WINTER CLEANING

Some days I long for rabbit ears, rotary dial telephones, typewriters, roll-down windows and dial-up Internet.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a tech junkie, but sometimes (especially when they malfunction) I  want to toss everything out the window.  Those of you under the age of 20 will most likely need to Google the items I listed above to figure out what on earth I'm talking about.  But this isn't about the Bieber generation, it's about how frustrating it is when the systems we have in place to make our lives easier breakdown.  Take for example my DVR.  The other night, overwhelmed by the choices on the tube, we decided to disconnect from the world and sit by the fire for a lovely evening of conversation.  The following night, excited to watch brilliant programing we'd recorded like "Downton Abbey" and "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," we were shocked to discover that our brand new smart TV had recorded everything in Spanish.  Dumbfounded and bummed about missing our favorite programs, I decided to use the two hours I just grabbed back of my life to get with the program and dismantle Christmas.  Before shoving Santa and his many elves back into their hiding places for the next ten months, I like to take this opportunity to make sure everything is organized!  So before you deck your hall (closets) with boughs and holly, clean them out first!
WHY WAIT UNTIL SPRING?
I say spring into action NOW and clean out those stuffed closets before putting all of the Christmas stuff back.  If you're containers are nasty and gross, buy new ones (they're on sale now too!).  Take this time..especially if the weather outside is frightful..to make everything inside delightful!
CLEAN LAUNDRY: We have weekly trips to the dry cleaner, so to keep everything organized I have tote bags dedicated to different activities and label each one with luggage tags.  Dry cleaning in one, laundry in the other, donations in another, etc.
THE KEY TO HAPPINESS: If you are prone to losing your keys OR if you have too many to count, create this great little wall organization system..I took a cheap store bought frame, put cork board in the center and twisted key hooks into it.  Each hook is labeled so if someone takes the storage keys, they know right where to put them when they come back!
OKAY KIDDOS: I love to get families organized and one of the best things to do is start at the front door.  Creating fun things to get kids involved is key…grab a few bins for Target and put a photo of your kids on them, that way they know which bin to toss their junk into when they walk in the door, and right where to go on the way out!
JUST HANGIN: I helped a frustrated client last week with a very simple solution.  I noticed clothes piled in her laundry room..when she caught my stare and ran over with excuses, I promised I wasn't judging but had a better idea for hanging shirts to dry..buy an inexpensive towel bar and hang it under the cabinet!