YOUR PLACE.Byline: Jaime Spangrude Win the war on clutter If you're a pack rat pack rat, rodent of the genus Neotoma, of North and Central America, noted for its habit of collecting bright, shiny objects and leaving other objects, such as nuts or pebbles, in their place; also called trade rat or wood rat. who never throws anything away, or you have trouble finding things, chances are clutter has taken over your home. Start reclaiming control of your space with organization tips from Joan Kohn, author of ``It's Your Kitchen'' and ``It's Your Bed and Bath.'' Reserve a permanent parking space for everything: You'd never buy a car without knowing where you were going to park it once you brought it home. The same principle applies to everything you buy. Discipline yourself by selecting new items that will fit neatly into an empty ``parking space'' in your closet. If all your storage spaces are full, be sure to trade in your old model before you get a new one. Make room for life's daily messes: Transitional spaces like mudrooms, back hallways or even a corner in the garage, lined with cubbies This article is about the variant on football. For the Major League Baseball team with the same nickname, see the Chicago Cubs. Cubbies (or Cuppies) is an informal variant on football originating spontaneously in different parts of the world. and lockers for every member of the family (including the pets!), are perfect for organizing coats, mittens, boots, sports gear and all the daily paraphernalia PARAPHERNALIA. The name given to all such things as a woman has a right to retain as her own property, after her husband's death; they consist generally of her clothing, jewels, and ornaments suitable to her condition, which she used personally during his life. that can spill over Verb 1. spill over - overflow with a certain feeling; "The children bubbled over with joy"; "My boss was bubbling over with anger" bubble over, overflow seethe, boil - be in an agitated emotional state; "The customer was seething with anger" 2. into the house. Equipping the space with a small sink makes it practical for quick cleanups, and for potting and flower arranging, too. Let go while you hold on: It's much easier to stay organized when you own only what you really need. So rather than keeping furniture and housewares house·wares pl.n. Cooking utensils, dishes, and other small articles used in a household, especially in the kitchen. for sentimental reasons long after they've outlived their usefulness, take pictures and create a scrapbook A Macintosh disk file that holds frequently used text and graphics objects, such as a company letterhead. Contrast with "clipboard," which is reserved memory that holds data only for the current session. where you can save your memories forever. Use captions to tell the whole history of the objects and what they mean to you. Then recycle by passing items along to a friend, family member or favorite charity. Team up to eliminate excess: Work with a pal to purge your closets, countertops, bookcases and basements of unnecessary stuff. There's nothing better than the honesty of clutter-buddies who are determined to help you put your house on a ``cleansing diet'' in return for your help in their homes. Start with the modest aim of eliminating only 10 items. Make this a regular ritual! Try not to repeat yourself: You can ``have it all,'' but your home will be much more orderly when you don't ``have it all over the house.'' Limiting the number of television sets and stereos, for example, keeps your home decor simpler and quieter. One message center for the family and one place for the kids' toys will also help you keep that sense of serenity and control we all yearn for. MORE WAYS TO TIDY UP Verb 1. tidy up - put (things or places) in order; "Tidy up your room!" clean up, neaten, square away, tidy, straighten, straighten out make up, make - put in order or neaten; "make the bed"; "make up a room" One-minute method: Spruce up spruce up Verb [sprucing, spruced] to make neat and smart Verb 1. spruce up - make neat, smart, or trim; "Spruce up your house for Spring"; "titivate the child" your physical and mental space with Donna Smallin's ``The One-Minute Organizer, Plain & Simple'' (Storey Publishing; $9.95). With 500 clutter-busting tips, you'll be able to organize your life - and stay organized - one small step at a time. Clean sweep clean sweep n to make a clean sweep (SPORT) → arrasar, barrer clean sweep n to make a clean sweep (Sport) → rafler tous les prix : You'll need the proper tools to organize your home. Try the new Hoover SteamVac Duo, the industry's first combination portable/upright deep cleaner. Its portable and compact design makes cleaning hard-to-reach places - like stairs and furniture upholstery upholstery, general term for household fittings, hangings, curtains, cushions, and covers. It refers to stuffed, padded, and spring-cushioned furniture, such as chairs and sofas, or to the usually decorative materials and fabrics that cover them. - a breeze. Other features include heated cleaning and four rows of agitation to gently loosen deep dirt. The vacuum's suggested retail price is $139.99, and it can be purchased at Target stores. CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- color) KOHN (2 -- 3 -- color) no caption (Hoover SteamVac Duo) (4 -- color) no caption (book: ``The One-Minute Organizer, Plain & Simple'') |
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