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Organize by Cleaning Out Before Summer

by Scatterbrain Solutions

Summer is coming, and that means that the kids will be home most of the time, meaning more toys, more clothes, more dishes, more everything. Before summer gets here, it might be a good idea to start cleaning out and organizing before the summer vacation makes you want to pull your hair out.

Put a plan in place and have rules and a routine. Make sure everyone knows that everything has a place it lives when it’s not being used – that just setting things down and leaving them anywhere is not acceptable, from anyone. Declutter and get rid of things no longer used or needed. Make sure that each family member picks up and cleans up after themself. Put things where they go, how they go, when they go – each time and every time.

For kid’s stuff, it’s fairly easy to clean out things and declutter their bedrooms. Just go through their things for what they have outgrown – toys and clothes. Or if they are old enough, let them go through their rooms and clean out. If the items are still in good condition, you could donate them or have a yard sale. Not only does this clear space for more age or size related things, it also teaches children to give.

For the adults, organizing and cleaning out could take a little more time. Decide what you no longer want, need, or have use for. Clean out old dishes or pots and pans to make way for a new set. Go through clothing that just hangs in the closet and isn’t worn.

If you’re like me and have collected a lot of books over the years, you might want to go through your book collection and let some go, especially if they’re for kids and your kids are grown, or simply something you no longer have need for or want. If you homeschool, you can donate or sell the homeschooling books that your kids have outgrown. Homeschooling families are often looking for good used homeschool curriculum.

It’s a good idea to go ahead and start organizing for summer and cleaning out anything you want to get rid of, before summer gets here. With summer vacation upon us and kids being at home instead of gone all day to school, you’ll be busy with this and that soon, so go ahead and get started now and don’t wait.

Some ideas for donating items no longer needed or wanted are: Goodwill, Salvation Army, a toy collection for Christmas, resale shops, etc. There’s usually always someone that can use something in good condidtion that you have and don’t need anymore. So not only are you cleaning out and having an organized home for summer vacation, you’re doing a good deed for someone else. Your organized home will love you for it!

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Put it Back!

by Scatterbrain Solutions

Put it Back!

One of the easiest, but most overlooked, organizing tip is a simple one – put it back!

How often do we take something out to use, but once we’re finished with it, we just set it down someplace? Then before long, there’s a lot of stuff piled here and there – all because we didn’t do one simple thing – put it back. Talk about being disorganized! And the pile grows and grows until we start to feel overwhelmed at the thought of trying to put it all up where it belongs.

If only we put it back when we were finished with it…

You’re here at Scatterbrain Solutions because you’re looking for solutions to help you manage your life, your time, your home, etc. We’ve got the help for you, but here’s the kicker – you’ve got to be willing to not just read this, you’ve got to be willing to take action. Reading is great, but action is where things get done.

With that thought in mind, here we go!

Solutions require action!

We wash the clothes. We dry the clothes. We might even manage to get them out of the dryer and into a laundry basket. We might even (gasp) fold them. Great! But then how long do they stay in a laundry basket, instead of putting them back where they belong? Have you woke up one day and decided it was time to actually put the clothes up, only to discover clothing you forgot you even owned because it has all been in the laundry basket for months? Wouldn’t it be easier to just put it back as soon as it’s ready to be put up?

We takes pots and pans out to cook with. We pull out dinner plates to eat off of. Instead of washing up as we go or when we’re done with a meal, we pile it in the sink or on the counter. This goes on meal after meal, until finally there are no dishes left to cook with or eat from. So we look at the huge pile of dishes and immediately feel that dred… hours of washing and cleaning ahead. Wouldn’t it be easier to just wash as we go or after the meal?

We look at the kids’ bedrooms. Toys and clothes are laying all over the floor, so much so that you literally cannot even see the floor. You stand there wondering to yourself how on earth it came to this. You make them start cleaning, knowing it will take them hours to get everything clean and put back where it belongs. Wouldn’t it have been easier if they had put it back when they were done with it?

Yes, these are pretty extreme situations, but actual ones that many people live with on a daily basis, and that’s just for starters – their disorganized lives and homes are much more than the above examples. And tthey don’t know what to do or where to start to get organized and stay organized.

So, rather than try to pound a load of organizing tips into you, we’re going to start slow and master one step at a time. And that main first step is THE most important one – put it back!

Do it – have your spouse do it – have the kids do it. Once you’re done with something, put it back where it belongs. Don’t sit it down, don’t shove it around, don’t put it off until later – get up and put it where it goes. This one simple thing will make a huge difference in your life and home!

Once this becomes a habit and normal again (it might take a few weeks!), you’ll notice what a difference it makes in keeping things organized.

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Home Organization Tips – Organize Your Home With Checklists

by Scatterbrain Solutions

Home Organization Tips – Organize Your Home With Checklists

Checklists are easy useful organizers that focus you on the steps or process needed to get a task or project completed. Using checklists to organize your thinking and take action can diminish the scattered unfocused energy that clutter and disorganization create. They can also be used to list the best step by step way to get any task done and make it easy to break large tasks down into easy to do steps.

Shifting from being disorganized to organized often means you have to think through processes or the steps it takes to achieve order. This is calming, puts you in a quiet clear place, slows you down and gets you thinking in a more orderly way about changes you want to make. If you want a more organized home here are some places where checklists could benefit you in living a more organized life.

If forgetting things is common in your household you may find a checklist outlining what to pack in a school bag, swimming bag or sports bag will eliminate this problem immediately. Evening or morning routines can be outlined including how to get ready for school. Your child can check their morning or evening checklist and know step by step what to do without any reminders from you.

Homework and chores checklists give children a daily or weekly guideline making creating a routine easier to accomplish. Following a checklist can change into a routine which changes into good habits which benefit the entire household.

Cleaning checklists can save you a lot of time. List how and what is to be cleaned in the kitchen or what needs to be dusted put these lists in a binder and next time you delegate a chore it is clear what needs to be done and the job is done well. Weekly household tasks can be make into weekly checklists which can include any extra maintenance or cleaning you want done.

Checklists are great for packing for holidays. Packing lists for family holidays, weekends or even day trips will completely take the stress out of getting ready to go. A checklist for getting the car ready will ensure pre-travel checks are done and a checklist for closing up the house will eliminate those, “did I do it feelings”.

So try making a few checklists where you feel you need better home organization or if you want to get your family organized. Use them as reminders to eliminate post it notes, get your self thinking in step by step processes and to improve your home organization.

About the Author:
Jane Alais is a professional organizer, the creator of Declutter Befree.com and the author of Get Organized-Get Happy A Step by Step Guide to Clear Clutter and Organize Success. She writes about strategies and solutions to declutter organize and energize your home and your life. Need help with home organization? Click here and go to http://www.declutterbefree.com for your special free report. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_Alais

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30 Days to an Organized Home

by Scatterbrain Solutions

30 Days to an Organized Home

Are You Sick and Tired of Looking at the Mess Around You That Seems to Grow Faster Than You Can Clean It Up?

30 Days to an Organized Home

If you’re ready to get organized, you REALLY want to get this ebook! It’s loaded with organizing tips to turn your disorganized home into an organized home, in 30 days!.

Take a look at the snapshot, showing what you’ll learn in this handy organizing guide…..