It's January. Go out and play in the snow, or at least take a walk in it. Here in eastern Tennessee, we have nothing but a barely-sticking dusting of snow. I can stroll among the falling flakes, but I have nothing to walk through, no snow to kick. Those of you who do have some real snow outside your door, get out there and stomp through it for me, will ya?
Oh, and if you still have lingering Christmas decor: Time to take it down!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Mail Clutter
You've got a mail spot, don't you? You know, that one spot in the house where the mail you're avoiding piles up until you dread dealing with it? It may be a kitchen counter, the dining table, a foyer or living room table, etc. No matter what your "mail spot" is, it needs to be dealt with. Read over the suggestions below, then set your timer for 15 minutes. Spend that time working on using these tips to clean up the current pile. Then use the tips to develop a mail routine, so you never have a problem "mail spot" again.
Unwanted Ads and Coupons You Won't Use go into Trash or Paper Recycling immediately after entering the house. Unwanted credit card offers and other personally addressed junk mail should go through the paper shredder first.
Ads and Coupons You Might Use go into a small basket or shelf set aside for holding these items, preferably near a favored chair. When you have five or ten minutes of idle time (like when you're watching TV, for example), look over these more closely. If you decide you won't use it, get rid of it. If it's been in the basket long enough to go out of date, get rid of it. If you'll use the coupon, clip it and file it where ever you keep your coupons. If you'll need the ad for reference, set it by the door to grab on your way out to the store.
Bills, Bank Statements, and other important papers go to your desk or paperwork area immediately after entering the house. Our bills not only go to my desk, they get stacked directly on top of my checkbook. I cannot access my checkbook or my calculator without being reminded of these bills. I also have a bill-paying routine, based around our pay schedules. I pay a specific set of bills immediately after each payday, with a reminder checklist tucked into the back of the checkbook so nothing gets forgotten. I rarely pay a bill late.
Personal Correspondence and Other Business go to your desk as well, but should not be mixed in with the bills, as they may need to be dealt with on a different timetable. On the rare occasions I receive mail like this, I lean it against my computer's monitor, so it is "in my face" (though not actually blocking my view of my monitor) whenever I'm at my desk until I deal with it. There's nothing like annoying yourself out of procrastinating.
Adjust these ideas to suit your home and the type of mail you tend to receive. Do whatever works for you, just do something. There's little in life as easily fixed as mail clutter. Spend two minutes sorting the mail as soon as it comes in the door and you'll have a much easier time dealing with the piles... as they'll be small, sorted piles, all ready for you to work on them.
Unwanted Ads and Coupons You Won't Use go into Trash or Paper Recycling immediately after entering the house. Unwanted credit card offers and other personally addressed junk mail should go through the paper shredder first.
Ads and Coupons You Might Use go into a small basket or shelf set aside for holding these items, preferably near a favored chair. When you have five or ten minutes of idle time (like when you're watching TV, for example), look over these more closely. If you decide you won't use it, get rid of it. If it's been in the basket long enough to go out of date, get rid of it. If you'll use the coupon, clip it and file it where ever you keep your coupons. If you'll need the ad for reference, set it by the door to grab on your way out to the store.
Bills, Bank Statements, and other important papers go to your desk or paperwork area immediately after entering the house. Our bills not only go to my desk, they get stacked directly on top of my checkbook. I cannot access my checkbook or my calculator without being reminded of these bills. I also have a bill-paying routine, based around our pay schedules. I pay a specific set of bills immediately after each payday, with a reminder checklist tucked into the back of the checkbook so nothing gets forgotten. I rarely pay a bill late.
Personal Correspondence and Other Business go to your desk as well, but should not be mixed in with the bills, as they may need to be dealt with on a different timetable. On the rare occasions I receive mail like this, I lean it against my computer's monitor, so it is "in my face" (though not actually blocking my view of my monitor) whenever I'm at my desk until I deal with it. There's nothing like annoying yourself out of procrastinating.
Adjust these ideas to suit your home and the type of mail you tend to receive. Do whatever works for you, just do something. There's little in life as easily fixed as mail clutter. Spend two minutes sorting the mail as soon as it comes in the door and you'll have a much easier time dealing with the piles... as they'll be small, sorted piles, all ready for you to work on them.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Smudgy Windows
Grab your favorite glass cleaner and your least streak-inducing towels and take a 15 minute tour around the house. Pick up your whisk broom and dustpan on the way.
