Organize a Bit at a Time
Organize your junk drawer
It is easy to transform junk drawers into neatly organized compartments.
* The first big step to organizing a drawer is creating dividers. This will be easy.
You will need cardboard, scissors and shelf paper. Start by cutting strips of cardboard to size and cover them with shelf paper. Leave a wee notch on each of the ends so that the cardboard dividers can interlock.
* Use an egg carton for the little items that end up in a junk drawer. This will keep your items tidy. It also helps keep visual order in the drawer so that you can instantly see what is in each small space.
* Purchase a pre-assembled utility basket or even a utensil holder that matches the dimensions of your drawer to quickly begin to get things in good order.
Place all similar items together in clear plastic bags to allow you to see them easily. Film canisters can be used to collect small items such as change, tacks and buttons.
Organize your laundry room
It is a breeze to clean up that messy laundry area, remove some of the clutter, and save loads of time.
* Clear out all of the clutter and remove everything but the machines and large furniture.
* Locate a good sorting area. If you do not have one, make one! Use light and dark pillowcases attached to the wall or side of a cabinet with a bracket. Use curtain clips to hold the pillowcase in place. The pillowcases are a smart sorting method when taking laundry to a laundry mat, too.
* Use up empty wall space over the machines. Install wire shelving. Install a bar for hanging clothes as they come out of the dryer.
* Store your necessities in attractive canisters and decorative jars.
* Place the ironing board off the floor. Hang it closer to your machines for convenience.
* Where you have extra space, place a wheeled cart between your machines (figure C) for added storage. To make your own, use four 1 x 6' pieces of lumber, cut to the length of your machines, some trip pieces, screws, wheels and a little paint. Screw the front and back panels to the bottom and middle shelves. Next, nail trip to the sides and around the top. Attach wheels and paint.
Voila! You have a new laundry room made to order!
You can even organize your children
As an adult, and as you are trying to become organized, having disruptive kids can be a challenge. These types of behaviors are a form of disorganization in itself, taking time and energy from parents.
For many, organizing your kids to do chores, put things away in proper designated places, be respectful and civil can be a most daunting task. With such frustration, some parents may resort to anger, threats and even name-calling.
Anger might seem to be appropriate at times, but if a parent sinks into a continuing pattern of resentment and negativity toward a child's lack of compliance, it could cause real damage to the child's self-concept and well being. None of us wants that.
Nothing breeds unwillingness and apathy more than being made to feel accused and inadequate. Think of a time when you were made to feel that way. Did it make you want to improve at all? Of course, it did not.
Cooperation breeds organization and organization breeds respect.
Create an enthusiastic atmosphere with your children. How do you do that? Have your children exited about rewards they will get if they clean up their rooms, keep the house tidy and do their chores. Let them know that they are appreciated and how a family is a co-operative unit for the survival of everyone. Bring this across to them in a number of ways. They will feel loved and a valuable member of the family. Teach them to earn their place by being a contributing part of it.
What is the first step?
Bring together a system of effective control using earned rewards and praise which is very precise and reliable for all involved.
Devise a point system that adds up to an allowance that lets kids spend their money the way they want to. They love this! This empowers them! If they want that trip to the roller rink or some other new possession that is really important to them, they know getting it will be a direct result of their efforts. This teaches them value for your efforts.
Be encouraging. Do not make them feel poorly if they mess up, but when they do, absolutely, take the reward points away. Let them know there is always next time, and let them know they can do better, but do not sway in your position. It has to be as real as if they were going to a real job and being paid for their production. The rules agreed to have to be kept, no matter what and they have to know it's firm. It has to directly affect what they consider to be important to them and in how they are directly affected by it.
Those well-to-do families and their kids have so much - too much! It's all there without any effort on their parts, and they don’t have to earn a thing. They just take it all for granted. Make incentives that are particularly important to them and let them learn the lesson that participation equals real reward.
Tasks to earn rewards can change, week by week, and with multiple kids the highest point winner can take the pick of the favorite chores and the lowest point winner gets the ones that are left over. Make it a realistic approach for each child according to age and ability to have their fair chance to win.
Consult your child’s interests for best effect.
Do they have their own reasons and incentive to keep their bedrooms and the play areas clean? Talk it over with them; ask them for examples of how it could be more meaningful for them. Gently guide them to discover for themselves what reasons the clean room, etc. would serve their best needs.
