MSN Home  |  My MSN  |  Hotmail
Sign in to Windows Live ID Web Search:   
go to MSNGroups 
Free Forum Hosting
 
Important Announcement Important Announcement
The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
HANDMAIDENS OF THE LORD[email protected] 
  
What's New
  
  WELCOME  
  NEW GALS BEGIN HERE  
  
  GENERAL  
  
  RECIPE CORNER  
  
  COMPUTERS 101  
  
  PARENTING BOARD  
  
  GAMES CORNER  
  
  BEAUTY AND STYLE  
  
  POETRY CORNER  
  
  MARRIAGE CORNER  
  
  STRESS BOARD  
  
  FAITH AND HEALTH  
  
  NEWBIE CORNER  
  
  INSPIRATION  
  
  DEVOTIONS  
  
  PRAYER CORNER  
  
  HOUSEHOLD HINTS  
  
  LEADER TRAINING  
  
  CHURCH HISTORY  
  
  DISCIPLESHIP  
  
  SINGLES CORNER  
  
  ARTS AND CRAFTS  
  
  WORKING WOMEN  
  
  SIG TAG REQUEST  
  
  MOVIE REVIEWS  
  
  MUSIC REVIEWS  
  
  BOOKS & CULTURE  
  
  SIG TAG PICK UP  
  
  BIBLE STUDY  
  PRAYER PAGES  
  LINKS  
  Pictures  
  
  
  Tools  
 
HOUSEHOLD HINTS : 16 WAYS TO CONQUER CLUTTER
Choose another message board
 
     
Reply
 Message 1 of 3 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameRHONDA_FL1  (Original Message)Sent: 9/4/2003 11:04 PM
16 Ways to Conquer Clutter
Save time, money and even find those missing socks

By Laurie Nadel


No matter how organized you are, hardly anyone can claim to have a clutter-free life 100 percent of the time. Whether it’s out in the open or in the closet, clutter makes it hard to find things, costing time and, sometimes, money. “The average person loses 4.3 hours a week from being disorganized,�?says Laura Savino, a professional organizer and owner of Task Management Solutions in Amityville, New York.

Stephanie Denton, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers in Atlanta, says the first step in getting rid of clutter is zeroing in on the most annoying clutter zone in your home or office. The rest, she says, is easy.

Answer These Questions First
1. What’s not working for you? Ask yourself, “What part of my home or office is most important to me?�?and focus on clearing that area. First, decide what’s not working. How would clearing off that surface or area help you? Then visualize what the area will look like and how it will function when the space is clear.

2. Where are your danger zones? If you risk getting a concussion each time you open your coat closet, take care of that first. Linen cabinets are often offenders because we tend to stuff a variety of things in there along with the sheets and towels. If you keep your Cheerios on the stove, you’re asking for trouble. Paper or cardboard needs to be kept away from a heat source.

3. What do you need to accomplish today? Make a to-do list at the beginning of your day and decide which tasks are most important. Separate chores into “home�?or “work.�?You can number the most important items or create a smaller list of no more than four tasks that are top priorities for the day. “A list is a tool to help you: Keep it simple so that it doesn’t overwhelm you,�?says TV producer John Maresco of Farmingdale, New York, who uses lists to keep track of his budget and projects as well as daily tasks.

4. What’s easiest to remove? Select a pile of clutter and remove the larger items. It shrinks the stack faster and shows you’re making progress. Books and magazines are usually the biggest offenders, so sort them first.



First  Previous  2-3 of 3  Next  Last 
Reply
 Message 2 of 3 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameRHONDA_FL1Sent: 9/4/2003 11:05 PM
16 Ways to Conquer Clutter


continued

Get Ready to Toss
5. What pile should this go into? Ask yourself whether you want to keep it, throw it out, donate it or recycle it. After deciding what to do with each item, place it on one of the piles.

