Are you constantly getting new video game counsels and just cant keep everything organized? And what are you supposed to do with all those video games that nobody plays with anymore? Here's a home organizers tip. Donate them to Donate Games. They accept all kinds of old games and then resell them. The money made from the purchases goes to medical research.
If you want to cut down on video games even more, try renting at Gamefly.com. For $22.95 a month you can rent 2 at a time.

My last post was about organizing shopping bags. If you use a lot of bags for gifts and other bags for just carrying items around keep them organized in two 2 storage containers made from the bigger sturdy bags. Take your bag organizing a step further by separating the gift bags from the shopping bags. Separate the large and small bags. Fold the large bags in half and flip the smaller bags upside down. Its easier to distinguish the large bags from the small bags and easier to retrieve the smaller bags. Again, you want to limit the bags you keep but this way you can easily grab a gift bag for a birthday present and not carry your leftovers in $5.00 Happy Birthday bag. If you have a extra room in your gift bags you might want be able to add your other gift wrapping supplies like tissue paper and gift tags. Be sure to organize your gift wrapping supplies in another storage bin or shoe box.

Are your shopping & gift bags taking over your storage areas? I admit they are nicer to carry than plastic shopping bags but you need to set a limit on how many you keep.
Heres a tip to keep those bags organized. First separate the bags by size. If you have one bag that is bigger and sturdier than the others use this as your storage container.
Fold the large bags in half and place in the sturdy bag. Flip the smaller bags upside down so its easy to see and retrieve. Otherwise the handles just get in the way and get caught on the other bags. Whatever fits in your one bag is what you keep.

Beanie Babies are cute but has your collection taken over? If you want to get organized and clear those stuffed animals out of your space send them where they will be appreciated. Check out anysoldier.com where you can send your Beanie Babies and soldiers will had out to the local kids.

Are those sippy cup parts and bottle accessories taking over your drawers? One way to manage all of these items is try to stick with one brand. The reasons is they would all have the same accessories. Some cups and bottles come with inserts that must be attached or they wont work properly and another brand may have another type. So if you can stick the the same brand it will cut down on your kitchen clutter and make your life a little bit easier.

Warm weather is on its way and although its still cold here is Chicago the heavy down jackets, snowsuits and Uggs may be done for the season.
A little stretch of weather change its a great time to organize and reassess your outerwear. Its not only the perfect time to decide on what to keep and what to get rid of but to also start getting everything cleaned up and ready for next year. Take your heavier coats to the dry cleaner and shoes to the shoes repair. Then start washing some of your delicate items. By the time you get these items cleaned and repaired it might be time to actually store them for next winter.

How many sports have you tried over the years? You've got the winter sports, summer sports, indoor sports you name it! You bought all the equipment and now you don't use it. The winter sports are coming to an end so this is a great time to organize your sports equipment. Before you put it all away think about weather you are going to use it next year. After taking a look at the winter sports, move on to the summer sports.
If you end up with items that you are not going to use donate them to Sportsgift. They take your used equipment, refurbish it and give to impoverished children all over the world. Check out the list of excepted items, fill out the collection report, box up your items and mail.

After helping your house guests get settled be sure to give them a tour of your home so they know where to find things like extra blankets and towels. Find their favorite T.V programs and show them how to navigate your TV remote controls. Finally give your guests a coffee maker demonstration and show them where you keep the coffee, cream, sugar and cups. This is extremely helpful if they wake before you or you are not home and it will make your guest feel more at home.

Are your holiday decorations looking a little dusty and out of place? Tree and wreaths dried out with needles everywhere? Holiday serving pieces stuck in limbo on the dining room table? This is your visual cue that the festivities are coming to an end and maybe its time to start putting away the holiday decorations.
Everyone has their own preference for taking down holiday decorations. The day after Christmas, after New Years, January 6th and even longer.
Whichever date you choose be sure to prepare yourself for the 2010 holidays and decide which items will get packed away for next year and which items get donated.

This year I started organizing and putting away decorations in stages between Christmas and New Years. Dishes, serving pieces and holiday containers were put away after the cookies were eaten and the parties were over. Next I removed and washed all the linens but left the other decorations and tree up until the 1st. This made the the final packing day much easier.
At the beginning of the holiday I had 4 bins full of decorations and after the holidays I had two. I gained 1 small pre lit Christmas tree but managed to cut down 2 entire bins of decorations. 2010 decorating is going to be even easier than 2009!

How do you manage your holiday decorations?

How many half used rolls of wrapping paper, gift bags, gift boxes and tags do you have in your gift giving supply? Do you buy more every year? This year lets try and use up the remaining supply and not buy more! My tip for future wrapping is to invest in just white butcher paper or brown mailing paper. If you like to add your own personal touch use stamps to decorate, markers or ribbons. This way you can give a gift for any occasion and not be limited by the seasonal decoration.