Personalize. Personalize. Personalize.
If they want to earn extra points to gain something special or to catch up if behind, make available extra jobs above and beyond the call of duty. This will help them do that, such as taking over one of the parent's tasks for a time or doing a special project for the home and family. As best as possible, make everything personal to your child. They will flourish and you will see how very organized they will become.
Rearing our children is a really tough job. Even miracles can occur with the right attitude, good communication and good systems! Bring up your child to respect you and to earn their way and you will have a naturally organized household.
Organize your garage
So many American homeowners live with a landfill attached to their homes. It just takes a lot of work to nudge a car into the garage and luckier still to emerge from the car once it is parked. Homeowners continue to wrestle through the jungle of disorganization on a daily basis.
If you will consider some basic objectives, you can create a vision beyond the clutter that has littered garages during the last 100 years:
When in doubt, simply throw it out
Eliminate clutter-buildup that has overtaken your garage.
Start by having a garage sale, give to charity, take a trip to the real landfill, and take a deep breath.
Get rid of all the excess that not only blocks entry into the home but the clutter that blocks energy too.
If it is on the floor, then it is time to store
The very basic premise in garage organizing is to free up floor space. However, how does one deal with the inevitable lawn mower, wheelbarrow, snow blower, bicycles, and other large items? There is so much to deal with!
One method might be to build an enclosed lean-to shed on the side of the garage. Use dimensions of 4' x 8'. This addition will free up valuable floor space in the garage in a heartbeat!
Another option will be the storage shed in the backyard. Many subdivisions are regulated by covenants and restrictions. One may be required to obtain architectural committee approval before an addition can be built.
This is well worth looking into!
Organize and visualize
Once you can see it, you can find it. Once of the easiest methods is to create a wall storage solution.
There are many solutions such a hooks, racks, custom-made cabinets, and yes, the lowly nail is a solution, but none offer a flexible solution.
Down with Pegboard!
Up with Displawallä! Pay a visit to a retail store that displays merchandise on the wall, and these same grooved panels offer the most flexible storage solution for the garage that is available today.
Displawallä is manufactured in 4' x 8' panels. Made with a durable finish, this product needs no painting or maintenance. Drill drywall screws into the grooves of the panels into the studwall in the garage and then install. Hooks fit in the grooves nicely, making placement a snap. In addition, the hooks are manufactured in varying lengths from one inch to 12 inches, so a variety of objects can be placed anywhere there is a wall. The look, flexibility and durability are all superior benefits from Displawallä.
Storage requirements change. You will appreciate having the flexibility of lifting a hook from the grooved panel. This item enables one to change or add items stored on the wall for Maximum Vertical Storageä.
Once a folding chair or lawn implement can be seen, it is indeed easy to find. Once the Displawallä is attached to the garage wall, there are no holes to drill or nails to hammer simply arrange or rearrange the hooks, as you desire.
Rubbermaid cabinets
These cabinets are both affordable and durable. There is nothing to paint and nothing to maintain. They are great! All that you need is a rubber mallet to hammer the interlocking pieces together. Next, screw the cabinets to the wall. Load capacity is about 35 pounds according to the manufacturer. Cabinets permit one to categorize items to be stored and used routinely. Place lawn and garden items such as smaller tools, plant food, and pots in a designated cabinet. Then place automotive products such as motor oil, antifreeze, and other lubricants in another designated cabinet.
To best organize your garage, plan to simplify, and simplify the plan. This takes time and effort. Once storage needs have been identified, one can create the required shelving, cabinet, and wall-storage system to best suit your needs.
As your life becomes more complicated, the need for greater organization and simplification will occur.
The concepts outlined above are very basic and you will personalize as it best meets with your particular need. It is a good start to being better organized and you can work through the glitches as they happen. Either way, you are far better ahead of the game if you decide today to become better organized. All it takes is good ingenuity and good planning. You will reap the rewards each day!
Organize your child’s study habits
If you feel that you at a loss to help your child with their study habits, there is good news. There are tried and true methods that will help!
1. Create a quiet study area. Start by determining where the best place is to study and do homework, and then set up a study environment. Be careful about where you decide your child will study because whatever the designated location chosen for the study base is, how a study "headquarters" is set up affects one's ability to stay focused. Be sure to include a desk and accessories, various study aids, materials, a filing system in place for class materials, and good lighting.
