Happy endings to organizing

Hugs and Happy Organizing Under Stairs Closet

under stair organizing

 

The dreaded under stairs closet area! It’s usually a dumping ground because not only is it a big open space, but it usually has an angled ceiling and a curved section.  Most families are confused what to store in there other than the vacuum.  Let’s get this space functional for you and make it great storage.

  • This is a space where everything needs to come out and be divided into toss, donate, or keep.  Once you know what is in there you can make better decisions on storage.  
  • Deep under stair storage is a great place to storage a category with large items.  You can store luggage, printed photos,  holiday decorations, or home decor in the back of the closet and use the front for your everyday needs like your vacuum or sweaters.
  • Under stair storage should be divided into front and back storage.  The back is less accessible, so large, infrequently used items can have a permanent home there.
  • Use 66 quart or smaller bins to make best use of the space.  When you group in the bins, be sure to label the categories on 2 sides and the top of the container. This way you will always know what is in the bins.  You can also keep a list on the back of the door too.   Arrange the back bins by height depending on the slope of the ceiling.
  • Use a clear shoe organizer on the back of the door for small items you might need easy access to in the adjacent room.  It creates new space!

Wishing you Hugs and Happy Organizing with your new under stair organizing!

Hugs and Happy Organizing Kitchen Command Center

kitchen organizing

 

Kitchen work spaces and counters get cluttered with papers, toys, supplies and projects.  Help yourself to some inner and outer calm by clearing the clutter in this space.  Setting up your kitchen command center makes it easy to find what you need when you need it.

  • First distribute all the items to their proper homes. Have your kids be runners, set the kitchen timer, and play beat the clock. If you are the runner, separate everything into piles for each room first.  
  • Create a slot for different categories of items you intend to keep at your work space.  These categories include directories, cookbooks, school supplies,  bills paying and any other task you want to do in this space.  Remember the more tasks to do, the more that needs to be stored. Assign another spot as the family landing strip.  Keeping this area sacred for the tasks to be done there keeps it clear.
  • Give yourself a weekly, one hour time to work in this area on papers.  This keeps clutter from accumulating.
  • Be sure to include a nearby recycling or trash area.

Hugs and happy organizing!

Hugs and Happy Organizing! Teen Organizing

Hugs and Happy Organizing posts are about client successes. Here you will find a happy organizing story about teen organizing.

organize your teen's room

 

Teens crave organization, but often are too busy to work through the challenges of creating systems and routines that work.

  • Offer an incentive and find what is important for your teen. Set a time to work together on the project that works for both you and them.
  • Together purge and eliminate items that are no longer useful or needed.  Allow your teen the opportunity to let go of items, even if you are not comfortable with that. 
  • Group items together that are used together, such as media, books, and supplies.  Think of this as stations within the room.
  • With less items in the space, it is much easier to maintain.  Help your teen establish times to get items back into order.  Our kids are very busy but it is always important to get organized.

What ways have your helped your teen get organized?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hugs and Happy Organizing: Organizing your Storage

Hugs and Happy Organizing posts are about client successes. Here you will find a happy organizing story about storage.

 

storage and organizing

 

If you are fortunate enough to have additional storage, you are truly blessed! Even storage can be in total disarray when we have too much.

  • Group items together that are alike. In storage that may be clothes, games, office supplies or furniture. Once gathered, decide what to keep and what to donate, sell or trash.  Storage is usually filled with items that you have not made a decision about… so make a decision! 
  • Take items away immediately.  You won’t regret this.
  • Place the items on shelving depending on the access you need to the item.  Frequently used items need to be near the door and easy to access. If you want your kids to access items, be sure these are low enough.
  • Label where the item goes so everyone knows where to put it back.

Hugs and happy organizing!

 

 

 

Hugs and Happy Organizing! Linen Closet Organizing

Hugs and Happy Organizing posts are about client successes. Here you will find a happy organizing story about a linen closet.

linen closet organizing

Linen and medicine closets get out of control easily! Its a rush to get ready, find medicines, and just get access to stuff in these deep closets.  Stuff gets stuffed in here!

  • Happily we purged lots of items in the closet.
  • We created groups of like items and confined them to plastic bins with labels. Its easy to access and easy to drop items back in.
  • Labeling makes it easy to maintain order here.

Hugs and Happy Organizing!