Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Jewelry

The last day of Get Organized Month! If you haven't had a chance to do all the organizing tasks we've talked about this month, just use them as guides as you get a chance or have an urge to declutter. I know it was a lot of info to digest, but use it as you have need or desire.

Today let's organize some jewelry. If you have a large quantity of jewelry, just attack one area - rings, for example.

I've used jewelry boxes, standing necklace containers, hooks, plastic needlepoint canvas for earrings, and many other systems. There is no right way to organize your jewelry. If your system is not working, you may investigate another one.

I'm currently using divided plastic boxes usually used for embroidery floss for my earrings. I take the top off and can stack them in a drawer. Then I organize according to color and/or season. I use small containers for other categories of jewelry and keep them in the same drawer, so everything is together.

First, take out all the jewelry in the category you are organizing. I had a "decluttering emergency" when I dropped one of my earring containers on the floor and everything went flying! One of those forced decluttering tasks. :-)

Remove everything you don't like, don't wear, is broken, or doesn't have a match (in the case of earrings). If you will repair your broken jewelry, place it in a container to take to the jeweler or put it by your TV chair if you're going to do it yourself. For the rest, repurpose:
- if you make jewelry, take apart jewelry and re-use beads
- if you know someone who makes jewelry, give him/her your old jewelry
- or donate your jewelry to family, friends, or charity.

Toss anything you can't repurpose.

When you've purged your jewelry, organize according to category, color, season, etc. Take inventory - are you missing a color or type of jewelry? If you still have excessive amounts of jewelry, go through the above process again until you have a manageable amount.

Accessorizing your outfits will be so much easier!

My Organizing Playground Interview on Radio Sandy Springs

I had fun yesterday during my interview with Allison Carter on her radio program, Organizing Playground. She and her co-host Sara had three guests regarding meal prep and kitchen organization. I was a bit nervous, but I guess that's normal for my first radio interview!

If you missed it, you will be able to listen to it on their archives eventually. It wasn't up this morning when I checked. I also hope to have it available here on my blog and on my website at some point.

Thanks to those who listened and offered encouragement and support - even though my voice was faint. I'll try to fix that before I put it up.

You might want to put Allison's show on your calendar for every Tuesday from 12 noon to 1 pm (ET) - I think you'll enjoy her ideas on organizing. There are a number of other interesting shows on Radio Sandy Springs which you might enjoy as well - parenting, interior design, pets, health and fitness, etc. (www.radiosandysprings.com).

I put up a special sale in honor of the radio program - a meal prep package: Hassle Free Dinners CD plus Three Steps to Planning Dinner workbook (www.1-2-3GetOrganized.com).

Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Linen Closet

Choose one linen closet or one area where you keep your linens - whether towels or sheets, it doesn't matter. If you're feeling extra energetic and you have more than one place where you keep linens, go on to another area!!

Take all the linens (and anything else) out of the closet, drawer, shelf, etc.

- Sheets. If you store sheets in the area you are decluttering, match sheet sets. In order to keep them together, you may want to tie a ribbon around each set and attach a note stating its size (king, queen, full, twin, crib), especially if they are sheets you don't use often.

If you end up with mismatched sheets because you let your child use one as part of a costume, decide if you want to keep them. They might go with other mismatched sheets to form a set (wouldn't that be amazing?).

If they are in poor shape, you can recycle them as rags, kite tails, for tying up tomato plants, or for other uses. If you have an excessive number of sets, determine which ones you will let go.

With the sheet sets you have left, make sure they fit the beds in your house. If you no longer have twin beds, get rid of those sheets! Put them in your sewing cabinet, give them, donate them, but get rid of them! If you sew, sheets are wonderful assets - great for curtains, quilts, and other sewing projects.

- Towels. Do the same thing with your towels - match sets. Determine if you have
too many, enough, the right kind and color for your "philosophy of towels" :

- use a different towel each day philosophy
- use one a week philosophy
- leave the pretty ones up for show and use other ones philosophy
- use them until you can see through them philosophy
- who cares if they match philosophy.

If you enjoy having matching towels, here's a hint to get more mileage out of them: when you purchase towels, buy extra hand towels and wash cloths. They wear out faster and can be replaced without replacing the bath towel.

Now that you've sorted and discarded unwanted linens, arrange them in the linen closet, drawer, etc. in like stacks - all queen sheets together, for example. Place the ones you use most often in the most accessible place and the ones you use least often farther away.

Doesn't that feel good? Is your house feeling lighter?

Get Organizing Month - Decluttering Your Bathroom Storage

Shall we look under the bathroom sink? If you have additional storage, put it on your calendar for another day. Let's just take one small area today - under your sink, a drawer, or a shelf in the medicine cabinet.

