Rise & Organize

I naturally spend my free time perusing magazines and websites, scouring out neat tips and ideas to simplify life, save money, increase productivity, and things such as that and this is where I have *ahem* organized them all for your easy access! 

But be sure not to start a regimen because you want to stick to it, or think you should follow it; only begin a routine if you think you will realistically be able to maintain it. Otherwise you are setting yourself up to fail. A system is only a good system if it's one that you can live with.

I must be sure to extend the credit of the brilliance you will find here. While some of the ideas I have concocted myself, you may recognize a tip that you recognize as your own, and I thank you for helping all the more people improve their life by allowing me to share your genius!

• These are my favorites

Clean Up

• Once a day, pour a cup or two of ice down the garbage disposal. Switch on (without water), then turn off and turn on the hot water for a few seconds. Not only does this keep the blades sharp, it cleans them and reduces any smell and/or bugs that originate in the drain (like mosquitoes and gnats).

• When folding your clean laundry, use the dryer sheet to clean out the lint catcher before throwing it away.

• Disposable plastic gloves are one of the most effective tools for getting pet fur out of furniture, just rub along the surface and you will be surprised (and disgusted!) but how much hair comes up.

• Before you start a project, grab a trash bag (not just a trashcan) and keep it handy for the trash you will inevitably produce along the way. This will make cleanup a much smaller job when you project is complete.

Clutter Control

• When you bring home something new, discard something old.
• Centralize, Consolidate, and Contain!!

• Go through your mail directly over the recycling bin.

• Keep pretty bowls and/or jars on surfaces to drop in random buttons, paperclips, thumbtacks, etc. Assign each container its own item or genre.

• Keep only the items on your desk that relate to your current projects.

• Whenever you utter the words, "I'm just putting this here for now", stop and consider taking that extra step to put it where it belongs.

• If you try to clip coupons but all it seems to do is clutter up drawers and surfaces, try this: Keep an empty tissue box on the counter or desk (wherever you most often clip) and put all loose coupons in it.

• Have a wicker stair basket for each member of the household. Whenever a misplaced hairbrush, book, sock, etcetera is found, put it in the respective basket. When a basket is full it’s time to be taken upstairs by its owner.

• If you have small children, writing on often-misplaced items the room in which each item belongs can help keep things in order. 

Fun Ideas

• If friends and family routinely ask you for the recipe to that scrumptious dish you brought to Thanksgiving, print out a handful of copies from your home computer (four or six to a page to save paper) and place them next to the dish on the banquet table. More than likely this will become popular, and more and more attendees will provide their recipes for the dish they bring!

$$ Savers

• Publix accepts other store's "exclusive" coupons

• Believe it or not, Target and most drugstores will accept makeup returns even if you’ve tried it. Just have the receipt and use it as gently as possible.

• Netflix is a great way to get around late fees on movie rentals (and it saves time, too, because all you have to do is drop it in your mailbox… They even come in their own pre-paid return envelope!)

• If it's not something you were going to buy anyway then it's not a deal, no matter how big the discount

• TJMaxx and Ross are great places to shop for all sorts of linens, basic closet organizers, door hooks and hangers, all sorts of storage baskets and boxes, desk supplies, etc.

• I love Publix!! Every Wednesday they switch out the Buy One Get One Free products and there are always things that you regularly use. Once you get an idea of the products that regularly go on sale you can hold out buying them until you can get one free.

• Target’s dollar aisle rocks! (And so does Michael’s).

• Michael’s usually has a 40% off coupon in the Sunday AJC.If you need something that could conceivably be purchased there, do so with the coupon.

• Don’t ever pay full price for a magazine! If you go to your local Goodwill there is always an abundance of subscriptions to leaf through. Likewise, many waiting rooms (at the hairdresser’s, doctor’s, veterinarian, etc) are more than happy to have you relieve them of outdated issues.

• If you frequently use frozen fruit it is much cheaper to buy canned fruit, drain, and put in a baggie to freeze. It’s exactly the same thing (given that you buy the “no sugar added” cans) and soo much cheaper.

• iTunes offers a new selection of free downloads every Tuesday. Go to the homepage of the iTunes' store and scroll down to "Free On iTunes". Often, the free tunes become next months' Top Ten… Get it while it's free!

Paper

• If you often find yourself working on numerous projects at a time, color-code your printouts. For example, any papers pertaining to your daughter’s PTA meetings print on bright orange paper; papers for your book club print on neon blue paper, etc. This way you can sort them without having to take the time to read every piece of paper to determine which activity it belongs to.

