When I went to buy my apartment everything was in the early stages and I was not able to see what my garage would look like (apart from the wonderful designs that the builder showed me). I was very skeptical about paying that large amount for something I had not seen, but I knew I had to! I moved in recently and my happiness was doubled when I saw the enormous garage space. Sometimes life springs little surprises, some happy some sad, thankfully my garage belongs to the former category.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, Click here

How to Organize Your Garage Storage
Organized space not only looks visually appealing but also provides a sense of well being. Today we will discuss a space that is usually a dumping ground for all the rubbish lying around the house. All the things that lie cluttered in the garage can be organized by installing a good garage storage system. To begin with you need to carefully decide which of the items you plan to keep and the ones you need to throw away. Once you have decided that, double check to ensure that you haven’t put something you need into the boxes.

Now you can finally decide what to buy to store the left over items in. Do not fret because there is a wide range of garage storage units such as shelves, racks and cabinets available in the market. Each of these pieces come in different styles, capacities and designs which make it easier to select one that goes with the other elements in the room. Garage Storage Racks Racks are an ideal way to store most of the things like gardening tools, screwdrivers, pliers and gym equipment. If you are undecided about what to do with some of the items that you have stored in the garage, you could just place them on the racks.

To select the ideal garage storage rack you can visit a trusted and reliable home improvement dealer. If you do not find one, then go to the local dealer or visit the stores online. You are sure to find the right rack from amongst the wide range available in the market! Garage Storage Cabinets This is another option that you can choose while looking for storage units. Garage storage units can be customized, all you need to do is find a reputable supplier online and place an order with him.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, Click here

If you are not comfortable with ordering goods online, you can visit the local dealer and look through the range that he has to offer. Most of the cabinets are easy to put together and are available in a variety of sizes to provide a custom look and fit. These cabinets are available in various materials like wood, metal and heavy-duty plastic. Sturdy, beautiful and customized, what else would you want in a garage storage unit?

Garage Storage Shelves
Add that spark to your garage using garage storage shelves. Garage storage shelves are less expensive than the other storage units and provides access to all the things at home. Not only that, this storage unit only uses a very small area of the garage’s vertical space and despite that has plenty of storage spaces for your things!

Garage storage shelves come in various styles, configurations and materials. You could opt for steel shelves if you want durable, heavy-duty storage. You can also make your own shelves if you want to. All you need is some planks of wood like pine or fir and some tools.

By Rachna Gupta Published: 12/7/2007

Organize That Garage

ONLY put back in what goes in a garage. Either find a place for the other stuff or have a yard sale!!!

Organizing a Garage: Garage Storage Solutions

Organizing a garage can be a daunting task. Follow these tips to simplify the process of organizing a garage.

50-Piece Peg Board Set – Organize Garage and Workshop!

50-Piece Peg Board Set – Organize Garage and Workshop! Works with any 1/8″ peg board. Set includes four 5″ & five 2-1/2″ single stakes, six small & two large curved hooks, six angle hooks & twelve large angle hooks, five straight hooks,

Organize the Garage with Slatwall

If you’re like most people, the garage is the last location to organize. So you keep tripping over boxes, tools, toys, cleaning supplies; whatever won’t fit in the house, goes into the garage, right?

How To Organize a Garage Sale

Remove everything from the garage that you don’t want to sell or cover the items with a sheet or drop cloth.

Technorati Tags: cleaning your house, clutter control, clutter free, declutter, declutter garage, garage organize, Household Organizing, keywords, professional, systems, tool organizer

One way you can do this is to sell items that you do not need any more and get some cash. Think about the extra things that you have in your house or in your office and that you are not using. There are several ways you can sell your stuff and turn your things into cash. Think about selling the items online or you can also organize a yard sale. Why not organize a big yard sale where you can sell your things and invite your neighbors and friends to come and sell their things too. This way there will be a bigger variety for the buyers and everybody will be happy.

