Sentimental Clutter and the Possessions Journal

It is one thing to let go of clutter and another to let go of your things. after all, there is nothing good about clutter, but getting rid of the first toy your son every played with is a little tougher. The problem is, the clutter and your things can be one and the same. Letting go of excess not only creates a more balanced and serene home, but it can also leave you better prepared financially. With an organized home, you are less likely to replace things that are lost or buy things you don’t need in the first … Continue reading

Spring Cleaning for the Home Based Business

One way that I have been channeling the freshness and energy of springtime is spring cleaning. I have been making an effort to clean and de – clutter all over the house, and that includes the area where I do my work and the places where I store the items that I use for work. For my home – based businesses, it also means making sure that my computer files are neat and orderly so that I can find things quickly if I need to. I will be the first to admit that it is difficult to devote time to … Continue reading

Using Pinterest for Housekeeping Tips

Have you discovered Pinterest?  I tend to spend oodles of time on there every-so-often. And when I do, discover a wealth of great resources, tips and ideas. One of the areas that I have especially enjoyed navigating is with homemaking.  That’s because I love taking care of my home.  I pride myself in it. Not in the fact that it’s perfect (you will find a cobweb and a layer of dust somewhere) or that it’s the most beautiful house (lots of areas inside are in need of TLC), but it’s my domain. It is where I find my place of … Continue reading

Taming the Freezer Monster

I have a monstrous amount of food in my freezer, and I think it’s alive. It’s a little sticky, and it’s got some nasty hard edges. Yesterday when I went down there to dig up some strawberries and cherries from the depths, it leapt onto my hand. I am sure it was trying to suck me in. I have a freezer packed full of fruit, jam, and other goodies from the rest of the growing season. This is wonderful. However, I must admit that it’s really quite hard to delve into the depths of the freezer and come out intact. … Continue reading

Housekeeping in 2013

Getting ready to kiss 2012 goodbye, I am eager to embrace the New Year.  But I am also ready to conquer what I believe has become a lost art in today’s society, housekeeping. If you think about it, it’s kind of an old-fashioned word.  Homemaking has mostly replaced it.  But it means one and the same. It can also be a concept viewed in a negative light.  It might conjure up images of women donning aprons, scrubbing the floor on their hands and knees (forget the Shark Steam Mop!).  Or you might picture June Cleaver in her dress and heels, … Continue reading

Becoming an Efficient Housekeeper

It’s not uncommon to struggle with everything that needs to be done in a home.  But there are ways that you can not only become a better housekeeper but a more efficient one. Personally, I really dislike wasting time.  Although I enjoy a clean, orderly home I prefer to get on with my day.  In other words, there are many other things I would rather do than spend too much time cleaning and organizing. So through the years I have learned a variety of ways to be more efficient. And it all starts the night before. I have a rule … Continue reading

Organizing Your Front Hall Closet

Last month I blogged about tackling those unseen areas in our home, the ones that no one else but our family knows is a mess. My plan was to get to these areas one spot at a time. I also talked about writing down all of the areas that need work. At first I thought I would tackle our linen closet, since it is the biggest mess and one of the more commonly used areas in our home. But instead I decided to take a different approach. I am going room by room, starting with the front of our home, … Continue reading

Organizing Holiday Decorations

I am a huge fan of Rubbermaid totes. They are great for organizing and are easily labeled and stacked. I pulled all my holiday decorations out of the garage and into the house to see what I actually have, turns out I have something for most holidays it just doesn’t get used because I can never find it at the right time of year. I sorted everything into season and holiday then I bought some Rubbermaid totes in different sizes. I packed everything in the totes by holiday or season and then labeled them. I didn’t want to write directly … Continue reading

Cleaning Up The Garage- Organizing Paint

So my next big project is the garage. Its way past time to get this thing cleaned and organized. I said I was going to wait until after my mother went home but I just couldn’t resist getting started. I took stock of everything that was in there, taking up space, in the wrong place, or no longer needed. One thing that stuck out was a huge pile of half used paint cans. I like to redecorate so I have quite a bit of paint in there. I refinished some patio furniture so there are cans of bright pink spray … Continue reading

Organize Your Clothes Each Season

Closets are a common area to get cluttered, especially when we store things in it that don’t really belong. And clothes can be a real source of your problem. If you live in a state like mine, Wisconsin, you get to experience all kinds of weather. For the most part you can count on needing sweaters or light jackets during the fall and spring months, heavier jackets and long-sleeved shirts in the winter, along with tank tops and shorts in the summer. So when you live in a state that provides different opportunities in dress, you might find your closet … Continue reading