teaching children to organize & sorting the mail

Dear LesIsMore:

How do you make time to organize with two little ones at home and a full time job?

Anne

Dear Anne:

Teach your children to pick up after themselves and to keep their room tidy. If you get your children involved they might not have problems with clutter as they grow older. Make this part of their chores and give them a special treat for doing it well.  Also, when you bring something into the home, take something out. There is just so much space in a home and if you need to “let go” of items-then let them go.

 Have an Organized Day!

Dear Les Is More

My pressing problem is how to hide mail clutter. I've tried different tactics but it always end up on my kitchen table in a mess!

Dawn

Dear Dawn

Why are you trying to hide it?  Buy a shredder and shred it.  You need to go through the mail every day and sort it.  If you are into piles- get some baskets and label them into “bills”, “magazines” and “newspapers.”  Give every member of the family their own basket and sort the mail that way. Set it up in a corner of the kitchen or another room and you will never have a kitchen table that is a mess again.

Have an Organized Day.

Kitchen issues; what to do with all those photos?

Dear Les Is More:

I have kitchen issues!  Do you have any suggestions on keeping school lunches cold and instead of using post it notes or writing on tape how to keep dates on your food? I’ve looked for new products but do not know which ones to trust.

Kim

Dear Kim:

I am always trying out new products, so you have come to the right place. First, if you want to bring salad with the dressing in a separate container—you need to try the GLAD with interlocking lids. It comes with a small container that locks into the lid (hence the name) when you put the lid on your glad ware. This is great for nuts, sauce or anything small in size and it works wonders.

I also love the E-Z Freeze stayfit snack stackers with the freezer gel already in the container…freeze it and it keeps your food cold and fresh.

The last one I love is the digital day counter with attaches to a varity of surfaces and it lets you know how many days you did what you did to the food you are storing. Did you ground the coffee when? Did you store the baby food on Monday or was it Wednesday?  With this little counter you will never have to worry again.  Oh and it was on the Oprah Show…when Oprah was on. (www.howmanydaysago.com)

I have discovered a kitchen rug that is wonderful on your feet and makes washing dishes easier on your legs.  It’s called the Microdry Kitchen Mat (www.mindsinsync.com) and it uses memory foam and I have two to give away. Email me at Lesliefjacobs@yahoo.com and ask me a question about organizing and the best question will win the Mat.   

Have an Organized Day!

Dear Les Is More:

I have loads of photos and really don’t  want them sitting in a drawer and there is no way I am going to scrapbook them –ever.  I used your idea of putting them in a bowl but I want them more organized—any ideas?

Lisa

Dear Lisa:

Glad you liked the bowl idea (fill a large bowl with photos and leave it on your coffee table instant- ice- breaker).

 I recently tried out a photo tray with built in frames from KangaRoom storage. This lovely leather tray holds 440 4x6 photos and looks great on a coffee or side table. It also can be stacked if you buy one for your family and friends and one for your travels. Its makes looking for a photo quite lovely. Check it out at www.greatusefulstuff.com

Have an organized day. 

Spouse is unorganized; how to start with a remodeled kitchen

Dear Les Is More:

My wife does not put anything away at all. It is left where she left it—I am always cleaning up after her and I am at my wits end.

John

Dear John:

I’m so sorry about how you live. But I believe if you bought a label maker and made a home for everything in its place-maybe, just maybe you can help your wife get organized. Label what you can, and put baskets with labels were you can. This will alleviate at least 75 percent of the clutter.   Maybe she is so busy that she does not have time to put anything away…so every night before both of go to bed, go through the home and put things in their proper place. Good Luck.

Have an Organized Day

Les is More

Dear Les Is More:

I have a new remodeled kitchen, but where does one start?

Thanks, Dee

Dear Dee:

That is wonderful.  Put all of the items you do not use weekly, or even monthly at the top of the cabinets and label them so when you are opening them you can see the label-since you might not see the top of the item.

Put all of your dishes above or to the right of where the dishwasher is, and put your mugs, cups and all coffee/tea supplies above where you make your tea or coffee in the morning.

Most of all have fun with redecorating your new kitchen. Look at magazines and see what they have for inspiration and always have a drawer just for your chocolate stash.