Keeping organized can be a nightmare but if you do a little bit every day you will get on top of it from then onwards you just need to set aside a little bit of time every so often to maintain the hard work that you initially put in. Knowing where to start is part of the battle. However, if you break larger jobs, and larger areas down into smaller more manageable tasks then you will make the process a lot easier on yourself, and a lot more enjoyable.

Tips That Will Help You Organize Your Space

Make Things You Use Easily Accessible

Organizing and doing so effectively is all about ensuring that you know what you have and that you have access to what you have when you need it. Accessibility is an issue that you need to deal with head-on straight away. If things are not easily accessible then you will simply not use them, and they would be better off being donated to charity or sold. Things that are not accessible to be used will just end up being moved from place to place, and, as such will end up being classed as clutter. 

Utilize Storage Solutions

There are lots of solutions that you can introduce into any space to ensure you get the most out of any area, no matter how small or awkward it is. There are lots of helpful guides online and lots of top tips as to how to store totes on garage ceiling which are helpful and will ensure you get the right products to maximize the amount you can store even in your garage. When you utilize storage solutions you ensure that you don’t waste any valuable space. It is important to remember that items that have been specifically created to be used as storage will always be more useful than items you have just picked up to use as storage.

Utilize Wall Space

More often than not and storage you have on your walls is not fit for purpose. You need to ensure that you utilize any available wall space you have and this includes having hanging brackets and racks that can be folded to conceal the contents. Shelves are OK but if you are not utilizing all of the shelves then they are a waste of space. So look at your walls and think about what you need to store on them. For example yard brushes, paint rollers, paintbrushes and gardening tools. Slim items are ideal to put on walls as they can be hung and in the process, you will not lose valuable space.

Never Underestimate The Importance Of Decluttering

Part of successful organizing is about keeping only what you need and decluttering regularly. Clutter quickly builds up and if you don’t get hold of the situation then it will take hold of you. So, it is important to remember that decluttering and organizing go hand in hand. Declutter as you go, and try to have a good decluttering session at least once a month. Remember that if you haven’t used it and you don’t know what or when you will use it, then it is probably best to get rid of it – whatever it is!

Remember To Label Everything

The importance of labelling cannot be stressed enough. You may think you will remember what is in the 12 identical boxes just from looking at them but you won’t, and most importantly you will waste time and effort going through everything you have just to find the one thing you are looking for. So, save time, stress and hassle and label everything you are putting away. Keep an itinerary or checklist as you are going along and include this in each box that you fill. It may be trivial to do at first but you will appreciate your lists and labeling when you come to find that one little socket that is hidden within a box that 

Keep Items Off The Floor

This is very important as things that are on the floor are more likely to get damaged quickly. Never store loose items on the floor as this is simply asking for trouble. If you have to use the floor for storage then make sure everything is adequately boxed up and protected and do not stack things on top of other things that are on the floor. Items that are on the floor are trip hazards, and if you have stacked lots of items on top of each other from the floor up, it is more that you have to move when you want to access anything that is kept behind the tower of boxes you have built up.

Keep It Functional

Functional spaces are a must. Filling every space within an area is not going to work in the short term, or long term. Your space needs to be functional and usable. Before you even begin organizing any room you need to think about how you will use the room and what function or purpose it will serve. When you know how space will be used then you can plan your storage and organizational items around the furniture or items included within your space. When spaces are functional and organized they are easier to maintain so ensure that every space within your home has a function or use. If rooms have no clear purpose or use then they will become dumping grounds very quickly which is what you want to avoid as rooms that are used as dumping grounds can get neglected, and eventually lead to bigger problems such as bug infestations or fire hazards.

Essentially to get to grips with organizing you need to take a practical and methodical approach to everything you are doing. It can be overwhelming trying to organize every item you have at once, so think of organizing as an ongoing job and process, this way you will enjoy the process and not end up dreading it.

