HOME OFFICE

BEDROOM

BATHROOM

KITCHEN

LIVING ROOM

KIDS ROOM

GARAGE

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HOME ORGANIZER

INNOVATIVE WAYS TO CREATE A HOME OFFICE

When most people think of starting a home based business, the first thing that comes to mind (often even before they think up business ideas), is where will they work? If you're lucky to have a den or spare bedroom to convert, then this should not be a major concern. However, if you are short of space then the following may be some ideas worth considering:

Convert a guest room to an office den. You can still retain the guest room elements and save space by using a comfortable sofa come bed or a futon or day bed, which will also double up as seating. Your work surface can be designed to blend into the room décor, by converting a dressing table into a work desk or a chest of drawers into a filing cabinet.

Get creative. Who says office furniture needs to look a particular way? Convert a wardrobe or an antique armoire into an office supplies cabinet. Change a rustic trunk into extra storage and use cane baskets stacked on top of each other for drawer space.

Closets are excellent as mini work areas. Remove the door, cut it to size and reinstall it as a work surface. Install a short piece of track lighting and use the insides of the closet to tack up shelving, artwork or notice boards.

Double duty- Walk through your home and see what items can be used or double up to create additional storage. You may want to use a shelf in the pantry to store office supplies. Your garage shelves can be used to store your craft items. Under the bed boxes can hold paper reams. There are always options.

Board up the bedroom. The one space you really need to rethink is the bedroom. Bedrooms should ideally be used for rest and relaxation. However, if you are really squeezed for space and need to set up shop in your bedroom, then think of buying a divider or screen to block off your work area. Alternatively, cover your computer and work desk with a cloth once your 'business hours' are finished and do not be tempted to remove the cover until the next morning.

A little imagination and ingenuity can convert even the most drab and unappealing space into a perfect work area for you.

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ORGANIZE YOUR BEDROOM AND CLOSET

It's always a great idea to invest time (and money if you have any to spare) into your bedroom. This is the room in which you relax after a hard day at work, and to which you have to wake up in, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your day.

Again, and as with all rooms, it's important to do a monthly clean up and then weekly mini clean ups. And don't forget the trash bag.

One
Strip the bed and throw the sheets into the wash. Remake the bed with fresh sheets.

Two
Fold and put away any clean laundry and toss the dirty laundry into your washer or clothes bin.

Three
Dust everything, including windows and blinds. Using a vacuum on them is a good idea. Get into all the cracks and crevices that a duster won't. Don't forget lamps and frames. Wash over head fixtures and fans. It's always a great idea to keep your decorations in the bedroom to a minimum. This not only leaves the room feeling larger and cleaner, but also allows you to relax, without too much visual clutter. If you are using paintings, leave the pop art deco to areas like the living room, and choose more relaxed and tranquil pieces. The same with any art you choose for your bedrooms.

Four
Vacuum and don't forget to reach well under the bed. Pick up anything that's lying under the bed and store it elsewhere. The underside of the bed should ideally be clean and free of storage. If you do need to use it as storage, then ensure that the items are well packed into boxes or zippered plastic bags to keep out the dust. Wash and vacuum any bedroom rugs.

Five
Any empty cream bottles, old magazines etc. need to go right away into the recycling bag. Don't put them in corner to pick up later, do it right now! Books that have already been read go back to the bookshelf. Likewise with CD's or DVD's.

Six
Make space in a shelf or add a box to keep any kids toys in. As a rule, the children are not allowed to bring toys to our room, but they do, especially when they crawl into our bed at 5am! A box is ideal to toss the toys into each morning, and when I do my end of the day pick up, or weekly clean up, I put them back where they belong.

Seven
Now comes the BIG one. The closet! Take a deep breath before you tackle this one, because you have got to be ruthless.

Start with your stuff (if you are generous and doing your partners and children's as well). You need three piles- clothes that will be stored for another season, clothes that you have not used in the last one year and are really not going to use, and clothes that you do currently wear.

