Where Do You Start???
By Lara | July 3, 2008
OK, so your house is in shambles and you really want to begin the long journey to organized!
But…
WHERE do you start?????
It can be extremely overwhelming. Unfortuately, it’s like weightloss…LOL…REALLY easy to get fat messy and VERY hard to lose the weight messies! To get your home in order will require time, patience and diligence.
It is also important to make a plan on how you will get your house organized. Take a walk through the house and make notes of what needs to be done in each room. Once you have made the list, determine priorities (what to do first). I also recommend that you break each area into sections. For example; the bedroom…do not expect to get your whole room done in a day. You will be overwhelmed and if you are a true wannabe, you will give up! Trust me…LOL…I KNOW! So, take your room and divide it into tasks…one day pick up all the items on the floor. The next day clear and organize the dressers. Then closets. And so on.
Starting with the smaller goals will help you see the improvements quickly. This will help you continue the process. Also, as you make more room in your home, think about ways to maximize your storage space. You can add shelves, baskets, organizers, etc.
Finally, make it a goal to clean at least ONE thing each day. Remember, the tortoise beat the hare because he was slow and steady. Slow and steady mixed with a little old fashioned determination WILL help you win the messies to clean race!
While you are cleaning, it is very important to KEEP what you have accomplished organized. So…you will need to MAINTAIN! If you have something that is not in its “home,” take the time to either put it there as soon as you notice it out of place! Or, have a designated area on each floor, like a basket, to put things that need to go to another floor. Then at the end of the day, everything in the box gets put away.
Another idea to help keep the house organized is to have a schedule where each room of the house gets a thorough cleaning one day each week. (If you have children…this is where you can get the kids involved and assign them age appropriate tasks to help you!) It may take awhile to get in the new routine, but if the family works together, it will be MUCH easier. If everyone learns to remember that they need to put their own things away, that will also help. You can have special rewards to encourage the kids. You will be helping them be neater grown ups in the process!
Keep in MInd…
It will take time and a bit of effort to get your home in order. However, it will be well worth it once the house is clean, neat and organized!
Copyright © Thou Shalt Clean!
Topics: Cleaning Tips, De-Cluttering, Features, Get Organized!, Ramblings, STAY Organized!, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
KEEPING the house Messies Free…Is it Possible???
By Lara | July 1, 2008
OK…so you broke the mold (pun intended…LOL) and your home is organized, but how do you keep it that way?
Well, if you are organizationally challenged then getting your home organized is a chore all in itself. However, for a wannabe keeping it organized can be the biggest challenge!
I have some good news for the determined…with some work and forced cooperation from the rest of the family, it will be easier. It takes time to get used to new habits, but with nagging gentle reminders, everyone will be on their was to the cleaning zone.
One thing that will help keep things running smoothly is to create some daily routines. Even though in a perfect world everything should have a place, it takes a lot of effort to get it there. So staying on top of things is crucial to your new system working.
Here are some creative ways you can keep the whole family involved:
Charts are Us - Create a chart showing all the rooms in your house and all the family members (even the little ones). Each family member can be responsible for making sure a specific area is clutter free each day at a pre-established time. You can provide a basket for each person. They will go through their area with it and throw anything in it that isn’t supposed to be there. Once they have filled their basket, they can start putting things away…and start again if there is a big mess.
The Gathering Place - If you have more than one story, running up and down stairs all day to put things away can get old pretty fast. One way to help is to keep a box at the top and bottom of the stairs where people can put things they find that belong on another floor. At the end of the day, or when the box is full, the things can all be put back where they belong.
Little People Can Organize Too - Even the youngest members of the family can help. Labeling things, at least at first, will help your little people remember where things go. If they are too young to read, try a picture. You can save it from the original package or find one similar in a magazine. At the younger ages, they actually LIKE to help in most cases, so this should be “fun” for them.
Make a Mole Hill out of a Mountain - Yeah, you read it right. LOL! Clothes pile up real fast no matter how much laundry you do, the pile just keeps growing. It has a mind of its own. One way to help is to designate a place for all the dirty clothes. You can label the laundry baskets for white, darks and colors. Everyone can then put their own clothes in the baskets. When a basket is full, it’s time to wash. This is also a great way to teach the little ones colors and organization skills.
