-89nDdcV-5k0/UlWnEumED1I/AAAAAAAAAH4/n_1iE3QQUU0/s1600/The-Problem-with-Clutter-after.png" title="The Problem with Clutter" width="320" /></a></div>

Clearing Clutter clutter The Problem with Clutter

B efore we get into a full-scale character attack on clutter and what it does to our homes and happiness, let's start by defining what ...

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What’s your clutter personality?

09:58 organize home 0

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It’s silent. It’s sneaky. It creeps about in corners: <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/stop-clutter-around-house-declutter.html#.UlPIjGDBglI" rel="nofollow">clutter</a></b>. While it’s tempting to launch an all-out battle in the war against clutter, it’s best to know your enemy first. There are as many reasons for household clutter as there are clutterers. Target your household’s <a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/stop-clutter-around-house-declutter.html#.UlPIjGDBglI" rel="nofollow">clutter problem</a> by going to the root of the problem: your own thinking.</div>
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<b>The hoarder:</b></div>
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“This might come in handy someday.”</div>
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Know a hoarder by his or her collection ... of the most unlikely objects. Hoarders save everything, and I do </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TEBfF8z19pU/UlPINf4T1aI/AAAAAAAAAHU/b0QM3_lyp-E/s1600/clutter-personality.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img alt="What’s your clutter personality?" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TEBfF8z19pU/UlPINf4T1aI/AAAAAAAAAHU/b0QM3_lyp-E/s1600/clutter-personality.png" title="What’s your clutter personality?" /></a></div>
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mean everything: plastic shopping bags, newspaper flyers, and worn-out clothing. Hoarder creativity knows no bounds. Ask a hoarder why she’s holding onto three years’ worth of local newspapers, and she’ll describe the papier-mâché angel figure she hopes to craft from them. Problem is, hoarding knows no limit, so our friend can’t see that she has enough materials to create angels for each home in the subdivision ... and then some!</div>
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Hoarding is rooted in insecurity, financial or otherwise.</div>
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Deep down, hoarders are afraid that they’ll never have the resources they need if they let go of any possession, no matter how worn, useless, or superfluous. If cabinets and closets are crammed with cracked margarine containers, small kitchen appliances that haven’t been used in decades, and old catalogs, there’s likely hoarding behavior underlying the <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/clearing-clutter.html#.UlPItWDBglI" rel="nofollow">clutter</a></b>.</div>
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Hoarders need to remind themselves that resources will always be available. Where can a hoarder look outside the home for a substitute hoard? Reassure yourself! Stuff will be with us always.</div>
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Find magazines indexed at the library, kitchenware marked down at yard sales, and every small appliance known to man can be found (cheap!) at the thrift store. Think of these off-site treasure troves as attenuated household storage areas. Dare to dump it!</div>
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<b>The deferrer:</b></div>
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“I’ll think about that tomorrow.”</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uM2dj6lXPkA/UlPIVVphC5I/AAAAAAAAAHc/4u0rEEhzG6U/s1600/clutter-personality1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img alt="What’s your clutter personality?" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uM2dj6lXPkA/UlPIVVphC5I/AAAAAAAAAHc/4u0rEEhzG6U/s1600/clutter-personality1.png" title="What’s your clutter personality?" /></a></div>
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Those of the deferral mindset are guilty of the great setaside.</div>
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Bills, notices, old newspapers, items that need cleaning or repair, and household projects are all set aside to be dealt with another day. The deferrer will leave dinner dishes in the sink, wet laundry in the washer, and dropped fruit underneath the backyard apple tree.</div>
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Deferrers need to be reminded that tomorrow has no more time or energy than today—and that deferring decisions drags down each new day with yesterday’s unfinished business. Since this behavior is grounded in procrastination, apply the best remedy: action. For deferrers, simply making a start creates the momentum needed to finish the job. Remember, it’s easier to keep a rolling stone in motion, than it is to pick it up and start it rolling the first time!</div>
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How to push the inner deferrer off the dime? Force action with a cut-off date. For example, when you find an unfinished cross-stitch project, circle a date on the calendar, and make a note. If you haven’t finished the project by that date, the item must go—but by making a start on the project, you’re liable to keep going until you finish it. The jump-start of taking action is often enough to spark even the most confirmed deferrer’s battery, so harness this effect to resume momentum on stalled <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/solution-to-organize-your-home-skill.html#.UlPI6WDBglI" rel="nofollow">clutter issues</a></b>.</div>
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Clearing Clutter how to organize Organizing Your Home What’s your clutter personality?