It's ideal to have zippered plastic clothes bags which can be got from any large department store or even the dollar stores. Put away your winter/summer clothes. Make sure they are folded neatly as that's the way they are going to be for the next 6 months.

Then hang up the clothes you do wear. What I've found really handy are the hanging shelves. You get narrow and broad sizes. The broad ones are ideal for t-shirts and nightwear, while I use the narrow ones to store scarves, mittens, caps etc. You can also roll up underwear and tuck them in. Another great buy are drawer dividers. They don't need to be used only in drawers. I use mine on a shelf, and it's ideal to store my socks and underwear.

And finally, take a look at the clothes you will be giving away. If it's a favourite, I'd say, go ahead and hang onto it. I have all the sweaters my mum knitted me, even if I haven't used them in 20 years. What I do not have are my maternity clothes (I am not going to get preggers anytime soon!) Or my 'bought in a haste, and repented for long' silver jumpsuit. Give away what you don't need and your closet will feel lighter and thank you for it. Think about all the new clothes you can fill it up with. And think of all those who can benefit from what you don't use....and that should do it!

Daily/Weekly Maintenance:

As a rule, I allot each day to a particular task - Monday's are bathroom cleanup days, Tuesday's are to iron shirts and dust, Wednesdays are my vacuuming day, Thursdays and Fridays are for laundry. In addition, I do a general pick up each night- 5 minutes to do a visual sweep of the room - pick up toys for the toy basket and dirty laundry for the hamper. It's easy and wonderful to wake up to a clean house. My top tip: Have a basket in each room. You get wonderfully crafted baskets and boxes and they are super to toss things into to get the room looking neat in seconds.

Firstly, make your bed each morning. Again, it takes seconds and makes all the difference between a neat and sloppy room.

Vacuum and dust once a week. Remember, the less you have, the easier it is to maintain.

Put your dirty clothes in the hamper as soon as you take them off, so you can do laundry at least once a week if not more.

Air out the room, daily if possible. If not, then give it a good airing at least once a week.

Recycle any old books and tidy up the bedside table. Same with DVD's and CD's that are lying around.

Empty the kids' box and store the toys back where they belong.

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ORGANIZE YOUR BATHROOM

The bathroom usually being one of the smaller rooms in the house, will take up less of your cleaning time. However, since it's a room that's used often with frequency, you need to ensure that all cleaning is done thoroughly.

What I've found that works really well is a once a month scrub down, and then weekly updates. These usually include mopping the floor, cleaning the toilet bowl, shower/tub and faucets and the wash basins and the shelves around it, and of course, changing towels and hand towels and replacing empty toilet paper rolls.

However if your bathroom is in need of a de-clutter job then here goes:

One
Remove everything from shelves, under the counters, medicine cabinet and any other drawers and closets. It's handy at this point, to have a spare garbage/plastic bag nearby to toss any expired or leaking products.

Two
Give the bathroom a cleaning. Grab a pair of gloves and a stout brush/scrub. At this time, it's also a good idea to try out 'natural products' if you choose to. Please remember though, that with all natural products, it's important to wash them away thoroughly as they leave behind a filmy residue.
Don't forget to wipe down the inside of cabinets, drawers and closets. Also, remember to clean shower heads and faucets. And a quick scrub inside the tooth brush holder is also a good idea.

Three
Bring back the items you are going to store in the bathroom. Remember to keep the items you use most in front or out where it's easy to access. For under the cabinet storage, it's ideal to have dollar store plastic baskets/bins into which items can be sorted. If you do not use certain items on a daily basis, be sure to keep them at the back. If you do not use it at all, remember the plastic bag which is waiting to collect all your excess clutter! And keep any leaking but usable items in large Ziploc bags. These are perfect for containing the leak, as well as allowing you to see your product.

