Real Life Solutions

Subscribe

Archive for the ‘Organization’

Scheduling For Sanity

March 10, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Organization, Stress Management No Comments →

Having a schedule is a fundamental part of time management. You can imagine your schedule as a road-map. It provides important information about where you are going and how you can get there.

Without it, you may take a wrong turn somewhere and find yourself lost. Once someone is lost, it may take some time before they get back on track, and they usually arrive to their destination a bit later than they would have liked.

When you have a schedule, you can look at it and see what you need to do each day. You’ll know if you are on track, and if you aren’t, what you need to do to get back on course.

How To Make a Schedule

One of the first things to do when making a schedule is to write down all the things you have to do on a piece of paper. Some people keep separate work and family schedules, and if you decide that would work best for you, you can divvy those tasks up later. For now, simply write out everything that needs to be done on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis.

Once you have everything written out and in front of you, it’s time to start sorting between the common themes. You can do this by assigning a highlighter color to each theme (such as family, work, daily, monthly, weekly) or by taking out another piece of paper and writing those columns on it, and rewriting all the tasks into the appropriate column.

Now that you have all of your tasks sorted out, try to give a time estimate to each one. You may even want to time yourself for a week or two on these tasks, as you may be very surprised at how long some things take.

For instance, you may think it only takes 45 minutes to go to the grocery store, but in reality it could take an hour and 15 minutes. You may think it only takes 15 minutes to run up to the school and pick up the kids, but may find it actually takes 25 minutes.

In many cases, people underestimate the time it takes to do things, and this is one of the reasons they think they aren’t getting enough done. By timing yourself, you will get a visual picture of your time. When you see how long it really takes to accomplish your regular tasks, you will be able to see how many things you can fit into a normal day. You won’t constantly be trying to push yourself to do more.

Once you have written down your tasks and estimated the time it takes to accomplish them, you can start planning your schedule. Some people like to have a daily schedule that is very organized with certain tasks assigned to certain times and others prefer to keep a weekly schedule that is more flexible.

For more in depth tips for time management, Click here!

Tips on How to Save Money

March 08, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Freebies, Organization No Comments →

In this world today, prices seem to go higher every year. Saving money can sometimes be a hard job for many people. To help you save money, here are some pointers for you:

1. Determine the things that are important to you. Identify the items that you need and the items that you want to have. Always remember that you should only buy things that are important and needed in your lifestyle.

2. Make sure that you spend your money only on basic needs like food, transportation, shelter, and clothing. These basic needs are worth spending for because these are important for your health and security. They are the things that you cannot live without and should be allotted in your budget.

3. Make a list of the things that you want to buy and be sure that the items that you are buying are good enough to sustain your basic needs. You have to be satisfied with the things that you have now, as long as it is still useful and can accommodate your needs.

4. You may avoid unwanted purchases by trying the item first before buying it. This is to make sure that the item is worthy enough to acquire. There are instances that you tend to buy things without even knowing its effectiveness and quality. You have to keep in mind that you always need to spend your money wisely on items that have quality and are according to your budget.

5. You may try to budget your money in advance. You can make a plan first before spending your money. There are instances that you spend your money without even thinking that it is not the right time to have it. It also advisable to buy items at the end of the season, prices at this time of the year are low and cheap.

6. You may compare items on their prices. Do not limit your options to just one store only. You may find the best item that can be useful and affordable to you by window-shopping first rather than buying by impulse. Many stores out there carry the same items and can offer lower prices.

7. You can save more money in your household by conserving electricity. Be sure to turn off appliances that are not in use. You may compare your monthly electric bills regularly to check if you are maintaining your desired bill.

8. You can save on your transportation by traveling wisely. It is recommended that you make your itinerary to help you to not forget your destinations. Being organized will help you save money and time.

With these tips, you’ll be sure to start saving money right away. For more tips, I highly recommend that you checkout Frugal Living: How To Stretch Your Hard Earned Dollar

Tips On Spring Cleaning The Home

March 03, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Healthy Living, Organization No Comments →

Get a jump on your spring cleaning and start doing it as soon as you can. When it comes to spring cleaning you don’t have to do it all at once. Look below for some spring cleaning tips.

(ARA) - Annual spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a yearly, back-breaking cleaning marathon. Regular maintenance is easy with a few simple steps and will keep the dirt from piling up so you can skip the once a year event that everyone dreads.