It’s silent. It’s sneaky. It creeps about in corners: clutter . While it’s tempting to launch an all-out battle in the war against clutter,...

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Taming Toiletries & Other Bathroom Essentials

12:57 organize home 0

Bathrooms are natural <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-problem-clutter-disorder-and-dirt.html" rel="nofollow">clutter zones</a></b>, mostly due to the constant influx and turnover of personal products and<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9qKqMGoC3VQ/UlKe1Fbo13I/AAAAAAAAAG8/bRgEDe9TV0M/s1600/An-organizer-tray.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="An organizer tray" border="0" height="255" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9qKqMGoC3VQ/UlKe1Fbo13I/AAAAAAAAAG8/bRgEDe9TV0M/s1600/An-organizer-tray.png" title="An organizer tray" width="320" /></a></div>
other supplies. Small and numerous as they are, these items are much more manageable if they're stored in an <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/managing-your-house.html#.UlKg2WDBglI" rel="nofollow">organized fashion</a></b>. Here are some suggestions for keeping track of your bathroom basics:<br />
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<b>TOILETRIES</b><br />
For general hygiene products, follow the same point of use and frequency of use rules applied to kitchen tools: arrange the everyday stuff right where you use it, near the sink or in upper drawers of a vanity cabinet. Transferring supplies like cotton swabs and makeup sponges to attractive glass containers lets you keep them out in the open without creating a cluttered look (uniform containers are easier on the eye than busy product packaging). Store extra supplies in their packages in one location under the sink or in a nearby closet so you'll know where to go for refills. A matching set of vanity accessories~ soap dish, toothbrush holder, cups, etc.~offers a unified look and helps<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6pYvpXk1Kr0/UlKf8p29XCI/AAAAAAAAAHE/wo_a6BRiVwY/s1600/Plastic-lidded-containers.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Plastic lidded containers" border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6pYvpXk1Kr0/UlKf8p29XCI/AAAAAAAAAHE/wo_a6BRiVwY/s1600/Plastic-lidded-containers.png" title="Plastic lidded containers" width="185" /></a></div>
minimize visual clutter in shared baths.<br />
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Maintain order inside vanity drawers by storing items by category in divided trays or drawer organizers.<br />
This prevents the inevitable migration of small things like hair ties and nail files to the back of the drawer.<br />
Backup supplies of shampoos, lotions, and other bulky items are best kept in plastic bins that you can easily slide in and out of cabinets or closet shelves. Group items by theme so you can readily find what you need.<br />
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<b>MAKEUP & MEDICINES</b><br />
Besides being major sources of <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/keep-clutter-from-coming-back.html" rel="nofollow">bathroom clutter</a></b>, makeup and medicines have one important thing in common: they don't last forever. It's pretty obvious when old makeup becomes funky or gloppy, while expired medicines may Simply not work like they should. Both call for ruthless periodic culling of the old stuff. To manage the rest, again look to plastic bins, trays, and shelf or <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/keep-clutter-from-coming-back.html#.UlKgkWDBglI" rel="nofollow">drawer organizers</a></b>, and group like items for easy retrieval. Store frequent-use items close at hand.<br />
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Stash everything else out of the way while following an <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/organize-your-home-solution-do-it-your.html#.UlKgs2DBglI">organized plan</a></b>. If you have young children or babies, it helps to store each child's medicines in one place, along with dosage charts and other care information.<br />
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SHOWER & BATH SUPPLIES<br />
Hair products and bath supplies tend to linger long past their prime in most bathrooms, along with travel-size bottles of shampoo, miniature soaps, and mystery gels th at always find a way into luggage at th e end of hotel visits. Either throw this stuff out or force yourself to use it before replacing bottles of your regular products.<br />
<b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/keep-clutter-from-coming-back.html" rel="nofollow">Cutting clutter</a></b> in the bathing area helps keep bathtub ledges and shower shelves clean and mildew free. Tight shower spaces can benefit from a simple wire shower caddy or a b uil t-i n niche.<br />
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Clearing Clutter how to organize Organizing Your Home Taming Toiletries & Other Bathroom Essentials

Bathrooms are natural clutter zones , mostly due to the constant influx and turnover of personal products and other supplies. Small and n...

