So what is spring cleaning? Does it mean we have to clean up around the outside of our house? Use vinegar on the windows? Beat the carpets? Or is it that desire to air out our homes and hang our linens on the clothesline for that crisp clean smell?

I guess it means something different to everyone. Here's what I like to do once the snow has melted and the temperature rises:

1. Get outside and play & pick-up sticks with my kids. Literally, have them help you pick up sticks that have fallen all winter. Set a timer and make it a game or have a contest to see who gets the most. Then tie them up or put them in a trash can and dispose of them.
2. Give the house a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. Start on the top floor, and clean each room until you reach the basement. This may take a day, a week or a month. Also, look up in your rooms - at the light fixtures or tops of shelves. These places are often neglected during your regular cleaning. And move the furniture to vacuum underneath.
3. Clean out the closets - This is a great time to purge your clothes and the kids'. My method is to take everything out and put back what fits, box up what doesn't and give it to charity. Make a list of what staple goods you need for spring & summer and reward yourself with a little shopping spree. But bring the list!
4. Dare I say it? Put the shovels, the ice melt and the Christmas lights away. Use a cord wrap for the lights and tuck them away in the garage. Make sure spring items are easily accessible: bikes, baseball gear, roller blades, gardening supplies, etc.
5. Air out & switch out your linens. Time for lighter blankets & sheets so wash the winter ones and tuck sheets sets into a pillowcase, making it easier to find the sets together next time. Just for fun, wash the curtains, area rugs and maybe put out some spring throw pillows and blankets. Crack the windows on a nice day and you just might & catch it - spring fever!
6. As you are going through the house make a list of “fix-its” or projects you would like to accomplish this season. Then discuss priorities & budget for these with your spouse. I always get 3 quotes and then tackle one project at a time. Plan to finish before your summer vacation!

Debbie Lillard
Professional Organizer
NAPO-GPC Professional Development Director
Author of "Absolutely Organized"
www.spacetospare.com

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At this time of year most people are trying to keep their heads above water.  The TV airwaves and newspapers are full of ways to celebrate.  What if we did something a bit radical?  What if we looked beyond the holiday and found a few ways to save time, space, energy and money before the clock strikes midnight and it’s 2011? Here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Chances are good that you store your holiday decorations in the attic, the basement or the garage. As you take them down this year, why not give them the once over before you automatically pack them away?  Are any items ready for the trash? Do you have anything that could be donated? Would a family member like some of these items to jump-start their collection? By the way, do you know what’s in all those other boxes filling up the area? Now is a great time to do a little housekeeping.


2. Decorations should be packaged in hard plastic containers and well labeled. Do you have a unit with shelves so that your boxes don’t have to live on the floor? It’s also possible if you must stack your decorations to use containers on wheels.  It’s much easier to pull out a stack of holiday decorations than to have to drag some mystery containers out and wonder what your various categories are in the stack. Cardboard is a feast for critters and breaks down over time.  You’ll find a wonderful assortment of containers at The Container Store, Bed, Bath & Beyond and the Home Depot just to name a few.


3. Tax season is in the horizon.  Why not spend the week between Christmas and New Year getting your receipts in order?  If they are sorted and filed all you have to do is add them up before your tax appointment.  Better yet, create a file system that helps you stay organized all year long.  It takes some time, effort and a few dollars in supplies however it pays endless dividends all year long.  You save time because instead of searching for papers, you know exactly where they are.  And you know the old saying: ‘time is money.’


4. A solid FICO score has never been more important and one of the key ways to keep it healthy is to pay your bills on time.  Create a bill paying system now. Whether you mark on your calendar when a bill needs to be paid, do on line bill paying or have automatic payments set up (or a combination of all), make this one of the habits you cultivate for 2011.


5. If you look at your mail as you walk in the front door and toss your bills wherever fate dictates, you will find it difficult to stay current. The bills will be there and fall due whether you pay them on time or bury them under the cushions on the couch. Best to pay them and file the receipts for tax time. Another reason to take time to create a working file system this month.

You go to the head of the class if you already have a file system created. Now set aside a few hours to be sure it's updated for the New Year.  Too often files become cemeteries rather than active stores of current information. Ask yourself these questions as you peruse your system:

• Are there items you can toss into the recycle pile?  
• What needs to be shredded?  
• Have you created an area for archival material?
• Don't forget to create tax receipt files for the New Year.  The files for this year's tax receipts will soon be put away with all of your other tax back up material.  

Check with your tax preparer or tax attorney to see how long they feel you need to save returns and back up material.  The laws change and these pros will always be up to date.