If you are not in need of extra cash you can donate some of your things. Chances are you will get a tax break on your donations. Once you organize the clutter you will realize the value of all the things that have been taking up space in your house. Organizing will also help you to have less of the same things. Most of us buy double items because we do not know where the first one is. When everything has its own place you have more space in your home and …. you save money!

When your things are organized and properly stored they will last longer. You don’t have to buy the same things over and over again. Storing your stuff in sealed plastic containers and other special storage (depending on the kind of things you are organizing in them) will help you save money, because they won’t get damaged.

Having your papers organized will also help you save money. Think about the late fees you had to pay, because you forgot to open the mail. You can prevent this by having a well organized space where you open your mail, sort and file your papers.

Does all the clutter in your house and in your life make your head spin? Well it doesn’t need to anymore, visit my Organizing Clutter Blog for easy ways to take control of your clutter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carola_Martin

Declutter Has Become My Least Favorite Word

Our house goes on the market in two weeks. Two weeks.

As a professional organizer, I love it when I have the ‘bug’ to declutter my house! For me, going through closets and drawers filling a donation bag makes me feel lighter.

Friends Don’t Let Friends Declutter

Last month, I began a mission to declutter my house under the misguided notion that decluttering would be a good thing.

Declutter A Little Each Day: Declutter Day 23

Originally, we were planning to move my grandmother’s piano here to the new house and I measured to see where the mirror needed to go in order to be above the piano.

Technorati Tags: cleaning, clutter, clutter free, declutter, declutter house, decluttering your home, garage organize, Household Organizing, organization, organize

Many people are not aware they may be living in a Toxic Home. There have been many chemicals linked to toxins in the home. According to a 15-year study presented at the Toronto Indoor Air Conference, women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home. The study concluded that this was a direct result of the increased exposure to toxic chemicals, many of which are found in common household products.

More than 9 out of every 10 suspected poison exposures occur at home with household products. The most common poison exposures for children were ingestion of household products, such as cleaning substances. Chlorine is the number one cause of childhood poisonings in the U.S. There have been over 150 chemicals found in the home associated with allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, Click here

Recently, The Get Clean line was featured on Oprah as a alternative to cleaning products that were Non Toxic for households. Oprah stated that the Get Clean line was one of her favorites for living environmentally safe.

According to research, over 90% of toxic hazards are caused by inhalation of vapors and absorption of hazardous particles. Also, the rise in women getting asthma over the past 10 years is believed to be caused by long term exposure to chemicals in household cleaning products. Women often work closely with chemicals in household products and this may be a contributing factor to why they have a higher rate of asthma, cancers, and other health concerns.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, Click here

 Toxic Chemicals in Your Home on Intent.com For example, freshly installed wall-to-wall carpeting emits toxic gases into the environment; however, carpeting stops outgassing six months to a year following installation.

Amiable Amy: Hot Tub Chemicals

Hot Tub Chemicals. Do you have hot tubs at home?

How to Clean The Air Inside Your House

My grandma always ‘aired out’ the house by picking a mostly warm, slightly breezy day and then opening up every window and door in the house for at least a couple of hours.

Technorati Tags: clean, cleaning your house, clutter, clutter free, declutter, declutter garage, decluttering your home, garage organize, toxic

What’s it like to work with a professional organizer? Victoria Pearlman, a professional organizer in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, who calls herself the Order Artisan (www.orderartisan.com), answers our FAQs:

What types of people hire a professional organizer?

It’s quite a variety. A lot of clients are professional women. They’re working all the time and have no time for the stuff that needs to get done at home. Busy mothers and people who are chronically disorganized are also frequently clients. Working with a professional organizer is good for anyone who needs a semblance of organization in her busy life. If you just don’t have the time or you can’t get it scheduled, having someone come in and help you with it means you’ll get it done.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, by Yourself -  Click here

How does it work?