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Keep clutter from coming back

11:09 organize home 0

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Getting to clutter-free is only half the job; you’ll need to develop new attitudes and habits to keep clutter </div>
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from coming back. Right-size household possessions with these strategies for sustainable clutter-free living.<br />
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<b>Home, home on the range</b></div>
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A primary cause of clutter? It’s the homeless ... mail, toys, or newspapers. Without a home, common household items wander, lose their way, meet bad companions, and make the transition to clutter.</div>
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<b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/organize-your-home-solution-do-it-your.html#.UlE4OGDBglI" rel="nofollow">Establish good homes</a></b> for your stuff. Newspapers may be folded and stacked on a coffee table before being read, then given shelter in a box while they wait for recycling. Devote prime domestic real estate to use as a Launch Pad  for each family member: a location for purses, school papers, backpacks, and briefcases. Give paperwork proper files so it never has to huddle in lonely stacks on kitchen counters.</div>
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With a home to go to, good stuff will never become bad clutter. One-In, One-Out Promise The simplest way to deny clutter houseroom? Make the One- In, One-Out Promise. For every new garment, game, DVD, or</div>
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magazine that enters your home, resolve that one older garment, game, DVD, or magazine must leave. For example, when this month’s issue of your favorite magazine arrives in the mail, set aside an older issue to share at the library. Pretty new towels may enter <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/stop-clutter-around-house-declutter.html#.UlE4oGDBglI" rel="nofollow">your home only if the older set</a></b> is recycled for use as car-wash rags or put in the charity bag.</div>
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<b>The No-Buy-It Diet</b></div>
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Go on a No-Buy-It Diet to build clutter-free habits and avoid buying more “stuff.” The No-Buy-It Diet is simple: find ways to rent, borrow, or swap for items you need, rather than buy them. Try these No-Buy-It strategies to share the wealth and cut the clutter without buying new:</div>
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▪ Equipment for parties. Throwing a party or reunion?</div>
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Borrow special-use equipment like punch bowls or coffee urns from friends or community sources. Churches, community groups, and fast-food restaurants offer clutter-free access to specialty equipment for your celebration; at the end of the event, the items are returned for others to use.</div>
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▪ Youth sports equipment. This can be costly and is often outgrown from season to season. Band with other parents to <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-journey-to-organized-home.html#.UlE3smDBglI" rel="nofollow">organize swaps</a></b> of uniforms and equipment for children’s sports activities. For example, ski swaps can outfit youngsters inexpensively before each season, and find new homes for outgrown ski boots at year’s end.</div>
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<b>“<a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/clear-clutter-stop-clutter-method.html#.UlE3ymDBglI" rel="nofollow">Organize </a>a wardrobe swap with friends to keep clothing in circulation—and out of the landfill.”</b></div>
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▪ Maternity and infant clothing. Expecting a baby? Other moms are an excellent source of gently worn maternity and infant clothing, so swap and recycle instead of buying new.</div>
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Circulate a “maternity box” of maternity clothing among a group of young-mom friends. After the child is born, remove worn-out items, and add any new clothing before handing the box on to the next expectant mother.</div>
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<b>Observe oosouji</b></div>
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To hold the line against clutter, and start the New Year fresh, borrow a Japanese custom. To prepare for a happy and prosperous New Year, the Japanese perform oosouji, cleaning and <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/keeping-your-home-organized.html#.UlE4ZWDBglI" rel="nofollow">organizing homes</a></b> and offices in the run-up to New Year’s Day. By this practice, they tie up the old year’s loose ends and outstanding projects, and make room for the blessings and challenges of a new year.</div>
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Take a tip from the Japanese, and ring in the New Year from a clean and decluttered home. At year’s end, create space in each shelf, cabinet, and closet for the new possessions that will come with a new year.</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Consume creatively to cut clutter—and lend a hand to Mother Earth! Repurpose or donate gently used clothing, or <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/managing-your-house.html#.UlE362DBglI" rel="nofollow">organize </a></b>a wardrobe swap with friends to keep clothing in circulation—and out of the landfill.</li>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">DVDs, videos, and computer games. Rent DVDs, videos, and computer games rather than buying them. Mail-based DVD services bring movies to you without creating video <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/clear-clutter-stop-clutter-method.html#.UlE4FGDBglI" rel="nofollow">clutter at home</a></b>—and you’ll have access to a far larger library of new movies than that offered at the store. Borrow DVDs and videos from your local library, or arrange a video swap with friends and neighbors for a free movie experience.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

