by Marilyn Bohn

As I was walking this morning there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky. I started thinking how each color could represent some part of organization in our homes. (I can’t help it, as a professional organizer my mind works that way). The story I was told as a child about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was fun and I always wanted to find that pot of gold. Now I am older I know real gold is found here in my own home with my family and friends.

But as a professional organizer as I organize for women I see how often clutter takes over lives; causing disharmony, contention, financial problems, stress and a myriad of other problems.

Here is a beautiful legend I found about the rainbow. It is based on a Native American Legend:

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel: all claimed that they were the best, the most important, the most useful, the favorite.

GREEN said: “Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. BLUE interrupted: “You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life.

YELLOW chuckled: “You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. Without me there would be no fun.” ORANGE started next to blow her trumpet: “I am the color of health and strength.

RED shouted: “I am the ruler of all of you - I am blood - life’s blood!

PURPLE spoke with great pomp: “I am the color of royalty and power.

Finally, INDIGO spoke, much more quietly but with just as much determination: “Think of me. I am the color of silence. You need me for balance and contrast.
And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority. Suddenly rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak: “You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don’t you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? “From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace.

In our homes the things we chose to have around us can each have a special purpose, each unique and different. But when our possessions become clutter we no longer have peace and harmony. Just like the rainbow colors who worked together to bring peace we can have peace by reducing clutter in our homes.
Here are some tips on how to reduce clutter:

*Before buying something ask these questions: Do I have a place to put this? Do I have something like this at home? Will I miss this if I don’t buy it? What can I get rid of in my home if I buy this?

*In your clothes closet after you have worn something hang it with the hanger facing the opposite direction. This way you can see what clothes you really wear. Donate the clothes you aren’t wearing, those you avoid because you don’t like but are perfectly good.

*Make sure all the clothes in your closet are wearable. If there is a button missing or a seam that needs fixing, take it out of your closet and only return it after it is fixed. You will keep avoiding wearing it if it isn’t in wearable condition and it clutters your closet.

*In the kitchen donate the dishes you are keeping but never use. (I’m not talking about special occasion dishes). It’s those dishes “you might use someday”, but never do. The dishes you use weekly place in the most convenient area of your cupboards.

*Go through your pantry, check for expiration dates, and get rid of outdated food. If you have canned foods you have had for awhile plan a menu for that week to use it.

*Use containers to contain everything. This really helps to cut the clutter as it defines how much you can store. Label what is in the containers.

By reducing and eliminating clutter in our homes we will have finally found the pot of gold we searched for at the end of the rainbow when we were children.

Marilyn is a creative organizer who helps women, seniors & their families to create space and end clutter in homes and offices by setting up custom made systems.
Visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com for free organizing tips.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

by Judy H. Wright

Running a household can be daunting, especially if you have children who are expected to help with the chores. It’s difficult getting them to do their work, and even more difficult to keep the house clean, uncluttered, and organized. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with it all, here are a few tips for keeping a clean, organized house.

- Promise each other that you won’t get sidetracked while cleaning. You won’t read the books that you find under your bed, or get distracted looking through old pictures you found in a box. Those can be set aside and saved for later, a reward for getting your work done.
- If you can’t be home when your kids arrive home from school, leave instructions for them on a tape recorder. For kids who are old enough to be home alone but are still young enough to get lonely, your voice will reassure them.
- Hire a professional house cleaner to handle really tough cleaning jobs. The family can watch and learn from their work as well.
- Have a brainstorm with your child about how to cut down on the quantity of items in his room, and how to arrange it so that everything has a place.
- Use comforters instead of bedspreads, so that bed-making will be that much quicker and easier.
- Instill the habit of one toy or game at a time. The first one must be put away before another can come out. This cuts down on the likelihood of game pieces being lost, and rooms being turned into disaster zones.
- Consider not using a toy box. Kids will dig through them and throw everything out of them, trying to find one particular toy at the bottom.
- Use the “one thing in, one thing out” rule. Whenever your child gets a new toy, tell him to pick an old one to get rid of. If it’s in good shape, give it to Goodwill.
- Teach basic cleaning skills and techniques. Remind kids that dust falls downward, so start dusting up high, and finish down low. Remind them to pick up boxes with their legs, to avoid straining backs.
- Keep it simple. Get rid of all the “stuff” you thought would make life better, but really just complicates it. For instance: the waffle iron or yogurt maker, the toys with missing parts and clothes that are never worn.