Photos By: Unsplash

After all these years, you can finally enjoy a nice cup of coffee while overlooking the best view of the neighborhood. Likewise, this is the best opportunity for you and your family to open a new chapter in your life. However, it’s interesting to note that while enjoying your new home is something we should all look forward to, moving to your home isn’t the easiest thing to do. 

In fact, some consider house moves as one of the most stressful activities you can do. This can be extremely discouraging, especially if you’re doing this for the first time. Thankfully, you can rely on some tips and some steps in order to make your house move much easier for you to handle and to pull off: 

Make Your Neighborhood Visit a Way to do Your Outdoor Tasks

If you’re slowly forming tasks to do throughout the move, chances are some of them involve going outside. These include submission of requirements for utilities and homeownership, going to the hardware store to buy packing equipment, and even meeting with your moving services long distance. It’s very likely for you to do these things on separate occasions. However, it may help you to actually schedule all these things in a single day. That way, you’ll save more time than you can then use to do your other obligations or focus on other parts of the moving process without having to rush things. 

Create an Inventory for you to Know Exactly What you Own

If your final with your decision to make a move, it’s important for you to have an inventory that can help you identify and sort out things you own. It’s recommended that you make an inventory in the cloud or in a digital medium in order to help you and your family members update the spreadsheet without relying on a physical list. Inventory allows you to sort things you own into stuff that you want to keep, sell, or throw away. 

Assign Tasks to Everyone at Home in Order to Speed up the Move

Just because you’re managing the move doesn’t mean you have to do everything by yourself. One of the best things you could do is to gather everyone at home and assigning them tasks that can help make the move happen faster. A great way to do this is to assign everyone to create an inventory of things they own in their respective rooms and to pack their belongings. This gives them a sense of responsibility and avoids the risk of losing things during moving day. 

Try to Shop for Everything Once

It’s very likely that you will have to go out of the house repeatedly in order to complete some errands. Unfortunately, doing this can ruin the flow of your move. Instead of going to the mall or to the hardware store repeatedly, try to make sure that you list everything you need to buy and purchase them all in the same day. If you want to focus on packaging materials, try to buy twice as much as your estimate in order to make sure that there aren’t any return trips that can interrupt your packing time.

Hire professional Companies to Help You with the Logistics

If you’re having trouble with certain aspects of logistics such as transportation or even packing and unpacking your things, professionals such as Manhatttan movers NYC may be able to do these things for you. Their specialization, training, and equipment are all designed to help you facilitate moves. Moreover, they may even be able to provide specialized services depending on your needs, including full-service moves or even just transportation and storage options. They can definitely help make your move a piece of cake, especially as they can help you synchronize with your schedule. 

Moving For First-Timers: Make Your House Move The Best!

If you’re moving for the first time, you don’t necessarily have to make yourself feel stressed out or hassled about the entire house move. In fact, now’s the best opportunity for you to realize that house moves can be just as awesome as your favorite activities with the right kind of planning and the proper execution. Remember, you need to make sure that not only do you have your packing and transportation settled but other integral parts of the move such as your inventory and even professional assistance as well.           

Photos By: Pixabay

Now here’s the thing – all of us have the tendency to make a mess in our houses from time to time. Sometimes, it can happen due to the fact that you are stressed out and just don’t have the energy required for you to declutter your home, or you are just a bit less organized.

But that being said – there is a thin line between a mess and such a big amount of things that you can’t even organize it, and hence, you can’t always be sure that it’s really the time to act on it. That is why, in this article, we are going to talk about different things that might be a sign that it’s time for you to declutter your home.

Do You Feel Like You are Constantly Cleaning?

If the answer to this question is yes, maybe it’s time to declutter. The thing is, if you have a lot of things – maybe even too many different things just lying around your home, all of that clutter is surely going to take a lot of time to maintain. In some cases, tending for all those things might even seem like a never-ending task. Don’t worry though, there are a lot of decluttering tips out there that are going to make cleaning a whole lot easier. That being said, if you’re ready to devote your time to more enjoyable tasks, it’s time to let go of all the unnecessary clutter.