Clearing Clutter Organizing Your Home Keep clutter from coming back

Getting to clutter-free is only half the job; you’ll need to develop new attitudes and habits to keep clutter from coming back. Right-si...

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STOP clutter around the house: declutter strategies

15:16 organize home 0

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Just as clutter builds up gradually, reversing the flow takes sustained effort and there are limits to what you </div>
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can achieve in a single STOP clutter session. You may make short work of the mess on a shelf, in a drawer, or on a countertop. But where do you start to tackle a whole <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/keeping-your-home-organized.html" rel="nofollow">house full</a></b> of clutter? Answer: one step at a time. Use the following strategies to take your battle against disorder to a global level.<br />
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<b>Where the shoe pinches</b></div>
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The process of cutting clutter can be psychologically uncomfortable, so bolster motivation by putting your first STOP clutter efforts where they’ll bear the most fruit. Look for the places where the shoe pinches, and focus clutter-busting efforts where they’ll count the most. If it’s a challenge to get out of the house to work each day, for example, tackle the jumbled cosmetics on the bathroom counter, <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/09/managing-your-house.html" rel="nofollow">attack the clothes closet</a></b></div>
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and clear clutter away from the key rack.</div>
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<b>Front Door Forward</b></div>
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The most straightforward path through <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/solution-to-organize-your-home-skill.html#.UlAenGDBglI" rel="nofollow">whole-house clutter</a></b>?</div>
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Use the Front Door Forward method. Start at the front door and move to the right around the house, decluttering as you go. Start each session next to the last area you cleared.</div>
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The advantages of Front Door Forward are that you always know which location is next in line for a clear-out. Better still, the house’s public areas are decluttered first—no more wincing at the sound of a neighbor’s knock at the door!</div>
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<b>A Clean Sweep</b></div>
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Overwhelmed by a house full of clutter? Try doing a Clean Sweep. Once a day, grab a garbage can liner and circle the house, looking for trash which can be tossed without the need for decision-making. Grocery bags, unmated socks, <b><a href="http://howorganizeyourhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/solution-to-organize-your-home-skill.html#.UlAenGDBglI" rel="nofollow">broken kitchen tools</a></b>, foods past their “use-by” dates, and makeup more than a year old are among the suitable candidates. When the garbage bag is full, toss it!</div>
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<b>The Penicillin method</b></div>
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One day, you declutter the small table in the hallway. By the following week, a whole new species of clutter has infected the same area. One online declutterer, Ellen, likens it to a dish of mold, to which a lab researcher daily adds a single drop of penicillin. Next day, only the area around the drop is mold-free but, as the steady drop-drop-drop of the penicillin continues, the clean areas begin to grow together until the entire dish is</div>
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cleared of mold.</div>
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To apply the Penicillin strategy, use the STOP clutter method to clear clutter from a small area each day. The following day, check to see that the first area is still clear, then move on to liberate another cache of clutter.</div>
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<b>A Drawer-a-Day</b></div>
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Practitioners of Feng Shui believe that clutter and accumulated trash are traps for stale “chi,” the energy that flows throughout home and life. Liberate the trapped chi step-by-step with the Drawer-a-Day method: fighting clutter by attacking it in small, daily nibbles.</div>
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Simply put, take 15 minutes to use the STOP clutter method (see pages 20–3) on a single drawer, shelf, countertop, or corner each day. Visualize restoring a free flow of life-giving energy as you declutter and clear each choked storage area or counter.</div>
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