Get Organized: Part 1

In the January 2011 issue of Better Homes and Garden, Berit Thorkeloson suggest that you make this year a year to get organized.  These expert tips will help you shed all that unwanted stuff as quickly and painlessly as possible.  It is also a great way to show your kids how to get and stay organized.  Below are the first 5 tips:

1. Every three months or so, reserve on Saturday morning for a family cleanout.  Set a timer for 30 minutess and have each person find things in his or her own space to donate or throw away.  Box up the donations and drop them off right away, then reward yourselves with lunch out. - Meredith Schwartz, penelopeloveslists.com

2. Avoid zigzag organizing. Scattering your efforts over multiple rooms prevents you from seeing progress. For visible, dramatic results, work one room at a time, one section at a time, completing each area before you move on to the next. Julie Morgenstern, author of Organizing fro the Inside Out.

3. When you're trying to decide whether to keep something, ask yourself three questions: Do I love it? Do I use it? Could someone else use it? Claire Kurtz, thewellorganizedworman.com

4. A system that's a natural extension of your habits is easier to stick with than one that forces dramatic change.  So set up solutions right where clutter collects, such as a labeled pail for each family member's shoes and other equipment in a bookshelf right by the front door.

5 Give frequently accessed papers (take-out menus, sports schedules, phone directories) a dedicated spot, rather than in a pile on the counter or stuck to the fridge.  Three-hole-punch all that paper, and store it in a pretty binder with labeled tabs. Aby Garvey, simplify101.com

I feel it is extremely important to be organized in order that our child learn to be organized in life.  For the rest of the week, I will share more expert organizing tips.