Get it Together!

[Texasmujer]

Tackle one room every month. Here are 25 ways to get organized.

BATHROOM/LAUNDRY ROOM
1. Think clearly! Stsore Tylenol, extra toothbrushes and Band-Aids in clear plasstic bins so you can see what you've got and won't end up limping to the store.
2. Make a mending basket. If you find a torn hem or a hole in your sweater, throw it in. When the basket's full, mend away.
3. Buy a bath caddy. Instead of cramming soap and shampoo along th side of your tub, stick them in a sturdy rack.
4. Stack it. Place a standing shelf over your toilet for extra storage.


AROUND THE HOUSE
5. Create music decor. Don't leave your music lyning around; use stylish CD racks instead.
6. Ket bookshelves be bookshelves. Buy a magazine rack for your mags and keep files for your bills.
7. Save your photos! Keep them labeled in photo boxes until you're ready to piece an album together.
8. Fine-tune your craft. If you knit, scrapbook, paint or draw, store your materials in hanging bins on a wall or in your closet or basement.
9. File bills immediately. Buy a plastic sorter and mark one tray "paid" and the other "due." Put bills in there as soon as they come in.


BEDROOM
10. Get hooked! Stick cheap, plastic hooks on the back of your closet door or on the side of your wardrobe. They're perfect for hanging belts and scarves.
11. Store seasonally. Make room in your closet for clothes you'll need for the next few months and keep other items in labeled bins in your attic.
12. Color coordinate your stuff. When you're in the mood to wear something brown, you should know exactly where to go for the right shirts, pants, and skirts in the closet.
13. Sort your shoes---anywhere other than scattered on the floor will work. Try a hanging organizer or wire shoe rack.
14. Use stacked hangers. Five skirts of pants will fit into one space.
15. Come out of the closet. Place risers under yor bed frame to make room for storage. 16. Designate your drawers---all of them! Assign each one a purpose: one for socks, one for t-ahirts, et.



KITCHEN
17. Spice things up: Keep your paprika, basil and thyme on a fun, magnetic rack.
18. Make room for the little guys. Plastic inserts help keep ylur utensils and small kitchen tools in order.
19. Lift it. Stow small appliances that arenn't used often high in your closets so there's more room below for the things you always need.
20. Be a bag lady. Store grocery bags in a plastic-bag dispenaer inside one of your bottom kitchen cabinets.
21. Model your pantry after a grocery store aisle: Keep
cans with cans and pasta with pasta.
22. Get a rack! Install a pot rack to free cabinets of clanking.
23. Put a lid on it. Fir a sliding metal organizer into one of your lower kitchen cabinets to store lids for your pots and pans.
24. Build a recycling center. Buy three inexpensive plaastic bins and label one each glass, paper, and plastic. Keep it in the garage.
25. Be aware of Tupperware. Stick smaller containers inside larger ones so they don't come crashing down every time you open the door.