• In terms of saving an assortment of documents, receipts, directions, and other random papers, ask yourself the following: in the event that I need the information on a particular piece of paper, would I be able to find it online, at the library, or from a friend? If so, discard it to save space without feeling as though you are forfeiting ever having the information available.

• On the first of each month, sit down and write all of the month's birthday and anniversary cards for the respective month. Stamp and drop in the mail. An early greeting is better than none!

• Any paper coming into the house shouldn't touch your hands more than 3 times. Third time, out it goes.

• The lid of the box your personal checkbooks come in are the perfect size for business cards. A cheap place to store all the ones you’ve collected over the years (if you’re not ready to get rid of them or go digital )

Repurpose It

• Use some of those return address labels as bookplates in your favorite books

• Who in the world uses shower caps these days? Your bicycle seat, after it’s rained!

• Using a clothing/towel hook turned sideways by the fireplace provides a place to hang the stoker.

• Use a toothbrush holder to display (and keep clean!) your makeup brushes.

• Turn that bridesmaid dress into a pillow and gift it to the bride (no matter how long ago the wedding was).

• Cut out the side of a milk jug for a handy place to store your toilet plunger. If you keep half of the spout in tact, it fits nicely around the handle.

• Use an ice tray to separate earrings on your bureau.

• Finally use those pretty bars of soap that are, well, too pretty to use. Toss them in your underwear drawer to freshen it up.

• When attending a cookout, picnic, or any other out-of-the-kitchen get-together, use an empty six-pack holder for transporting plasticware, napkins, or an assortment of condiments.

• Use an old belt to loop all the different tapes around the house (like duct, masking, painters, etc) and hang on a hook on the back of a garage or basement door. 

• Use an empty tissue box to store plastic bags for easy dispensing.

• Use an empty baby wipes container to put together a first-aid kit

• Use empty toilet paper rolls to store extension cords.

• Is there anything one can do with all the return address labels non-profits mail you? Yes. Keep a stash in your glove box and whenever you find yourself in the situation of filling out forms (doctor’s office, car maintenance shop, even filling out the printout for a return), just slap one on. Make sure it has your first and last name, though.

• For appealing, cheap wall art cut out magazine photos and frame them. No one has to know that you didn't pay hundreds for that stunning picture!

• Use a paper binder to squeeze out the toothpaste as you use it.

• Most of us have a bag of frozen peas that is reserved for bumps and bruises but you can also keep a handful of ketchup packets in the freezer for small injuries (such as a smashed finger or something).

Solutions

• The Idiot's Guide and For Dummies series are lifesavers when it comes to technology. Rent the one for iPhones or Blackberrys from your local library to get the most out of your new smart phone.

• Keep a running list in the back of your calendar of gift ideas you think of for friends and family (we often get inspired six months before an event and then have no memory of it when the occasion rolls around!)

• If you travel a lot then you know the frustrations of tangled necklaces. Here’s a solution: Place three or four in a plastic sandwich bag. Drape the ends outside over the top of the bag and tape. Now they will stay in place until you unpack!

• Always keep your cell phone charger plugged into the same outlet.

• Keep a pretty jar on your dresser to store extra buttons that come with new clothes. The way, if a button pops off, you know where the extra will be.

• Before even getting out of the car, clop your keys to your purse with a small carabineer or quick-release keychain.

• The most effective, cheap way to rid carpets or couches of pet fur? Just slip on a latex glove and run it over the surface. Look at how easily it comes up!

• Use a nice-sized glass jar for the various odds and ends found around the house (in the dryer, between couch cushions…) and have a designated spot where it lives.

• During the holidays, wrap presents by color or print depending on the person it’s for: wrap all the gifts to be given at your sister-in-law’s in silver paper; all the presents that will be going to your cousin’s get-together wrap in reds & greens.

• Photocopy the front and back of your credit cards and keep the sheet(s) of paper safely filed away. This will save you so much time (and sanity) if your purse or wallet is ever stolen, or if you simply lose a card and need to cancel it.

• Keep an easy-read book in your car for those inevitable times you find yourself in a waiting room. Ideally it should be a book that can be left untouched for long stretches of time without losing the plot (like a collection of short stories).

• Designate a section of the fridge for snacks and keep it stocked with healthy munchies, like cut up fruits and veggies, applesauce, or yogurt.

• Store gift-wrapping supplies by holiday. Or, only buy holiday-neutral wrapping supplies that can crossover, regardless of the occasion.

• Replace your toothbrush at the beginning of each season (around the 20th of March, June, September, and December). This makes it much easier to remember when to throw out your old one. (The ADA recommends replacing your toothbrush every three months).