Take everything out and clean the area. Toss anything that is outdated, you're not sure what it is, or it hasn't been used in a year.

Organize according to categories and replace your remaining items. Are there things you threw out and need to replenish?

That was quick, wasn't it?

Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Music

Whether your music is on am mp3 or ipod, your computer, cds, records or 8-tracks - it's time to declutter! Look through your collection and ask yourself if you use it and like it. Get rid of anything that doesn't interest you. If it's in tangible form, give it to a friend or donate it.

Now arrange your music in categories to your liking - style, artist, date, etc.

Do you have enough space to hold your tangible collection? If not, look around for something that works for you. Think outside the box - look around your house and see if you can find a workable solution with what you have - a bookcase, shelves, a dresser.

If nothing works, determine what features are important to you and look online. It will save going from store to store to store - and the selection will be endless.

Congratulations!!

Radio Interview on Meal Planning

Just wanted to let you know that I'll be interviewed on the radio program Organizing Playground by host Allison Carter on Tuesday, January 29 at 12:20 (ET). This is an internet program as well as a regular radio station.

You can listen via internet by going to www.radiosandysprings.com and clicking "stream radio live". For those of you in the Atlanta, Georgia area, you can listen at 1620 AM radio.

If you're not familiar with internet radio, you may want to go to the radio station website ahead of time to see if your computer has the software you need to enable you to listen. If not, there is a button you can click to install it.

The radio show will have a format including questions and answers if you want to participate. The show is from 12 noon to 1 pm and there will be another segment before mine. Allison's show airs weekly on Tuesdays during that time slot, with lots of great organizing ideas!!

Get Organized Month - Organize Your Receits

It's a good time to start getting your receits in order for taxes and closing out 2007. If you have been filing your receits in separate categories, you are way ahead of the game!!

If not, and your receits from 2007 are in a box, a drawer, a file or a paper bag, it's time to take them out and look at them. Anything that doesn't relate to taxes, a product receit you might need in the future, repair/improvements to your house, or other categories you deem important can be discarded once it has cleared your credit card statement successfully. Make sure you shred anything with sensitive information on it - credit card numbers, social security numbers, account numbers, pin numbers, banking info, etc.

Separate your important receits into categories that relate to your life. Total categories that relate to taxes and list your totals - on a spreadsheet, on your computer, on a piece of paper or in another way you prefer. This may take you a while to complete this task, but if you start now you won't be stressed when tax time comes around.

If you haven't filed your receits for this year, create a few hanging files, file folders, or use an expandable file to store your receits for 2008. Use a software program to track your expenses, if that is something you feel comfortable doing.

Good job done!!

A review of the 1-2-3...Get Organized Series by The Organizing Junkie

If you'd like a very thorough review of the 1-2-3...Get Organized series by the Organizing Junkie, go to:
http://orgjunkiereviews.blogspot.com/2008/01/1-2-3get-organized.html. Made me want to buy them!!

Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Kitchen Utensils

Do you have a drawer or two of kitchen utensils? Take a few minutes, take everything out, and wash the drawer. Examine each utensil and ask yourself if you really use it, if it needs to be replaced, and if its present location is the best place for it.

I have a couple of utensil drawers - one by the sink and one by the stove. I keep the utensils that have to deal with cooking, measuring, etc. near the stove and the ones that deal with grating, peeling, zesting, melon balling, stirring pitchers of drinks, etc. near the sink. Knives would go near where you chop, if possible.

Replace each utensil in the best location for its use. I don't recommend the on-the-counter utensil holders because it adds cluter to your surfaces - horrors!!

Won't meal prep be more pleasant with less clutter? Great job!

Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Suits/Coordinated Outfits and Jackets

Look over your suits or coodinated outfits. Do they fit, do they look good, are they in good repair, do you wear them? For those that need a button or a seam mended, take them to your TV chair and mend while watching your favorite show this weekend. Get rid of the clothing that doesn't make the grade. Look through your jackets, including outerwear and give them the same scrutiny.

Organize the remaining suits, outfits and jackets according to style - casual, dressy casual and dressy. Then arrange according to color. Are you enjoying your uncrowded closet?

Now that you have decluttered your hanging clothes in your closet, you should be able to calculate what you have and what you need. You may find that one critical item could multiply your clothing options tremendously. By having your clothes organized, coordinated and in good repair, you reduce your stress level when you get dressed in the morning!

Are there some items that need dry cleaning? Take them out to the car, along with your donatable items, and get it done!

