Clutter Busting

Easy Organizing Tips for Your Child’s Room

June 19, 2010 by clutterbusting Leave a Comment

Do you constantly battle to get your child to clean their room? Do you wonder if you will ever see the floor in your lifetime?

Organizational Expert Julie Morgenstern shared five tips for helping to organize your child’s room in the June 2, 2009 issue of Woman’s Day magazine. It really does make sense to create zones within the room, to place things where your child can reach them (to find it or put it away on their own) and to set a schedule for daily and annual maintenance.

I would love to hear if you have a tip of your own or if you implemented one of these tips and how it worked.

More on Teaching Your Children About Organization

June 12, 2010 by clutterbusting Leave a Comment

I came across a great article on the Stacks and Stacks website that shares six rules that will help create order and teach your children how to organize.

Children who have clean and organized rooms will get ready in the morning faster since there will be less chaos and confusion in their room. They will also spend less time asking you to help locate things as there will be a place for everything. In addition, you will feel calmer in their room as well.

Which rule will you implement this week?

Getting Your Children to Help You Stay Organized

June 5, 2010 by clutterbusting Leave a Comment

With summer close and school almost done for the year wouldn’t it be great to have help from your family to keep the house organized and clutter-free this summer. But how do you engage your children in helping you clean up?

In the May 1, 2010 Women’s Day magazine article: “Ready, set, get organized” Arianne Cohen suggests some ways to have your family help with housework. As suggested in this article making housework a game can make picking up fun and quick.

A few of the strategies I thought where especially great include:
• Using “I spy” with preschoolers. Name an item that needs to be put away and have them find it and then return it to its storage location.
• Getting grade-schoolers and tweens to compete with each other can be fun such as a race against the clock.
• Set a timer for when the whole family is doing chores to make the time fly.
• For individual motivation challenge yourself or others to pick up stray things they come across for an hour.

Of course, providing incentives won’t hurt and can create more family time and fun competition.

A Stylish and Organized Patio (or Deck) for Balance

May 29, 2010 by clutterbusting Leave a Comment

With warm weather and the outdoors calling us, just don’t put your patio furniture out there without a thought. Use Feng Shui as suggested in a Stacks and Stacks article to help bring balance to your life by making this space as peaceful as possible.

Here are some other things to consider when setting up your outdoor space this year:
• Access your furniture. Do you need new cushions? Is the furniture comfortable? Do you use all the furniture?
• What do you want to do on your deck or patio? Have dinner parties or sit quietly with a book? Do you have the space or the furniture to accommodate that function?
• Adding plants to your outdoor space will help promote family togetherness and to add life to your space.
• To keep clutter at a minimum and this outdoor space calm use a storage box or combination seating/storage.

Looking at this space with fresh eyes and with Feng Shui in mind could net you a stylish and organized outdoor space that you will enjoy all season.

Stylish Storage: A Way to Stay Clutter-free

May 22, 2010 by clutterbusting Leave a Comment

Having chic clutter cures are a great way to get motivated to clear clutter and keep it away. If I haven’t convenience you yet or if a reminder is needed…having a clear, fresh space will let you breathe easier, feel calmer and provide you with free space to allow new things in. By using boxes, shelves and baskets you can create a more calm space as shown in Woman’s World magazine issue from 4/26/10.

Here is a summary of some of the suggestions: