Posted by Cynthia Ewer on April 20, 2019

Memorial Day is on the horizon, and the school year is winding down. It's time to think "road trip" as summer begins.

Family vacation travel can be enriching, enjoyable and exciting--but only if you're organized.

The family that fails to plan for summer travel can end up frazzled, frustrated and longing for the quiet comfort of home.

This year, get ready! Whether it's car trips, plane travel or close-to-home "stay-cation" trips, we've assembled OrganizedHome.Com's best, easiest tips to organize summer vacation travel.   Read More >>

Printables:  seasonal_travel_pre_checklist.pdf seasonal_travel_packing_checklist.pdf

Ready to cut clutter on the homefront--but not sure where to start?

Standing amid the stacks and piles, it can be hard to find a good spot to dive in and begin. Too often, de-clutter efforts fizzle along with the light of day.

This time, resolve to succeed! To get your organized journey off to a good start, try these clutter-cutting start points. They will help free a strangled household from the clutter monster.

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 29, 2019

When the doorbell rings, will you be ready?

This week in the Cleaning Challenge, we've freshened the front porch ... and now, it's time to prepare to welcome visitors and friends.

Lay out a cheery welcome mat. Add extra coat hangers to a nearby coat closet, and find a space to hold guests' umbrellas or overshoes.

Most of all, prepare your heart! A welcoming home needs little more than that oldest and best greeting: "You're here! Come in .... and welcome!"   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 28, 2019

Focusing on the front porch this week in the Cleaning Challenge, it's time to ask, "What's your number?" Can your house number be seen clearly from the roadway ... day and night?

Safety experts tell us that a clear, visible house number is vital to first responders--and it's just plain convenient for everyday visitors, too.

Today, check to be sure your house address number is easy to spot in any lighting condition. Will it need to be moved to a better-lit location?   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 26, 2019

What's the focal point of the front porch? The front door! It's the portal where home meets world, so does it spell a warm welcome to friends and family?

Today in the Cleaning Challenge, it's time to spiff up the front door. Banish the dust and brighten the windows. Polish the doorknob and put out the doormat.

Door wreaths or seasonal decorations bring a cheery touch; consider using Command-brand adhesive hangers to mount decorations without marring paint or creating nail holes.

When you're done? Stand back and admire your home's entrance. You've earned it!   Read More >>

Garage sales can clear the clutter (and score some cash!), but it helps to be organized. For a quick start, try these garage sale printables.

To begin, this step-by-step yard sale checklist is your road map to planning an organized garage sale. (New to garage sales? Get up to speed with yard sale tips.)

Print highly-visible yard sale signs with arrows pointing right, left and ahead to guide garage sale customers to your sale ... and turn your clutter into cash.

Ready, set ... sell!

 

Printable Yard Sale Signs

Printable File:  Yard Sale Checklist Yard Sale Sign - Arrow Right Yard Sale Sign - Arrow Left Yard Sale Sign - Arrow AheadCategories: Events and Travel

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 25, 2019

The front porch: it's where house meets world--and where visitors get their first impressions.

What does your front porch say about your home? Realtors call this factor "curb appeal": that flash of first impression of any home.

Today in the Cleaning Challenge, it's time to step outside your door, and check your curb appeal.

From the sidewalk, appraise your front porch as if you had never seen it before. Is it crammed and cluttered, or clean and serene?   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 23, 2019

With power bills on the rise--and hot weather just around the corner--it's time for an energy-saving tune up for your refrigerator and freezer.

Keeping food fresh while conserving energy can bring a helpful boost to the strained food budget.

Try these tips to minimize energy use and save money on groceries:   Read More >>

Printables:  food_inventory_freezer.pdf

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 21, 2019

Spring is here ... and sports season is upon us. From baseball bats to bicycles, golf bags to basketballs, sporting goods take center stage in the garage.

Today in the Cleaning Challenge, it's time to cut clutter and bring order to storage spaces devoted to sporting goods.

Look over the family's sports equipment, culling worn-out or outgrown items. Need replacements? Add them to the shopping list.

Finally, reach for efficient storage solutions. Specialty organizers, while pricey, can keep equipment at the ready for active summer fun.   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 20, 2019

Spring cleaning is on the horizon, and you could use some help. It's time to try a team approach to seasonal cleaning.

Many hands make light work ... so how do you get the kids to pitch in when it's time to spring-clean the house?

Try these five tips to involve children with housecleaning chores.   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 20, 2019

Summer toys, like the summer season, are ephemeral: they're not made to last forever.

