How to Organize Any Room Quickly for Guests You Want to Impress

Expecting visitors to your home or apartment soon? Meanwhile, your rooms could use a little sprucing up? Well, it doesn't have to be a daunting task if you know how to get rid of things fast1 Some of the most popular eye sores that make visitors think twice about entering a room is as follows.

Paper

There are all kinds of paper piles in one's home. There is the paper you need, the paper you might use, and the paper you already looked through but just didn't bother throwing it away. Begin, by throwing away papers you know you will not need. File paper you believe you will need to mail or use to support future documents. Then neatly pile paper you plan on getting around to. Store all paper out of site of all your guests. Utilize drawers, a laptop bag, filing cabinet, bin, or box to place paper. Now if you forget about the pile, then that's a clear indication you never needed the paper pile in the first place.

If you have piles and piles of paper sitting in your apartment or home for a very long time almost to the point of yellowing, chances are there are paper fleas in those piles. Don't put those piles near clothes. You will know if you have paper fleas, if you should start noticing itchy skin and small bites on your hands and arms every time you move paper, card-boxes and other paper products around. Consider getting a bug fume which will require that you place it in the center of a room, close up windows and doors and vacate the environment for a few hours. The last thing you want is to be responsible for your guests being bit by bugs while visiting your home.

Shoes

Piles of shoes in doorways and in other walkways are nothing more than hazards. Then there are the shoes in corners and everywhere else, but where they need be-- like in a closet. So find a box, get an under-the-bed bag or bin, or a shoe rack and start organizing. Local drug stores carry these items if you have no time to run to a department store.

Clothes

Clothes anywhere strewn throughout the home is not a good impression even if they are clean. So pile the clothes you know you won't be wearing and put them in a box if you have no time to hang them up. However, if you do have time to hang them, be sure you are getting maximum use of your closet. There are space saving hangers you can also get sometimes in the As Seen on TV household section of your local department and drug store.

Stains

Who wants to sit on a stain or look at one on a wall? So check for unsightly stains on furniture, floors and walls and wipe clean with a mild cleanser. Dish-washing liquid or laundry detergent works for some markings when you don't have upholstery, bathroom or kitchen cleaners. Don't forget to lift up that toilet seat when you start cleaning the bathroom!

Odors

There are so many products for odors, but if you don't have air freshner readily available, you can always use baby powder or a perfume or cologne. Sprinkle baby powder on the floor lightly and vacuum. Spray the air with a fragrance. If furniture smells strange, spray fragrance above the item(s) and let droplets fall. Don't spray directly or the fragrance may stain the material. Use a bleach to kill bathroom smells, but if you don't have that use a bubble bath or body wash and scrub away odors.

Dirt and Dust

Look for dirt and dust on things like lamps, desks, television and computer screens, picture frames, and book shelves. Who wants to be snacking on a sandwich only to look up to see a spider web dangling from the chandelier? Also, check window sills. Although you might not think your guest will be going to the windows or looking that closely at the mirrors, they might. So give it all a quick wipe down.
Check your floor and vacuum. Most people walk into a home and look around then down. Don't get caught with the crumbs and the unsightly messes!

A person who sincerely wants to impress his or her guest(s) will not overlook the obvious. He or she will be sure that everything looks well-organized, clean and smells fresh. So in your haste to make that first lasting impression, don't forget the most important rooms: the bathroom, kitchen and living-room. Be sure there is nothing in view that would make your guest(s) turn around and walk out or think of you as a lazy slob. Always remember people do judge a book by its cover.

By Nicholl McGuire

6 Uses for Plastic Bags When Moving

1. Double or triple plastic bags. Use them to cover valuables protecting them from scratches.

2. Use bags to wrap dishware. When layered, they form a nice cushion to protect items.

3. Use to collect trash, loose items and other things that you don't want in a box.

4. Bawl plastic bags and stuff between spaces in box to keep from items shifting around.

5. Place small items in plastic bags and label then stick in box. This way loose items won't shift around in boxes and you will be able to unpack items easily.

