Donna's Place For Everything

Ahhh…Serenity now.  Organization is my therapy.  Being organized in all areas of my life keeps me calm and sane.  Someone said to me the other day, “You must never sit still at your house.  You must clean up and organize all day.”  Quite the contrary.  I am very relaxed and have plenty of time to do what I want in my home because there really is “a place for everything”.  Systems are implemented and functional for the family so I rarely hear, “where is my…” or “I can’t find…”. Not to say outside forces don’t creep in and encroach on my peace at times, but I do what I can do to  maintain order within my means.  

Here are a few areas you can control to provide a little peace and zen:

1. If your car is your home away from home, then keep it the way you keep your house: clutter-free, neat, clean and functional.  Purchase a trunk organizer to corral shopping bags while you shop so items don’t spill out and roll around.  Do you have returns?  Well, items will not return themselves as they burn a hole on your counter.  Put them in your trunk in this organizer.  Also keep a small roll of trash bags in your glove compartment, and more often than not, clean out accumulated trash. Utilize those public trash receptacles and clean as you go!!
2. Keep your house current.  Once you complete an organizational overhaul, and everything has a place, it is important to follow the rule: “one in, one out”.  If you purchase new decor, replace an existing item and either store the old item or donate.
3. Paper-free countertops.  Kitchen counters are for food preparations, family meals and a fruit bowl.  Piles of papers claim no right to this real estate.  Get your filing systems in place and 5 minutes a day is all you need to get papers where they need to go.
4. Keep your pantry current.  Shop to a list to ensure you do not over buy what you need.  Use square containers to house staples in your pantry to save space i.e. pasta, cereals, crackers, snacks. Less is more when it comes to a pantry.
5. Conduct a 5 minute cleanup every night before bed.  With a “place for everything” in your home, cleanup is a snap.  Before bed, put things away, fluff your pillows and clear that kitchen table!  It is so nice to wake up every morning like you are in a hotel lobby.  Your only concern is pouring that cup of coffee and waking up the kids for school.

This concludes your first organization therapy session.  Now go get yourself a nice drink, kick your feet up and enjoy that book you have been dying to read.