Ladies, scarves are lovely and fun to wear. We can loop them, tie them, knot them and drape them…. but where and how do we store them? How about a decorative bin lined with muslin for your closet shelf? Try folding the scarf in half lengthwise and rolling it from top to bottom. The scarves can be stacked in the bin, color coded or seasonally coded. Scarves will stay wrinkle free, you have more space in your drawers/closets and now you can find the doorknob! Hang your pashminas, as they are too big to roll and place those alongside your short hang clothes. That’s a wrap!
Weekly Tip
Ever wonder why your pantry or refrigerator space isn’t efficient? Cupboard shelves and refrigerators are not round, but many containers are. Why?
Purchase square or rectangular containers… they are pantry space savers. Organize your fridge with odd-sized items on top shelf, eye level shelf for healthy snacks. Since the door is the warmest, a great place for condiments. Meats belong in their own special spot to avoid cross-contamination.
Another tip for freshness? High producing ethylene gas products (apples, avocados, cantaloupes) should ripen outside the fridge before mixing with other greens. Once ripe they can join their fresh friends in those crisper drawers.
That one earring… those paper clips… the rubber band… on which garment does this button belong? This screw fell off of what? The tiny tube of super glue… All things to keep but where?
How about a command center in a kitchen or laundry room drawer? There are many drawer organizers that would love to house all these little gems… they expand to fit most drawers and all these gems can be housed handy… but sew on the button when you find the garment to which it belongs!
Wall space is often the most overlooked real estate in your home, especially in closets and mudroom areas. Hooks are a great solution for hoodies, backpacks, keys, handbags, umbrellas… the items we all throw on the floor or table when walking through the door. Hooks can be decorative or utility-like, but most functional. There are hanging solutions for stick cleaners like your Swiffer, brooms, small vacuums… Let’s use this “real estate” and get hung up!
The key to organizing is to edit, then sort, then place. If you don’t have room for it, don’t love it or don’t use it, donate it. Break up the daunting task into smaller, manageable chunks. Even 15 minutes a day can chip away at the project – in time you will cover it all.
“The beauty of the house is order. The blessing of the house is contentment. The glory of the house is hospitality.”
“If I were asked to name the chief benefit of the house, I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.”
“We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.”
“Home interprets heaven: home is heaven for beginners… is yours?”
“A comfortable house is a great source of happiness. It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience.”
“A thousand days at home are a pleasure; an hour away from home is a trial.” Can you say this about your home?
Perhaps in college surrounded by friends discussing hopes and dreams… the possibilities were endless and exciting! Where might we live? Would we get married? O! the career plans, families and adventures that awaited!
I think it’s safe to assume none of us ever said “I hope I have a big house full of things that I bought just because they were on sale.” We never talked about our intentions to own so much stuff that we would spend our free time trying to organize it all. No one said, “I hope my future kids have so many toys that they can’t pick them up because there is nowhere to put them!”
Why do we trade in our hopes, dreams, goals and plans for things that will eventually end up in a garage sale, consignment store or landfill? We pull this baggage behind us as we go through life thinking about the next thing we can add to it! Stop doing that!
I still love shoes and handbags, kitchen gadgets that slice and dice… but I don’t like the idea that someone would trade in special hopes and dreams for something that can be bought. I like my stuff but I am SO OVER IT!
Give me passion, pursuits, wholeness, healing, compassion, audacious goals, love, grace, kindness… give me those instead, and let me not be distracted by anything less.
Are closets and cabinets overflowing with never used possessions while everyday items cover your home? What is in that confusing hall closet-vanity thingie? Has emotional clutter stolen your focus and zapped your creativity, productivity and enthusiasm? O yeah! that asymmetrical under-the-staircase junk repository. Tossing and turning all night long? There is that messy forgotten bedroom nook…
It’s never too late to change all of that into a positive, stress-free lifestyle… make that lifestyle change today by calling a professional! organiZare can help and allow you time for family and fun! Think of it as a personal trainer for your home. Refresh, try something new, help is a good thing and just a call away!
Is your electronic device your ball & chain? It could be a compulsive behavior says Christine Carter, a sociologist. Schedule a small block of time several times a day to check, respond to and properly file those emails.
Always check before heading into a big task or work project so you don’t break focus.
Keep dinner and date night separate from emails and social media. Gaze into the eyes and listen intently to the words of the one you love.
Each time we go from one thing to the next, our brain has to go back three or four steps to reorganize before it can move forward. This is inefficient and stressful. We are much more effective when we focus on one thing at a time.