Cooperative Living August 2014 - 23

CAUGHT IN THE WEB by Laura Emery, Field Editor
E
veryone knows that organization is when there is a place for everything, and everything is in its place. Sounds simple enough.
So why do so many people struggle with keeping their homes clutter-free and properly organized? An organized home increases
efficiency and encourages peace and order over chaos and clutter. The modern-day lifestyle, however, is a busy one and has
a way of lending itself to clutter and disorganization, with full-time jobs, children and pets, events and outings getting in the way. These
websites are inspirational proof that organization begins with the little things.
www.realsimple.com
RealSimple.com is all about making your life
easier. It is well worth your time to spend a few
minutes perusing this website. If you walk away
with just one handy organization trick, you've
managed to make your life just a little easier. For
example, the website is currently featuring a
room-by-room makeover for an organized home
and includes before-and-after photos of commonly
cluttered areas like playrooms, closets, and
kitchen pantries (located under the " home &
organizing " tab). There's a whole section dedicated
to getting your outdoor space in order with
ideas on how to organize your summer gear. In
the " Ask the Organizer " section, you can get all
your organization-related questions addressed
by a professional organizer.
In addition to a multitude of step-by-step articles
on how to de-clutter and organize your
home, there is also a neat section called " New
Uses for Old Things. " This is where you discover
that simple everyday items you'd normally throw
away could become the next great organizational
tool for your home.
organizedhome.com
Most organization-centered websites focus
on the home. This website also features help for
situations when people find themselves overwhelmed
and underprepared, such as when
moving, taking vacations, planning parties, or
hosting yard sales, all of which can be more
enjoyable if done in an organized way.
When it comes to moving, here's a great tip:
" Pack a 'Survival Box.' It's a box containing the
essentials of life: coffeemaker and children's
nighttime loveys, bed sheets and blankets and
pillows, an alarm clock. Paint it red, plaster it with
Little Mermaid stickers, do something to it so it
August 2014/www.co-opliving.com
stands out like a sore thumb, and put it in the truck
last, so it's first out in the new house. " For tips like
this and more, be sure and visit this website.
www.organizinghomelife.com
This is a blog written by a pastor's wife and
home-schooling mom of four, so you've got to
expect that she's HAD to learn a few organizational
tips and tricks along the way in order to
efficiently manage her hectic life. She offers very
specific advice ranging from printable home
management binders to a series on how to frugally
organize your pantry.
One smart tip she offers in one of her recent
posts is how to simplify the morning routine in her
home. In her daughter's closet, she hung a closet
fabric shelf-stacker and labeled each " shelf " with
a specific day of the week. At the beginning of
each week, she fills the shelves with a week's
worth of clothing. It limits morning drama when it
comes to dressing - and is as efficient as it is fun.
While super simple, this is just one example of
the little tricks this blogger-mom uses to organize
her family's day-to-day routine.
A common clutter problem is bills and receipts
stacked in random areas throughout the house,
especially in kitchens and entryways. This blogger's
quick fix is to make cabinet-door pockets to
organize bills and receipts.
www.deliciouslyorganized.com
The organization section on this blog is chock
full of organizational gems. The site's blogger,
Carlee, scours the Internet for beautiful photos of
organized spaces and then details how you can
create the similar look and feel in your own
home. And sometimes she posts about areas in
her own home. For example, in a recent post
about organizing her out-of-control hall closet,
there are six photos depicting every stage of the
process from start (the mandatory " before " shot)
to finish (the angelic-choir-singing-in-the-background
" after " shot). This blog is about maximizing
space and making organization fun and
attainable to even the most organizationally
challenged.
A handy little tip offered up by Carlee is using
old magazines to keep tall boots upright and to
help hold their shape.
organizingmadefun.blogspot.com
This is an incredibly thorough blog, with
enough organizational tips and tricks to keep
you reading for hours. Come here for ideas,
inspiration, and motivation - along with great
photos and easy reading. The website features a
section called " Welcome to 31 Days to
(Cheaply) Organize Your Home. " In this section
are 31 different inexpensive ways to increase
organization and efficiency, using everyday
items that include labels, hooks, leftover containers,
trash cans, cardboard boxes, oatmeal containers,
jars, shoe boxes, hangers, and muffin
tins. As you'll notice, the majority of these organizational
objects are things most people have
already sitting around their house. Muffin tins,
for example, are a great way to organize office
supplies. Oatmeal containers can be easily transformed
into a ribbon organizer and dispenser or
a child's headband holder. Inexpensive hooks
can be installed almost anywhere to hold towels,
handbags, aprons, jewelry, belts or backpacks.
And, of course, indoor trash cans can help store
balls or wrapping paper.
For direct links to suggested websites,
visit www.co-opliving.com. 
21
PAVEL LOSEVSKY/IHEMERA/THINKSTOCK

http://www.realsimple.com http://www.RealSimple.com http://www.organizinghomelife.com http://organizingmadefun.blogspot.com http://www.organizedhome.com http://www.deliciouslyorganized.com http://www.co-opliving.com

Cooperative Living August 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living August 2014