6. Am I done with this? Consider whether you’ve gotten your value from a given item. If so, toss it. If you are not sure, ask, “Does this item still work for me? Will I ever use it again?�?/P>

7. Who needs this more than me? Make a list of organizations that accept noncash donations. Some chapters of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America or the Salvation Army will pick up anything you no longer need: clothes, furniture, appliances and books. “Eighty percent of what people save never gets looked at again,�?says Mary Hughes, a professional organizer.

Put an End to Paper Madness
8. What are my clutter zones? What parts of your home or workplace tend to hold piles of catalogs, newspapers and bills? In which closets do you waste time looking for something to wear? How many bottles of ketchup are in your refrigerator? People whose refrigerators are disorganized often waste money buying additional condiments when they can’t find the jar that’s already there.

9. Where can I throw this? Use attractive baskets to hold mail you don’t have time to read. “Throw bills in one basket, letters in another. When they’re overflowing, sit down and sort them,�?says Cathy Costello, a legal secretary in Hampton Bays, New York. Recycle, shred or throw out third-class mail and any magazines you won’t read. If your Sunday paper sits around your house unread, stop buying it.

10. Can you find that receipt? Store receipts and important papers in folders, or set up a binder with clear plastic sleeves. Label each sleeve with the name of a store where you frequently shop. When you come back from shopping, put the prescription receipt in the drugstore folder, the grocery receipt in the grocery store folder, etc. Place the most recent receipts in front of the others so that they’re organized chronologically. This system also works for appliance warranties, car documents and repair bills.

Make the Kitchen Work for You
11. What do I use the most? Ask yourself how many glasses or plates you need on a daily basis. Put the ones you don’t use as much on a high shelf and the dinner dishes up front within easy reach. “People have a major problem with plastic containers,�?Savino notes. Separate containers and lids, then organize them by size. And about those junk drawers: Keep only those items you use regularly in an accessible drawer. “If you need your melon baller only once every three years, put it in a clear plastic bin and store it on a high shelf,�?says Savino.

12. What products go together? Categorize jars, bottles and cans. Put all the soup in the same section of the same shelf. Ditto for spices, canned food and jars. It seems obvious, but we don’t always do this when we’re in a hurry to unpack the groceries and start cooking dinner.

13. Where’s that frying pan? Put the pots you use regularly in a section of your kitchen that’s within easy reach. Place the pots you rarely use on a high shelf or in the back of a cabinet. The trick to making this system work is taking a few minutes to put each item back in the same order. It takes about five minutes but it’s worth it.


Reply
 Message 3 of 3 in Discussion 
From: MSN NicknameRHONDA_FL1Sent: 9/4/2003 11:05 PM
16 Ways to Conquer Clutter


continued

A Few Final Touches
14. Do you even know what’s in your car trunk? Keep jumper cables, windshield wiper fluid, antifreeze and your tool kit in a large plastic crate. Store an extra pair of sneakers, socks, a sweater or sweatshirt, rain gear and a blanket in a clear plastic bin with a lid to keep them dry. Don’t forget to pack a heavy-duty roadside light and emergency flares.

15. Have you won the Lotto? A cluttered wallet can cost you money. If you’ve lost clothes because you couldn’t find your dry-cleaning tickets, missed your doctors�?appointments or misplaced important phone numbers, purge your wallet once a week. “One of my clients never claimed her lottery winnings because she hadn’t cleaned out her wallet for more than a year,�?says Savino. Put your credit cards in some type of order, with the most frequently used facing you so that they’re more accessible. Put those you use only occasionally in back, facing away from you. Separate personal and business credit cards. If you can’t get around to sorting through those receipts once a week, do it twice a month.

16. Where’s that file? If your computer desktop is too cluttered and confusing, start organizing documents. Consult your computer’s manual about creating electronic folders: On most systems you can save files to folders and subfolders, just as you would file paper documents in paper folders. If you share your computer with the kids, set up folders for each of them, too.