|     Overview The flowers are blooming, the birds are serenading, 
              and our house still feels like it's stuck with winter blues. Spring 
              cleaning is a tradition that allows us to freshen up our homes and 
              get a head start on the hectic seasons of spring and summer. With everything you have in your regular schedule where will you 
              ever find the extra time to organize your closet let alone set up 
              a filing system for your home office? And that mail—it just 
              keeps pouring in. We all stress about not being able to find things 
              at times, and we all need to stop apologizing and feeling guilty 
              for not being organized or for the “mess.”  We are busy people and we have to prioritize. What is more important—picking 
              your daughter up from school or “decluttering” the living 
              room? What is more important—meeting your client’s deadline 
              or purchasing a shoe rack? As soon as we acknowledge that we just 
              can’t do it all, life gets easier.  The other important thing to remember is that the clutter didn’t 
              appear overnight. Usually a major life event (marriage, move, death, 
              birth, job change, etc.) throws us off. We get out of our routine, 
              assume new responsibilities, and our priorities. This guide is meant to give you the tools and tips you need to 
              shift and develop a plan to reduce the stress of feeling disorganized 
              and cluttered.  Top 
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 Spring Cleaning Tips Here are some tips to help you with your spring cleaning and organization. - Determine areas to clean and customize lists to help clean 
              your home.- Analyze the reasons why an area of your 
              home is unorganized.
 - Make a basic cleaning supply list, and 
              purchase cleaners for special surfaces.
 - Organize and implement a family spring cleaning 
              day(s).
 - Create an organizational plan for storing, documents, papers, 
              and seasonal clothing.
 - Effectively manage clutter with the 4 container 
              method. (Trash, Give Away/Sell, Storage, Put away)
 - Organize and conduct and garage sale.
 - Implement the behavior changes associated 
              with keeping the mess clean.
 Analysis --> Implementation Grab a spiral notebook and a pencil. Take a few minutes and mentally 
              survey each room. In your notebook, jot down the problem areas in 
              the room, putting one problem on a page. You’ll need the rest 
              of the space on that same page for the following steps. The items 
              on the paper should be parts of the room that really bug you, or 
              that your family finds impossible to keep neat.  For example:  Shoes in piles next to your front door; the table in the entryway 
              piled with mail; the magazine rack overflowing with books, magazines, 
              and pamphlets; the coats, hats, and mittens etc piled in a heap 
              next to the entryway closet. Carefully (but quickly) analyze each 
              room in the house in this way, making a list of the areas that need 
              improvement.  Here are rooms or parts of your home not to forget about:  Junk drawers Medicine cabinets
 Garages
 Closets
 Storage, including attic, basements, crawlspace
 Outdoors
 Tip: We don’t always see the disorder in these areas 
              until we open them and try to find things.  Analysis of Reasons  For each of the problem areas in a room, figure out why the disorganization 
              and mess is happening. I find this most easily done if you are actually 
              in the room you are surveying. All answers are acceptable here, 
              including the fact that you live with slobs. Usually there is more 
              than one reason why an area of your home is continually unorganized. For example:  Why are there shoes piled up next to your doorway? You like 
              people to take off their shoes when they come in. No one in your 
              family wants to take their shoes all the way to their rooms, andthere’s 
              not enough room in the closet for all the shoes to fit, etc.  Why are the magazines overflowing? You may realize that you 
              have issues of Good Housekeeping from the 70’s in there, or 
              a magazine you bought only for the fudge praline cake recipe on 
              the cover.  Continue this process for each of the problems in the room. Write 
              down the reasons for each problem in your notebook, then move to 
              the next room. When you’re done analyzing all your problem 
              areas go on the next step. Step 3: Solutions  Now comes the fun part. Let’s find ways we can fix the problems. 
              Think about habits, behaviors, and tools that can make those messes 
              disappear.  Do you need some sort of a tool for organization to help your problem? 
              Is the problem a habit that just needs to be enforced and practiced?
 Is it a combination of containers or tools and habits that need 
              to be changed?