Does Organizing Seem Almost Impossible at Times?

Now, if you happen to have a lot of clutter around your home, organizing it can oftentimes make you feel like you’re making headway toward simplifying your home, but it just so happens that all you’re actually really doing is moving stuff around. That being said – if you happen to constantly find your clutter dispersed throughout your home no matter how many times you designate a space for it, maybe it’s time to declutter your home for good, it will help you a great deal with organizing your stuff for real.

Do You Happen to Somehow Lose Even the Most Used Items?

This is something that is really easy to pick up on – if you don’t have a reason to declutter, you probably wouldn’t find yourself over and over trying to find, for instance, your favorite shirt. So, if you notice that you are spending way too much time just trying to find something that you actually use a lot, the probability is high that you already have too many unnecessary things to begin with.

Feeling Anxiety When You’re at Home is a Big Tell

It oftentimes happens that people that actually really like organized spaces and general order, for one reason or another, live in a cluttered home. That can oftentimes lead to a mismatch when it comes to the place that you live in and your general preferences, which further causes anxiety – and you might not really even be able to pinpoint where it’s coming from in the first place. That being said, if you happen to feel anxious while you are in your home, it’s time to think about why it is so. Clutter might not be your answer, but if it is – there’s an easy solution, and it’s decluttering. 

In the end, all of us function differently, living different daily routines and that is entirely fine. But decluttering is really not just about having a neat home, it’s also about clearing up your mind and using the whole process to your advantage in order to both feel better about your environment, as well as about yourself.

Clearing out your home can add light and airiness to your life. The task may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be, if you tackle it strategically. Here is a decluttering checklist with seven tips to get you started. 

Assess the Mess

Start by listing all of the rooms in your home in order of messiness. If you live in a smaller space, you can divide your place into “zones.” Plan to start with the least-cluttered room or zone first, or, from the tiniest room to the biggest one. 

Get your Supplies 

Decluttering is about organizing. However, don’t buy bins or organizers until after you’ve decluttered everything and know how many items you’ll be keeping. But you can start by getting heavy duty trash bags, large boxes that you will label “keep” and “donate,” and a dust mask. If you have a family, you can have a “keep” box for each person.

Give Yourself a Time Limit

The hardest part about decluttering is getting started. This is why the “timer trick” is a favorite of productivity and organization bloggers. Set a time, like 15 minutes, for focused organizing. 

Easy Stuff

In any room, start with easy stuff — items that belong somewhere else — clothing in the bathroom, coffee mugs in the bedroom, piles of mail in the kitchen. The easiest items to get rid of are the ones that you can donate or throw away. In the bathroom, you might find expired medications, half-empty bottles of shampoo, and old makeup. In the kitchen and pantry, throw away expired condiments, spices, and half-empty cereal boxes.

Goodbye Does not Mean Erasing your Memories

Bedrooms, living rooms, and office areas are the most likely places where mementos like greeting cards, tchotchkes, and framed pictures can clutter. Some of these items could be stored in a book, instead of out in the open. If the chipped mug from your trip to New York truly has meaning to you, keep it. But, If you are stuck, temporarily store these sentimental odds-and-ends in a box, and go through them later.

Don’t be Afraid of What’s in the Closet

Your wardrobe may be one of the most challenging areas to declutter. This is where the KonMari method of asking yourself — Does this item spark joy? — can help. Loosely categorize clothing by type, and try on items if you need to. If you aren’t sure about the style, the item is stained, it doesn’t fit, or you otherwise don’t feel amazing in it, it goes in the donate box. No exceptions.

