Are your drawers a victim of your clutter?  If your drawers are crammed full, difficult to open, or you simply have no idea what’s stored inside, then it’s time to clean them out! Organizing a drawer is a relatively simple process and doesn’t take that much time. 

For drawers that have a specific purpose, e.g. socks, shirts, etc. the process of re-organizing is much simpler, since you need only remove the items that do not belong in the drawer, purge the items that are torn, stained or you are no longer wearing, and then return them to the drawer using an appropriate drawer organizer.  

For a typical junk drawer, purchase a junk drawer organizer and then begin the following process:   

1. Empty the drawer entirely.

2. Sort the items into categories, e.g. pens, paper, rubber bands, paper clips etc.

3. Discard items that are broken or dirty.

4. Donate or recycle items that you have an excessive amount of. You may find yourself with 47 pens. Even if you place a few pens in each room, you’ll still have too many!

5. Clean out the drawer, and if desired, insert a drawer liner.

6. Insert the drawer organizer into the drawer and begin organizing your items. If the organizer is packed full, then you need to purge some more.

Using drawer organizers might possibly convince you that you can be organized, and if you are good about putting the items back in their right compartment, the drawer will stay organized!

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com and register for one of her current organizing workshops.

Now that Thanksgiving is over and you’ve recovered from the overcrowded Black Friday sales, it’s time to get ready for the party you’ve been planning to have this holiday season. Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your menu and decorate your home for the holidays. However, before you decorate, you may need to declutter! Now is the perfect time to take a good look at your home and decide on how you would like things arranged and organized on the big day. Unless you’re fortunate to have abundant space, you may need to move some things around and even remove some items to accommodate all of your guests. Here are a few tips to get organized as you approach the day of your holiday party:

1.       Mail your invitations 2-4 weeks before the party

2.       Plan your menu at least 2 weeks before the party

3.       Begin decluttering your entertaining areas, one space at a time

4.       Make sure you have enough serving platters and an area to serve beverages

5.       If families are invited, clear an area for children, so that they feel comfortable

6.       Decide on furniture arrangement before the day of the party

7.       Decorate your home for the holidays for a festive touch

8.       Follow-up with guests who have not responded at least 4 days before the party

9.      Begin preparing menu items that can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.    You’ll be so glad you did!

On the day of the party, if you were able to get most of these tasks done, you’ll feel far more organized and ready for your guests.  Click here to see some kitchen and bar organizers for entertaining.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers Time Management workshops to businesses to maximize productivity.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

If you entertain regularly and use special china for your guests, you may have a few pieces on display with the remainder put away, due to limited space.  It’s important that you store your china with care, especially if you have heirloom pieces or the china is expensive to replace.  This is particularly important if you have inquisitive children who may decide to play pretend with your fine china! 

Stacking the china in a location that may get bumped or moved around is risky.  China Storage Boxes are the answer to this problem, since they are especially made for fine china and will protect it from bumps, resulting in unsightly chips or scratches. 

China Storage Boxes come in all sizes, for dinner plates, salad plates, saucers and more, and can be stashed away quickly and easily until you need them for your next occasion.    

For more information on these China Storage Boxes, click here.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

While entertaining are you embarrassed to open your kitchen cabinet doors for fear your guests will see how cluttered they are? 

Even though the holidays are coming up, it’s still not too late to have organized kitchen cabinets.  If you have deep or tall cabinets with very little shelves, or limited space, you can purchase practical and attractive sliding cabinet drawers, which you can install yourself, without the need of a handyman.  Store your dish washing supplies, cleaning products, pots and pans and more.   

Sliding cabinet drawers can also be used in deep pantries to store non-perishable food items.  There are several sizes and designs available at various price points, so measure your cabinets and pick the ones that work for you.

Also, don’t forget your drawers.  If you have  some chaotic junk drawers, spend an  hour or so cleaning them out and purge and  reorganize your supplies using a drawer  organizer. 

Get Organized today and shop for these and more kitchen organizers at HomeStorageWarehouse.com. 

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

If you regularly serve wine to your guests, it’s nice to have an organized system in place that you can enjoy time and time again.

If you’re short on counter space, set up a specific area for serving. There’s no need to run out and hire someone to build a custom bar, a simple baker’s rack will do just as well.  Many racks even come equipped with storage for several wine bottles. Plus there is usually at least one shelf that you can use for serving.

A baker’s rack is also ideal for storing any additional bar tools that you like to have handy while entertaining. A baker’s rack can be located in the kitchen, living room or dining room.

If you don’t have the space for a baker’s rack, a wine cart is a perfect addition to any home and works well in small spaces.  Each wine cart holds wine bottles, several wine glasses and can be moved from room to room as needed.  Wine carts are also perfect for outdoor rooms, patios and recreation rooms.

Have some fun with your wine related storage.  Getting organized doesn’t have to be boring.  Here are a few fun and unique items to consider before the rush of holiday entertaining.

Click here to see these and other wine storage racks.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

You’re planning a party shortly and have created a menu. Next, you will have to figure out what ingredients you need, how much you need and when to buy.  However, one of the most challenging aspects of entertaining is preparing all the recipes to be ready at the same time!  This requires time, a lot of preparation and occasionally a little help.  Don’t feel compelled to do it all.  Help can come in a couple of different ways:

§ Already prepared meals from your local store

§ A family member or friend helping you in the kitchen, or

§ A guest bringing a dish to share. 

Whichever combination works for you is great, but all still require some planning. If you will be preparing most of the food yourself, many recipes can be prepared the day before, a week before or even sometimes weeks before, and stored in the freezer. Check your recipes to see which ones can be prepared in advance. Then be sure you have some good quality plastic containers to store your meals in the refrigerator or freezer.  Try storage containers like the ones here from Freshvac. They come with an air tight seal that also lets air out and prevents freezer burn.   

Click here to learn more about these wonderful containers. By using the right containers, you will save time, money and stress!

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to never break a sweat when planning a party?  If you would love to host more parties, but find the whole process to be overwhelming; realize that with proper preparation and systems, it doesn’t have to be that way.  You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to host a great party!

The holidays are just around the corner, so if you begin planning now you can eliminate the stress of holiday entertaining. Begin by reviewing all of your recipes.  Try to be open to new possibilities by looking at a variety of recipes and even trying something new.  It doesn’t have to be a “holiday recipe” to be served at a holiday party.  Here are some tips to organizing your favorite recipes as you prepare for the upcoming holiday season:

- Begin by reviewing the recipes you already have.  If you don’t have a vast cookbook selection with classic recipes, try searching on the web to find recipes that you can print at no charge.

- Purchase a 3-hole ring binder and divide your recipes by category, e.g. chicken, vegetarian, desserts etc.

- After entertaining, determine the recipes that the guests loved and transfer them to a special recipe collection book or album, like the ones pictured here.  These albums are perfect for storing special recipes, especially those that have been passed down from generations.  They also make great gifts!   

Find these and other memory related books here at HomeStorageWarehouse.com  
 

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners and businesses how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.