 Many of the problems you will encounter will require organizational 
              tools and behavioral changes. Keep in mind that the best organizing 
              system of shelves, hooks, and labels does no good if it isn’t 
              utilized.
 For example:  The junk mail is piling up on your table. Do you need a sorter 
              directly on the table? Maybe the person going through the mail initially 
              needs to be responsible for sorting out the junk (which is 98% of 
              the mail at my house). If you have a lot of different people in 
              your home that receive mail, try giving each person in the house 
              their own mail organizer in their rooms. Older children could then 
              be responsible for their own mail, thinning out the amount you have 
              to go through. What about switching your family to automated bill 
              paying? Many utility companies today allow your utility bills to 
              be deducted from your checking account automatically. You may still 
              receive mail concerning receipt of payment, but at least these can 
              be filed easily without worry that you’ll forget to pay.  Don’t forget about tools that may aid you in organizing problem 
              areas. What if you put an over-the-door shoe organizer in the entryway 
              closet? Do you need extra coat hooks? Would a bowl on the entry 
              table specifically for keys eliminate the chances of having to dash 
              around the house for 15 minutes in search of them every morning? 
              Try to come up with brainstorm ideas for each problem.  Find solutions to the problems that annoy you most. Check the detailed 
              room links on this website and the general links provided to find 
              some solutions. Call your friends and ask them what they do to combat 
              the problem. Enlist your family’s help to find out what would 
              enable them to organize more effectively. If you hold a family meeting 
              where everyone has a voice, you may find that those slovenly family 
              members actually have good ideas. Make decisions about what you 
              are going to try in your own home. Write down the solutions you’ve 
              decided on.  Implementation.  If when you went through your home you had only a few problem areas, 
              then you’re lucky and you can probably implement all of your 
              changes immediately. Begin by making a list of the tools needed 
              from your lists of solutions (Step 3). Buy the tools that you need 
              and set them up in their new home. Warning: organizational tools 
              will not help if you don’t use them! You must also start to 
              implement the behavior changes associated with keeping the mess 
              clean.  Force yourself to remember to put your keys in the new bowl. Enlist 
              your family’s help. If they see dad’s keys on the kitchen 
              sink, have them take the keys and put them in the key bowl. You 
              may find that initially some family members (I’m not naming 
              names) find it annoying that their routine of keeping their things 
              wherever they happen to throw them down is being interrupted. Be 
              patient. The relief of always knowing where these items are will 
              win them over in the end.  Keep yourself and your family honest by reviewing the room with 
              your list in hand once a day. It may be best to do this at the same 
              time each day. If it was done right before dinner, the family could 
              then discuss problems or successes over the meal. Have you kept 
              up with the changes needed? Have others? Evaluate yourself daily 
              until the room suddenly seems to have removed itself as the source 
              of your frustration.  If you have substantially more work to do, do not expect that you 
              will be able to instantly do the changes that you desire, especially 
              if your solutions involved hundreds of dollars of organizing equipment. 
              It may be necessary for you to pick one room at a time to overhaul. 
              Follow the same steps for the overachievers above who are already 
              almost perfect. If you have a lot to do in one room you may have 
              to set aside a Saturday to put together and install shelves, racks, 
              etc. Try to involve your family as much as possible. Add other rooms 
              and areas of your home as you see how you and your family maintain 
              the ones that you’ve begun. If you are diligent there may 
              actually be a day when someone says, “Have you seen my…” 
              and you’ll be able to answer, Yes!”  Top 
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 Basic Cleaning Supplies Dusting Supplies Cleaning Cloths Dust Mop or
 Vacuum Cleaner Dusting Attachment
 Dusting Spray and/or
 Furniture Polish
 Trash Supplies Trash CansTrash Can Liners
 Baking Soda
 Recycling Bins
 General Surface Supplies All-Purpose CleanerKitchen Cleaner or Wipes
 Bathroom Cleaner or Wipes
 Sponges
 Paper Towels
 Scrubbers
 Gloves
 Special Surface Supplies Oven CleanerStone Cleaner
 Dish Soap
 Automatic Dishwasher Detergent
 Oven Cleaner
 Stone Cleaner
 Dish Soap
 Wood Polish
 Upholstery Spot Remover
 Leather Cleaner
 Laundry Soap
 Laundry Stain Remover
 Laundry Additvies
 Toilet Bowl Cleaners
 Soft Scrubbing Cleaner
 Air Freshener
 Glass Cleaner
 Bleach
 Silver or Metal Polish
 Floor Cleaning Supplies Broom Dustpan
 Vacuum Cleaner
 Mop
 Mop Bucket
 Mopping Solution
 Floor Polish
 Storage and Organizing Supplies Storage ContainersLabels or Labelmaker
 Filing System
  Top 
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 4 Container Method 
              to Manage Clutter Organizing the Method Have you ever tried to get rid of the clutter in your home? Haphazardly 
              we walk through our homes searching for stuff we don’t need. 