It starts with a phone conversation. Typically a professional organizer talks at length with the client to get an idea of what’s going on in her life. Most of the time people call because they’re under stress: there’s some life change going on, or they just can’t take the chaos anymore. Then you set up an appointment, and the organizer comes to the person’s office or home for a tour of the space they want to organize. You talk about a game plan and get started.

How long does it take?

It depends on how quick a decision-maker the client is. Professional organizers help you move along. We’re not going to sit there and look at the box of pictures. That’s part of the benefitwe keep you on task and help you to prioritize what really needs to get done right now. We focus on what’s driving you the craziest. And we help you examine why you’re keeping things and how to let go of items that you don’t love or want. But we’re not going to say that you have to throw everything out. People are afraid of that, too. We help you find the treasures both emotionally and physically.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, by Yourself -  Click here

What does it cost?

Organizers charge anywhere from $50-$250 an hour. Business organizing usually is double the cost of residential organizing.

Should people expect to go out and buy new storage systems?

It depends on the organizer and the client. Many people have all types of organizing and storage devices; they just aren’t using them. Sometimes organizers can see things in a different way and get better use from storage that clients already have.

What should you look for in a professional organizer?

I would recommend finding somebody through the National Association of Professional Organizers (www. napo.net). NAPO members have a code of ethics and ongoing education.

Look for someone you have a good rapport with. You can get a feel for the person on the phone. Just as you want to go to a hairdresser you feel comfortable with, you need to have a comfort level with a professional organizer. The things we’re going through are very personal. (Of course, everything is confidential.)

A good professional organizer will tailor his or her system to you. We work with clients to figure out what works best for them. We don’t just set up a system and leave. We talk, we tweak, we do it together.

How do people feel about the results?

People are always happy in the end, even if they cry during the process. (One client actually did cry, but it was a good thing because she was letting go of something that was a burden to her.) But everyone’s happy because they’ve accomplished something.

So if you’re tired of dealing with the mess, consider hiring a professional organizer to restore your home or office to a place that works.

About The Author

Carol Weeg writes and edits Finding Our Way: Wit and Wisdom for Women, the newsletter for thinking women in midlife. Carol inspires women to explore their lives todayfrom work, to relationships, to dealing with perimenopause and menopause (is it hot in here?). Visit Carol Weeg on the Web at www.findingourway.com to download a free sample copy of Finding Our Way.

This article was posted on September 04, 2006

Technorati Tags: cleaning your house, clutter control, clutter free, declutter, Household Organizing, keywords, organization, organizer, professional

That brought me up short. I didn’t know what she meant until I stopped to think what she was saying. When we get an idea that we are going to organize and everything will be perfect right now, remember the saying: “Rome wasn’t built in a day”we don’t need to get everything de-cluttered and organized in one day.

It is an important step in organizing anything, a room, a closet, a desk, an office, shelves, attic, or garage, or other places we realize it is important that first comes chaos during the organizing process. When looking at the project it may feel overwhelming but realizing physically things will purposefully be undone and many times emotionally we will be undone and there will be chaos, but when focusing on the goal we can be sure it will all be organized and something better will have been accomplished. It shows something new is being created in your life. Remember the Phoenix was burnt to ashes? Out of the ashes it was reborn.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, Click here

When doing many ordinary tasks first comes chaos. For Example: Take clothes shopping for instance. By searching through racks and stacks of clothes, discarding many and trying on others; we eventually find what we want and then purchase them. Once home it is necessary to sort through the bags and separate the clothes in piles according to the person they were intended for. These will then be taken to their rooms to be put away. The shopping experience went from chaos to organization.

For people who sew or quilt first comes organized chaos. There is the process of selecting the fabric among a plethora of bolts of fabric, finding the right pattern, gathering the necessary supplies, cutting the fabric into pieces, then sewing it all back together to make a beautiful quilt. This beautiful work of art started in creative chaos.