When spring arrives, it's easy to spot the weary survivors of the previous year. Deflated beach balls and leaking air mattresses. Faded pool noodles pocked with crumbling craters. Stopper-less squirt guns and dried-out bubble solution. A solitary swim fin, mourning for its lost mate.

Time for a swift declutter session!   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 19, 2019

Every year, one in five American families makes a move --- and this year, it'll be your family on the road.

No doubt about it, moving can present the organizational challenge of a lifetime.

Every habit, every routine, every tiny piece of the mosaic of your life is tossed at random into a huge, cluttered van, to be shaken out and reassembled at the other end. 

It's a daunting task--but you can get organized and cut stress when the moving van arrives.

Moving on? Try these road-tested tips for an organized move.   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 19, 2019

While kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms usually include built-in storage options, your average garage is just a big white box.

Where will you stow your stuff?

There's no "one size fits all" solution to garage storage, but the good news? Clever storage solutions abound!

Today, review your list of garage centers, then hit a big box store (or the organizer's darling, Pinterest!) to brainstorm storage ideas for your organized garage.   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 18, 2019

March winds blow, telling us that Spring is here!

Warming breezes scour the last of winter from house and garden. Spring rain awakens the earth and calls forth new life.

Meet the rising sap with a new broom. Spring clean indoors and out to prepare home and hearth for the return of warm weather.

Our Spring cleaning chore checklist will help you take care of important seasonal chores and welcome Spring to an organized home.   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 18, 2019

Looking at your garage, what do you see? Chances are, it's a mess.

When it comes to the garage, all bets are off, even in the most organized home. An open space but out of sight, it's easy for the garage to become choked and cluttered to the point that it can no longer support its intended purpose: to house automobiles.   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 17, 2019

Warmer weather's coming! It's time to take to the road.

Will your garage be ready for summer travel, sports and outdoor fun?

Time to bring new order to garage storage areas with a seasonal declutter, deep-cleaning and organizing session.

Ready? We're sorting garage storage this week in the Cleaning Grand Plan!

Today's Assignment:Garage Week

The garage wears a lot of hats, when it comes to an average household.

It's home to automobiles, boats and bicycles ... and all the accessories that go with them.   Read More >>

Printables:  Garage Cleaning Checklist

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 16, 2019

Up in the attic--or buzzing round the basement-it's been a busy week in the New Year Cleaning Challenge.

Today, take the last steps to bring the week's storage areas to a state of clean and orderly..

Tomorrow, the New Year Cleaning Challenge moves to storage areas in the garage. Ready to make room for the car?

Today's Assignment:Wrap Up Attic/Storage Week

This week, we've taken aim on clutter and disorganization in household storage areas. Whether an attic, a basement, or other dedicated storage space, we've swept in with a new broom to cut the clutter.   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 15, 2019

Garage sale, tag sale, yard sale--whatever you call it, the garage or yard sale is part and parcel of the American way of life.

On sunny weekend mornings, slow-moving cars ("I brake for yard sales!") circle suburban neighborhoods as their occupants hunt baby toys and panini makers, auto parts and cocktail shakers.

If you're in active declutter mode, the next stop is your house!

A yard sale can clear clutter and score some cash, but it helps to have a road map. Getting organized for a garage sale can mean more money and less stress.

Get organized for a yard sale with a free yard sale checklist and yard sale signs, then try these tips for a successful yard sale.   Read More >>

Printables:  seasonal_yard_sale_checklist.pdf seasonal_yard_sale_sign_ahead_arrow.pdf seasonal_yard_sale_sign_right_arrow.pdf seasonal_yard_sale_sign_left_arrow.pdf

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 15, 2019

Routing out storage this week and next, we're bound to find items to donate to charity ... but will they make it to the organization's drop box?

Enter the donation station!

A dedicated area in your home for items to be donated, the donation station gives in-transit items a place to await the trip to the donation center. Just like a recycling center, the donation station rounds up donations and keeps them from making a dash back into your home when you aren't looking.   Read More >>

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on March 14, 2019

As we haul out attic and garage storage in the Cleaning Challenge, we'll soon realize that many items we encounter belong in other storage locations.

How to handle these transients? A Closet-Go-Round!

The idea is simple: deposit an open, empty storage box near each alternate storage venue in the house. Lidded records boxes work well, as they can be filled and stacked neatly during the process. Make the storage shuffle easier by labeling each area with a sticky note for on-the-fly reminders of what will be stored in this location.   Read More >>