              Oddly enough each item seems to call out to us with its greater 
              purpose in the scheme of our lives. You’ve heard the phrase 
              that clutter takes on a life of its own, well now it is time for 
              drastic measures that give clutter a life far away from yours. The Categories Find 4 boxes and label them with the 4 categories.  Trash  Give Away/Sell  Storage  Put away  Trash- This should include any item that you do not need or want, 
              but that is not donatable or sellable. Damaged and broken items 
              should be included in the trash if they are not worth someone buying 
              it and repairing it.  Give Away/Sell- Be generous. Think about the uses someone else 
              might get out of the items vs. the use it gets in your home buried 
              in cabinets or closets. Consider the financial benefits of selling 
              your stuff at a garage sale.  Storage- Put items in here that you cannot part with but do not 
              need on a regular basis. Make an inventory of the items as you box 
              them. Group similar items together. Remember one good way to clean 
              out closets is to store out of season clothing. Get tips on proper 
              storage of clothing.  Put Away- This should be your smallest category. These are items 
              that need to be out on a regular basis. Monitor yourself by determining 
              if you have a place for each item. If the items in this box will 
              not fit into your home without cluttering an area up, try to reassess 
              if you really need them. If you do need these “essentials”, 
              try to come up with a storage solution that fits into your home.  Top 
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 Creating a Cleaning 
              Schedule Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Seasonal Cleaning Tasks Creating a cleaning schedule can be a confusing job. How often 
              do cleaning tasks need to be performed? How long does a particular 
              job take? What chores are considered daily, weekly, monthly, or 
              seasonal tasks? The truth is that no one schedule will work perfectly 
              for the same two people. If your home has small children, you may 
              find that weekly tasks need to be performed daily to prevent getting 
              behind. If you live alone, some daily tasks may only need to be 
              done weekly. Allergy sufferers, and people with breathing issues 
              may need to perform certain tasks on a more frequent basis. Use 
              the following guidelines as a starting point to developing your 
              own daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning schedule. Daily Cleaning Chores Daily cleaning chores are the absolute minimum that must be done 
              on a daily basis to keep a home clean. Depending on the type of 
              household you live in, some of these chores may even need to be 
              done more than once during a day. Weekly Cleaning Chores Although most of these chores don’t require daily work, they 
              are still some of the most important tasks that need to be done 
              in our homes. Some items may need to be completed more often. Scheduling 
              these chores in addition to your daily chores will help you maintain 
              order and cleanliness in your home. Monthly Cleaning Chores Monthly cleaning chores are my favorite weekend chores. These are 
              areas of your home that can afford to be neglected during your daily 
              and weekly cleaning sessions, but ultimately a good thorough monthly 
              cleaning is needed. Seasonal Cleaning Chores Although seasonal cleaning chores are important, they are usually 
              the most forgotten parts of home maintenance. Our attention is only 
              needed in these areas two to three times a year, but it is vital 
              to maintaining and cleaning our homes.  Top 
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 Daily, Weekly, Monthly, 
              and Seasonal Cleaning Chores Daily Cleaning Chores - What You Need To Do 
              Daily  1. Clean Dishes Why Clean Dishes Daily Maybe you've never seen what happens to a sinkful of dishes left 
              to sit, but it isn't pretty. Smells, stains, and odd fungal growth 
              usually go with forgotten dirty dishes. Cleaning dishes daily is 
              the best choice all around. 2. Wash Laundry Why Wash Laundry Daily Not every family needs to wash laundry daily, but many of us find 
              that at least a daily load of laundry is necessary. With work clothes, 
              school uniforms, soccer practice clothes, and sports uniforms, our 
              families can generate a lot of dirty clothes. A daily load can help 
              prevent a mad dash to find a baseball jersey in the bottom of a 
              hamper. 3. Tidy Up Why Tidy Up Daily Doing a little clutter control on a daily basis keeps your home 
              ready for company at a moment's notice. A few minutes of picking 
              up each day also prevent your home from turning into a disaster 
              zone that will take hours to plow through. A tidy room makes a big 
              difference in our motivation to tackle bigger projects. Use the 
              15 Minute Cleanups as a daily help to keep your main rooms ready 
              for visitors. 4. File Papers Why File Papers Daily If you don't file daily, you risk piles of papers on every surface 
              in your home. Between junk mail, letter offers, school papers, and 
              receipts, paper can overtake our homes before we even realize it. 
