Put Nice Hangers in Your Coat Closet!

This is another favorite HouseHold Tip of mine-

Get Nice Hangers for your coat closet!

I have Chrome Hangers in my coat closet, from the Container Store.

I bought 12 of them, they range from $2.99 to $4.99, and they make the closet look so much neater and nicer- especially when guests come over and you open up the closet to hang their coats!!

PooF- That Was Easy!

Closet Organization Tips!

Today a tip about closet organization.

It's very important to use ALL YOUR SPACE.

2 EASY ways to do this ARE:

1. Get a 'hanging closet rod'.  This is a closet rod that you just hang from the top one and creates an extra closet rod.  The one pictured on the bottom simply hangs from the top one.  There's no installation.  You're done!

This is especially great for kids' closets since there clothes are smaller!

This is my son's closet.  The extra closet rod creates so much space!

The second tip is this-
2.  Get a 'hanging sweater bag'.  This is on the right side of the picture.  You don't have to put sweaters in here.  I keep his swimming trunks and school gym uniforms in here.  It creates extra shelves in your closet!

I got both of these wonderful closet accessories at The Container Store, you can also check Target; both stores are great for helping you get organized!

Happy Closets Make Happy HouseHolds!

Put Your Recycling... AWAY

Today's HouseHold Tip is pretty straight-forward.

Put Your Recycling Away.

Make a Space For it.  And that space shouldn't be the back corner of your kitchen.

Create some room in a pantry or closet or 'mud room'.  I decluttered and organized to make room in one of my kitchen closets- for our recycling bin.  It's very accessible and yet, when you close the door to the closet-
it's gone :)

Note that on the right is where I keep bags to re-use too!

This is very simple, I know.  But I'm blogging it today because I have found sometimes, in my own life,

that when solutions are very simple, 

a.k.a.- I slap my forehead and think, duh,

that they can be overlooked :)

So if you already do this- 

Great for You, you HouseHold Tipper!

If you don't-

do it today,

it doesn't take too much effort,

and makes a world of difference :)

Happy HouseHold Tips!

Evaluate Your Space- in Drawers and Closets

Last Week was Decluttering Week on HouseHold Tips Blog.

In Keeping with Decluttering, we're talking about
drawers and closets today- and organizing,
because decluttering and organizing
go hand-in-hand.

First of all, closet and drawer organization are not static.  You can/should
re-evaluate how you are USING YOUR SPACE in closets and drawers
from time to time.

The BEST way, in my opinion, to organize closets and drawers,

is to EVALUATE Your Space...

Based on FREQUENCY OF USE. 

How often do I use this?

What do I use it for?

A perfect example is a kitchen closet/pantry/shelving.

I recently re-evaluated one of my kitchen closets where I store platters and special dishes and special pots.  I found I was overloading that space with 'specialty stuff' that I don't use every day or even once a week.  

So I went through every shelf, 

*and things that I rarely use went downstairs, 

*things that I don't use frequently went on the top shelf,

*things that I do use frequently went on the middle shelf,

*and things I use EVERY DAY,

went on the bottom shelf, 

which is chest-high, so readily available,

like- wipes, trashbags, GladWare containers and lunchbags.

This way, things I use every day are easy to grab,

and not stuffed in a corner;

everything is easy to find!

Remember: FREQUENCY OF USE

It'll make your Life Easier!

Happy Households!

The Third Step of Decluttering

Decluttering Week Continues Here!

Today we talk about the Third Step of Decluttering-

3.  Remember, Everything Has A Place

If it doesn't have a place, make a place for it and put it away;

If you can't find a place for it,

It Has To Go.

As I wrote in my First Post about Decluttering, Everything Must Have a Place.

Use your drawers and closets, re-organize them.

Use All Your Space.

Another Post I Did, gives a Good Example of Using Coat Closet Space.

See?  Use ALL Your Space.  Even the little space in the middle of this coat closet,

between the end of the coats and the floor,

is being used.

So there you go!

You have more room than you think!

Go DeClutter :)

Another Tip To Brighten Your House: New Doorknobs!

Hello HouseHold Tippers!

Here's another tip to brighten a room:

Replace Doorknobs!

We normally 'overlook' little things that make a room better or worse...

Replacing old doorknobs is a great, inexpensive way to brighten up your living room, entry way or any other place in your home!

It really adds to a 'finished' look!

We've done this all over our house- and it 'unconsciously' adds a little 'PoP' to a room!

Happy HouseHolds!

Another Great Linen Closet Solution... Use White!

I've gotten a lot of response about my post on rolling your towels in the linen closet... people love the idea!  Here's another great solution to organizing towels and linens-

Use white!

If you use white towels for your bathrooms, and especially for spare towels (for company, etc.)... THEY ALWAYS MATCH!

HOLD ON- I know what you're thinking... 'White?!  How do I keep them clean and crisp?'

Since they are all white- you can throw them in the washer WITH BLEACH,

No Harm,

No Foul,

No Problem!

Thank You to Kristin,  a great Mom and extraordinary 'HouseHold Tipper'-

for this great idea...

She's so smart!

Use All Your Space... Coat Closets

Today we are talking about Efficiency.

One way to be efficient is to-

Use All Your Space!

Here is a great example:  you'll see in the picture to the left  that I'm using all the space in the bottom of the coat closet.

I got this little storage container from The Container Store. I put purses I frequently use on the top, my husbands' baseball caps in the middle drawer, and all gloves and hats in the bottom.  And there's a little space left over for my son's boots (to the right) and a couple of bags I use (to the left).

Now, everything has a place that is out of sight; no clutter, no baskets full of mittens- Yey!

Great Linen Closet Solution!

Here is a great linen closet solution!

ROLL YOUR TOWELS!

You know immediately HOW MANY you have...

And it looks nice!  No?

I love this idea, I do it with towels, as well as sheets.  It's especially good for sheets and pillow cases!!

It organizes your linen closet- presto!  

Thanks to my Mother-in-Law for introducing this idea to me!