Keep the bathrooms in your home well stocked. You can refer to our 'Monthly Household Shopping List' to help you select the products you need. Shopping at the start of the month, when you have time (and money) is much easier, and this way, you'll never reach for an empty toilet paper roll!

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ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN

At our home, this is the place we probably use the most. While we were house hunting, one of my top priorities was a large and airy kitchen. And we were lucky to get it. The children and I spend a lot of time here, eating, cooking and doing craft work. However, prior to this, we lived in an apartment, where the kitchen was the size of a closet! Much easier to maintain you would think! But not necessarily so. A well organized kitchen doesn't depend on the size of the room. The following guidelines can be used for any kitchen, no matter its size.

One
Kitchen Counters -
No matter how much space you have to chop and cook on, it never seems enough. You often have to push away books, keys, the phone, pens and paper to create a small clutter free work-space. Leave the counter tops for just that- kitchen work! Wipe your counter top daily, after you cook each meal if possible. I use kitchen towels that can be rinsed and squeezed dry. And for stove tops, remember to use non-abrasive sponges.

Reserve the counter tops for daily use appliances such as your toaster, kettle and coffee maker. If you need the extra space, think of investing in shelves.

As soon as you finish cooking, put the dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher. Do not let them collect on the counter top. The impulse to leave them till later at night is often a strong one, but if you put them away immediately, it gets much easier at the end of a long and tiring day, to clean up.

Do not use your counter tops to house any decorations, even if there is a lot of space. Decorations are best left for shelves or walls.

Tip- I use a lot of baskets in my home. You can purchase a few colourful ones for each room and throw in any daily use gadget or small appliances. My keys, mail and pens..all go into baskets, along with spare batteries and knick knacks, which I sort out weekly. For change, I have bought dollar store plastic change rollers and they work most effectively to keep all those pennies together. And of course, all the rolls also go into a basket.

Two
Kitchen Cabinets -
Allocate a place in each cabinet for a particular item and then do not deviate. It's frustrating trying to find a pan, when the onions you're frying are burning. Having items in their place ensures that your cabinets stay tidy too.

Firstly, clean out all the cabinets and put the items on your table. Wash the inside or wipe with a wet towel. If you store food inside, then be sure to check for the expiration date. All expired food products get tossed.

Next, start arranging items back. Spices should get a handy spot if you cook a lot. Then comes the cutlery and mugs/glasses which you use daily. Then the cooking pots and pans. Don't forget to make space for the kitchen towels and wipes.

Leave the cupboards that are difficult to access, like above a refrigerator or in the corner, to house appliances that you don't use on a daily basis, such as your juicer or waffle maker. You may need a stool or chair to access these cupboards, but I recommend you view what you have inside them on a monthly basis, so you can actually use them! Remember though, never to put heavy items in these cabinets as you don't want it to fall on you while trying to get to it.

If you are a baker like me, then keep a separate area for baking items. A good idea is to invest in plastic baskets or bins, which fit into your cabinets or shelves. These then house your spices, baking items and ensure they do fall out, spill or roll around.

Three
Kitchen Drawers -
These should be fairly easy to arrange depending on how many you have to use. Take out all the items and give the drawers a good clean up. Reserve if possible the first drawer for cutlery. It's best to invest in a tray that fits into your drawer, so your cutlery does not get mixed up.

Keep the second drawer for larger spoons, cooking tools and things like a rolling pin, egg divider, frying spoon etc. Again, it's good to invest in drawer dividers which are easily available in all large department stores.

Tip- If you don't wish to invest in dividers, long oblong shaped cardboard boxes work just as well. Reserve a few that fit snugly into the drawer and take the lids off. Use these to house your large spoons etc.

Any additional drawers you have, can be used for storing table linen, dish clothes, foils and wraps and if they are deep enough, even cans of food. Be careful not to overstuff drawers so that your items do not fall behind and get stuck.