              It only takes a few minutes each day to prevent a major pileup. Weekly Cleaning Chores - 
              What To Clean Weekly Vacuuming  Vacuuming your home on a weekly basis prevents buildups of dust 
              that can trigger allergies and respiratory issues for your family 
              and guests. While high traffic areas may need to be vacuumed on 
              a daily basis, other areas of the home need a good once-over once 
              a week. Vacuuming flooring adds years to the life of your floors. Don't Forget to Vacuum... CarpetsRugs
 Stairs
 Furniture
 Hard Floors
 Dusting Through no fault of our home, dust collects on every surface, leading 
              to breathing issues, dull looking surfaces, and the need to dust 
              weekly. A good weekly dusting staves off the need for more in depth 
              cleaning on a regular basis. Be sure to dust from top to bottom 
              to prevent settling. Consider using a vacuum attachment to suck 
              up the dust, or a good microfiber cloth to trap dust particles. Don't Forget to Dust... FurnitureWindowsills
 Wall Coverings
 Cobwebs
 Ceiling Fans
 Cleaning There are some areas of our homes that receive such frequent use, 
              they need to be tended to on a weekly basis. This preventative cleaning 
              keeps these rooms and areas ready to serve our home, and keeps buildups 
              of dirt and damage from requiring more intense cleaning later. Don't Forget to Clean... Entry and Patio DoorsShake Out Door Mats
 Straighten Books and Magazines
 Clean Bathrooms
 Change Linens in All Rooms
 Clean Kitchen Sink
 Toaster
 Stovetops
 Wipe Down Kitchen Appliances
 Microwave (inside and out)
 Spot Clean Walls
 Clean Leftovers from Fridge
 Gather and Take Out Trash
 Monthly Cleaning Chores 
              - What To Clean Monthly Dust Ceiling Fans If it has been awhile since you've cleaned your ceiling fan, take 
              a look up. You're likely to see a ton of dust and dirt clinging 
              to your ceiling fans. Dust the ceiling fan at least once a month 
              to keep it looking nice and functioning well. Clean Light Fixtures Cleaning light fixtures on a monthly basis keeps your globes and 
              fixtures from dulling and becoming encrusted with dust and bug remains. 