When students are studying for a test it first starts with chaos. There are books to read, notes to refer back to, study groups to attend and organizing of thoughts. Then comes the test and it all comes together.

By taking things one step at a time we will accomplish what we want to accomplished and be organized with the least amount of stress. Remembering that first comes chaos both physically and emotionally but out of this will rise calm, peace and a sense of accomplishment.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, Click here

When tackling a room, a box, the kitchen cupboards, or the closet that will hardly close just remember there IS a Tuesday and by starting with one thing at a time, realizing out of chaos comes beauty organizing will be a rewarding and less stressful.

Organize Your Garage – In Four Simple Steps

Learn how to organize your garage with these simple organization techniques that will walk you through how to organize your garage and rid yourself of clutter forever.

I’m an Organizing Junkie

This year is my year to organize my house and my life!

Organize Your Life -by The Organized Mom

Software to Organize Your Family · Teaching Healthy Habits for Life.

Technorati Tags: cleaning your house, clutter control, clutter free, declutter, home, household, Household Organizing, organization, organize

If you are feeling suffocated by your “stuff” or dragged down by a lack of organization, it’s time to declutter. House improvement is within your grasp. You just need to get off on the right foot in order to declutter your home and to get organized once and for all. That involves doing a few things before you touch a single item in your home.

First, you need to reflect on what got you into this situation in the first place and to then devise means by which you can avoid going through the same situations again. There’s nothing more frustrating than finally decluttering your home, only to find yourself back in the same position a few months later. Clutter doesn’t happen overnight and you can’t expect a permanent cure for the causes to come after a decision to declutter. House disorganization has roots. Figure them out and you’ll be in great shape to stay organized.

 To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, Click here

Second, you most definitely need a good decluttering plan. If you’re like most people, the idea of somehow decluttering your life may seem almost insurmountable. There are complexities involved and getting organized isn’t as easy as running through your house, stuffing garbage bags with items and hoping for the best. Professional and experts have designed awesome blueprints for decluttering and you should definitely get your hands on one and follow it step by step for the best possible results.

If you’re reading this article, that’s a very strong sign that it’s time for you to declutter. House improvement can be dramatic and easy if you go about it the right way. Get your mind straight and grab a good plan. Ready, set, declutter!

Technorati Tags: cleaning your house, clutter, clutter free, declutter, garage organize, household, Household Organizing, organization, organize

Technorati Tags: cleaning your house, clutter, clutter free, declutter, declutter house, decluttering your home, household, Household Organizing, office, organize

Do you have too much paper in your home and are suffocating from it? Here are eight timely tips to help you breathe again.

As a kid did you love to play a game where you would all pile on top of each other and the bottom person would be yelling, “Get off, I can’t breathe”? Do you ever feel like the paper in your home is making it so you can’t breathe? Paper piles in homes and offices can become a heavy weight if not contained. Rules to breathe by:

- Do not let junk mail live in your home. Open mail over a trash (recycle) can. Do not entertain it.

- Set up a filing system with tabs on the hanging files for every kind of paper you have to keep. IE: To Read, Bills To Pay, Coupons, Receipts, Auto information, Household tips. I could go on and on but you get the idea, have a place for every piece of paper. You don’t have to file every time you touch a piece of paper. Place it in a basket and once a week file. Yes, it does take some self control but the benefits are marvelous on you and your home.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, Click here

- Do you like to say, “I am a piler,”? As long as that works for you it is okay. 1) Try a vertical file rather than laying the paper down. You can label the side of the file and it is easier to see and you can organize and separate by topics or need. 2) If you want to have horizontal files place a manila folder on top of a pile (you could cut it and have two from one). Write on the top of the folder saying what the pile is. Or you can buy folders that have tabs so you can slip several piles into one folder. This keeps your desk neat and tidy and you can find what is in your pile when you need it.

- One filing system that saves tons of time and is easier than pie is Freedomfilers. It is a system that uses color and is broken down into subjects. There is no need to file and re-file and purge papers using this system.