Hannah Keeley, lifestyle expert and host of the PBS program “Hannah, Help Me!”, offers quick and easy spring cleaning tips for the whole family to follow.

Get a game plan
Divide your home into four zones — eating areas, living areas, sleeping areas, and bathrooms. Each week, focus on cleaning just one of the four zones. Spreading out the chores will mean a lighter effort throughout the year instead of a buildup of gunk waiting for a springtime scrub-down. Be sure to make note of the zones on your calendar so you don’t get swept up (no pun intended) and forget all about it.

Get organized
Cut the clutter. Stacks of papers, boxes and miscellaneous junk can be magnets for dust, dirt and more. Clutter takes up the majority of your housework, usually about 80 percent, so if you cut out the clutter, you’ll significantly cut your cleaning time. Find storage containers to organize and hold your family’s possessions. Even your kids can help out — attach picture labels to storage bins so the little ones can easily identify where their belongings should go.

Have fun
Turn every day cleaning chores into fun, family-friendly activities. Chase your kids around the room while vacuuming. Blast your family’s favorite playlist and invite the kids to dance around the house with you while dusting. Or, when washing dishes, use the soapy water to blow some bubbles with the kids. With a little creativity, seemingly boring household chores become fun games faster than your family can say “Mary Poppins.”

Make your house do the work
Does your home work for you or against you? If your air filtration system is truly efficient, there should be little dust to clean up. This is especially important in the spring when the world comes into bloom, which can lead to poor indoor air quality and aggravate allergies and asthma. American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning’s AccuClean whole-home air filtration system eliminates up to 99.98 percent of allergens, mold spores and other microscopic things from your home’s filtered air, allowing you to spend less time cleaning, all year long. New studies conducted by Environmental Health & Engineering and professors from the Harvard School of Public Health show that the installation of AccuClean reduces dust accumulation in the home by more than 50 percent — so you can dust less and still have a healthier, cleaner home environment.

Keeley says she has tried the whole spring cleaning thing and found one thing to be true — it gets messy all over again. The trick is not in cleaning your home, but in keeping your home clean. With regular maintenance and some smart steps, you’ll find plenty of time to get out and enjoy spring, rather than focus on one massive home clean-up.

Additional Help:

Finally Organized - Finally Free - An amazing collection of 1,300 organizing tips.

Smart Grocery Shopping Strategies

March 03, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Healthy Living, Organization No Comments →

Grocery shopping is a chore most of us dread. It can be especially frustrating once you get home and realize you forgot to get an item or you neglected to give the clerk your coupon for that great buy one get one for free deal. You organize every other aspect of your life, so focus that organizational discipline towards your grocery shopping efforts as well.

Start by planning your shopping trips. In order to make a list of what you’ll need for meals that week, you’ll also need to get into the habit of planning your meals out each week. Choose a day of the week to do your shopping and stick to it. If you do your grocery shopping on Wednesdays when the ads break, be sure your menu planning is completed on Tuesday. Once you’ve completed your menu, you can construct your shopping list.

It’s also important to take a current inventory of your pantry and cupboards, and add any staples that are running low. It’s easy to forget that you used the last can of mushroom soup in that new recipe you tried, so make sure you have a couple of other cans on hand when you make it again.

Keep a shopping list posted to your bulletin board or refrigerator, and be sure each family member knows where it is located. That way they can easily add an item to the list that is almost gone or request a favorite item on the next trip.

There are printable grocery shopping lists on the internet, but you might want to consider devising one of your own and saving it on your computer so it can easily be printed each week. Leave room on your list to flag yourself about which items are listed for sale and which ones you have coupons for. Make sure your coupons are organized and in order and that you have a copy of the current ad in case there are any discrepancies once you get there. Come armed with calculator in hand to avoid suffering from sticker shock at the checkout register.

You can save hundreds each year on your groceries just by meal planning! For a step by step guide, check out The Household Helper’s Guide To Meal Planning

Tips For Organizing your Home

February 25, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Healthy Living, Organization 1 Comment →

Keeping a neat, tidy, organized home isn’t always easy when you have children. You want to create a clutter free oasis of calm; they want to take over the house with their legos. So who wins?

Well, with a little thought and careful planning you both can win. Here are some easy tips you can use to have an organized home and create the peaceful yet child friendly home you’ve been dreaming of. Before starting you should make a plan of what needs to be done. Go through each room and identify what room needs extra storage, what type of storage, etc. You should then invest in a few storage and space saving solutions.