             Dust Air Vents You may not notice the air vents in your home regularly, but they 
              can quickly buildup dust around the vent and wall areas. Dust them 
              down monthly to keep dust from blowing out into your rooms. Clean Walls  Even families without small children will discover occasional marks 
              on the walls of their home. Spot clean the walls of your home to 
              remove crayon marks, furniture scuffs, dust, and splatters. Food 
              preparation, eating areas, and the place you store your trash will 
              be likely candidates for a monthly wall wipe-down. Clean Window Treatments Curtains and drapes may need to be washed, cleaned, or dusted out 
              on a monthly basis. Blinds that attract dust will need to be wiped 
              down as well. Be sure to check the manufacturer's instructions for 
              your window treatments before cleaning. Dust Intensively  Besides the quick dusting that you do on a daily and weekly basis, 
              more intensive dusting needs to be done monthly. Dust behind furniture 
              and appliances. Dust window sills, ceilings, and baseboards. Don't 
              forget to dust down doors, molding, and hidden corners were cobwebs 
              may form. Vacuum Inside Furniture I don't know how so much stuff finds its way into the depths of 
              the sofa, but a monthly cleaning and vacuuming is likely to reveal 
              many long lost items, and quite a bit of dirt. Go down into the 
              crevices to pull out items that need to be kept. Next, vacuum out 
              the inside of the couch. Clean Windows A monthly cleaning for windows includes cleaning the inside of 
              the glass and wiping down the windowsills. Use a glass cleaner to 
              remove streaks and spots on the interior of the windows. If you 
              wait for an overcast day, you'll reduce the streaking and spotting 
              on the glass. Spot Treat Carpet and Upholstery Check for spots on the carpet and upholstery and spot treat the 
              stains. Be sure to test the stain treater in an inconspicuous spot 
              before applying liberally. If it's been awhile since your carpet 
              was last cleaned, it may be time to schedule a shampooing. Check Smoke Alarms Double check that your smoke alarm is functioning properly. Change 
              the batteries if needed. Be sure to dust down the smoke alarm to 
              keep it in working order. Change Filters To keep your air conditioner running smoothly, you'll need to change 
              the filter monthly. This is a good time to check your vacuum cleaner 
              filters and clean or replace them. Deep Clean Appliances Our appliances take a lot of abuse. At least once a month, treat 
              them to a deep cleaning that renews them to their original glory. 
              Use a good oven cleaner to remove baked on drips and overflows from 
              your oven. Remove everything from your refrigerator and freezer 
              and wipe them down thoroughly. Toss any outdated food. Be sure to 
              place new boxes of baking soda in both to help control odors. Scrub 
              down the inside and outside of your microwave oven. Seasonal Cleaning Chores 
              - What To Clean Seasonally Windows A thorough window cleaning each season will remove a huge amount 
              dirt and grime. It's also a good time to check the weatherstripping 
              and seals of your windows to make sure no repairs are needed. Exterior Doors Wipe down the outside of your exterior doors seasonally to remove 
              months worth of dirt. This periodic cleaning will keep your entrances 
              looking fresh and clean, and prevent permanent staining on your 
              doors. Outdoor Areas We may focus much of our attention on the inside of our homes, 
              but occasionally the outside needs some attention too. Clean grills, 
              patio furniture, and gutters. Landscaping may need some cleanup 
              and attention too. Heating and Cooling Units Seasonally, be sure to inspect and perform maintenance on your 
              heating and cooling units. Replace filters. Clean vents and make 
              sure that no furniture or other debris are blocking vents. A professional 
              inspection and maintenance can be a great way to keep your heating 
              and cooling units in working order. Don't forget about fireplace 
              maintenance as well. Appliance Maintenance Maintaining some of our expensive appliances is as simple as an 
              occasional inspection. Inspect hoses and cords on your appliances. 
              Vacuum the coils on your refrigerator. Cleaning the vent and exhaust 
              areas of your dryer seasonally will prevent a fire. Clean lint and 
              debris from around your dryer as well, and be sure to examine hoses 
              for signs of damage. Clutter Control A seasonal closet overhaul is a great idea to keep closet areas 
              from overflowing with junk. Go through all of your closets and pantry 
              to remove clutter and organize. Be sure to make sure seasonal clothing 
              is being stored properly. Declutter and Begin  Top 
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 Garage Sale Organizing Sometimes the pile of “garage sale stuff” in your home 
              doesn’t seem worth the effort involved in organizing a sale. 
              Take heart. In just a few steps a week you can organize an extremely 
              successful sale and clear out the clutter from your home.  Week 1  Declutter and Gather in Bedrooms and Closets. Learn to declutter 
              the entire house. Organize and meet initially with neighbors and family to have a 
              “Block Sale.”  Make up a flyer inviting everyone to participate in a block garage 
              sale. Make sure to list a time for interested parties to get together 
              to meet. Having individual sales at each home will make the block 
              an attraction without having to coordinate setup and pricing with 
              a large group of individuals. Basically the group needs to decide 
              on a day about 4 weeks away. Advertising strategies can be discussed. 