We all have bills to pay but that doesn’t mean we have to keep the paper around cluttering up our space. I recommend paying as many bills on line as possible. Banks and Credit Unions can electronically pay most bills, you just have to set up the information for them to be able to do the transfer. I had a client tell me her accountant said not to set them up automatically because if you ever close out an account it is hard to get it removed from the list. I have not had any personal experience with this. Notify the companies you get bills from that you want electronic bills, to discontinue sending paper bills.

Let’s say you still pay bills with a check; then as far as keeping the paper work for that bill that has been paid, like credit cards, utilities, mortgage and so forth I recommend after paying the bill only keep one month in your file after it has been paid. The following month toss that one you paid last month and file the current one. It is only filed until the next month. I think the best place to keep bills to be paid is in a hanging file in the filing cabinet labeled ‘Bills To Pay’. Decide on one or two days a month to pay the bills and pull out the file then and pay them, tossing the previous month’s bill.

To organize your Home, Office, or Garage, Click here

I recommend this as a way to keep a home office organized as it does away with tons of paper. If you can verify two different ways that you paid the bill there is no reason for you to keep the paper.

- One way to verify is with the new monthly bill; it will show you have paid it.

- You will have record of how you paid itcredit card, debit card, check, or electronically.

- Your financial institution sends verification that they transferred the money.

By getting rid of piles of junk mail and unnecessary paper in our homes it creates space and harmony within us and within our homes.

Marilyn’s bio

Marilyn is a creative organizer who helps women, seniors and their families create space and end clutter in their homes and offices by setting up custom made systems. Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find solutions to your organizing needs. She offers free tips in her blogs, articles and videos for your home and office organizing solutions.

By
Marilyn Bohn
Published: 7/7/2008

Organizing Paperwork: Say Goodbye to the Clutter!!

Turning piles of paperwork into an organized system

Any tips or suggestions? How long is a reasonable amount of time to save, say, phone bills?

How To Organize Household Paperwork

Household paperwork should be organized by following a systematic plan.

Organizing Paperwork: From home to office to home to office …

Posted in Clutter, Organizing, Time Management, office

Technorati Tags: cleaning your house, clutter free, declutter, home, Household Organizing, life, office, organization, organizer, paperwork

First, here’s a brief overview of how organization works. Everything in your home or office, even your car, should have a home. A place where any particular item can be kept. Now it makes sense that something you use each day and possibly several times a day should be easily accessible. For example, whether you have a home office or an office out of the home, or both, perhaps you might use paper clips every day. These should be right on your desk, within easy reach. Maybe you only use the stapler once or twice a week. This doesn’t have to be front and center, You don’t mind reaching into a drawer or a cabinet to get the stapler once or twice a week, do you? Now, here’s the beauty of being organized. You get to choose. Do you mind reaching into the drawer for the stapler. Then let’s put it right out there within your reach. Suppose it’s kept on the right hand side of your desk. That’s the place you have designated for your stapler. But, you pick it up, use it, and put it down absentmindedly on the left side of your desk.

Now multiply this behavior by 20 or 30 times a day. You pick something up from where it is always kept, and set it down somewhere else. If you do this with 20 or 30 items every day in your office, what do you have when it’s quitting time? That’s right. A disorganized mess on your desk, However, don’t despair, there’s just one rule you have to follow. All you have to do is make an effort to put things back where they belong. Put that stapler back on the right side of your desk! This rule applies to just about everything, whether you are at home, in your office or in your car. As we said before, it sounds easy, and it is; once you get used to doing it. Go ahead, try it and watch what happens. The 7 tips below will get you started.

1. Paper Clutter – This might be the number one organizational problem people complain about, so if it’s yours, you are definitely not alone. As you probably know, the mail can pile up very fast. Sort your mail as soon as you get it. Send the junk mail to a shredder, recycling or the trash basket, unopened, right away. Separate your bills and personal mail. If don’t you have a place for these categories, get two baskets, two folders or two of any type of storage container. Put bills in one and personal mail in the other, But you knew that already, didn’t you?