2. Establish school supply storage solutions. Storage repositories are necessary to organize various school materials. These can include: subject accordion-type files or file folders that stand in a cardboard box or portable plastic file container; cardboard cubbyholes for paper supplies; cardboard or plastic shoe boxes in a drawer to stash supplies; tray baskets or bicycle baskets for paper. Use wall shelves, under the bed storage containers, and hanging space on the inside of cupboard and closet doors to add extra storage space.
3. Remove all distractions. Is the study area in a high-volume area? How often are there interruptions from people moving about? Is the TV on? How about the telephone? Try to be free from disturbances and outside noise as best as possible.
4. Set up a disciplined homework routine. Determine when is the best time for studies. What is the time of day when they are at peak performance (mentally most alert)? Part of learning to managing time is to create a routine time of day for studying, at the same time every day.
Parents with Younger Kids:
5. Create an award chart. Devise a clever method to give kids some incentive to do their schoolwork, by rewarding them for completing assignments and achieving goodgrades.
6. Use tools to motivate and encourage learning. If you can afford to, get a computer. Research has shown that children who master computers will learn faster. There are many fun learning software programs that will stimulate your child's mind to learn.
7. Make reading fun. Set up "reading time" together to help develop reading habits in your children. Do this often enough and this will become a good habit.
For the older students:
8. Create a school bulletin board. Draw up a vertical calendar chart on a magnetic and erasable board, just like the ready-made charts for professionals that are available in a variety of formats. This board will break down assignments into component parts with specific tasks involved in the school project. This method will teach your kids to plan. Include time to study for exams on the board.
9. Maintain a daily schedule. Establish daily schedule forms to delegate the amount of time needed for the most important study priorities. Allow for blocks of time for study periods (i.e., math assignment, science paper). Include appointments, errands, and time off in each of your days, as well.
10. Prepare for good study conditions. Determine your best settings for study. Do you study best alone or with friends? With music or quietly? You might find it helpful to set up a study group to improve one's studies.
11. Take good notes. Organize for class by taking careful notes and organizing them in notebook binders. Outlining a textbook or article helps distinguish the most important facts and points, helping to build up a good understanding of the subject.
12. Establish visuals from reading. A horizontal or vertical timeline will help visualize the chronology and remember the relationship of essential world events. Build a concept tree to help make notes more memorable and present a visual representation of the relationship among several essential facts.
13. Build an indexing system. Design a note card system. This will cut the time it takes to research and organize your term paper. Establish a list of resources by category (magazine articles, encyclopedias, books, newspapers, etc.)
Organize Your Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home. It is a gathering place, a special place. From your kitchen come sights, scents and sounds that signal the appetite. It is the most memorable place in your home.
Your kitchen might come complete with plenty of cabinets, cupboards and drawers, and some may not. Whatever your unique situation, it's how you utilize the space you have and how you discover ways to add more storage solutions (as needed) that makes a difference.
An efficient kitchen
Use the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen to contain items that are grouped together.
For example, place your dishes in a cupboard that is either near the eating table or near the sink area. Food should be gathered with like-items together, and not spread out into different cabinets that contain unrelated items (or having the same type food item put in two places).
Place your coffee machine on a counter-top above a cabinet area. Place your coffee and tea items together near the machine. Pots and pans can placed near the stove area.
To start with, it might be best to empty out the cabinets, one section at a time, and rearrange the items back into cabinets that best suit "the flow" of how you work in your kitchen. Take your time for this takes some thought.
When you decide you organize you will have a place for everything and everything in its place. To accomplish this you will need organizing "tools" in which to store items. You can browse through catalogs or department stores for ideas on what to buy.
Get away from cluttering the counters with too many appliances. If you use the appliance often enough, keep it out. If not, keep it stored away where it cannot be seen. Consider building a shelf above the counter to hold appliances. This will free up your counter space to work on.
Establish a place in your kitchen to keep 1) a message center and/or paper-related items, like a note pad and pens near the phone, 2) cookbooks and recipe boxes, 3) a mail center...
Organize your refrigerator in the same way as you would any other cabinet: group like- items together. Try to avoid keeping leftover foods in containers that sit in the back of the shelves, as they often go bad and smell up your fridge. It's a good idea to clean out the refrigerator weekly to be rid of foods that have "expired."
Take advantage of these few tips. You will enjoy your kitchen that much more.