Remember, consistency is the key to successfully keeping your home clean. It also requires team effort! So, think of creative ways to get the whole family involved and then not only will you have less of a load to carry…you will help break the cycle of the wannabes!
Copyright © Thou Shalt Clean
Topics: Bedroom, Cleaning Tips, Closet Clutter, De-Cluttering, Features, Garage, General Cleaning, Get Organized!, Junk Drawers, Living/Family Room, Mount Wash Me, STAY Organized!, The Kid's Rooms, Tips and Tricks, Yuck! The Bathroom! | No Comments »
New Look!!
By Lara | June 30, 2008
Well, I thought it was time to remodel!! What do you think? Do you like it? I am planning to do some new things with TSC, so I thought a new look would be good too!! 
If you love Thou Shalt Clean, Click Here to help spread the news!
Let me know what ya think…
Topics: Announcements, Updates | 3 Comments »
The Right Home Lighting Can Cover the Messies
By Lara | June 30, 2008
OK, so you have been diligently cleaning your home and now you want to do some decorating, right? I mean that is the first thing that comes to my mind when I work hard to get a job done.
Lighting is a good place to start with your decorating. However, there are so MANY different types of lighting….you have progress lighting, lamps, vanity lighting, ceiling lights, and there is even something called under cabinet lighting.
No matter what type of illumination you choose for your home, you will want to go with a great lighting company. You will also want to research all of your options. You may even want to read some informative articles on home lighting to find out what will go best with your home and decor.
Eco-Friendly home lighting may be what you are looking for. Whatever type of home lighting you want, take your time, research, and choose wisely.
If you are a wannabe neat freak who is in the family of the organizationally challenged…like yours truly…Purchasing the right lighting can hide many flaws…LOL…especially if you are not as neat as most! Thus, the wannabe way to home lighting will be the road for you!!!
Let me know what you do and PLEASE feel free to share any tips you may have on this subject!
Topics: Decorating, Features, Get Organized!, Home Lighting, Living/Family Room, Ramblings, Spring Cleaning, The Dreaded Kitchen, The Kid's Rooms, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
Recycling Can Be One Eco-Friendly Way to Keep Your Home Organized
By Lara | June 27, 2008
In Recent years, with all the talk about global warming, recycling has become very important. It not only reduces waste, pollution and overfilled landfills, it can also help keep things less cluttered around our house. YES!!! LOL! We can be eco-friendly wannabes!!
I am sure that if you search your home you will find MANY things that you just don’t need…
Old appliances…all shapes and sizes. When you recycle your old appliances, it doesn’t just reduce things that are just lying around; sometimes you can get some extra cash if you take the time and make the effort to take them to a local recycling center or scrap yard that deals in metal. If you are like me and just don’t have the time to put forth any extra effort there is also the fire station option. Many of them collect aluminum cans for burn units at the local hospitals.
By setting up your own recycling center in your home, it can help reduce your own clutter. You can have bins lined with bags that can hold various recyclables, set up in your garage, basement or utility room. One can be for aluminum cans, another for plastic bottles, and another for paper. Any time someone sees something lying around, instead of just tossing it in the trash…or like in my house making little junk piles…they can throw the items in a bin! When the bins get full, you can either set them out for the city to pick up (if they provide a recycling program), or take them to the local center.
You can make this fun for the kids too. You can have a “Recycle Day.” You can read a book about it to them…have them help decorate the bins, and let them know that they are not only helping keep the house clean, they are helping keep the planet God gave us clean and healthier!
Just about anything in your home can be recycled. There are a TON of Yahoo e-mail groups that are dedicated to “recycling” or “freecycling” like they call it. The lists are organized by local regions. If someone has something they no longer need they can list it to the group and it is claimed on a first come, first served basis. These kinds of lists are great for people who just want to get rid of a few things and don’t want to bother with a garage sale. Plus THEY pick it up and you do not have to worry about it! YEAH!
Listen…even us organizationally challenged people can make a difference for our homes…and out planet! If we start small and work our way up, before we know it, we’ll be the eco-friendly wannabe neat freaks recycling pros! LOL!!! And….have a much neater house!