You don't have to spend the time on thorough cleaning here. Just wipe down the windows and sweep the sills. Windows tend to collect dust and grime, and that often goes unnoticed in the winter months, when many people have the windows closed and the blinds are drawn more often. Here's a quick, easy opportunity to ensure you're faced with less cleaning when you open the house in the spring. Gather your supplies, set your timer, and GO!
You don't have to spend the time on thorough cleaning here. Just wipe down the windows and sweep the sills. Windows tend to collect dust and grime, and that often goes unnoticed in the winter months, when many people have the windows closed and the blinds are drawn more often. Here's a quick, easy opportunity to ensure you're faced with less cleaning when you open the house in the spring. Gather your supplies, set your timer, and GO!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Fuzzy Corners
Cobwebs seem to show up in corners all by themselves... even when you haven't seen any spiders. If you don't get to them promptly, they tend to gather a layer of dust and take on an odd, fuzzy appearance. Spend 15 minutes getting rid of them and make your whole house a little cleaner.
Scoot items in the corners out of the way if you can and set your timer. Grab your broom and a couple of dry rags or paper towels. Sweep the line where the wall meets the ceiling from as far as you can reach to the corner on both sides, then sweep the corner itself all the way to the floor. Use a rag to clean off the end of the broom and move on to the next corner. Even if the dust and cobwebs are really bad, you can probably knock out at least 3 rooms in 15 minutes. If it hasn't been too long since you swept your corners, you might be able to get the whole place!
Safety thing: Anytime you're working above your head like this, you risk getting stuff in your eyes. Wear some kind of glasses if you can. If that's not an available option, a baseball cap is a decent second choice. Squint and turn your head away when you can, no matter what protection you have.
Scoot items in the corners out of the way if you can and set your timer. Grab your broom and a couple of dry rags or paper towels. Sweep the line where the wall meets the ceiling from as far as you can reach to the corner on both sides, then sweep the corner itself all the way to the floor. Use a rag to clean off the end of the broom and move on to the next corner. Even if the dust and cobwebs are really bad, you can probably knock out at least 3 rooms in 15 minutes. If it hasn't been too long since you swept your corners, you might be able to get the whole place!
Safety thing: Anytime you're working above your head like this, you risk getting stuff in your eyes. Wear some kind of glasses if you can. If that's not an available option, a baseball cap is a decent second choice. Squint and turn your head away when you can, no matter what protection you have.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sticky Fridge
Occasionally, the shelves of your refrigerator will start trying to keep your food firmly attached by using little splashes and spills as glue. It only takes about 15 minutes to clean the entire interior of the fridge, so set your timer and go!
1. Run some clean dishwater in the sink. Dish soap and hot water is perfect for this job.
2. Empty out 1 shelf.
3. Use a clean dishcloth (dipped in the dishwater and wrung out) to wipe down this shelf and the surrounding walls. Don't forget to run the cloth around the edges of the shelf!
4. Wipe down the bottoms of the containers that are going back to this shelf.
5. Check for anything that needs to be tossed as you put items back. See something that's past its prime? Dump it, rinse the container, and drop the container into your conveniently ready dishwater.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for each shelf. Don't forget the vegetable drawers and the door shelves!
In most cases, each shelf will only take about 2 minutes, depending on how cluttered or grimy your fridge is. If you have time between finishing the interior of the fridge and the beep of the 15 minute timer, spend it washing the dishes you threw in the sink. If you have to do those dishes after the timer goes off, take heart. It won't take long.
1. Run some clean dishwater in the sink. Dish soap and hot water is perfect for this job.
2. Empty out 1 shelf.
3. Use a clean dishcloth (dipped in the dishwater and wrung out) to wipe down this shelf and the surrounding walls. Don't forget to run the cloth around the edges of the shelf!
4. Wipe down the bottoms of the containers that are going back to this shelf.
5. Check for anything that needs to be tossed as you put items back. See something that's past its prime? Dump it, rinse the container, and drop the container into your conveniently ready dishwater.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for each shelf. Don't forget the vegetable drawers and the door shelves!
In most cases, each shelf will only take about 2 minutes, depending on how cluttered or grimy your fridge is. If you have time between finishing the interior of the fridge and the beep of the 15 minute timer, spend it washing the dishes you threw in the sink. If you have to do those dishes after the timer goes off, take heart. It won't take long.
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