A few things to help you stay organized in 2011

I must admit this is an area of opportunity for me, which is why I'm making it a priority.  I make a point to keep sentimental items.....I just can't bare to part with some things.

photo via Erinn Valencich HGTV

1.  Make a chart or list.  There are things that need to be done on a regular basis.  Whether its daily, weekly, or monthly, putting it on paper and scheduling out time for each task make things more manageable.  Not to mention, will allow you to budget your time wisely, lets be honest, its pretty easy to be lazy.

2.  Laundry....aw yes, at my home laundry can be done almost every day.  If you get behind, it easily turns into piles; clean and dirty alike.  One thing that is super important, is to have a designated place, dirty laundry baskets or in closets.  I almost have my children completely trained in this area....take it off, put it in the basket, if its clean, fold it or hang it.  I'm sure If a 7 year old can do it, any adult can, right?

3.  Speaking of laundry....on to clothing!  A rule I picked up a few years back that has stuck with me, is once you have worn the item, put it back on its hanger and flip it the opposite way. (you know, so the hook part is facing towards you) After one year, any items not flipped probably need to find a new home.  There are tons of options, donate, re purpose, have a naked lady party, be creative.

4.  Put everything in its place.  Every item, if possible, should have its own home.  A place for it to be put away, etc.  And I don't mean a junk drawer, closet shelf, unused bedroom, or garage.  Start in one room of your home and go through it top to bottom, giving each item its own place.  More likely than not, you will find many things that don't need a place in your home at all.  Recently, I heard about people having parties to find new homes for these items, sounds like a fun way to declutter if you ask me.

5.  Piles of paper.....lets face it, we all have them.  In my case it is mail, magazines, papers my love decided to bring home from work, and a million worksheets/art projects from our children's school.  Every day clean off all flat surfaces.  If you skip one day, it will just continue to pile up and eventually be overwhelming.  Put bills where they need to go, utilize your recycling bin, and for the sentimental art projects: safely stow them in a Rubbermaid container under your child's bed.

xoxo,

Patience