Topics: Cleaning Tips, Cleaning for Health, De-Cluttering, Eco-Friendly, General Cleaning, Get Organized!, Recycling | No Comments »
Empire Today
By Lara | June 26, 2008
What is Empire Today? I am glad you asked. Empire Today is a leading provider of installed Home Furnishings and Home Improvements. And, it has been for more than 45 years!
Empire Today was founded in 1959. It started out as a small family-owned business, and has grown into one of North America’s leading providers of installed Home Furnishings and Home Improvements. With over one million satisfied customers, Empire Today provides superior service, next day installation, warehouse-direct prices, and world-class customer care to more than 50 major metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada.
Empire Today provides superior service and world-class customer care.
What about that ADORABLE “Empire Man?”
This little man appeals to the blue collar worker. The Empire Man represents great value and awesome customer service. He was first introduced in 1977 as a live action character. Today he has evolved into an adorable animated character.
Some of their High Quality Products:
* Empire Carpet
* Hardwood Flooring
* Laminate Flooring
* Ceramic Flooring
* Window Treatments
* Bath & Shower Liners
Empire Today has Award Winning Customer Care and they are dedicated to delivering the highest customer satisfaction.
A few of their most recent acalades…
* 2007 American Business Award Finalist
* 2008 American Business Award Finalist - Best Overall Company
* 2008 American Business Award WINNER - Best Customer Service Organization
So, are you ready to do business with Empire today??
I am sure your answer is yes…so, let me share with you how their process works…
First…Make an appointment for a free, no obligation in-home estimate.
Then…On the day of your appointment a friendly and professional rep will arrive to show you samples, allow you to match the samples with your existing décor, measure and give you a fully installed price to give your home a new look. They will also tell you about Empire Today’s no-payment, no-interest credit options!
It gets better…On the day of your installation, one of their very experienced installers come to your home and install whatever you pre-picked.
After the installation is finished, they will review the job with you and make sure you’re completely satisfied.
Lastly…Within the 2 weeks following your custom installation, an Empire Rep will contact you to make sure you’re completely satisfied!!
As you can see, Empire Today is not only the LEADING provider of Home Furnishings and Home Improvements and award winning customer care…they are also your only logical and affordable choice!
Oh, yeah…and what about that awesome jingle??? “800-588-2300 Empire!”
Now, before you go…CLICK HERE to watch an informative video…
Topics: Carpet, Cleaning Videos, Hardwood Flooring, Home Improvements, Living/Family Room | No Comments »
Helpful Tips to Get Your Garage in Order
By Lara | May 1, 2008
Organizing a garage can be a daunting task. It’s not a place that guests usually “visit.” So, many times we let it go. An organized garage is something that will make you feel good when you come home and do not have to work your way around piles of junk. You will have more usable space when your garage is in order. You will also find some goodies to keep and sell when you get through all the junk!
Shelves - Attaching shelves to the walls of the garage can increase your storage space. There are also stand-alone shelving units that are perfect in the garage. They are heavy-duty plastic or metal and can hold the heavier items that are often found in the garage, such as tools and sports equipment.
Pegboard - They can have hooks and baskets attached to allow for storage of a variety of items of all sizes. Brackets can be added to place shelves as needed. They can be completely customized to hold tools - both for the garden and the garage, parts, cleaning supplies, and much more.
Tool hangers - There are a variety of hanging systems to hold tools. There are roller versions that grab the handles and hold them in place. There are also standard hooks that will hold the tool, with the handles hanging down. These will keep the tools out of the way, making things not only neater, but also safer.
Store-Pod - Store-pods are a great addition to your garage storage system. They are waterproof, heavy-duty plastic storage units that are attached to the beams above. They look like a large plastic bag with shelves inside. The front is a clear plastic door that zips closed. They have ventilation slots that help reduce dust and mildew, while still keeping pests out of the things being stored.
Racks - There are specially designed holders for sports equipment and large items. There are some for balls, bike racks and more. There are bike racks that can be mounted on the wall or ceiling.
Cabinets - Cabinets with a work surface are perfect for the garage. You can close the doors and hide any possible clutter. You also have a work area for projects that are too messy or noisy for the house. Many of the cabinets also come with locks, not only to protect your tools, but also to keep small children safe.
Copyright © Thou Shalt Clean
Topics: Cleaning Tips, De-Cluttering, Garage, General Cleaning, Get Organized!, Spring Cleaning, Tips and Tricks | 1 Comment »
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