              The cost of a newspaper ad could be split between participants. 
              Decide ahead of time to not allow early sales as a courtesy to neighbors 
              who may not be participating, and to customers who may be disappointed 
              on arriving on time to find the item they wanted sold.  If there is no one interested in participating in the sale in 
              your neighborhood, coordinate friends and family to participate. 
              Larger sales attract more people. Check out the regulations for your community.  Does each household need a permit?What are the regulations for advertising with signs?
 What are the time and day constraints for your community
 Begin saving plastic grocery bags to use.
 Declutter and Finalize Week 2  Declutter and Gather in Living Areas.  Finalize plans for a date and time frame.  Inform interested neighbors and family.  Decide on advertising. If your home is in an area with a lot of 
              traffic, signs may be enough to drive people to your sale. Consider 
              advertising at online sites like Garage Sale Source or G-Sale.If you really want to ensure a good turnout, advertise in the newspaper. 
              Garage sale enthusiasts use the newspaper to decide which sales 
              they will visit. List your one of a kind items. Stress items you 
              know people will be looking for (brand name kids clothes, baby items, 
              tools, fishing equipment, furniture, specific collectibles, Little 
              Tykes toys, etc.) Make sure to list your address, date, and time. 
              Be sure to stress “No early sales.”
  Arrange for a babysitter if needed for the date of the sale. Declutter, Gather, and Sort Week 3  Declutter and Gather in Storage Areas, Attic, Garage, Sheds, etc. 
             Gather supplies.  Coat hangers for clothes.Tables for items.
 Boxes for free items.
 Posters for posting prices. This will keep you from having to answer 
              pricing questions.
 Grocery sacks to bag items.
 Tagging items, (masking tape, tags, markers, etc.)
 A rack to hang clothes on.
 Drinks and snacks to sell to hungry thirsty customers.
  Begin sorting items according to price. Then price the sorted 
              piles. Find an appropriate donation site for items leftover. Call ahead 
              to determine if the charity will pick up the donations after the 
              sale. Be sure to find out what items they will not accept. Finish Up, Plan, Sell, and Donate Week 4  Declutter Kitchen and any leftover areas of your home. Sort items into category groups like clothing by size, books, knickknacks, 
              house wares, tools, toys, baby items, movies, etc. Finish pricing items. Remember your goal is to get rid of this 
              stuff. Plan out your yard area. Big items line the driveway to attract 
              people. Clothing on racks. A giveaway box. Kids with a concession 
              stand. Get lots of change to use for the sale.  The Day Of:  Don’t sleep in. Take the time early in the day to get ready 
              and set up. Customers will begin coming as soon as you’ll 
              let them in. The early morning is one of your busiest times. Post signs in the places you’ve planned. Setup all of your tables, items, concessions, etc. Sell, Sell, Sell. Be prepared for customers to bargain. Donate the rest. Don’t let yourself bring the clutter back 
              in. Remind yourself that you don’t need it. Take down any signs promptly.  Garage sales are a great way to get rid of clutter and make your 
              home more organized. Following this four week plan will allow you 
              to free up space in your home while filling up your wallet.  Top 
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 Organizing and 
              Setting up your Home Office Setting up or renovating your home office Even the smallest home office provides an opportunity to establish 
              a space custom-tailored to your personal tastes and work habits. 
              Choose the furnishings wisely and arrange them efficiently to create 
              an office you'll be comfortable and productive in.
 1. Measure the room and make a rough blueprint, including locations 
              of windows, doors, electrical outlets and heating ducts. Cut out 
              paper shapes to scale for furniture and large pieces of equipment 
              so you can experiment with different layouts.
