Good Advice

Here is some good advice from oprah.com:

The secret to staying organized and maintaining a clutter-free home is to make organization a natural part of your life. The best way to manage the never-ending clutter creep is to establish an annual cycle of organization. Go beyond spring-cleaning and establish a year-round set of traditions to keep your home organized and clutter-free.

January: Fresh Start

It's a new year and a good time to purge holiday decorations and practice the in-out rule with new gifts. 

The In-Out Rule

It's very simple. For everything that comes into your home, something must go. Whatever item goes must either be the same type as the new item or take up the same amount of room.

Here are some tips for controlling in/out:

• For clothes and toys: Buy one, get rid of one.
• Cost versus space: We usually take more time with expensive purchases. But remember, the more space something takes up, the more it costs you. Spend more time deciding to buy bigger items.
• Time delay: Impose a time delay on every expenditure to curtail spontaneous purchases. Find it, love it—wait 48 hours to purchase it.
• Experience fund: Every time you stop yourself from making a spontaneous purchase, put the money that you would have spent in a special account. Then, pick an experience the whole household can look forward to—a trip to Paris, the beach, Disneyland, etc. If your child asks for a toy at the store, you can do the same thing. Say, "This toy costs $9.99. Let's put that in the Disneyland fund instead." At the end of 12 months, you might have enough money to have an experience that the whole household will remember forever.

February: Shred Mania

Get your paperwork under control! Get a jump-start on your tax return and file as early as possible. Update insurance policies and other legal documents and create a message center to organize your daily household bills.

March: Reinvent Spring Cleaning

Get your home sparkling, inside and out. Create a task list and assign each family member to a certain duty. Make a schedule and put it in a safe place so you can refer to it next year.

April: Explore the Black Hole

It could be the garage, that space under the stairs or the basement. Tackle your storage areas!

May: Discover the Great Outdoors

Focus on the outside of your home. Check and fix outdoor play equipment, fire up the grill to make sure it still works, plan a summer vacation and organize your kids' summer activities.

June: Teach Your Children Well

They're off of school, and now is a good time to get your kids involved in the maintenance of good systems in your home. Tackle their rooms, make kid-friendly closets, sort through old toys, establish new routines and make sure to reward them!

July: Have a Yard Sale

Consider using eBay or throw a great sale yourself.

August: Prepare for Back to School
Good planning and organization makes the transition back to school a little easier. Check out their clothes and gear, stock up on school supplies, organize your computer files and go school shopping.

September: Make the Season Switch
As winter approaches, get ready for those bulky sweaters and store away your summer items. Now's also a good time to figure out what you no longer wear and can donate.

October: Brace Yourself for Winter
Winterize your home before the first frost! Clean up the garage and designate zones for various items. Get your chimney cleaned and take care of other maintenance that you can't do until spring.

November: Gear Up for the Holidays
Don't let the holidays stress you out. Get a head start by planning meals, making card and gift lists, and start shopping early.

December: Relax and Enjoy
As the rush and celebration of this month descend, stop and take a moment for yourself to reflect on the past year. Celebrate your successes and commit to making the changes you want for next year.