Avoid throwing anything that needs to be sorted into the handiest drawer. Reserve the drawers for items you use. The rest of the stuff goes into a basket.

Four
Pantry -
If you can, set up a small pantry somewhere in your house. If that's not possible, think of putting up shelves with plastic bins on them to house your items such as cans, lentils, pastas etc. To help organize your pantry, check out the 'pantry checklist' and 'monthlyhouseholdshopping' list.

Daily/Weekly Maintenance:

Keep your sink and kitchen counters clean. This mean a good rinse or wash after every meal prepared and at night, a good wipe down (or scrub if needed) with a disinfectant. Alternatively, you can check out natural cleaning options at our 'Go Green' section.

Dishes should go into the sink or dish washer as you finish using them and run the cycle last thing at night, when you're sure no more dishes are going to be used.

Once a week or as needed, use a special stove and oven cleaner to make sure your cooking appliance is in top shape.

Once a week, wipe down the outside of your kitchen cabinets and drawers.

Make sure the floors stay clean and spotless. Once a week, shake out all your kitchen rugs. Vacuum and mop to a shine. For daily maintenance, invest in long handle broom and dustpan or a light vacuum cleaner, to pick up those annoying crumbs.

Wash all kitchen rugs at least once a month.

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ORGANIZE YOUR LIVING ROOM

The living room is one room that you often invest a lot of time and money into. After all, that's where you usually entertain your visitors and may spend a lot of time there yourself. Keeping it tidy ensures that it's always at its best to enjoy, both by you and your family, and your visitors- expected or otherwise.

One
Pick up anything that's on the carpet- toys, magazines etc. and put them away in their appropriate place. Don't forget to look under the sofa/chairs to find anything that's rolled under.

Two
Keep aside anything that needs to be recycled in your recycling bin.

Three
Roll up any loose wires. Now that you have everything in place, dust all surfaces, including windows and blinds. Using a vacuum on them is a good idea. Get into all the cracks and crevices that a duster won't. Don't forget lamps and frames. Wash over head fixtures and fans. If you have any silver or metal for polishing, keep these aside and remember to dust the shelves they stand on.

Four
Vacuum or mop the floors and carpets and don't forget to move furniture and vacuum under them. If your carpet is very dirty, you may consider hiring professional carpet cleaners or hiring a steam cleaning machine and doing the job yourself.

Five
If your children use the living room to play in, make sure you have a designated shelf or storage space for them. Baskets and bins work to hold their toys and books. If possible, limit their toys to a few select pieces which they can play with. The rest stay in their room or play room.

Six
Pull down any curtains and remove any sofa/chair covers and toss them into the laundry. While that's being done, polish the silver or metal (see our 'Go Green' section for natural furniture and metal polish recipes). Dust any other knick knacks that you may have and any paintings/frames.

Daily/Weekly Maintenance:

Take a look around your living room and see where the clutter tends to gather. It may be atop your living room center table, where everyone leaves their magazines/newspapers or throws their car keys on. It may be that everyone tosses their shoes off at the entrance. Look at how you can fix these. A magazine rack near the table should take care of your magazines/papers. A decorative basket will easily hold keys and coins, leaving your table tops free of clutter. A shoe rack will hold your family and guest's shoes neatly. TIP - think of keeping a few daily pairs of shoes on the rack, and storing the remaining shoes in a closer handy location, like your garage or coat closet.

Now, on a daily basis, take a look around your living room at the end of each day, and put away any magazines or toys or shoes in their appropriate place.

Fluff up any cushions, fold your throws and re-arrange any messed up rugs.

Vacuum and dust once a week. Remember, the less you have, the easier it is to maintain.

Empty and recycle your magazine rack once a week. If you need any magazine recipes or articles, cut them out and store them in a file, so you can recycle the rest of the magazine.

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ORGANIZE YOUR CHILDREN'S BEDROOM - WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THEM

At the end of their very busy days, children need a calm sanctuary to return to. Or maybe, your child spends a lot of his time in his room, which doubles up as his play room. Either way, your child's bedroom needs to be a calm and clutter free zone.