 2. Position your desk first. If space allows, an L- or U-shaped 
              desk is ideal. Pair it with a good chair, preferably one that is 
              ergonomically sound. If your chair's height is not adjustable, get 
              a footrest to ease the strain on your back. Add a hinged drop leaf 
              to the shorter end of an L-shaped desk. Flip it up when you need 
              more work space.  3. Use several adjustable task lights in the room rather than relying 
              on a single ceiling fixture. Reducing overhead lighting will cut 
              down the glare on a monitor's screen. 4. Place a small table (one of the most underrated home office 
              furnishings) alongside the desk. A two-tiered unit is ideal; use 
              the lower shelf for reference material, the upper for a file of 
              items you're currently using. If space allows, place a large table 
              parallel to your desk. You'll find it incredibly useful for laying 
              out research material or large projects in progress. Folding tables 
              are cheap, portable and storable. 5. Track your workflow and arrange furnishings accordingly. Frequency 
              of use is the key to location. Put those things you use most often 
              closest to you and equipment you use less frequently on a credenza 
              or bookshelf. Don't devote prime real estate in your office to a 
              fax machine or copier that you need only occasionally, for instance. 6. Add a second comfortable chair, along with a good reading light, 
              to the room. It's relaxing to get up from your desk chair occasionally 
              and do some of your reading in a different chair. 7. Set a tiny table--or hang a single shelf--right next to the 
              door to hold outgoing mail. Now you'll never leave the room without 
              the letters and parcels that need to leave with you.  Overall Tips & Warnings Mount your computer monitor on a swing arm to save space on a small 
              desktop. Add a drafting table if you do much drawing or writing by hand. 
              An angled surface for this type of work will reduce pressure on 
              your neck.
 If you tend to cradle the telephone receiver against your shoulder 
              during long conversations, you're inviting neck and shoulder muscle 
              spasms. Keep pain at bay with a headset. When it's not in use, hang 
              it from a small hook attached to the side of your desk. A hallway just outside the office door can be a good location for 
              a narrow bookcase to hold reference materials or backup supplies. Add storage space inexpensively by mounting kitchen cabinets from 
              a salvage store on the wall above your desk. Look for cabinets designed 
              to go under the kitchen counter; they're usually more spacious than 
              standard upper cabinets. 
 Tips to Organizing your Home Office
 Volumes of articles, books and manuals have been written on time 
              management and organization in the workplace. We read all with good 
              intentions, but seldom follow through with any real commitment. 
              What does it mean to be organized? I approach it from the standpoint 
              of control. Quite simply, being organized is being in control - 
              to know the status of every aspect of your business at all times. 
              That is, be in control of your work day, which results in having 
              more confidence in yourself when dealing with customers, competitors 
              and supervisors. Let's touch on a few easy ways to begin the process. A messy, cluttered office can result in incomplete work, missed 
              deadlines and lost information. Your desk is not a storage locker, 
              it's a work surface. It is time to remove those piles of paper occupying 
              your desktop, floor and shelves, or start charging them rent. The 
              worst decision you can make is not making a decision about those 
              piles, because no paperwork decision = greater paper buildup. All 
              documents need to have a home, just as your silverware, pots and 
              pans and dishes have their specific homes in your kitchen. There 
              really aren't very many choices for processing paper. Tossing them 
              into the circular file is a very good option for some. Others to 
              files for future reference, or your follow up system for papers 
              you need at some later time, plus an ongoing project system, or 
              passing some on to staff if you can. Remember, the time spent searching through your office for a piece 
              of paper, phone number or customer's address is unproductive time. 
              Allowing a few minutes each day to process your paperwork pays off 
              in time saved. As your business grows, so does the amount of paper. 