Bookcases, under bed storage, hanging storage (for kid’s rooms), and shelves are all great space saving ideas for clutter free rooms. You can find inexpensive and fun storage at Ikea, Target or Walmart.

This is also a good time to reconsider room layouts. By organizing furniture and storage in a practical order it will be easier to stay organized and keep things tidy. If the kids are constantly leaving clothes on their bedroom floors, give them each a laundry hamper they can keep in a corner of their rooms or closet to make it easy and accessible for them to quickly throw the laundry in the basket.

Color code their bedroom drawers or toy boxes to make it easier to put away things. For example, cars and trains can go in a yellow box while legos go in the green box. You can do this for the sock drawer or t-shirts drawer by placing a color sticker on each one or you can even label it with a picture of the items meant to go in there.

Little steps like this can make the overall task of staying organized a lot easier.

Once you have your storage sorted you can start organizing by tackling one room at a time. Make three piles, one for charity, one for keeping and one for the trash and be ruthless. If you haven’t used it within the last month and unless it has sentimental value then you can either store it or give it away. Think of how much better you’ll feel coming home to a clutter free house.

Now that you have a plan and have all your storage solutions ready, it’s time to get down to business and start organizing your house. Here are a few tips to help you do just that and more importantly help you stay organized for the long term.

Recycle old newspapers and magazines - Don’t let them pile up all around your house, more than likely you won’t get back to that newspaper article or magazine column again so once you finish with it, recycle it.

Have a message station – Keep your telephone, pens, note pads, mail and calendar in one central location. Jot down all important dates and appointments as soon as you schedule them.

Have a filing system – Don’t let piles of papers clutter your house. Deal with bills and mail as soon as you get it. Set up a filing system for pending and need to be filed items, and don’t forget to file them. Also, take a little time and actually clean out your old papers and files. If you haven’t used something in a while but don’t want to get rid of it put it in a box labeled old files and store it away in your attic or garage.

Put it Away – First you need to make sure you have a place for everything in your house, then get into the habit of putting things away as soon as you finish with them. Teach your kids to do the same. If you take a few seconds to put things away you’ll never have an overwhelming problem on your hands. Make sure the kids know there is an appropriate place for everything.

Multitask – Don’t let precious minutes slip away. If you’re on hold on the telephone why not use that time to clean out your purse. If a friend calls for a chat, clean the house or fold the laundry while you’re talking. You’ll get your chores done without even noticing.

The Basket Technique – Works especially well if your house is set over two or more floors. Go from room to room with one large basket and place items that don’t belong in the room inside your basket. Then simply put the items back where they belong. This will save you time and help keep things organized.

The Evening Tidy – Each evening take a few minutes to put things back in their place. Try to do a quick tidy and leave your things ready for the next day. You could set out placemats for breakfast and pack the kids lunches. This will help you avoid rushing in the morning but you’ll also feel good to wake up to a neat and tidy house.

Grab your copy of Finally Organized - Finally Free! Its An amazing collection of 2,175 ideas, tips and techniques for organizing your home, your clutter, your time, your schedule, your money, your paper, your family and much more!

How To Get Organized and Remove Clutter

February 22, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Organization No Comments →

If you’re like most people today, there’s more than enough on your plate and keeping your life at home in order has gotten more difficult with all the technology and tools we use that’s supposed to make life easier.

Well I recently discovered a simple system for getting organized. Now I’m able to spend just 15 minutes a day following five easy steps to get rid of clutter and create order throughout my home.

The Definitive Guide to Home Organization for Busy People

The thing is, because it is written for “Busy” people, it’s not made up of hundreds of crazy ideas you’ll never be able to use or filled with a bunch of fluff, which is what I really like about it.

It’s got solid strategies for regular people. and walks you through each and every problem area of your home, giving you the confidence and energy to tackle and remove the clutter creating the stress we’d all love to live without. The thing is, the organization strategies you’ll read about have been around for generations and were used to perfection in a time when life wasn’t so hectic. When life wasn’t so busy.

But life is different today and these same strategies still work. The Definitive Guide to Home Organization for Busy People gives you the tools and strategies in a friendly, easy-to-understand process that completely removes the overwhelming of being short on time and high on stress. And finally makes life simple again.

To find out how to get organized and put these strategies to use right away, visit: The Definitive Guide to Home Organization for Busy People today and get started.