Get it Out

After a successful day of decluttering you are ready to donate. You can go to The Thrift Shopper to find thrift stores by zip code, or you can try goodwill.org, or salvationarmy.org. Remember that the hardest part of decluttering is getting started. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, you might be surprised at how much you can get rid of, and how much better you’ll feel about the state of your home and your stuff. 

Photo via: Pinterest

Belongings build up over time, sentimental objects are hard to let go, and sometimes it’s tough to be motivated enough to clear it all out or take the time to properly organise it.  If this sounds like you and you’re looking for some tips and tricks, look no further. Here are some simple ways to reduce the clutter in your space that you should set aside some time for.

Purge It 

Obviously, the best way to reduce clutter is to simply get rid of it. When you’ve decided it’s time to clear away some of your belongings, there are a few methods to keep in mind for an effective purge. Organise everything into three piles: keep, donate or sell, and throw away. Get rid of anything in the “throw away” pile immediately so it doesn’t end up just being a big pile of garbage in your home. Try and get everything in the donate or sell pile gone as fast as possible as well, and also remember to regularly cycle through your belongings to see if there’s anything you can donate. A good tip is to keep a donation box on hand as a reminder to do this.

Once you’ve gotten your “keep” pile, pare it down again into “must keep” and “want to keep” piles. Anything that’s a necessity should go into your “must” pile, and anything that’s sentimental or otherwise useful but not an absolute necessity should go in your “want” pile. Then you can take a look at your “want” pile with a closer eye and decide if there’s anything there you can actually let go.

Store It

If there are items in your home that you simply don’t have space for, but still use occasionally like seasonal decorations or sporting equipment, one solution might be to keep it in a storage locker during the off-season. Living in a small home with limited storage can cause clutter like this to get messy and take up precious space that could be better used for furniture, decor, or better storage options.

Organize It

Once you’ve cleared out anything you don’t want to keep or have moved some items into storage, it’s time to organise what you do have left so it’s tidy and out of the way. Every room in your home has the potential for storage, whether you have built-in storage options or not. One of the trickiest rooms to organise is your garage if you have one. Using garage shelving to reduce clutter is the simplest solution because it keeps things off the floor and lets you maximise your space.

Living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms can all benefit from narrow shelving or shelves that are specially made for small spaces like corners, above other furniture and incredibly narrow areas. If you’ve got the space, consider investing in furniture that doubles as storage, like ottomans, benches, and bed frames with built-in drawers.

Utilise all available space in your kitchen with shelving, S hooks, and rolling shelves or carts that fit into nooks and crannies. Vertical space here is your friend, so hang up pots and pans and utensils wherever there’s room.

Most people don’t think they have too many possessions; they just assume they lack storage space. From photo albums to kitchen appliances and holiday decorations, it’s difficult to find adequate storage that leaves your belongings easily accessible. Try these four tips for wrangling your stuff without having to build a storage shed in the backyard.

Set Up Vertical Storage in the Kitchen

Photo: Pinterest – Source Unknown

If you’re struggling to find places to store all your kitchen appliances, tools, and pans, consider taking the vertical approach. If you have an island or some extra space above your stove, a hanging rack can hold many of your cooking vessels and utensils. Look for larger models that have 10 to 15 hooks if you love to cook and bake.

In addition to providing storage space, hanging racks make cooking easier. You will never have to dig through a drawer for a wayward utensil or remove five different pans from a cupboard until you find the right one.

Look for Furniture with Hidden Compartments

Photo: Mylistoflists.com

Many homeowners buy furniture with built-in storage where they can keep extra sets of sheets, the kids’ games or toys, and essentials like toilet paper out of sight from visitors. In the den, look for a coffee table or ottoman with a hollow space inside so you can store DVDs, throw pillows, remote controls, or blankets. In the bedroom, shop for beds with drawers underneath where you can keep extra sheets and towels. With the right furniture, you can eliminate the need for a linen closet.