Consider donating appropriate clothing to an organization that provides clothing for job interviews to people who are getting back on their feet. Make a list of the items you're donating for tax purposes. Some possible charities: Dress for Success (www.DressforSuccess.org), Career Gear for men (www.CareerGear.org) or Suited for Change in the DC area (www.suitedforchange.org). Check with shelters in your area for suggestions of where you can donate your suits, etc.

Fabulous job!!

Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Kitchen Linens

How about those kitchen linens? Hopefully this will be a quick and easy task, unless you have massive quantities of linens.

Let's start with kitchen towels and dishcloths. Are there any that are unacceptable - holey, stained, etc? Toss those in your rag bag and use for washing the car and other cleaning tasks. Do you have enough left to make it through a week? If not, make a note on your shopping list. Arrange neatly in your drawer in like-sized piles, with the items you use most often most accessible to you.

What about potholders? They live a difficult life - getting burned and soiled. Toss what is unusable and take stock of what's left. Is it enough? I keep my potholders in the drawer under the oven for easy access. If you don't have enough room, consider getting some magnets with hooks on them.

Do you use aprons? Take inventory to see if you have what you need and get rid of anything that isn't working for you. I have my aprons on a hook rather than in a drawer - saves my precious drawer space.

That wasn't too bad, was it?

Get Organized Month - Declutter a Bookcase

Choose a bookcase in your house or office that needs help. Before touching it, determine your vision for that bookcase. What is its purpose, what do you want to belong in that bookcase? Once you have determined your vision, it is simple to sort through the books to see if they fit your vision.

As you sort, if you find books that don't fit your vision, ask yourself if they are more appropriate somewhere else or if you want them at all. Are there people or organizations you know who would benefit from your unwanted books? If so, bag or box them up and label them accordingly.

For those books you want to keep, determine if they belong in this bookcase. If they do, how will you organize them - according to topic, author, something else?

If there are books you want to keep but not in this location, decide where they need to live and take them there, even if it means making that location a little messy for the time being. If you have the time and energy, declutter that location, starting with your vision and repeating the process.

If you have very many bookcases, this could take on a life of its own!! Stop when you have run out of time, energy, or vision. Add it to your to do list on a day when you think you'll be ready to tackle it again.

Stand back and admire your handiwork - a bookcase with vision! How special.

Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Night Clothes

Whether you wear flannel, silk, or an old t-shirt, let's declutter! Are there things you no longer wear? Don't fit? Excessive? Otherwise unacceptable? Look over your summer stuff, too. Toss the unacceptable. Bag up the donatable.

Take inventory - do you have enough to get through a week's laundry? If not, take note of what is missing, and put it on your shopping list.

Arrange your night clothes with those you use most often most accessible. Put those summer things in the back or on the bottom.

Anything that is donatable, document and put it in your car and drop it off!

Nice work!!

Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Sock Drawer

Let's try the sock drawer today. If you have other drawers for hose and panty hose, do those, too. First let's just dump the whole drawer out. As you begin replacing them, examine them for holes. I like to put my black socks on one side and my blue socks on one side and other colors in between (I have a wide drawer). That way, I don't end up wearing the wrong color of socks one day!

Go get those unmatched socks from your laundry area and see if there are matches to the strays in your sock drawer. If you have other people in your household and they are of the age to do this task, have a family sock day!! Let everyone clean out their sock drawers. :-) Then celebrate by doing something fun.

But I digress - back to the socks. Either toss unmatched socks or put them in your cleaning supplies or painting supplies. We use old socks to rub down our fence to remove the dirt before we paint it. Or I guess you could make puppets with them if you're extremely creative! Maybe you have other uses for unmatched socks, too.

You can get one of those sock organizers if you wish.

By now you have an idea of what you have left. Do you need to replace any of the socks you tossed? Do you have enough socks to make it through a week of laundry? Are there colors missing you need to add?

Now wasn't that delightful!?!

Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Pants

Today let's attack the closet again - this time your pants. Start with discarding pants that you don't like, that don't fit, that are stained or worn, and that are excessive. Toss those that are not worth giving and put those that can be donated into a bag or box. As you are donating, make sure you keep lists of donated items for your income tax records. Take your bag or box out to your car immediately so you will get rid of it quickly.

Arrange your pants into categories: sports, casual, dressy casual, and dressy. Arrange by colors. And if you have different lengths of winter pants, separate according to lengths.

Take note of gaps in your pants wardrobe. Are there tops that have no coordinating pants? Vice versa? Think outside the box - are there combinations you've never thought about that work?

Is your closet becoming more peaceful? Your shoes, tops, and pants should be organized according to color and category now. Getting dressed in the morning should be a quick and easy task rather than a treasure hunt.

Enjoy the peace!