Hopefully, using these tips, you’ll find that your home life is at least a bit more organized, and a bit more fun.

To learn more about keeping a clean, organized and happy home while teaching your children to assume personal responsibility, visit http://www.KidsChoresAndMore.com, an eBook and other bonus items on teaching responsibility by Judy H. Wright aka Auntie Artichoke, family relationship coach and author.

You are also invited to attend free teleclasses each Thursday on various aspects of family relationships. Register at http://www.ArtichokePress.com You will be glad you did.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

By Wendy Stewart

I’ll bet you’re wondering what organization has to do with saving money.

Actually quite a bit!

Imagine that you’ve been looking all over your house for that book/DVD/sunglasses/whatever and you can’t find it. Or imagine that you’re at the store and can’t remember if you still have any bananas or jars of strawberry jam.

Simple things, right?

Well, when we can’t remember what we have and don’t know where to find what we have, we usually end up buying it again. And then, before you know it, you’re like my aunt with 17 umbrellas.

My mother always says that once you replace something you can’t find, you’ll find the original missing item. I’m sure many of you have heard that as well. But for as many times as we’ve heard this, we still do not take action and bring some organization into our lives to avoid spending money when did not need to spend in the first place.

So, what do we do about this? The answer to almost every organizing problem is to have a system. Why a system? Because we are creatures of habit and mostly prefer to do things the same way every time. Not only that but with a system you have less to remember. You just follow the system.

There are a couple of systems you can put in place to help you save money in various areas of your life. Here are 4 areas in which you will want to find a system that works for you to help save you tons of money in the end.

1. Grocery Shopping

How many times have you been at the grocery store, without your list, and wondered if you should be an item you’re not really sure if you have or need?

I’m willing to be it happens a lot. It happens more when you don’t have a list. It happens even more when you don’t know what you have in your kitchen.

Here’s what I suggest. Go through your cabinets and fridge before you attempt to make a shopping list. The list you’re about to make is what you can see that you’re missing or low on. Next, depending on how often you shop (I suggest no more than weekly) and plan your menus accordingly. So, plan menus weekly if you shop weekly, two weeks at a time if you shop bi-weekly, etc.

Once you know what you’re going to make, you can look at what you’re missing (from your first list), and make your shopping list accordingly.

When you get to the store, do not deviate from this list. Take appropriate coupons if you want to, but don’t go hungry and leave the kids at home.

2. Shoes

What woman doesn’t like to have a variety of shoes? Unlike men, we must have different shoes for different outfits, occasions, and seasons. However, this love of shoes can go overboard.

This has happened to me, I must admit. While shopping for something totally unrelated, I saw a great pair of gray houndstooth heels in Target. The only problem was the heel was a little too high and the size 11 was probably one size or so more than I needed.

I reasoned that my feet would swell and I wouldn’t be standing long anyway. Plus, the shoes weren’t expensive. Well, I stood for a long time on the day I wore them, it rained, and they were too big. They were worn once and are now on their way to charity. What a waste!

I should have taken stock of what I had and thought about what I was going to wear on that occasion. Had I done that, I would have saved my feet and my money.

So, take note: know what you have before you start adding to your collection.

3. Clothing

What goes for shoes also goes for clothing.

I used to get clothing as gifts from my parents and internally wondered where they thought a 14 year old was going to wear a white ruffled shirt in 1995. (I eventually found a use for that shirt in one of the plays I was in.)

The point is, even though they were trying to be nice about it, the clothing choices didn’t fit my existing lifestyle. We do that sometimes. Whether it’s a trend or something great we saw on someone else, we figure it’s just something we have to have. But, by thinking this way, we often ignore the fact that it’s not our style, it’s not flattering, or it’s out of our budget.

The organization here also revolves around knowing what you have. This will help you determine what you actually need and if there is room in your budget and your closet for the things you want.

4. Bills

The key to organization and paying bills is really simple. Pay your bills on time.

One more time: pay your bills on time.

This advice is most important when the bill is a credit card or loan. Late fees and over the limit fees (sometimes as a result of late fees) can seriously hinder your ability to eventually be debt free. (Who wants to stay in debt forever?)