              Don't let it pile up, as this is when you lose control and miss 
              opportunities. Control how others affect your productivity. Where is it written 
              that every time the phone rings you MUST answer it? If the constant 
              intrusions cut your productivity, decide when you will answer it 
              and when you will let others (staff, voice mail or a message recorder) 
              answer the phone for you.Occasionally you will need quiet time to 
              work on a project or report, to prepare a speech or presentation, 
              or work up an estimate. That's when to let the phone be answered 
              for you. If your business is home based, establish clear rules for how and 
              when, if ever, you may be distracted by family members. Let them 
              know a closed door always means "do not disturb," or "knock 
              first." This is hard to enforce at times. Explain that by working 
              uninterrupted, tasks are accomplished expeditiously, and in the 
              long run you will have more time to spend with family. In a business 
              office with several people working in a restricted area, the tendency 
              is to chitchat and gossip during the day. This is a great waste 
              of productive time. By tactfully removing yourself and discouraging 
              socializing, you are in control. Here's the bad news. Taking control and being organized requires 
              commitment - your commitment - to try something new and to break 
              old bad habits. The methods and techniques I offer are simple, easy 
              to learn, and I guarantee they will work and your job will be a 
              whole lot easier. By being in control of your work day, you'll be 
              more confident about yourself and your career. You will also notice 
              that you are less stressed.  Top 
              of Page
 Spring Yard Maintenance 
              Tips Leaves - Rake shrub beds and yards. Bag debris; do NOT rake leaves 
              into gutters and streets or onto common property or into wooded 
              areas. Mulch - Apply a couple of inches of mulch to help retain water 
              to feed your shrubs and plants. Seeding - This is the time to seed bare or sparse spots. Break 
              the ground surface with a hard metal rake, sow seed, cover lightly 
              with topsoil and/or peat moss (to thwart birds and help retain moisture) 
              and keep moist daily until you see green shoots Pruning - This is not a good time to prune trees and shrubs that 
              flower; doing so will prevent or diminish blooms. Wait until after 
              the blooms have fallen. Spring Training For Gardeners They say gardening is great exercise, but few gardeners make the 
              effort to warm up and stretch the way they would before any other 
              exercise activity. If there’s a time when that effort is needed, 
              it’s springtime. After a long off-season of sitting, you need 
              to ease your body into the stretches, lifting and contortions you 
              are going to demand of it in the garden. Here are some reminders for getting in gardening shape and staying 
              there: - Pace yourself. Do the hard stuff first, before you’re tired 
              out and more likely to overexert.  - Don’t hunch. If you squat when you weed, keep your back 
              as straight as possible and move along as you weed, don’t 
              reach too far.  - When lifting, always bend from the knees, not the waist, and 
              try to keep your back straight. Use your thigh muscles to do the 
              lifting. Move your feet closer to the object you are lifting and 
              take a wide stance, to balance yourself. Keep the object close to 
              you as you lift it.  - Don’t lift and twist in the same movement.  - Kneel on both knees at the same time to avoid the temptation 
              to twist or strain. Use a knee pad.  - Use tools with comfortable handles. Wrap the grip with an old 
              piece of hose or coat with rubber paint, for gripping comfort. Remember 
              to change hands from time to time.  - When using long handled tools, stand straight and keep your knees 
              relaxed. If you need to twist or pivot, step into the twist to ease 
              tension on the back.  - Get out that wheelbarrow or wagon and use it. Flower Pruning 101 Deadheading may sound like a cruel way to treat a plant, but if 
              you want it to flower all summer, do it! Apart from making the garden 
              much neater, removing fading flowers also prevents plants setting 
              seed. Setting seed is their reason for living, so they will simply 
              grow new flowers and try again - and again - and again, giving you 
              burst after burst of new blooms. How Is It Done?  Flowers should be removed just after they've peaked. Be vigilant. 
              Pinching, pruning, snapping and clipping are the methods. Pinch 
              short-stemmed flowers such as Petunias - as far down the stem as 
              possible - but prune Roses. Cut the stem diagonally just above the 
              highest leaf. Plants with one flower per stem should be cut just 
              above a strong bud. This method works for most plants with long 
              stems carrying a single flower. Use a pair of handheld shears or 
              hedge clippers.   Top 
              of Page
 Conclusion Organizing your home requires the right tools, tips, and methods. 
              No matter what part of your home needs organized, you can find the 
              answers. We hope this guide has helped you learn how to organize 
              specific areas of your home and to figure out what tools will work 
              for you before you buy them. We also hope that this has helped you 
              to get rid of clutter, schedule, plan, and organize.   Top 
              of Page
 
  
              
              Help sometimes comes at a price or with a hidden 
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