Counter-top challenge

People are always commenting on my counter tops and how they always seem clutter free-

It is not magic, nor does it come as easily to me as you may think!

Being organized takes lots of energy, but it does not have to take lots of time!!

Start today with one room of your house, declutter it. Throw the garbage OUT!

In my opinion, your counter-tops do not need anything on them! The only counter-top in my kitchen with anything on it is the one with just a toaster! (it is just too much of a hassle to put it away and take it out every day) But it is tucked in a corner with its cord hidden behind it and the fridge. Try it!!! The declutter the counter challenge!

You have your filing cabinet, now what?

Here is a list of my folders in my filing cabinet. Yours will look similar!

1. Mortgage (important papers regarding mortgages, monthly bills)
   
2. Electric bills
   
3. Water bills
4. Heating bills
5. Cell Phone Bill
6. Bank Statements
7. Credit Card Statements
   
8. Tax (every years taxes in individual folders within the file, house/city taxes
9. Stocks
10. Health Care (insurance bills, and the like)
11. Certificates (all important certificates, birth, marriage, diplomas...)
12. Kids (report cards, special projects, end-of-year assessments)
13. Owners manuals
    
14. Dental
15. Car (all things related to car inspections/registration, repairs and maintenance checks, insurance goes under its own file)

This is to get you started. Your own cabinet will of course have variations.

Once you set your cabinet up, it will be easy to keep track of important documents, and you will avoid the pile-up of clutter.

Starting a file cabinet- from scratch

To successfully run a household, the most important thing to do RIGHT now is get a filing cabinet

• Hit up craigslist to find sweet deals on great filing cabinets for cheap
• Make sure there is ample room for at least 20-30 thick files, meaning do not get a filing cabinet that is only the height of a two year old. Go heavy-duty and get one with five long slide out drawers
• Go to office depot and get hanging files that will hang from the metal pieces on either side of the drawers
• Get actual folders in which you will place all your important papers

Read my next post on how to begin

Make-up organizer

Where do you keep your eyeliners, mascara and brushes?

Here is an organized way to keep the makeup that you use the most at your fingertips in a non-cluttered manner

I purchased this leather-coated makeup holder on ebay for under $10

Bathroom cleaning tips

Most of us can not afford a cleaning lady every day of the week. That being said, there are ways to keep a handle on the cleanliness of the bathroom:

• Every other day/night when you are ready for your end of the day brushing teeth/washing face/skin care, pour cleaning solution/toilet bowl cleaner in your toilet and spray. Let is sit while brushing teeth..., scrub and your done!!! This way, it keeps things slightly clean
  
• When you wake up and are doing the morning rituals in the bathroom, wash down the sink real fast with a spray or wipe, add in the mirror if you can as well. It takes another minute or two, but it really keeps a handle on the cleanliness

Tips to declutter your kitchen

Many complain to me about the never-ending load of dishes in the sink, on the counter, in the fridge- waiting to be emptied and washed.

Three simple tips to follow to start over from scratch, and to prevent the cluttering of dishes:

• Wash all the dishes in your sink or on your counter tops at three different times of the day: the morning after kids drop off, consisting of breakfast dishes and dinner prep dishes.
• Mid-afternoon time- around 2 or 3, from any pile-up of cups, plates, sippy-cups or the like
• At night at around 8 p.m., or after your kids are in bed- but not too late, consisting of dinner dishes and any late-night snack cups or plates that may have piled up.
  

DO NOT go to sleep with any dishes needing to be washed. The idea is that at the end of the day, it will be like the day did not happen at all- with a clean sink, and clear counter-tops.

Good Luck. let me know how it goes!

Overwelmed by clutter?

Most of us can not dedicate hours upon hours of time towards organizing. Here is a simple method to get the job done:

• Pick one area or room of your house for one week. Tell yourself- "from Sunday to Sunday, I will be organizing the playroom
• Start your day with the intention of spending two 30 minute slots in that specific room. no more, no less.
• Use my method of bringing a basket into that room that will be used to throw anything that does not belong in that room
• Remember, this is not "cleaning" it is organizing, putting things where they truly belong
• Bring a large garbage can or bag into the room with you. YOU know there is for sure garbage in it.

Good Luck!!

Cleaning from one room to the other

Tired of the mess that never gets completely cleaned up?

Try this:

• Take an empty laundry basket and get started in the largest room of the house.
• Throw anything that does not belong in that room in the basket.
• Move to the next room and do an exchange. Take stuff from the basket and put it in the room if it belongs there and put items in the basket from that room that do not belong there.
• Keep going like this around the house, you will find that everything DOES have a place.

Good Luck!!

Kitchen Dishes Challange

Who is up for a challenge? Try this tomorrow

• As soon as you pop something in the oven, wash the dishes used to prepare it. Towel dry said dishes and put them away.
  
• Do not start anything else until that is done
• When you are done for the day, you will have little to clean-up
  

Pen/Pencil/Marker Storage

An easy way to organize pens, markers, scissors and other assorted arts n crafts materials is by putting them in separate cups in one section of your playroom/ bookshelf

This enables you to:

• Easily spot what is needed
• Keeps things organized and clean
• Teaches children that everything has a place. Even a pencil!

Try it, let me know how it goes!