Use Christmas Lights All Year

Photo: Theprojecttable.blogspot.hr

There are two types of people who have Christmas lights up in July: those who forgot to take them down after the holidays and those who utilize them all year as light sources. At Christmas Lights Etc, you’ll find multi-colored LEDs that look festive no matter the season. You could also opt for white or yellow Christmas lights to set the mood, then use other decorations to celebrate the holiday.

Not only does this save you the time and energy of having to untangle, hang and remove your Christmas lights every year, but it also keeps the lights out of the closet and opens up your storage space for more important items.

Hang Your Jewelry As Artwork

Photo: Bloglovin’

Instead of keeping your jewelry tucked into a draw or stored in various boxes, consider buying a hanging rack to display it or installing a series of hooks or inexpensive clothes hangers on the walls to showcase it. If you have a collection of costume jewelry in bright colors, your favorite pieces become artwork and decor for your bedroom and bathroom. It’s an inexpensive way to illustrate your personality and aesthetic preferences. You don’t have to hang every piece, however, and you might want to find a safer storage solution for more expensive pieces.

You can easily create more space and storage opportunities in your home if you get creative in each of your rooms. When organization meets creativity, your home design will thrive, and you might find yourself with more space than you need.

If your jewellery is cluttering up your room and getting tangled, make this cute arrow jewellery holder! It’s made out of a wooden dowel rod, thin wood strips, and screw hooks. Paint it to match your room or bathroom and you’ve got a trendy little organizer that can be made to match anyone’s budget!

Step #1:

Grab yourself a thin strip of wood (1/32 x 3×24″) from JoAnns or Michael’s and cut it with scissors to make a front and back piece for your arrow. If you’re unsure how to cut it, you can find lots of arrow clip art on Google Images. It doesn’t have to be too complicated, so keep it simple!

Step #2:

Take a small saw and cut a groove into each end of your dowel rod. You can find dowel rods at any craft store for about $2.49. The thin wood you cut earlier should fit easily into the grooves without a need for glue. If the wood is slipping a bit, add a dab of hot glue to hold it in place.

Step #3:

Place small screw hooks into your dowel rod about 3″ apart. The dowel rod should be soft enough for you to push in the hooks without too much trouble.

Step #4:

If you like, you can paint your arrow. In this project, Inka Gold Metallic Rub was used to match the gold screw hooks.

Step #5:

And you’re finished! Hang up your new jewellery holder anywhere you like!

Photos: Lemonade Makin’ Mama.

The freezer is a cold and desolate place that’s home to forgotten, icy food. Our goal in this article is to show you how to declutter your freezer, remove all unusable food, and salvage the rest. Let’s get started!

Defrosting

Many modern freezer’s don’t require defrosting, but they use up to 35% more energy than the manual defrost models. The auto defrost cycle sucks all the moisture out of frozen food and can affect food quality. You need to defrost manual freezers when the ice reaches 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick.

Defrosting Do’s:

1) Unplug the Machine: Always turn off the power to the freezer before defrosting.

2) Empty the Freezer: Remove all food and store it in ice chests while you are defrosting the freezer.

3) Melt the Ice: You can leave the freezer door open and wait for the ice to melt, or add heat to speed up the process. First make sure you have an old towel on the floor to catch dripping water. Use pans filled with warm water to melt the ice, or use a blow dryer.

4) Clean Up: When you’ve removed the ice, scrub the freezer with a paste made out of baking soda and water. The baking soda will absorb any odors and remove food spills. Don’t forget to wash the shelves and freezer baskets in warm, soapy water. Make sure they’re completely dry before putting them back in your freezer.

5) Plug it Back In: Close the freezer door and plug it in. Let the freezer run for 15 minutes before putting the frozen food back in.

Defrosting Don’ts:

1) Be Gentle: Don’t use ice picks or knives to remove the ice. A slip can cause injuries to you and the freezer.