Achieving the former is quite easy. Choose soothing colours and themes and leave the camouflage rooms to the army! You can use his favourite themes in wall decals and coverlets, while at the same time, toning down his curtains, carpets or walls.

Achieving the latter can be a little tricky. Kids by nature love clutter and are not afraid to be messy. However, it's important to teach them at a very young age, what a calm and tidy free zone can achieve.

Most children do not have separate 'play rooms'. But it's easy to keep their toys clean and tidy. Make sure you have enough shelves and large plastic toy bins for their assorted toys and puzzles. A bookshelf is a good idea as it encourages children to read, but make sure that the bookshelf is nailed to a wall, so your child cannot pull it down.

Children at an early age should be encouraged to help in clean up time. Ideally, it should be a few minutes at the end of each day, after which they may need some time to wind down. I allow my daughter to select 3 books, which we then read together, before she falls asleep. We also sing the 'clean up' song, which my son, age 2, is now learning.

Kid's rooms need good weekly cleanups, mainly to get rid of all that sticky glue and torn paper that seems to find its way under the sheets.

One
Strip the beds and throw the sheets into the wash. Remake the beds with fresh sheets.

Two
Fold and put away any clean laundry and toss the dirty laundry into your washer or clothes bin. I have a separate hamper for the kids' clothes, which I toss dirty clothes into on a daily basis, so there's no really picking up to do. However, don't forget to pick up any towels or socks hiding under the bed. If your child is old enough, enlist his help in doing the laundry. Children can help sort socks, fold towels and sort colours. My daughter also has a little stool which she uses to help hang up wet clothes on the dryer and take the dry ones down.

Three
Dust everything, including windows and blinds. Using a vacuum on them is a good idea. Get into all the cracks and crevices that a duster won't. Don't forget lamps and frames. Wash over head fixtures.

Four
Vacuum and don't forget to reach well under the bed. Wash and vacuum any bedroom rugs.

Five
Pick up anything that does not belong to the room and return it to its appropriate place. Trash goes in the bin and recyclable material, to the blue box!

Six
Now, sort all toys, puzzles and books into two piles- things that they use and things that they have outgrown. Remove the latter pile from the room immediately, before the children can delve back into it.

Seven
Closet cleaning for children is much easier as in general, they need a sizeable number of basics (unless you launder frequently) and a few party outfits. Keep aside the outgrown clothes for charity or a younger sibling and fold away the summer/winter clothes, bearing in mind that your child might outgrow them when you next take them out. Divide the rest of the clothes into easy to reach sections, so your child can help dress himself with minimum fuss.

NOTE- If more than one child is sharing a room, then ensure they have their own personal space for their toys. Let them select which toys they would like to keep to use on a daily basis and the rest can be stored in the 'rota' box. It's also a good idea to choose storage bins in their favourite colour, letting them help in the selection process. If you are using recycled cardboard boxes, a great rainy day project would be to help them decorate the boxes with their paints, stickers and glued on items. If the children are sharing closet space, make sure that each has their own space/shelves so clothes don't get mixed up.

Daily/Weekly Maintenance:

Ensure that the beds are done every morning when your child wakes up. My daughter loves to help shake out the duvet cover with me.

All toys need to be put away at night, before bedtime. Children need a schedule to follow, and silly songs like the 'clean up' song do help. For older kids, ensure they have enough reachable space to help them clean up by themselves. They also need to have a reason to clean up. Explain to them how a clean room helps them find their favourite books/puzzles easily and how little pieces will not get lost. Make sure you have enough large toy boxes, but don't forget little boxes for jewellery, smaller puzzle pieces and other assorted treasures.