• Take a few minutes before you ring in the New Year to be sure you haven't neglected any potential tax deductions.  You'll be grateful you did this in March, as you get ready for Tax Day on April 15.  What did I have in mind: union dues, charitable contributions, log the miles you drove for any volunteer work, pay all your medical expenses for the year and contribute to your child's college fund. Every year a parent can give $13,000 without paying a gift tax.  
• If you are newly pregnant, don't forget that one day this little one may want to go to college. Set up a 529 college plan and tell your family you'd rather receive a contribution to that cause than be saddled with overstuffed toys.
• These tough economic times provide us with an opportunity to teach our children about money and to demonstrate responsible ways to manage it. Here are some thoughts to get your creative juices flowing:
  • Organize the house to eliminate clutter because clutter makes it more difficult to think clearly.  
  • Be sure you decorate the home together.  If you can't afford a tree, pick up some discarded branches so you have the aroma of pine.
  • Ask everyone to find one object they could sell on E-Bay or Craig's List.  Use that 'found money' for gifts.  Set a per gift limit and have a contest to see who makes the most creative choice.  
  • Be honest with your children about what's happening and how you are handling it.  A new i Pod or laptop is a great gift.  An even greater one is having your parents treat you like an intelligent being who can handle the truth.  Learning how to make lemonade from the current crop of lemons is a life long skill.  They'll have it long after the iPod and laptop are obsolete.

Consciously Create the Future

It’s always exciting to think of a New Year.  The very idea is full of hope and renewal.  The reality however is that the same old/same old will continue its reign unless we consciously set new causes into place.  Let’s agree that no matter what age we are, 2011 can indeed be the best year of our lives.

Regina Leeds is a professional organizer and the author of eight books.  Number five, One Year to an Organized Life, was a New York Times best seller.  Her next book in the One Year to … series is One Year to an Organized Life with Baby.  It’s a guide through the often-rough waters of pregnancy and the first five months of baby’s life. 

Baby debuts at on line retailers in January 2011 and will be in brick & mortar stores in February 2011. Regina can be reached at www.reginaleeds.com.

What skeltons are in your closet? I’m not talking about secrets from your past, but really skeletons that you may have with your Halloween decorations! And for that matter, how about candles and wreaths, or that punch bowl you need for the holiday party? Storage areas like attics, basements and garages are sometimes the most disorganized areas of our homes. Why? Because it’s easy to shove things there and not think about them for a whole year.

Here are some simple tips for using the upcoming holiday seasons to motivate you and your family to organize your storage areas:

TAKE INVENTORY

• Go to your storage areas and identify what is in there. It’s a good idea to write it down and post the list on or near the door so everyone in the family knows what is there.
• If you are not sure what’s lurking in those boxes in your basement or attic, you may have to unearth the contents. Allow yourself enough time to open each box and label it but don’t get caught up in pulling everything out just yet! Tried to avoid more than one “miscellaneous” box.

PUT LIKE THINGS TOGETHER

• If you have multiple storage areas you may find that the same category of items appears in all of them. If that’s the case, decide which area can hold all of it and move the boxes. This is like playing with the pieces of a puzzle – as one goes in another might have to come out.
• Once you are satisfied with the location of your stored items, make sure your storage boxes and shelves are appropriate for that area of your house. Basement storage should be off the floor in case of water damage. In dryer areas, a paper box is fine, but you can’t go wrong with plastic bins with lids for most types of storage.

DO TIMELY CLEAN OUTS

• Before a holiday arrives, take some time to identify what you need and what you don’t!  If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, for example, take out the platters and pans that you need.  While you’re looking at extra serving ware or cookware decide if there’s anything you can let go of and donate it to a shelter or charity. You’ll have more room in storage and someone in need will be able to make a holiday meal.

• Once you’re finished decorating, anything left in the boxes can be tossed (if damaged) or donated (if in good condition.)  Places to donate: assisted-living facilities, schools, community centers, local theatre or scouting groups.

• Storage clean outs take a little planning and a lot of motivation. In addition to your basement, attic and garage, you may want to organize the…

Spare bedroom – before out-of-town guests arrive

Gift closet –before you hit the stores for holiday shopping

Clothes closet – as the weather turns colder

Coat closet – before the first snowfall

In each area, remember to categorize, purge and then re-arrange.  (C.P.R.)

Debbie Lillard
Professional Organizer
NAPO-GPC Professional Development Director
Author of "Absolutely Organized"
www.spacetospare.com

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