2) Safety: If you’re using a hair dryer to melt the ice, be cautious about electric shock. Don’t stand in puddled water or allow the water to drip onto the hair dryer.

3) No Suds: Don’t use soapy water to clean the freezer. Soap is hard to rinse, and a soapy residue can affect the taste of your food.

Organizing

1) Add Labels: Adding labels to your frozen food is key in keeping your freezer organized. Label each package with the food’s name, number of servings, and the date it was added to the freezer. Use a permanent marker to write the labels.

2) Date Everything: To manage your frozen food properly, you need to make sure they’re fresh. Always write a date on every package you add to the freezer. Rotate food so that new food is behind older packages.

3) Organize by Category: If you have a large freezer, you should organize it by category. Casseroles should be in one area of the freezer, beef steaks and roasts in another, and turkey and chicken at the bottom of the basket where they’re easy to grab.

4) Use Freezer Baskets: Baskets with a flat bottom can support floppy freezer bags and organize freezer contents. Put all vegetables in one basket, bread in the other, etc.

5) Square Containers: When freezing soup, use rectangular or square containers. They will fit together easier and take up less space than cylindrical shapes.

6) Rotate: Always use older products first, and keep newer food behind older ones.

Photos: The Happy Housewife, A Life Less Digital, The Glamourous Housewife, Say What You Need to Say Blog.

The key to keeping your garage tidy and organized is having a place for everything. Investing in storage for all your items keeps them off the floor and easy to find. If your garage is currently overloaded with things you don’t need and very disorganized, it may be time to start getting things in order. If you use your garage as a workshop or use it to fix up your damaged car, there are still ways to keep it organized and tidy. Take a look at these 7 ideas to keep your garage organized and the envy of all your neighbors!

1. Shelves

Put up a few shelves to get smaller items off the floor. You can find cheap ones at Ikea that will hold all your necessities without breaking the bank.

2. Storing Tools

Use a pegboard to keep all your tools in one place. Attach hooks to keep your tools at hand and in view when you need them.

3. Use Cans

Use cans to hold sand, salt, or bird seed. Way easier than messy bags, metal cans provide a secure place to hold things that are prone to spilling.

4. Hooks

You don’t have to use hooks just for tools! Bikes, ladders, and shovels can be hung up to make more space in your garage and max our your self storage.

5. Work Bench

Get yourself a workbench so you can have a place to store tools or potting supplies. It gives you a workplace where you can get projects done without having to worry about mess or damaging your floor.

6. Plastic Bins

Plastic bins are a great way to store your stuff! Halloween and Christmas decorations, toys, tools, sports equipment, you name it! They’re affordable too, and they’re perfect for those on a budget.

7. Containers

Small containers, like the ones used for spices, are great for holding small items that are easily lost. Use them to hold screws and nails and mount them using magnets.

Photos: BHG, Home Edit, Fortikur, Pancakes and French Fries.

Stylish bulletin boards are in, and plain ones are definitely out! These fabric covered bulletin boards reflect your personal style and taste, so make them unique and your own! Follow along with our simple tutorial to create one for your space!

What you will need:

– a bulletin board

– fabric of your choice

– craft paint of your choice

– small paint brush

– an iron

– spray adhesive

– glue gun and glue sticks

– twine for edging (optional)

Step 1:

First, paint the frame of the bulletin board in the color of your choice.

Step 2:

Measure and cut the fabric to the exact size of your bulletin board. Iron the fabric to remove wrinkles. Use spray adhesive on the back of the fabric and the bulletin board and attach them together.

Step 3:

If you like, add the sisal twine between the frame and the fabric using the glue gun.

That’s it! Really easy and quick! A great addition to any space where you’d like to be a little more organized! These bulletin boards are great if you are working from home or doing schoolwork at home. To make your life a little easier when it comes to schoolwork and writing essays, consider checking out write my essay reviews and academized legit to help you write like a pro!

Photos and idea: The Happy Housie.

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