A Place for Everything
by Monica Resinger
So, you've made the excellent decision to
get organized, you've sorted through your belongings and you now have
only items that you love and are usable. This may be for one small area
of your home, a few areas, a drawer or two, or the whole house. However
much you have done, it is an accomplishment no matter how big or small,
so congratulations!
|
A very important aspect of being and staying
organized it to have a place for everything. If you don't have a place
for everything, then it all starts piling up again and pretty soon
you're keeping everything because it's hard to tell what's what and
what's where. Here's the scenario: You don't have a home for anything
and whenever the mail comes in or you go shopping, you just put the
items wherever you find room. Pretty soon, you have a mess! Believe me,
I know; I've been through it.
|
|
|
I urge you to put some thought into
making a home for every single type of item that you keep; this is so
important! If you bring something new and different home and you don't
have a place for it, make a place for it immediately or as soon as
possible. If you don't have room, you'd better get sorting again. Here
are a few suggestions on how and where to store some common items found
around the house.
In the office:
Paperwork: A
filing cabinet is a huge lifesaver when it comes to organizing your
paperwork. I made files for every type of paper I had lying around,
from movie reviews to our house papers and this has made my life a lot
easier. I put these files in alphabetical order in my filing cabinet
and now everything is put away, but even more thrilling is the fact
that I can actually find a piece of paper in about five seconds! This
is a huge improvement for me when before, I wouldn't even know where
to begin searching for a piece of paper let alone have success in
finding it.
Magazines: Cereal
boxes are very handy for keeping magazines neat. To make a magazine
holder out of a cereal box, cut off the top inch or so of the box,
then, starting at one side of the top and cutting at a downwards
angle, cut down half to one third the height of the box. Do this on
the other side also and you will then have a magazine holder. At this
point, you can decorate the holder by pasting pretty magazine pictures
on it or painting it, then adding lace or ribbon. You can also put
magazines in big wide wicker baskets.
Coupons: I have found
envelopes very handy for storing coupons. Just label them the way
you'd like them labeled (alphabetically or by type of food) and put
your clipped coupons in them. The envelopes can be stored in a recipe
or card file box of appropriate size.
In the closet:
Blankets: Laundry baskets make
excellent holders for blankets that sometimes fit awkwardly on
shelves.
Shoes: An over-the-door shoe
hanger is a great way to get shoes off the floor.
Travel bags, purses and totes: Plastic
storage bins are very handy for storing these.
In the craft room:
Crafting items: See-through
plastic storage bins are a very good container for this because you
can see where your items are and thus find things quickly. In the
living room: Remote controls: A great way to store these is in small
wicker or wire baskets.
Odds and ends: We use a wooden
chest as a coffee table and it's handy because it doubles as storage.
We keep some of our collectibles in there along with craft pattern
books and other odds and ends. Another idea for this is to put a
wooden or glass circle on top of a new garbage can. You would then
drape a decorative tablecloth over the top of the circle. The garbage
container can then be used to store your odds and ends and you would
also have a decorative table for fresh flower arrangements or
knick-knacks.
In the bathroom:
Miscellaneous items:
Wicker baskets are great for storing a lot of items in the bathroom.
You can put all your hair styling aids in a large one, washrags in
another and cosmetics in another.
Medicines: For the
medicine cabinet, I bought short, plastic drawer organizers that fit
the shelves just right. I have one for headache medicines, one for
cold medicines, one for owies (band-aids, ointment, etc.), one for
stomach medicines, etc. This not only makes it easier to find items,
but it also makes it easier to wipe the shelves when they become
dirty.
Toilet Paper: I crocheted
a toilet paper holder to hang right above the toilet, so when someone
runs out of toilet paper, there should be a roll in the holder for
easy retrieval. You may be able to find one of these at a craft
bazaar.
In the bedrooms:
Miscellaneous items: Under the
bed storage organizers are great for storing seasonal clothes,
Christmas wrapping supplies, gifts to give, books, and other
items.
Kids toys: The see-through
plastic bins are great for toys because the kids can see what goes
where. You can also mark the bin with a picture or word.
Crayons: Save baby wipe
containers or coffee cans to store crayons in. If using a coffee can
be sure there are no sharp edges to cut the children.
I hope this gives you enough ideas to get
you started in finding a place for everything. If you'd like more ideas,
check out the e-book *Storage Solutions* and learn how you can get it
free here: http://homemakersjournal.com/storagesolutions.htm
Once you have accomplished making a place for everything, you only need
to train yourself and family members to put things away in the
appropriate places.
Copyright © 2003, Monica Resinger
About the Author:
Monica Resinger is a loving wife and
doting mother of two who enjoys gardening, painting, dancing and
homemaking. She edits and publishes the e-zine The Homemaker's Journal,
a free e-zine published Monday through Friday, that features a useful
homemaking tip and scrumptious recipe of the day; if you'd like to
subscribe, just send a blank e-mail to: HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
|