Family Meal Planning

January 27, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: About the Family, Organization, Stress Management No Comments →

Rediscovering the joys of shared meals

(ARA) - Having a family meal isn’t easily accomplished these days. Busy schedules, long work hours and even technology make it feel easier to simply grab a meal and go, rather than take the time to sit everyone down together around the table.

But American families really do miss coming together around the table. In fact, 93 percent of Americans acknowledge dinner time as the best way to connect as a family, according to a study conducted by Barilla. The obstacles barring the way for family dinner are work schedules, children’s schedules and picky eaters in the house. However, the benefits of overcoming these obstacles can be lasting for families. In fact, according to the study, Americans who eat with others more frequently are more satisfied with every aspect of their own lives, including their relationships, their physical and mental health and their level of achievement in life.

In addition, the study shows:
* Sharing meals ranks No. 1 above all other activities (including family vacations, playing together and attending religious services) in helping Americans connect with their families and their kids.
* Nearly six in 10 families agree that they don’t have as many opportunities to connect with their family or friends as they’d like.
* Americans who eat with others frequently report lower levels of overweight children.

“Family meals are more than feeding events; they are precious opportunities for family connection in a hurry-up world,” says Dr. William Doherty, a professor with the University of Minnesota Department of Family and Social Science and an expert on family time and family rituals. “Children grow up healthier, smarter and better adjusted when their parents take the lead in having regular dinner times.”

The importance of sharing dinner is not lost on chef Mario Batali or music star Martina McBride, who are working together with Barilla to spread the word about how families can ‘Share the Table’ and create lasting memories.

“Dinner is a time where everyone can come together, cook together and share together in a truly unguarded atmosphere,” says Batali, James Beard award-winning chef, restaurateur and author of “Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home.” “I encourage all families to learn how getting their entire family involved in preparing and enjoying dinner can make a positive difference in their lives.”

A mother of three and one of country music’s top female vocalists, McBride understands the challenges of work/life balance and family dinners. “With my busy schedule, I have to be creative about making time for the family to dine together,” she says. “Now I keep a few staples on hand in the pantry and fridge so we can create a quick dinner together, even after a late day of work and school. And, I’m promising to help my daughters develop a healthy relationship with food that will stick with them forever.”

Martina’s tips for creating the best family dinner experience include:
* Once in a while, make everyday dinners seem fancier with candles, a linen tablecloth and your fine china. This will add an element of fun and something to get excited about.
* Carry on your favorite dinnertime traditions from your childhood and tell your children about family meals from when you were a kid.
* Plan ahead so you can fit dinners into busy schedules. Put the dates and times on your calendar and don’t budge.

Families can discover many ways to fill their meals with boisterous conversation, meaningful interactions and flavorful food at www.sharethetable.com. For every family who joins in the movement to create meaningful family dinner time by registering on the Web site, Barilla will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels Association of America, up to $150,000, to support home-delivered and congregate meal programs. Share the Table families can gain access to more than 700 Barilla recipes - including exclusive Mario Batali recipes - get tips from family experts, design custom weekly dinner plans and dining placemats and share their own dinnertime stories and pictures with others.

If you’re looking for some good meal ideas to serve at your next family dinner, Batali shares his favorite recipe.

Ziti with Spicy Pesto “Pantesco” and Pecorino Cheese
Serves four to six people

Ingredients:
1 box Barilla Ziti
1/2 cup mint leaves, packed
1/2 cup basil leaves, packed
1 cup parsley, packed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
4 medium fresh plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Directions:
Bring 6 quarts of water to boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Place mint, basil, parsley, garlic, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, red pepper and half the olive oil in a blender. Process in short bursts until roughly chopped. Turn blender on full and drizzle in remaining oil and process until smooth, about one minute. Remove pesto and place in a large serving bowl.

Cook ziti according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and transfer pasta to a large bowl. Add pesto and toss like a salad to coat. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.

Dinner Time Does Not Have to Be Stressful.

Practical Clutter Busting Tips

January 18, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Children, Healthy Living, Organization No Comments →

There are lots of great and practical clutter busting tips that will help you keep your mess under control and banish clutter from your life.

First, when you have things sorted properly, labels are a great way to keep things straight. Clutter busting tips often mention labels, because you can liable shelves, drawers, and individual containers, and always know where things belong.