• Always keep your cell phone in the same pocket of your purse.

• When you have leftover lemon halves but nothing to do with the last dregs of juice, squeeze into an ice tray. Each cube equals about a tablespoon and when you have a recipe that calls for such, pop a cube or two in the microwave for a few seconds.

• As soon as you rent a stack of library books or a movie, write the due date on a post-it and stick it on the cover (for books, put it on the inside cover). This doesn’t assure that they will be returned on time, but at least you will know without a doubt when it’s due.

• Designate a good-sized bag for all the errands you need to run on any given day: put the DVD you finished watching in the bag to return, your grocery list (paper clipped to any relevant coupons), the letter that needs mailing, your shirt that needs tailoring, and any other miscellaneous things that need to be done within the next few days.

• Clip your grocery list to your reusable shopping bags so you won’t forget to take them.

Space Savers

• If you're tight on space, only use furniture that can serve at least 2 functions: for example, a hat rack with an attached container for gloves and scarves; a wall mirror that opens to reveal storage; a standing lamp with a bookshelf base; or an ottoman that doubles as storage for extra blankets.

• Think of your home as a suitcase: you can fit stuff in it much more effectively if you fold everything and put a bit of thought into positioning each item rather than stuffing it all in there.

• Consider using a multi-tier hanging basket for storing and keeping little things (think headbands, dog leashes, cat toys, bathroom supplies). It utilizes vertical space that otherwise isn't being optimized.

• Mount a long magnet along the back of your medicine cabinet to hold tweezers, clippers, little scissors and other small metal objects.

• Don't bring anything into your home unless you have some place to put it (before it crosses the threshold).

Storage

• Store things near the place of use, and keep like things together.

• Keep a cookie jar or other lidded container in your kitchen for extras from take-out (ketchup packets, soy packets, salt, pepper, etc).

Time Savers

• Keep a quarter of a tank of gas in your car at all times. When you find yourself running late or some minor emergency pops up you won’t have to pull over for gas at an inopportune time.

• If you’ve always wanted to learn a second language but can’t find the time, you might consider investing in a set of language-learning software. Rosetta Stone is an excellent buy.

• Before throwing that dirty towel in the hamper, go over any surfaces in the bathroom to wipe up dusty surfaces, spilled water on the edge of the sink, etc.

• The night before, prepare your breakfast smoothie by measuring the fruit, juice, yogurt, etc. and putting the blender in the fridge. In the morning, all you have to do is throw in a few handfuls of ice and blend. (The bananas will brown but this will not affect the flavor).

• Purchase different colored mesh washer-and-dryer-safe bags for each child. Everyone will have his or her designated color to put dirty underwear and socks, which is then thrown in the washer. Sorting the clean laundry is a much less daunting task now.

• Whenever you take a shirt off a hanger, put the empty hanger in a designated place on either end of the bar to make it easier to find for the clothes that need to be put away.

• Tie a brightly colored ribbon to your car antenna for easy spotting in a vast parking lot. (I once saw a car in a parking lot with a giant yellow plastic cockroach on the antenna. Hey, whatever works!)

• After using the roll of tape, fold the end of it over a button so you won’t have to spend the frustrating time trying to find the start of the roll next time you need the tape.

• Keep a handful of new garbage bags in the bottom of your main trashcan (outside of the bag being used!). This will save you from having to go get a new bag after taking out the garbage because it’s right there.

Use It or Lose It   

• Do you have a drawer (or two) filled with little sample- or travel-size toiletries that are doing nothing but junking your place up? Collect them up and donate them to your local homeless shelter, along with a pack of washcloths.

• If it doesn't serve a purpose or make you smile, get rid of it.

• Look through your bookcases and give away books you've had for years and will never look at again. Charities are always looking for donations to their reading programs.

• Lightly place a piece of tape on the clothing article or shoe in an obvious place. When you wear it, remove the tape. At the end of the season, anything that still has tape on it gets tossed out or donated to charity. This is a surefire way to see what clothes and/or shoes you no longer wear.

• Often the only reason we hold on to some thing is because when we come across it we simply are programmed to think, "keep it". Try thinking about it logically: how long have you owned it an never used/looked at/needed it? Is it something that could easily be acquired in the future if you do end up needing it? Think of all the boxes you store just because "it's the perfect size for mailing a gift" or "when we move, the stereo should be packed back into its original box" even though you don't have any current plans for moving. Sometimes we keep things just because it's our automatic reaction to items we've had in our possession for a while.