Living rooms, Dens, and Kitchens, OH MY!

So, how are those bathrooms and laundry rooms lookin'? :) This post will be about general organization and order in our living rooms, dens, and kitchens.

The MOST important advice I can give is that, Everything should have a place, and everything should be in its place." I know that seems elementary, but I think it is fundamental for order in the home. This is especially true if you are living in a limited amount of space. Find a home for everything, and if it doesn't seem to go anywhere or with any group in particular, contemplate whether you use it or need it.

Okay, on to living rooms/dens. I will combine the two because not everyone has a separate den. Sometimes they are combined into a great room.

Living room/Den-

* Try to minimize knick-knacks. Some items for general decor are fine, but really evaluate whether that seashell sculpture from Myrtle Beach that Grandma Mable brought you is worth keeping around. Remember, everything you have must be maintained, (ie: dusted, cleaned, etc..) and that means, t-i-m-e. Sometimes, less is more.

* Make sure the items in your living space are season appropriate. For instance, you don't need fleece throws when it is 96 degrees. By the same token, you might want to put away the box fans when it's 34 degrees. You get the picture.

* Have designated areas for toys. Our kids are older now, but our dog has a basket of toys, and another one for rawhide chews. I know, pretty sad. But he actually has learned where his toys are, and goes and selects one to play with. However, like toddlers, he gets out five at a time, and never puts them away. With a basket or some type of container though, children can have access to a few toys, but also have an easy way to clean them up.

* Ditch the junk mail. Try to make a habit of throwing junk mail away as soon as you walk in the door with it. Then take the "good" mail (even bills) to a pre-designated area. This will cut down greatly on the paperwork that can accumulate so rapidly on various surfaces around the house.

* One thing we tried a while back was; we purchased three (one for each child) baskets that complimented the living room decor, and labeled each basket with the child's name. Whenever I would find something lying around that belonged to a child, (sunglasses, video game chip, book, stickers, stuffed animal) I would place it in their basket. This way, I wasn't constantly running back and forth through the house "delivering" their belongings. Then a couple times a week, I would have them take their baskets to their rooms and put their things away. This was also great when they would call out, "Mama, have you seen my charger for my DS?" I could tell them to check their basket. Ta daaaa Just one more way to help instill responsibility.

* Do a "quick clean up" a couple times a day. A quick clean up is a 5-10 minute pick up of the main living areas. The kids and I quickly scan the areas and pick up any items that are out of place. We return them to their correct locations, and Voila, the living room is clean again. (We do this in the morning, late afternoon, and usually right before bed.)

* Make a little "desk in a tote." I bought an inexpensive scrap booking tote from Wal*Mart, and filled it with pencils, pens, stapler, scissors, tape, notebook paper, Sharpies, highlighters, erasers, dry erase markers, and a dry eraser. I was so tired of trying to find a working pen, or a pencil that wasn't broken. This has been a lifesaver many, many times. We keep it right in the living room. We just have one important rule with this, if you take it out, put it away.

* Here's my favorite:) Try moving your furniture around. Sometimes you just need a new perspective to get you motivated. Not to mention all the baseboards that have been neglected over the years, and pacifiers under the couch. I love moving my rooms around, it really helps me keep things clean. You have no choice but to go through things when you tear apart your room.


Alright, enough about living rooms, how bout those kitchens?

Kitchen-

* If you haven't already, go through your cabinets, one at a time. Clean them out, completely. Donate or yard sale any appliances, dishes, pots, pans, etc... that you are not using. Weed through the 73 sippy cups and 45 coffee cups you have. How many do you really need? Remember, less is more. The more you have, the more you have to manage. Don't create unnecessary work for yourself.

* Clean your pantry out. Throw away anything that has expired. You would be suprised how many boxes of jello and cans of peaches that expired in 2006. Of course I'm totally guessing here. No first hand knowledge. Ahem

* Get a small container for frequently used meds, and put them in a cabinet. Put all other meds in bathroom, or other designated location. If you just put the ones you need on a regular basis (Tylenol, Benedryl, Claritin, Neosporin, Tums, Zantac, children's Tylenol) you won't end up with a cabinet that looks like Rite Aid. It will also make it easier to find them when you really need it. Just pull the container down, and pass out the valium to the kids give the kids their vitamins.

* Make out a menu for the week. I know, this seems lame, but it really works. You don't have to be totally detailed with it, just a general idea. But it makes it so much easier for you to see if you have all the ingredients, as well as the time prep you will need. Remember, you must manage your home. It should be the exception, not the rule, to be unprepared at supper. Things happen, and schedules get bumped, but if you have a general idea what you're fixing, you can always swap meals if you need to.

* Keep a running list on the side of the fridge, or some other strategic location, for items you need to buy at the grocery store. When you use the last tea bags, add "tea bags" to the list, and you when you go shopping, your list will be complete. It is so easy to forget something while you're in the store, and have to make another trip. Guard that time.

I pray some of these ideas will benefit you. As I've said before, I am no authority, just another mom trying to find out what works and find ways I can better manage my time and home.

On a side note, I recently made homemade laundry soap, dishwasher soap, and oatmeal bath. I'm in the process of making my own liquid hand soap, I'll let you know how that turns out. The laundry soap is AWESOME! It costs about $2.o0 for a batch that will last me approximately 15 months! Yep, you heard right, over a year for 2 bucks, that's about .13 cents a month. I'll be posting these recipes on my website in the next few days. The dishwasher soap was great, too. Incredible savings. And Jackson and Abby throughly enjoyed the oatmeal bath (separately, of course). Who knew it could be so easy? I could beat the snot out of myself for spending all that money on the brand name stuff. But never again!

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