After the Holidays...

Now that we're in the middle of January and it's a brand new year it's time to get organized and stay organized. Everyone is trying to keep up with their New Year's resolutions and the best way to do that is to be organized, not just with schedules and at work, but at home too.  There are some real simple ways to keep things tidy and easy to manage at home.

Put those gift boxes to use, not in the trash

Use left over gift boxes to store all the old knick-knacks that you're looking to replace with the new shiny gifts from the holidays. It's a quick way to avoid a whole lot of clutter and do something with all those boxes you usually can't find room for.

Make sure the kids get organized too

Now that the kids have had the time to wear out the batteries in their new toys it's time to get them off the living room floor and find a place to keep them.  Designating a specific area for each child to keep their toys is a way to make them feel special, a place to call their own.  Also try to keep these special storage places low to the ground, so they can have easy access to the toys when they want them, and even better, they have easy access when you want them to put them away.

Ribbons aren't just pretty, they're functional

Save ribbons from packages and presents to hang up new photo frames and pictures from the past year. Saving memories and decorating your home with them is easy and faun. You can stop the clutter and do a little good for the environment, by giving the ribbon a second life and recycling.

A lazy susan to clear up those cluttered counters

We all know that you cooked like crazy during the holidays, but now there are spices and cooking supplies spread all over the counters.  Now it's time to get them organized and put away for the final time.  Getting a small lazy susan to put either in a cupboard or in a tidy corner is a great way to keep everything in one place and it's easy to clean when faced with those messy spills.   Even if things get a little cluttered on the lazy susan, it's ok, because it's all in one place and you'll know where everything is!

Pick a wall and stick it to the wall

Chose a wall in one room, the kitchen, the laundry room, the playroom, wherever it may be, just find a room and then find a wall.  Make this the go-to wall for everything in the house.  This means putting all your calendars, bulletin boards, and even a chalkboard (or whiteboard) on that wall.   This is a place to write everything down, leave sticky notes, grocery lists, keep track of everyone's schedules.  No more notes left on the counter or the fridge, no more mess!