Another great clutter busting tip is to name files efficiently. Go with a system that makes sense to you, and don’t use anyone else’s system. Use words that aren’t too complex for you to remember easier, so that you can easily find your papers later when you need them.

To keep things clutter free, invest at least 10 to 15 minutes every day. If you spend a small amount of time tidying up every evening, you will not have to spend hours on the weekend to tackle large clutter problems. Use a timer, or straighten up for the duration of two or three of your favorite songs to make the straightening more enjoyable.

Other clutter busting tips that can make your life easier are to remember how people really live. Kids, for example, have the tendency to lose lids that are supposed to go with storage containers, so buy container types with attached lids. Another clutter busting idea is to take photos of mementos that you are able to part with. Your old high school cheerleading uniform is not a useful thing to keep hanging in your closet, so a great option may be to take a few photos of the uniform, and place them in an album with space to write about memories associated with the item.

Clutter busting tips are helpful to control your clutter, but one overarching idea is to make decisions about large items first. Do you have an old chair that you inherited, or a piano no one plays? Make decisions about whether or not to keep these items and you will see your clutter problem as much more manageable.

A clutter busting tip for your closet is to be realistic about your clothing. If you have items that no longer fit, don’t hold on to a whole series of jeans and dresses that are one or two sizes too small. Keep one item to motivate you to lose weight, but accept your current size and realize that if you do shed pounds you will want to shop for new, updated clothes.

Additional Resource

The Definitive Guide To Home Organization For Busy People - How To Quickly And Easily Clear Clutter And Organize Your Home…for Good! Learn The Exact Steps And Tricks Used By Professional Organizers To Get Your Home Organized & Clutter Free Today!

How To file Taxes and Save Time and Money

January 05, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Goals, Organization No Comments →

This article contains five ways to save time and money on your taxes. (ARA) - The typical taxpayer is expected to spend more than three business days and more than $200 completing his or her tax return.

“That’s too much time and too much money,” says Gary Lundberg, product management director for CompleteTax (www.CompleteTax.com), an online income tax preparation program. “The good news is, there are a few easy things people can do that will help them save time and money doing their taxes, as well as make sure they get the biggest refund they’re due.”

As people get ready to file their 2009 tax returns, there are a few things they can do to save time and money.

1. Make sure you’re prepared.

Having a few key items available when you start your taxes will save a lot of time. These include:

* Your tax return from 2008
* Social Security numbers for you, your spouse and children
* All W-2s (wage and tax withheld form for 2009 supplied by your employer), 1099s (statements on investment income provided by your financial services institutions), mortgage interest statements and other statements related to income
* All statements related to expenses that you will be claiming on your tax return
* The routing numbers and account numbers for the accounts in which you want to directly deposit your tax refund.

2. Use an online tax program.

One advantages of using an online tax program is that many of the items you need to start your taxes - like your prior year’s return - can be stored by the program. So, you don’t have to waste time hunting down information every year.

More than 32 million people filed their tax returns from their home computers during 2009, up nearly 20 percent from the prior year, according to Internal Revenue Service data. That number is likely to continue to increase as more people realize the benefits of online tax prep and electronic filing.

Using the right online tax program makes it a lot easier and faster for people to finish their tax return with no need to go to the store or download a program onto their computer.

Online tax programs also are a lot more accurate. In fact, the IRS reports that an electronically prepared and filed return has an error rate of less than 1 percent, compared to an error rate of about 20 percent for a paper prepared return.

3. Free file if you can.

Depending upon how complicated a person’s taxes are, they may be able to prepare and e-file their tax return absolutely free. For example, if you don’t need to itemize, and only have a few simple requirements - such as claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit - you may be able to use a free online tax program. For example, CompleteTax offers a free version of its program and the IRS lists other providers participating in the Free File Alliance.

If your tax situation is more complicated - for example, you have itemized deductions, investment income or you are a small business owner - you will want to make sure to purchase the online solution that is tailored to your needs. Good online tax programs for people with general tax needs are available for less than $20 and even investors or small business owners who have more complicated returns can find solutions for less than $75.

“Completing your tax returns does not need to be a drain on your wallet,” says Lundberg. “The right tax program can save a taxpayer both time and money.”

4. Maximize your credits and deductions.

The average tax refund for 2008 was nearly $2,800. However, many taxpayers have the sinking feeling that they are not getting the tax breaks they should. In fact, according to an independent survey conducted by CompleteTax, two-thirds of 1,000 randomly surveyed taxpayers fear they may overlook tax breaks or make mistakes that could cost them in fines or penalties.