6. Use them to tie large items. Connect bags together to form one large twist tie.

Written by Nicholl McGuire

Shoe Closets - To Clean Up the Scattered Room

How many shoes do you have? You maybe have a few different pairs of work shoes, dress shoes, sandals, sneakers, winter boots, and running shoes lying around your house. Now just multiply that by the amount of people in your house. Things could get out of hand quickly. Rather than tripping over your extra footwear, what if you have one place to put all your shoes. Shoe closets aren't only a stylish way to arrange your shoes, these organization units also make more space in your house.

Elegant Organization
There are lots of kinds of shoe organizers available on the market: flimsy door-hangs, cheap metal shelving, and plastic boxes that could stacked up. Some of these organizers are hidden in the tops and backs of closets or hidden under clothe racks because they're clunky, unsightly, and inconvenient. In fact, lots of these units make more hassles and fuss than they're worth. In addition, they consume a lot of space in your closet that can be placed to better usage. That's why the shoe closet has become popular, especially to shoe collectors who spend lots of money in gorgeous footwear. Why not show this investment in a fashionable cabinetry system.

Types of Design
Shoe closets have a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Certainly, if you have a huge collection of expensive shoes, you can devote lots of money to a reach-in or walk-in closet for your footwear. But since this could get a bit expensive, you might have to change your meaning of a shoe closet. It can be a small wood cabinet placed with cubbies; it can be an antique chest with gliding drawers or shelving for instant access; or it can even be a bench which opens to reveal an organized stacking system. If you own walk-in closets, these gorgeous storage units can be placed inside them to free space in the rest of your house. In either way, shoe closets are a great way to arrange your shoes, whether you like them stored or displayed in a beautiful piece of furniture.

Other Tidy Advantages
Shoe closets aren't only meant for shoes. Now that you own more storage, you could also place other clothing accessories and items in these units. Also, these items come with options: shelving that could be organized, angled shelves that could literally display your quality shoes, and some walk-in closets could be concealed into the walls. Personalizing the look of your closet is half the excitement, and it's so affordable depending on its size and the material. Take note, both men/women own shoes for each type of occasion or event, so these closets could even help you arrange by climate to avoid the irritation of ransacking and rummaging through pairs of footwear.

By Jack Kolbow

Organize Your Recipes and Cookbooks in Five Steps

Have your recipes and cookbooks gotten out of control? Do you have good intentions to get them organized but get overwhelmed when you think about it? Imagine if you could put your hands on the exact recipe you are looking for in seconds! To help you achieve that goal, I've laid out the 5 steps to get your recipes and cookbooks organized using my STUFF System(TM).
Sort
Gather all your cookbooks, loose recipes and cooking magazines. Next, start sorting into piles - cookbooks, cooking magazines and loose recipes. Then, sort your loose recipes into piles by the type of dish (desserts, poultry, fish, meat, vegetables, appetizers, etc). Look at a cookbook to get ideas of possible categories ideas.
Take Out
Go through each pile and decide what you will keep and what you will let go. If you are limited on space you'll have to be more selective. If you use just one or a few recipes from each cookbook, consider making a copy of those favorite ones and pass the cookbook on or donate the books to your library.
If you have a collection of cooking magazines taking up lots of space, tear out the recipes you use or would like to try. Recycle the rest of the magazine.
What about all those loose recipes that you've printed from the internet and clipped from magazines? Do you have more than you'll every try? Toss any incomplete or duplicate recipes.
Utilize Your Space and a System
Look at your available space. Where will your cookbooks and recipes live? In the kitchen? On a bookshelf? In a cupboard? In the pantry? Avoid storing them on your countertops.
~ Ideas for Your Loose Recipes ~
Create your own recipe binder to store your loose recipes. You just need a 3-ring binder, clear page protectors and divider tabs. Lay out your binder just like a cookbook. You've already sorted your recipes into piles - use those categories to label your divider tabs. Then slip the recipes into the clear page protectors. The page protectors also protect the recipes from spills and are easy to wipe clean. Perhaps you can have a section devoted to your family's favorites or a section of new recipes you want to try.
Another idea is to use a portable file box to store your loose recipes. Label each hanging file folder with the categories and slip the recipes behind the appropriate tab.
You may prefer transferring recipes to index cards to store in a recipe box or small plastic photo albums. Here is an example of how I use small plastic photo albums for my favorite recipes. I love using this system because they are always handy.
Fill Containers
Containers keep like items together. Your recipe binder is a container. A recipe box is a container. See how this step and the previous step can go together? Be sure to label your containers.
Follow-Up
Once you have your cookbooks and recipes organized, you'll want to stay on top of them to keep it that way. Be picky about what you keep. If you try a new recipe and it just doesn't work for you family, there's no need to hold onto it anymore.
Think before you print and clip! How easy would it be to get those recipes again when you are ready to make them? When you do come across a new recipe on the internet or in a magazine that you want to keep, put it in your binder and on your menu right away.
If you get a new cookbook, is there another one you can part with? Consider utilizing your local library when you're in the mood to try out a new cookbook.
Make it Happen!
Now that you have all the steps, pick a date to start working on your recipes and cookbook organizing project. Do one step at a time. Depending on how much you have, you may have to schedule multiple sessions.
*Holiday Tip*
If you will be hosting or attending Holiday gatherings this season, start making your menus now. If you come across a recipe you'd like to try, make a note of it and where it is located.
*Gift Idea*
Compile your and your families' favorite recipes, print them so they look nice and compile them into a small photo book. Present them as a gift by itself or in a kitchen theme basket. My Mom did this for my brother and me about 6 years ago. We both cherish that gift of her favorite recipes that she used to make. Every time I make something from that book I think of her and the memories.

