The Assault of the Mailbox

Since we are assaulted daily with stuff coming in from the mailbox and other sources, you HAVE to have a space designated for those papers. Professional home organizers call it a "Landing Pad." I like that term because I can visualize bills and junk mail flying at my house and I must deal with them. I have a small cupboard by the front door. On top of it sits our phone, note pad, pens, and a bowl for all miscellaneous papers and stuff I don't need immediately but don't want to throw away. We bring bills to a "bill basket" asap, but all the other "stuff" goes into this deep 6 x 10 inch bowl. A basket would be good too. Every now and then I sort through the bowl and throw away the junk or file what's needed. For example, I have receipts that I'm not sure I'll need long-term, bookmarks, fliers that I may want to look at later, take-out menus, care group address lists, invitations that I don't want to lose.  I have another basket near my kitchen island that holds recipes cut out of magazines, department store coupons I think I might need, other papers that can accumulate in the kitchen.  I sort through this one about 2 times a year.  It doesn't take much effort to put stuff in these baskets, and it reduces the eye clutter if papers are corralled.  The kitchen counter can get covered quickly with all this paper and the sooner you deal with it the better!

On the subject of junk mail, years ago I filled out an online form from "Opt-Out" which was supposed to reduce my credit card offers coming in the mail.  I have to say that it worked, although occasionally I still get one.  I recycle all newspapers and ads and most of the junk mail we get.  It's smart to shred any papers with personal information, so you need a shredder.  Keep it in a convenient place and use it for any papers with names, account numbers, anything personal.  Unfortunately, we all have to be smart and not make it easy for someone to steal sensitive information.

There is a similar website for limiting unsolicited phone calls called "Donotcall.gov" where you can register all land lines and cell phones.  Again it reduces the volume of unwanted calls, but there are still some pollsters and other associations that are permitted to solicit.  The best thing to do is not answer the call if you don't know who it is.

Having a "Landing Pad" is also a great place to designate for keys, cell phones and chargers, and stuff you have to remember to bring with you the next time you leave the house.  This is a great time of year to look for organizers.  Small tables with drawers, shelves, hooks for keys and purses, all these can help you from being assaulted by your mailbox.

Please leave your tips and hints for dealing with mail and papers!

December 30, 2013 - Home Organization: Small Beginnings

Greetings!  I'm new to the blogging world, been thinking about writing something like this for over a year.  I have friends who think that I am some kind of guru with magical powers of home organization and management at my disposal.  I’ve never thought that way about myself.  As a young married woman I struggled to cope with the piles of “stuff” that always seemed to present themselves to me and demand my attention.  I was in awe of the friends that I had whose homes were clean and efficient, a natural warming effect happened in those homes and I just wanted to emulate them.  I’ve learned many, many tips from friends and family, and would like a forum to share those tips and hints with readers.  I'll also discuss gardening, cleaning, crafting and cooking tips as well.  Please let me know if you'd like to contribute something for the good of all!  Well, let's get started:

When January arrives I'm always amazed that huge quantities of plastic bins magically appear in stores along with exercise equipment.  I wonder what most people do with the "stuff" they buy to help them organize their homes.  For me, it's always been very simple:  less stuff = easy to organize.  So before you head out to buy plastic bins and rent storage units, think about getting rid of what you don't need. 

I always start small, so never attempt to organize too much at once.  Take one drawer or one closet, you know which one, the one that you can't shut because it's got too much stuff in it.  Empty out its contents onto a table or floor, and start sorting.  This is where the hard part is, making decisions.  You (and only you) can decide whether you really need every item.  If you don't need it, give it away, sell it at a yard sale, or donate it to charity.  Once you've whittled away the contents to what you really need, put it back neatly.  I love to use small plastic baskets or cardboard boxes to keep stuff in drawers organized.  It's hard to keep small items in place otherwise.  Take a moment and enjoy the beauty of your neat and tidy space when you're done.  Don't fret over the rest of your home, just be thankful for this one task completed well.

Don't overwhelm yourself with trying too much at once.  I never force myself to clean or organize anything.  I do it when I "feel" like it.  If you successfully sort out one drawer, one closet, or one corner shelf, it takes effort to keep it that way.  It takes some mental adjustment to keep your new area tidy.  Once you've conquered a small area, then you'll get inspired to keep going with another space tomorrow or next weekend when you have time.

Please leave a comment and let me know if this has helped you in any way.  I'd love to hear about your successes in organization!

Happy Tidy New Year!!