No matter what time of year it is, if you’re seeing this message, I wish you a Happy Spring (clearing)!
Here’s the continuation of my list of useful tips that I began in my previous post, in honor of my most favorite of all home-tending practices: putting away.
These suggestions come from a magazine article from Better Homes and Gardens … which I can now happily declare recycled!
- Don’t get stuck without your reusable grocery bags again. As soon as you unload groceries, put the bags right back in your car or on a designated hood by the door.
- Use the backs of doors and cupboards for bonus storage space. Shallow shelves, hooks, and over-door organizers make convenient spots for items that chronically don’t have homes.
- Scrapbooking too labor-intensive? Try this easy alternative: Collect mementos such as cards and photos in a large envelope, one per family member. Once a year, pare down the stack and transfer to a designated file box. [Keepsake Keeper, $30; kangaroomstorage.com]
- “Have a pile of cookbooks gathering dust? Scan and print the one or two recipes you use most often and then donate the book. Same goes for recipes in magazines. Tear out the relevant page, then recycle the rest. Put the pages into clear plastic pockets in a three-ring binder. You’ve just made yourself a customized cookbook with plenty of room to grow.” –Lorie Marrero, author of Clutter Diet
- “When putting away your holiday decorations, keep only items that are an absolute joy to uncover each year. Donate the rest for someone else to appreciate. Then, store your favorites righ. Pack complete displays together in labeled bins, wrapped in tissue paper or bubble wrap as needed. Take inventory so you know what you need for next year, then hit post-holiday sales for good deals.” –Meryl Starr, author of The Home Organizing Workbook.
–Excerpted from Better Homes and Gardens, January 2010, pages 34-41
Next… Spring Forward (Part 3) – Get the energy moving
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