YOURS, MINE AND OURS. How To Blend Two Households And Stay Sane In The Process

Written by Monica Ricci


Continued from page 1

4. If it?s not winter where you live, pull your tagged items outside and have a yard or garage sale. Don?t be greedy. Remember, you want this stuff to sell quickly so you don?t have to move it.

5. Everything that doesn?t sell, donate to an organization that can use it, such as your church or synagogue, The Metro Atlanta Furniture Bank (404-355-8530), a homeless or day shelter, orrepparttar Salvation Army.

Presto! You?re down to one set of furnishings and you?ve donated things to people who can use them. When blending your personal files from two separate households, remember, it?s not necessary to keep all your files inrepparttar 111395 same file cabinet. You don?t have to combine your household files if you aren?t comfortable doing so. Just be sure that your filing system is easy to navigate in case your partner needs to retrieve any of your filed information.

If you do elect to combine your household files, be sure keep files ofrepparttar 111396 same type together, in a truly integrated filing system. For example, keep both your auto insurance information underrepparttar 111397 same category, instead of filing yours under CAR and your partner?s under INSURANCE. Also, don?t keep allrepparttar 111398 paperwork for any given subject in one folder. Divide it into two folders, one labeled with your name and one with your partner?s. You can successfully blend two households if you takerepparttar 111399 time to set it up right inrepparttar 111400 beginning.



Monica Ricci has been an organizing specialist since 1999, and her motivational presentations teach effective organizing and simplifying techniques for home and work. She also offers free email tips and ideas on how to make life simpler and more organized. Her topics include clutter control, paper management, time management, organizing space and procrastination.Contact Monica at 770-569-2642 or Monica@CatalystOrganizing.com.




COOKING UP A PLAN. Organizing In The Kitchen

Written by Monica Ricci


Continued from page 1

6. Use vertical space. Place hooks under cabinets to hold mugs aboverepparttar countertop, or hang a stemware rack inrepparttar 111394 same spot for wine glasses, which will free up a lot of space inrepparttar 111395 cabinet above. Hang adhesive hooks onrepparttar 111396 inside of cabinet doors or pantry doors to hold tools such as measuring cups, oven mitts, or other kitchen gadgets. Consider using wall space or a ceiling rack to hang functional items such as pots and pans. Remember that any space you can use to hang something will free up flat space inside a cabinet.

7. Use lazy susans (turntables) to hold things such as oils, vinegars, and other cooking ingredients, as well as spices, vitamins or medications. You can also use a few lazy susans in your refrigerator. One will keep beverages, so nothing ever hides inrepparttar 111397 back to spoil or freeze, and use one on another shelf to keep leftovers or small jars of pickles, olives, or other small food items.

8. Get some drawer dividers for your cooking utensil drawers and your ?junk drawers?. Everyone needs a place to keep those little miscellaneous things, but they don?t have to be overflowing and junky. Drawer dividers will allow you to assign a little spot for each thing and you?ll be able to find things when you need them.

9. Get a magnetic sorter box to hang onrepparttar 111398 side ofrepparttar 111399 fridge for coupons, takeout menus, a notepad and pen, and other papers that tend to accumulate onrepparttar 111400 countertops. Each type of paper should have its own section inrepparttar 111401 sorter.

10. Keep trash bags nearrepparttar 111402 trashcan and throw a stack of loose bags intorepparttar 111403 bottom ofrepparttar 111404 can. That way, when you pull out one bag, there is already another one right below it waiting to be used. If you put your trash out atrepparttar 111405 curb one night a week, use that time to clean out your refrigerator each week too. Peek in there and see what food needs to be pitched, throw it out, and then takerepparttar 111406 trash out torepparttar 111407 curb immediately after. If you dorepparttar 111408 cleaning out weekly, you?ll find that your refrigerator will stay current and you?ll never have a whole shelf being taken up by old moldy food.

Your personal work style will determine where you store and userepparttar 111409 items in your kitchen, butrepparttar 111410 goal is to get that room and its contents to be serving your needs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. If you investrepparttar 111411 time and energy into decluttering and organizing your kitchen, it is an investment that will pay off in happiness for years to come.

Monica Ricci has been an organizing specialist since 1999, and her motivational presentations teach effective organizing and simplifying techniques for home and work. She also offers free email tips and ideas on how to make life simpler and more organized. Her topics include clutter control, paper management, time management, organizing space and procrastination.Contact Monica at 770-569-2642 or Monica@CatalystOrganizing.com.




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