Tip- A great idea is to rotate toys - place a few in a box and keep them away for a few weeks. During a rainy day, bring out the box and let your children dip into it. At the same time, ensure you put away the toys they have been playing with. For Christmas, I created two separate boxes for the kids and filled them with new toys, mostly craft items, with one or two special items like DVD's and wooden toys. On particularly horrid stay at home days, the kids will be allowed to dip in; eyes shut, and pull out a treat.

Vacuum, dust and launder their linens and towels at least once a week. Children love to help. My 2 year old son will take a clean rag to dust the 'lower shelves' in the house, and wipe the chairs in his bedroom.

Ensure dirty clothes are put into a hamper daily, so you don't have a pile lying around. A hamper in their room or one that is easily accessible will help them remember.

For older children, you can create a 'Rewards chart' (download one for free at 'Love those lists') to help kids keep track of their daily chores. Be sure to reward them weekly or when they complete a task. My own rewards include a 'reward box' filled with small toys and colour books, dress up clothes and jewellery. I rarely use candy and the kids love dipping their hands into the box to see what they pull out.

Teach your child to clean on a daily basis and it's a habit that will last them a lifetime!

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ORGANIZE YOUR GARAGE

What you use your garage to store, depends a lot on how large it is and where it's located. Ours is a tandem (double) garage, but you have to climb down a flight of stair to access it from inside the house. So, while we have our vehicles parked there, our storage is usually limited to empty carton or tools, and very rarely do I get my husband to lug something large and heavy down to store it.

However, garages are used very often, in addition to storing vehicles, as workshops, home storage areas and often as additional square footage for a home- to house a family room, laundry room or even child's play room. The following steps are easy to follow and makes for a well organized garage.

One
Determine what yours is going to be used for. Then, go ahead and create a space or zone if you will, for each purpose. Take a walk around yours, and see what can go where. If possible, each zone should serve only one purpose - either store the car or bike, or to house your crafts, or a workshop section.

Two
Remember, it's important to have easy access for each zone. So your vehicles obviously need to be close to the garage door, without any obstacles to manoeuvre. Your shoe rack should be ideally close to the home door so you don't get your feet dirty while selecting your shoes. Your suitcases and other items which you don't need on a daily basis can be further back in the garage.

Three
Shelving is really important and a good set of shelves or storage can go a long way in creating the additional functional space you need. Don't forget items which are easily available in any department store, such as bike hooks, ski racks etc., which can be mounted on the wall or even the ceiling. In addition, boxes or clear plastic storage bins work really well to allow you to keep your items dust free, while at the same time being able to see what's inside the box. Vacuum suctioned plastic bags are also great for storing clothes and sweaters, as they keep them clean and dry and take up a minimum amount of space.

Four
Now you are clear on what you'll be using your garage for, and how to arrange the necessary storage. The next step is to put all the items from your garage into one large pile. Then follow the Trash/Recycle, Donate/Sell and Keep rule. Items that need to go into the trash can need to be disposed of immediately. Next, take care of the items to be donated or sold. Don't procrastinate or leave the bags lying around- you may be tempted to open them once again. And finally, the items you want to keep need to be put in an organized manner, in the many bins, shelves and on the hooks and racks you've just purchased!

Setting up an organized garage does take time, especially the sorting and binning of the many items we collect over the years and are loath to part with. However, once it's done, it's a relief to walk into a well organized garage, and know exactly where to lay your hands on the particular item you're looking for.

Five
When the garage is empty, give it a good sweep, especially in the corners and around the ceiling. If you're painting it or insulating it, now's the time to do so. Also, check for cracks and water seepage and get that taken care of. Make sure you have enough electrical outlets if you need them. And then, put up the shelves and other storage organizers you'll be using.

Weekly Maintenance:

Maintaining an organized garage is quite easy. Once a week or once a fortnight, remove all vehicles and give the floor a good sweep or vacuum it. Make sure that you put back all stuff taken out, such as shoes on the racks and tools in the cupboard or tool box. And that's it. Enjoy your garage!

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