Get yourself together
Start new year with organized home
GENESEE COUNTY
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Sunday, December 18, 2005
By Helen S. Bas
hbas@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6244
QUICK TAKE
Holiday project
In January, holiday decorations and gifts will need organizing.
Local NAPO professional Betty Huotari's organizing newsletter, Michigan
Organizing News, offers ways to store decorations.
For starters, make next year's task easier by grouping decorations
by holiday or season. Also, store decorations by room, so that the
appropriate containers can be unloaded in the room they'll be used
in.
Watch where items are stored, too, so cold, moisture, insects, other
animals and mold don't ruin things. Try clear plastic containers;
they offer protection and make it easy to see what's inside.
Wreath-shaped boxes can be purchased at some craft stores; an alternative
is to attach a hook to the back of the wreath, cover it with a plastic
bag and hang in the closet, attic or garage.
Huotari's newsletter suggests local and online places to acquire
storage items: Ace Hardware; Bed, Bath and Beyond; Target; and www.containerstore.com.
Maybe you don't have 18,000 cans of expired sardines, as one customer
of a junk-removal company did, but we're sure you have some junk
you want to get rid of, or something that needs to be sorted through
and organized.
Since one of the most popular New Year's resolutions is getting
organized, the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO)
has declared January as National Get Organized Month, and it is ready
with professionals to help you get organized.
Its Web site, www.napo.net, has tips to help you plan ahead for
next month's rush of good intentions.
Mounds of paper are a barrier to neat, clutter-free spaces. NAPO
suggests regularly tossing unnecessary papers - don't wait for
a small mountain to build up.
Scanning and storing documents electronically can help too, but be
careful not to just scan in everything - you'll have to go through
those at some time.
Eliminate subscriptions that aren't used and get removed from as
many unnecessary mailing lists as possible.
One collection of papers may help keep life under control - a planner.
NAPO says it should be used as a tool for scheduling appointments,
tracking events and managing contact information.
Planners come in many forms, so be sure to choose what suits you:
paper or electronic; daily or monthly views; to-do lists or lots
of notes.
Where to begin?
Sorting and storing can be a daunting task. Local NAPO professional
Betty Huotari's organizing newsletter, Michigan Organizing News,
suggests using a binder for family information such as school schedules,
association meetings, favorite take-out menus and other necessary
documents.
Sorting can be made easier by starting at the top. Begin with three
large boxes labeled donations, keep and garbage. Then try smaller
boxes or baskets to keep like items together.
Time management is a big part of organizing. NAPO suggests combining
social and business calendars and planners so there is no duplication.
Using a to-do list helps prioritize and keep track of important
tasks. And when working on projects, stay on target by breaking them
down into smaller, manageable pieces and assigning dates of completion.
Small people, big messes
Children's rooms easily can become a mess. Have bins and boxes on
lower shelves so kids can help keep their things organized. Low hooks
encourage them to hang up sweaters and book bags.
NAPO says that if the kids go with you to donate unused items, they'll
learn to part with things more easily than their parents might.
Bigger space can mean bigger problems
The garage and other big storage areas can work for or against you.
Decide how the space is to be used, then stick to the plan. Don't
use the area as a junk depository. Consider floor-to-ceiling storage
units or shelves to gain space.
Kitchen chaos
Customizing the kitchen can make daily cooking tasks more pleasant.
Things that are used together should be stored together: baking pans,
the mixer and mixing spoons, for example.
Drawer dividers can keep drawers from becoming a tangled mess. They
come in wood, plastic and metal and are of various sizes and shapes;
choose those that fit your drawers and the items being stored.
Spend a few minutes analyzing the flow of activity in the kitchen.
Place glasses near the sink or refrigerator; put snacks near where
the kids will eat them.
Oh, and the 18,000 cans of expired sardines? Those were taken away
by a 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, a nationwide company that will bring a truck
to your house and haul away whatever you don't want.
They charge by how much space your junk takes up in their truck
and are available locally by appointment by calling (800) GOT-JUNK
(800-468-5865). Or visit their Web site at www.1800gotjunk.com.
Betty Huotari is a member of NAPO and owns Logical Placement, an
area organizing firm. Contact her at (810) 348-1772 or visit her
Web site, www.logicalplacement.com.
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© 2005 Flint Journal. Used with permission