“There are dozens of credits and deductions that people may have available to them. So it’s important to make sure that the tax program they’re using is geared to identify these and guide them to options that will maximize their refund,” says Lundberg.

Some programs will also provide tools to help further ensure accuracy. For example, while millions of people donate clothing and household items to charities, few have any idea of the value. A tax program, such as CompleteTax, with a charitable donation calculator, provides an easy way for determining and documenting the fair market value of these items, helping you realize the greatest charitable contribution deductions you can.

5. E-file and use direct deposit.

Electronically filing and using direct deposit significantly increases how quickly taxpayers have access to their refund. Generally, e-filers can have their refund deposited directly into their accounts within a few days, compared to the weeks it takes to receive a mailed check. Certain tax programs also allow customers to split their refund and deposit it into three separate accounts. For example, you could deposit part in your checking account, part in your savings account and part directly into a tax-advantaged IRA account.

“E-filing and direct deposit don’t cost you anything, but they can mean you have your refund faster so that it can start working for you - whether that’s paying off debt, buying something you want or saving for the future,” Lundberg says.

Taxpayers can find more money-saving tips through CompleteTax news and tax alerts at www.CompleteTax.com.

Get organized, save money, be happy

January 03, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Goals, Organization No Comments →

(ARA) - A disorganized home wastes time, and time is money. It can be frustrating if you’re constantly misplacing items, throwing out spoiled food that went missing in the kitchen and paying surcharges for unpaid bills that got lost in the shuffle. But it’s easy to put a little happiness back into your life if you just get organized. Here are some tips for getting your home - and your life - back in order.

Get organized

Tackle one room at a time to get a sense of accomplishment right away. The kitchen is a logical place to start since it’s typically the landing place for all things that get dropped while passing through, from cell phones to car keys to school notes. Get rid of visible countertop clutter. Throw out what you don’t need and corral small items in great-looking woven baskets or pottery bowls.

Next, de-clutter behind the scenes in the drawers and cupboards. A few well-chosen cabinet accessories can help you here. A wood cutlery divider added to a crowded utensil drawer will keep your flatware in place, and give you a fighting chance at locating the pie server or pizza cutter. One option is Diamond Cabinet’s easy-access, Wood Tiered Cutlery Divider, which has a top tier that slides back so you can organize more items. And, if you can’t open a lower cabinet without a pile of pots and pans clattering to the floor, find your headache prevention in the Utility Storage Cabinet With Pot & Pan Pull-Out, featuring both a pot and pan rack and pantry pull-out within one cabinet.

Save money

Designate a “home office central” so you can keep track of money matters and never miss a bill again. Carve out desk space in the kitchen or family room to sort mail and pay bills as they arrive, or to keep it all in one place until payday arrives. Everyday items can pull double duty to help you organize. Turn an attractive rectangular serving dish into an “inbox” for bills, and let a colorful coffee mug serve as a pen and pencil holder. While you’re at it, why not use a wine rack to organize bills? A wine cabinet with an open, X-shaped interior can provide fashionable storage for your reds, whites and zinfandels, but it will also work perfectly fine for sorting and organizing bank statements, tax information and charitable contribution receipts. It can serve to sort a variety of other items, from mittens to small toys - just let your imagination be your guide.

Be happy

As long as you’re making a few changes around the house, kick up your mood with color. Be on the lookout as you organize drawers, cabinets and closets for items that can be used as accessories to brighten up your home - dig out that collection of baseball caps in team colors and display it on pegs in the mudroom; turn a red metal toy truck into a conversation piece for the mantel; re-cover old pillows in fun new colors and throw them on the couch. Cheer up cabinets with fashionable finishes in inspiring colors that make you feel good, such as buttery Honeysuckle, warm Cider, spicy Sangria or the soothing blue-grey tones of Tidal Mist, all from Diamond Cabinets. Visualize the possibilities at www.diamondcabinets.com. With these simple changes, you’ll not only get organized, but you’ll save money and feel happier about it, too.

Being a mom is extremely rewarding, but it’s challenging. Get the help you need at Real Life Guidance. It’s your place for instant downloadable help for moms, day or night.

Visit Finally Organized - Finally Free  for an amazing collection of 1,300 organizing tips.