About the author: Paula Constable, professional organizer and speaker, works with families who want to make their daily lives easier through organization. She is the owner of Stuff 2b Organized, LLC and she brings understanding, support and solutions to help calm the busy lives of the families she works with.

As The Organizing Expert for Moms, Paula provides her organizing services both in-home and virtually. She holds her tele-classes and Virtual Workshop, Paper Organization for Busy Moms, on a regular basis.

How to Organize Mail

One thing that often gets overlooked when it comes to getting organized is postal mail. Although email has replaced snail mail for most communication there is still plenty of mail delivered daily by your postal carrier. People still like to keep that personal touch especially for birthdays and special occasions by sending cards or invitations. Most utility bills are still sent by post and of course there is still the old fashioned equivalent to spam known as junk mail.

Mail can quickly add up.

The mailman comes around at least five days a week just a few pieces of mail a day, if not dealt with immediately can soon become a mountain. If you set it aside to read at a different time you'll quickly have it scattered everywhere and that leads that feeling of overwhelm. If you put it in one place like your kitchen table it's not long before you have no place to even set a plate to eat. It happens that fast.

It's essential to have things archived and stored away.

Is this you? Then it's time to take control. Have a special place to put your mail as soon as it gets into your home. You don't need to file it right away but it's a good practice to do this at least once a week or else it will start to accumulate. Many people think it's okay to throw away bills but that isn't true. Credit card statements should be held onto for up to 7 years. All of your financial records are essential to prove that you aren't doing anything wrong or illegal. Another thing is that if a company says that you didn't pay a certain bill there is not way of proving that they are lying unless you have the paid bill to back you up. Many people trust the fact that the companies have a copy but they don't understand that you can get hurt if the company turns on you or if they lose the records. Don't think that they can't lose the records. Not every company is organized. You may have misconceptions about how long to hold on to bills.

Keep track of how much you are spending.

Another great thing about keeping your bills is to keep track of how much you are consuming. It's a fun goal to try to go down on your energy consumption. Learn to turn things off when you are not using them. Paying online offers you an added benefit of having the record easily accessible when you need it.

Keep the junk mail under control.

If you are going to enter the clearinghouse sweepstakes, fill it out the form, save the stub and send it off. Have a folder or transparent envelope to put these stubs. Sales fliers are really unnecessary unless you truly have your eye on something. If it's not a product that you normally buy, you probably won't use it this time either. If it's a freebie or a great deal, put it with your grocery list and use it next time you go to the store. Go through your coupons and throw away all of those that have expired. Don't hang on to too much "stuff" since it depletes your energy and takes your time.

What about cards and letters from friends?

If you're sentimental, put them in a box, name it "precious memories" and store it in a safe place. Don't forget to take this box out once in a while together with a friend or family member to reminisce and think about the great memories and fun times.

By taking these steps, you'll quickly reclaim lots of surrendered space from useless paper in your home.

By Ginger Myers

Here's a post where you can learn how to organize office files to have a happier and stress free life. You can also learn how to organize your homeschooling classroom furniture in creative ways.