There are a couple of ways you can do this. You can pay the bills as you receive them in the mail (if you still get paper bills) or as you receive notification by email for electronic bills. Or, to make this more automated and ensure the bills are paid on time, sign up for a 3rd party service, one at your bank, or one offered by your creditor where the payment is automatically debited from a designated checking account each month.

There are a number of ways to have as much or as little control over this process as possible, but the point is to set up a system and stick with it so that you don’t lose money to late fees and penalties.

5. Miscellaneous Items

This is the area where so many people get into trouble.

We find ourselves at the store and we see something we like. We think we have one at home, but we’re not sure. So, instead of waiting until we get home to verify (or call someone who is at home), we purchase the item anyway and end up with multiples. (Remember the 17 umbrellas?)

It’s good to wait to make some purchases anyway, but the more organized you become, the more aware you are of what you have. When you know what you have, then you also know what needs to be replaced or what you’re lacking.

Once you start organizing, you will find a surprising number of items you have bought and you can’t remember why or what it is even for. You will also find the things you thought were lost but were really just buried under foolishness and mayhem called clutter.

Do yourself and your family a favor and stop the foolishness. Get organized and save money. You’ll be glad you did.

How Organization Will Save You Money
Copyright 2008
Wendy Stewart
All Rights Reserved

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Wendy Stewart is your Go-to-girl for being in the know about small business, personal finance, personal style, and wellness. For more free tips on personal finance, visit her blog, Personal Finance Success, at http://personal-finance-manager.blogspot.com

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By Stephanie Davies

Your home office can be the central business center of the home, and oftentimes with all of those papers and documents, it may be hard to focus on where to get started, or exactly how to clean.

Dust is public enemy number one when it comes to a home office. It seems to pervade everything, including computer screens, keyboards, bookshelves, and desktops. Of course we all know that the leading killer of dust is pledge and a dustcloth, but here are a few tips you may not have known.

To keep your computer and keyboards from getting dusty, purchase plastic covers for them. You can also make your own out of trash sacks, or, if you have a creative streak, by sewing custom covers from fabric or old curtains.

If neither of those options work for you, there are other ways of keeping computers and their equipment dust-free. The keyboard dusters you can purchase are ideal for this. They are an aerosol can that sprays intense bursts of air, and be used for more than just a keyboard!

Did you also know that it is safe to use Windex on your computer screens? Many people are under the mistaken assumption that using Windex on a computer screen (or rough paper towels) will damage the screen. Not so unless perhaps you own a computer monitor from before 1990 (if you do, please consult the owners manual that came with the monitor before cleaning). Also, a good way to rid computer screens from dust longer, is after cleaning, to give them one good final wipe down with a fabric softener sheet (the kind that you thrown in the dryer). It takes away most of the static from the screen that draws dust.

Also, you can easily clean a mousepad with regular dish detergent and warm water. Just scrub the pad with dish soap, rinse well with water, and pat dry with a paper towel!

A mouse is easily cleaned by removing the cover from in front of the ball, taking out the ball, and cleaning out any dirt inside with cotton swabs dipped in alcohol.

You can also save time and money in a home office in high traffic carpet areas, and places where sliding chairs sit by purchasing heavy plastic floor mats made for this purpose (just like you see in office building) at your local office supply superstore, such as Staples. This will make your floor cleaning so much easier, and will extend the life of your carpet.

To give your office a quick lift if you have artificial flowers or plants is to spray the pants directly with an aerosol air freshener. Not only does it make the leaves instantly shiny, it also leaves a pleasant scent that will last.

If you own a pet, like I do, and you are constantly trying to remove pet hairs from chairs in your home office, a simple way to remove them is to wrap clear shipping tape backwards around your hand, sticky side out, and pat away at the chairs. An even simpler and faster way is to use an old paint roller, wrapping the tape backwards around it, and rolling it quickly across the furniture to remove hair. The tape can be reused until it has lost its stickiness.

Remember, motivation and perseverance are the keys to a clean home! Stay focused, and best of luck!

Stephanie Davies is a 28 year old work at home mom to a 9 year old boy in Mid-Missouri. Her hosting company, Hosting WAHMs at http://www.hostingwahms.com offers premium webhosting from $2 per month and up, with an easy to use sitebuilder! She also loves to knit, build websites, and talk to people.