2. Plan Ahead – It’s very easy to feel disorganized when you are rushed. If you have a lot to do in the morning, try to get a jump on things the night before, even if it just making a list of what you have to do, in the order they need to get done. Decide what you are going to wear the next day and set it out, so there’s one less thing to think about the next morning. If you drink coffee, get that ready the night before. Don’t worry if you don’t have a coffee pot with a timer. Just measure the coffee into the filter, fill the reservoir with water and you’ll be all set. Coffee doesn’t take that long to brew. When you get up the next day, pop into the kitchen and push the brew button on the coffee maker. It will be done before you know it.

3. Keep All The Same Things Together – How many times have you gone through the house looking for stamps, an envelope and a pen, just to send something off in the mail? When we say keep all the same things together, this is a good example. You know you will need at least these three items if you want to mail something. So why not keep them all together? Get a nice basket or any other container you like and store anything that has to do with sending mail in it. This could include different size envelopes, paper, note cards or whatever. Do you print out emails, then lose them? Make a folder for all emails you have printed. In your kitchen, keep all your measuring supplies together in a drawer or a cabinet. Measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, large spoons and your mixer. Paying bills? You already know where your stamps, pen and envelopes are. Make a bill-paying folder just for bills to pay. You will be surprised how many things you can group together once you start thinking about it.

4. Save Time By Multi-tasking – Do you have to go to the Dentist’s office? Take a book you’ve been wanting to read and haven’t had time to do. Walking your dog? Make an effort to take him or her out more often and go for a brisk walk each time. Jog or run if you can. You will be getting some exercise and so will your dog. What’s more fun, walking or running with your dog or mindlessly pacing on a treadmill? Paying bills but want to watch your favorite TV show? Gather up all your bill paying needs and settle down in your living room; watch TV and pay your bills at the same time. Trying to learn a new language? Get the lessons on CD and play them when you are driving.

5. Plan Your Meals For the Week – You can’t imagine how beneficial this is. Knowing exactly what you are going to make for dinner each night will definitely ease stress. Make a list of each meal and post it on your fridge. It will also save you money when you go to the market. With your list of meals in front of you, it is a lot easier to only buy what you need.

6. Put Things Away – It only takes a minute or two to put things away. But how many of us come in the house and toss our jackets on the back of a chair, rather than hanging it up in the closet or even on a coat hook? Enlist the other members of your family to put their things away when they are finished using them. If all else fails, make a set time for everyone to go through the house once a day, pick up their things and put them away. Allot 10 or 15 minutes for this activity. Once this activity interrupts other things your family would rather be doing, you may find they are a lot better at putting things where they belong right away.

7. Add Space To Your Home – Add some shelves to a closet that is a catch-all. You will be able to store a lot more in there with shelves and everything will be easier to find. Buy modular cubes that can be stacked on top of, and next to each other. Many of these can be purchased with storage baskets that fit right into the openings, giving even more versatility. Do you have an half-empty bureau or chest of drawers? Store little used items in those drawers.

By: Elle Dixey

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Now that you know how easy it really is to get yourself organized, come on over to our site www.thebeautifulhome.net to get our Free Report – 50 Ways To Get Organized and more organizational and time-saving tips and also decorating ideas. When you get there click on “Organization” See You There!

Low Cost Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen
A number of items around the house can find a new purpose.

The Simplified Home: Organizational Tools for New Parents
Get Organized! Find the best organizing products.

Home Simple Home
This week my goal is to find my Valentine goodies and start decorating the house a wee bit.

Organize: You might find hidden treasures!
Since being on my huge resolution kick of organizing.

Technorati Tags: clutter free, declutter, home, Household Organizing, organization, organize