Some Free Advice....

Tips & Tricks of the Trade !!

THE KITCHEN

Use carousels (10") for vitamins, OTC products (aspirin, antacids) in small kitchen cabinets.
Use custom dividers for cutlery when standard ones don't work (great for narrow drawers)
Use "catch all dividers" (aka "junk dividers") to hold scissors, batteries, pens, etc.
Use bathroom vanity pull outs in kitchens to hold wraps (think outside the box!).
Use vertical peg holders for plates and helper shelves for larger serving pieces (use bubble wrap to cushion between items).
Use storage bags instead of plastic storage containers (e.g, Tupperware).
Simplify your menus.....e.g., Monday -- pasta night; Tuesday -- Mexican night, Wed -- Soup (bread and salad); etc.
Get rid of cracked or mismatched dishes/glasses.
Use stacking divider to separate glass sizes within the cabinet.
Use hooks to hang mugs in the cabinet, or use mug holder to put on kitchen counter to make extra room in cabinet.
Lid holders that hang on closet doors.
Get rid of old food & don't store leftovers if you are not going to use them.
Put can goods on tiered shelves.
Stack-able racks are better square than round.
Get special hanging unit for hanging pots and pans from the ceiling, or grids, or hooks from the wall.

HOME OFFICE

Use the vertical space in the room to organize with wall mounted racks, bookcases to the ceiling, use baskets, add shelving.
Mail Box – Create a space for new papers that come into home.
Create action folders or desktop/wall bins--bill paying; file later; action today; actions pending
Annualized approach for transactional files to facilitate easy weeding at end of retention period.
Use of online history vs. paper records but be sure to take system backups!!.
Find space you love.
Renovate closet into a home office.
Set up an 'L' Shape or 'U' Shape workstation if you can... they are more efficient.

CLOTHES CLOSET

Organize clothing by color -- light to dark
Use every bit of space by adding additional shelves or cubbies.
Put like things together
Organize by short hanging, long hanging, shoes, hats

Items in the closet need to be Ready To Wear.
Bin or area for repair, donate, toss, dry cleaning, etc.
Always have clothes hamper as close as possible to closet.
Invest in uniform hangers – helps visually and less clutter
Over the door pocket organizers for clothing (scarves, gloves, lingerie, etc.)
Questions to ask about deciding about clothes: is it flattering, do I love it, is this the image I want to project, do I have more like it? How do I feel when I wear this? Have I worn it in the past 2 seasons, if not, don't keep it!!
Under-bed storage for old sizes/out of season & maternity clothes.

LINEN / STORAGE CLOSET

Throw out expired products

Dividers to separate categories
Use wall hanging battery organizers/tester.
Stack-able boxes with drawers to house one category (batteries, light bulbs)
Hanging door organizers – bottles, cleaning products, etc.
Small containers
Inside-doors wire shelves
Insert shelves when you have fixed shelves
Wire drawers
Hanging devices/ hooks
Cleaning Caddy to store cleaning products in vanity or closet
Hang the ladder, ironing board, broom, mop

THE HOLIDAY'S

õ Holiday Cards

Buy at the end of the season for next year… they are really discounted.

Create a master list and keep it updated. If cards are returned, get a new address or cross it off your list.

Make use of your computer… put the list on it and print labels …or… if you are really good, print your cards and envelopes through your computer printer!

Have a lot of cards to do. Pick an must mail by date, count the list, and calculate how many have to be done each day to get the job done in time.

õ Shopping & Wrapping

Shop online or catalogs… you pay shipping but save time and sometimes money and sales tax.

Choose less hectic times to shop … weekdays & evenings, dinner time, when store opens.

Avoid Lines… Post office on Saturdays, Mall Shopping & Food Shopping on weekends.

Use a paper tablecloth to wrap the very big or odd shaped gifts.

Buy extra gifts… just in case. Wrap in gift bags so they are easy to return if not used.

õ Holiday & Family Meal Planning

Stock your freezer and pantry ahead of time… saves trips to the grocery store.

When cooking double up the recipe and freeze half for another meal that is ready for you.

Cook simple dishes.

Go to a restaurant.

Buy precooked meals from the supermarket.

Have “Pot Luck” dinners… everyone brings a dish.

Find those ‘old’ recipes that you will need beforehand and make a copy.

õ Decorating

Muster the Troops! Letting them do ‘their thing’ (in non critical areas) it might provide you some interesting ideas for the future or at the very least… some interesting topics conversation!

Keep it simple. Less out… less to put away.

Decorate (and store the decorations) room-by-room instead of trying to get it done all at once.

õ Entertaining

Plan in advance. You can never have too many lists where this is concerned.

Have a ‘White Elephant Party”. Everyone brings a wrapped gift they got last year but doesn’t’ like… first person picks… next person picks and gets to keep or exchange with the person before. Lots of laughs!!

õ House Cleaning

Keep up with it… spend a little time each day and don’t let it get away from you.

Lower your expectations, it doesn’t have to be perfect!!

õ Saving Time & Money

Screen your calls than plan a time when you can return them.

Wrapping gifts or stuffing card envelopes is a good thing to do while on the phone.

Use Lists…. You won’t have to spend time or energy trying to remember what to do.

Ask everyone to make gift wish lists of items under $25.

Opt not to give gifts and instead – adopt a family, make a donation, give gift cards, put the money toward a family trip or dinner.

Instead of buying gifts for everyone… do a “Secret Santa” with a dollar limit. Put all names in a hat, everyone picks a name and buys for that person. Instead of 4 $25 gifts one $100 is nice! Remember… no ‘From” Names on the tag!

Starting this year make a “Holiday Book”. Your own personalized reference book to remember and store good recipes, ideas, menus, lists, etc. Then you won’t have to re-invent the wheel.

õ In General…

Lower your expectations … sometimes good enough is good enough.

Let people help you; meals, decorating, cleaning, cards, anything… helping hands are a blessing.

Use a family calendar to make sure everyone knows and records what is going on each day.

Keep your priorities in sight. To avoid stress try to you accept invitations and make plans for events that are truly meaningful to you and your family.

S.O.S.
Simply Organized Solutions
Phone: 631-363-9208
FAX: 425-952-7454
email: contact@TheOrganizingService.com

Simply Organized Solutions primarily serves clients in Suffolk and Nassau Counties
on Long Island, NY but will consider engagements outside that area, call for details.