Article Source: www.ladypens.com

Note from Michelle: This article includes some great, inexpensive ideas for organizing your kitchen cabinets, which is a great way to save time!

By Stephanie Davies

Cleaning out and finding space in your kitchen cabinets can be a hard, trying experience. There seems to be so many items, and just no where left to put them!

There are several methods you can incorporate into your kitchen to save shelf space, store items easier, and save time searching for the right thing. And there are also a few basic pointers I will give you along the way.

The first thing is to group like mined items together. Be sure all your spices and herbs are in the same location, and also that your pans are together, ect. Unfortunately, the kitchen is the one area of the household where the use it or lose it rule doesn’t always apply. Meaning, in most other areas of the house, if you don’t use something frequently, or have a purpose for it even if that purpose is aesthetic, you need to throw it away or donate it. However, in the kitchen there are a whole lot of things you may not use frequently but will need to save, such as herbs, spices, specialty pans, canned items, and more.

So now that you have clustered items together, now what? Well, you figure out which “groups” will need the most space. Start by placing the largest groups in the largest available spaces, and working your way down. At this time you may need to incorporate several space saving techniques.

The first technique is what I call the Martha Stewart technique. This is where if you have the money and resources, you go out at this time and buy all those specialty gadgets for saving space, such as lazy suzans, expandable drawer inserts and shelf racks, wall hooks, and such. This can be a very attractive and simple way to achieve organization…but I am assuming you are reading this because you know how to buy space, you just don’t know how to do it with what you have, right?

So the next technique is what I call the easy-find box method. This method works particularly well with spices, herbs, flavorings, and small jars. Find a box that will hold the group of items you need to store. Shoeboxes and gift boxes work well for this purpose. Take all the items in a group, and label each one on the lid using small yard sale type sticker labels stating what they are. Place all the items in the group in the box selected in alphabetical order. Then store the box, and the next time you need to get something from it you will be able to just take the lid off and quickly locate an item. If you have more than a few of these boxes, I recommend labeling them with magic marker on the side or top to be able to locate certain groups quickly. You can expand upon this idea by decorating the boxes by gluing fabric to them, wrapping them in countertop sticky paper, or whatever else suits your fancy. This method works well for storing any number of things including canned goods and pastas.

The other method we will list is the painting method. This is a great method to use if you are a creative type, and also if you have children who have difficulty putting things where they should. Simply acquire several different colors of paint ( the surface depends upon what type paint. Please use your best judgment), and a paintbrush. After grouping your items, look at and evaluate your space available. Make out a map of sorts, and be sure to leave room for future accommodations. Once you have decided in your mind or on a sheet of paper where everything will go you can do one of the two following things. First you can simply paint lines around the areas where certain groups will sit. For instance, draw a square line in the corner of the cabinet exactly where your spices will be. You can ,make the lines straight, wavy, dotted, curly…whatever your imagination desires! Then after letting the paint dry, place the items in their designated areas. The other way of doing this is to paint the entire area in instead of just drawing lines. This can be a lot more challenging, but also a lot prettier. Imagine for a moment, opening a pretty white cabinet with brass handles, and finding the inside painted with four different pastel colors, each having its own group of like minded items. Very pretty indeed! In fact, if you are an artist, you can paint any type of motif or design for a specific category.

Now, while you are doing this there are several things to keep in mind. First, remember to clean out the shelves while you have everything out. Secondly, there will be several things you find that you know won’t be used…get rid of them. Thirdly, you probably will find several items that just won’t have a category of their own. For this you can make a “misc” box or section, or else place it in a different room or area.

I hope these ideas will help you to create the kitchen of your dreams, and to find things easier in the meantime.

Stephanie Davies is a 28 year old work at home mom to a 9 year old boy in Mid-Missouri. Her hosting company, Hosting WAHMs at http://www.hostingwahms.com offers premium webhosting from $2 per month and up, with an easy to use sitebuilder! She also loves to knit, build websites, and talk to people.

Article Source: www.ladypens.com

By O Quinn

If you find yourself constantly missing areas of cleaning when trying to keep up your home consider making an appointment with each room in your house.

Make a housekeeping schedule to plan when you will do your cleaning and in what room.

Putting your cleaning on a calendar can help you because…

1. A housekeeping schedule keeps you from wasting valuable time trying to figure out what needs to be done and where.

2. A housekeeping schedule should be flexible enough to allow for such pleasant interruptions as your children, spouse, or company.

