This week’s organizing challenge is to collect all the old electronics that you need to recycle and put them in one place. Be sure you check and clear out any personal information from the hard drives.
Then, contact to your local municipality and see if they have a recycling center event. If you are in Southeastern Pennsylvania, check out http://www2.montcopa.org/montco/cwp/view,a,3,q,74257.asp. If they do, make the date and address of the event on your calendar.
Happy Purging and Recycling!
If you are like me, saving money has been a main priority in this economy. I found these great apps for the iPhone and iPod to help me save money.
Coupons.com – you can browse coupons and print them write from your device. =)
Key Ring – Put in all your key ring rewards accounts and not have to carry any little cards ever again.
Money Mailer – You know the coupon mailer that comes in the mail, you can view the coupons online through this app from the advertised mailer. No need to keep the papers anymore.
There are so many organizing apps that will help you save money, you just need to look for them. Happy saving!
This week’s organizing challenge is to determine an area in your home that your family tends to leave things and make a useable and organized workstation area. This can consist of a table or shelves, bins for different small objects, and a cellphone/mp3 charger station.
Happy organizing!
The garage is a place for various things – car supplies, tools, yard work supplies, spare keys, bikes, beverages, outside toys, and, yes, of course a car. It’s a place that everyone uses and should be protected from your little ones wondering eyes and hands.
Here are four categories that should be locked in your garage to protect your children.
What do you need to do to protect your children from these items?
First, find a cabinet or two that have a lock feature. They can hang on the wall or placed on the floor. It can even have wheels to help you move it around easily. Here are some I found.
Cabinet that mounts on the wall.
Cabinet with casters.
Tall cabinet with lock.
Refrigerator lock.
Key cabinets with lock – to keep your keys for the cabinet safe. =)
Cabinet with drawers that lock.
Secondly, group the items then place them inside the cabinet and label each shelf. Labeling the outside of the cabinet if you need a reminder works too.
Tip: Using earthquake straps also help keep the cabinet in place just in anyone wants to climb the cabinets.
Keeping this space organized is crucial and it is important to protect your family. Peace of mind is so important in your own home – why not take the time to prevent any unfortunate events?
Happy Organizing!
This week’s organizing challenge is to make a list of three areas that need to be organized. Write the tasks that need to be completed to organize these areas. And, determine completed by dates for each area.
Get Organizing!
We all have them, those piles of product manuals scattered around the house. Where do you put them? Do you have a system? Do you organize your manufacturer’s manual?
Here are three ways to organize manuals:
One way is to sort the manuals in an accordion folder labeled A-Z. Then, sort manuals by manufacturer’s name. Since each product has the manufacturer’s name printed somewhere on the product, it makes it easy to file and find.
Another option would be to use an smaller organizing bin and use tabs and hanging folders. Label each folder with a general group name for the products helps you find and retrieve manuals. Here are some categories: TVs, Gaming, Radios, iPods, Tools, Appliances, Computers, and Printers.
Another option is to use magazine organizers and label the bins by general group like TV, Gaming, etc… Label all the bins if you are using the group names.
Tip: If you have several computers, divide each computer’s manuals and paperwork by putting all the paperwork in a Gallon size Food storage bag with a label for each computer. They you can file it in one of these bins above.
Tip: Whatever system you decide to use, stay consistent and keep the system going.
To keep the files from bulging and to only keep the current products, I like to go through each section and make sure the product manuals are still being used. I do this once every 3-5 years.
This week’s organizing challenge is to go in your attic and remove at least 2 boxes of stuff that can be donated or recycled. How does it make you feel after you take out the boxes from the attic? Did you feel inspired to remove more boxes? Love to hear from you.
OK, we are not kidding anyone, we all know that not everyone looks at their mail every day. We may be traveling for work or just created a habit of checking mail on Saturday’s. Whatever your situation is, here are some option to manage the incoming mail until you are able to go through them.
One option is a cabinet with bins! Label each bin according to your categories. This does take some room. Measure the space (length and depth and height) and find something that will work for you.
The second option is wall mount bins! This is great for people who do not have a lot of floor space. Buy as many as you need to sort your mail.
The third option is bins with lids! This set includes four bins and can be stored in your main area and you will still have privacy.
Here are some tips on organizing your mail to save you time later.
Whatever bins you buy, store them in a place near the entrance or in the main area you usually review the mail. By tweaking the existing system, it will help you remember where to go and what to do. Happy sorting!
This week’s organizing challenge is to go through your linen closet and get rid of any beach towels that are worn and need to be replaced. Donate them to an animal shelter.
This week’s Organizing Challenge is to clear out the garage and buy at least one(1) organizing bin to store kid’s toys (especially sports equipment). Have your kids go through the toys and ask them if they want them and keep only the things they do use and want.
How did it go? How long did it take? Happy Organizing!
Enlightened News Blog and Newsletter by Sabrina Morresi-Quairoli is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at Sabrina's Organizing & Sabrina's Organizing Enlightened Blog.
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