What gets done depends on your individual household but here is a basic list to tweak to meet your needs.

Daily:
Dishes
Wipe down often used bathrooms
Wipe kitchen counters and sweep floor
Make beds
Tidy - Bedrooms, Dining Room, Living / Family Room

Weekly:
Dust
Vacuum
Purge fridge of leftovers
Clean bathrooms

Monthly:
Vacuum under furniture
Clean oven
Clean fridge

Seasonally:
Have rugs / carpet professionally cleaned
dry clean seasonal clothing
Turn mattresses
Have furnace / air conditioner tuned

So now you have your list, how do you keep track of it? Well it’s a good idea to have in writing when you will be cleaning. From daily to weekly to monthly jot in your planner, wall calendar, bulletin board what time is set aside for you to keep your home in order.

Think of how the professionals do it. Have you ever noticed the sheet on public restrooms that gets marked and dated when it has been cleaned? Of course you don’t need to post your list for all to see but put it in a place where you can refer to it.

Cleaning your home will take time and effort. Organizing your cleaning efforts can help to to keep from becoming a slave to your home and from abandoning the schedule altogether and letting chaos reign.

Visit O Quinn on the web at href="http://www.homemakingorganized.com">Homemaking Organized and
drop by her store The
Vintage Homemaker’s Shoppe for
Household Notes a Housekeeping Planner on CD which includes fill-in
form fields.

Article Source: www.ladypens.com

By Brian Ward

Create a house cleaning check list and following the list all week, organizing helps make the household chores less of a burden. We all know that house cleaning is time consuming and frustrating, so we must prepare the cleaning checklist. The best reason to have a house cleaning checklist is divides the chores for all the family.

You cleaning checklist does not have to just apply to one or two days a week, you can divide the chores up into several days. This way you can have the one to two chores opposed to several in one day. This is a good idea, start with the least appealing chore to get task out of the way first.

Another good idea, when you are preparing a cleaning checklist list the furniture dusting at the top of the list. This is because dusting sometimes creates residue on the floor. You would not want to vacuum or sweep the floor only to discover you need to redo it once you have dusted.

Some chores that do not need to be done each week that you will want to include on your house cleaning checklist. Dusting behind your appliances, cleaning the oven, and washing the windows are all important tasks. These chores can be placed on your checklist once a month.

Another good idea is to offer an allowance to your children. If you decide to do this you can also teach your child the value of hard work. They will feel better knowing they are earning money and you will appreciate the house cleaning help.

Brian Ward author of information articles, on home cleaning tips. Visit his website at http://www.carpetcleaninghelp.com

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By Charles Kassotis

Don’t you love coming home to a clean house? Whether you live in a two-room apartment or a sprawling ranch, the air just feels fresher when the place is clean and neat. Although some busy folks hire a housekeeping service to come in every week or two to make things right, most of us fend for ourselves and bravely tackle the dirtiest household chores when we can’t bear the grime any longer.

Cleaning your home doesn’t have to be a dreaded task, however. With a few arrangements ahead of time, you can be ready to go and get the work done in no time flat. All it takes is a little bit of organization and preparation, and you can whisk through those weekly duties pronto.

1. Stock cleaning supplies. Use the most natural and non-toxic products you can find. Or consider making your own. Clean the toilet bowls with Alka Seltzer, for example, by tossing in a couple of tablets, letting them fizz for an hour so, and then scrubbing the bowl to remove lingering debris. For counter space and bathroom fixtures, use a paste made of baking soda and water and apply it like cleanser. Rinse each surface thoroughly, and you will be surprised to see how effectively this works. Try a half-cut of vinegar following by a cup of hot water to clear a clogged drain. You can find many types of homemade cleaners and fresheners that will save money and cut fumes as well as protect your household materials.

2. Get organized. Keep all supplies and cleaning equipment in a specific area so you can find them when needed. Wash or replace cleaning rags, and don’t forget to buy paper towels. Replace your mop head and broom every three to six months, or as needed, to keep these tools working effectively. Choose a certain time slot and try to follow it each week for doing the general cleaning. For example, this could be Thursday evening, Saturday morning, or another time when you can get the housework done without interruption.

3. Work efficiently. Start at one end of the house—the one furthest from the center—and work your way back. Put a clothesbasket or paper bag in each room to receive items that need to be moved to another area, such as discarded newspapers, shoes, or dishes. Train the kids to return items like these to their proper locations at the end of each day.

4. Go light to heavy. Start with dusting, wiping, or surface tasks first. Then move on to the sweeping, vacuuming, or mopping, as well as windows or other heavy-duty tasks that remain to be done. Open the windows, weather permitting, to bring in fresh air and let out contaminated air. You’ll love the fresh scent unless you live in a heavily polluted area.

5. Clean up thoroughly. Put everything away where it belongs, cleaning supplies included. Pick up magazines, toys, and other discarded items. Place fresh-cut flowers in a vase on the table, or bake muffins for supper. The delicious aroma will add to the wonderful clean feeling of your home.

Make a habit of keeping the house tidy each day. Put things where they belong. Do the dishes after each meal. Put away groceries when you return from the store. Then you won’t have as much to do when cleaning day rolls around.

Tap into the astounding array of available information about housekeeping and cleaning when you visit Cleaning Facts.com at http://www.cleaningfacts.com

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By Tammy Paquin

With the success of EBay and the increasing cost of running a household, everyone should see dollar signs when they look at things in their home! Unorganized homes cost money! When was the last time you REALLY got your home cleaned out and organized?

How does that unorganized home cost you money? When you can’t find something, you tend to buy a new one. If you can’t find tax paperwork when the IRS calls you for an audit THAT will cost you money! When you lose bills in piles of paperwork and get hit with that late charge THAT just cost you money! Running around trying to find things you KNOW you have but can’t find costs you time and energy and that usually costs money. Knowing where your home owner’s insurance policy is when that hurricane is bearing down on you is a critical thing!

Being organized allows you to know what you do NOT need and if that’s the case get rid of it. If you have things you want to get rid of consider donating them to charitable organizations (remember to get a receipt for the donations if you can itemize). Recently, I donated old glasses to an organization that collects them for the needy. I donated stuffed animals to the state police (no receipt here but it was a good cause!) for children in accidents or children pulled out of abusive homes. I sent several nice suits to a local organization that helps dress women for interviews (frequently these women are on state aid and coming out of education programs and can’t afford nice interview clothes). When you REALLY start to look around you, there are plenty of great programs and people who are desperate for those things that you do NOT need!

Now, you might prefer to get cash for those extras you have. EBay is huge these days! Although I’ve never done this and can’t offer any advice or help, a quick inquiry in a search engine will pull up lots of free help.

Another get-cash option is holding a tag-sale. You can do this with several other families in a well seen location or maybe haul what you have to a flea market. I, personally, take my stuff to our local flea market because there is serious traffic there and I can do very well.

How do you get organized? Trust me, don’t do it all in one day. Stay focused on ONE thing at a time. Don’t start the garage at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Pick jobs that fit the time frame. If you have an hour, maybe clean out a few drawers, a kitchen counter that collects paperwork, or a few cookbooks you KNOW you haven’t used in five years! Keep boxes for the stuff you find. Mark one for the garbage, one for donations and one for “not sure” stuff. Feed boxes well! Make sure to file paperwork accordingly and keep important paperwork together and in properly marked envelopes or file organizer. Put the “not sure” box aside for 6 months. If you haven’t used it or needed it in that time frame, consider moving it to the garbage box or donation box.

Do you have kids who don’t want to part with any unused toys? Consider getting them into the clean out by showing them how their unused toys could make a child in a homeless shelter or an abused woman’s shelter, very happy. I know our church sends small toys to Haiti through Haiti Project (read, all those Happy Meal toys!). Less in the landfills and a smile on a child’s face, somewhere! Show them how their donated toys can raise money for the Salvation Army or other relief organizations that were there when Katrina hit. You might end up cleaning out a lot of stuff by showing them that it really is better to give than receive.

Bottom line, look around your home and decide what you need, what you want and then what you should get rid of. Make the most of what you get rid of either by donating it or selling it. Then look around and give yourself a pat on your back for cleaning out and organizing your life and your home and count the cash (from your sale or tax refund) and those good feelings you get by giving to some great causes.

Tammy Paquin is a work from home mom of 3 boys and the publisher of Frugal Families, an online resource for frugality, finances, budgeting and family.

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