Does your home become overloaded with toys after the holidays? After the gift exchange do the toys get put away or do they hang around in the living room for a few days? Sometimes there just isnt an inch to space in the playroom for a single new toy. This year get organized before the holidays. Make room by getting rid of some of the toys the kids have outgrown before the introduction of new toys. Its a great time to get through those toy boxes, toss the broken, mismatched parts and pieces and part with the toys they are no longer interested in. Donate toys to local hospital, Goodwill, local churches and Daycare centers.

Could your holiday storage use a little help? Did you unpack delicate ornaments mixed in with heavy metal household decorations? Do your holiday lights resemble a plate of spaghetti? This year make a point to repack your decorations carefully and get rid of any damaged or unused decorations. If your budget allows you to purchase plastic storage containers this year it will help in protecting them if stored in the garage or basement. Store small groups of decorations together in shoe boxes or other boxes. Store lights by wrapping around paper towel holders or cardboard and store in a separate bag or pack in a plastic light storage box. And finally use the leftover tissue paper to protect your breakables and prevent items from shifting around in the box.

Do you still have a stack of unused gift cards waiting to be used from last year? If they expire soon you might want to organize your holiday shopping around those cards. If you have set your holiday budget for gifts, travel, entertaining or wardrobe see if you can use your cards to cover any of your holiday spending. Before you head out to the stores check to see if you can use your cards for online purchases and save a trip to the store.

Trying to save money by packing your lunch but end up making a mess of your kitchen in the process? Here's a quick tip on making the clean up a little easier by starting out with napkin or paper towel.
Place a napkin or paper towel on the counter where you prepare your sandwich. Lay out the bread on the napkin, add your toppings etc. and when your sandwich is done fold the napkin over the sandwich to pull it all together. This makes the transfer easier to the to the cling wrap, sandwich bag or plastic container and the toppings don't fall out. It cuts back on all the crumbs etc on your counter and you dont need additional dishes for the task. If you want to organize your lunches even more, pre wash and slice the cheeses, veggies and other toppings so they are ready when you need them.

Do you have toys taking over your home? A great way to keep them organized is to only keep out age appropriate toys. For instance board books are great for toddlers because they cant rip the pages. So resist keeping out the collectors edition of Winnie the Pooh until they are ready. As soon as kids reach a new milestone rotate out the toys they are no longer interested in and bring out the more challenging toys. This will make the transition to letting go of some of those items a little easier.

Did a light bulb just burn out and you have no idea where to find a replacement let alone what kind of light bulb you need? Make it easier on yourself the next time a bulb burns out by getting your light bulbs organized. Start by making a list of all the lights you have in your home. Be sure to include all inside and outside lights. Everything from desk lamps to under cabinet light bulbs. Include the type of light bulb it needs and how often you replace the light bulbs. Store all of your light bulbs together in a place where they wont get damaged.
Finally keep a copy of your list with the light bulbs and another in the contact list on your cell phone. This will help you when you are out shopping and need that replacement.

How many times have you said "I am going to get organized"? But the thought of getting started is just so daunting of a task you decide to do something else? It can be so overwhelming! Here is a tip to help you get started in your closet
Create a "Maybe" box or bag and keep on the shelf or floor. Every time you come across something you are just not into anymore put it in the "maybe" box or bag. This way you don't have to tackle the entire closet at once. Periodically go through this container and decide weather or not you think its worth keeping. If not, donate to a charity or give it away to a friend or family member who you think might like it.

Do you have loads of plastic shopping bags stuffed under your kitchen sink or in a closet? Get these spaces organized by either recycling them by taking back to the grocery store, drop off at Walgreens or reuse them! If you have a small trash can line them inside. When you need to take the trash out just grab the handles and go. Your next bag should already be in place. It makes it a lot easier to use them and you are not wasting space. Rubbermaid has even come out with a trash can designed for these bags!

Are the sippy cups, bottles and other parts taking over your kitchen cabinets and drawers? Here a a few tips on keeping them together.

1 - Match up all the cups and the additional parts. Get rid of anything that spills easy, hard to clean and your kids dont use.
2-Designate a shelf or drawer for each child or category and give it a label. Add drawer dividers or small containers to drawers to store smaller parts.
3-Before you buy more products in the future test them out. Its better to have one you like than 10 that will never get used. Save that space for items use use everyday.

You can help others by getting your home organized! Check out Goods 4 good and see how your unused items can improve the lives of others. They are looking for clothing, linens, school supplies, educational toys, kitchenware, soap, first aid products or baby care items.
If you have any of theses items go to the "donate goods" link at Goods4good and let them you what you have for donation.

Kids bring home a lot or art projects. It can be tough to keep organized or even keep each piece. Especially if you are short on space.
Here are a few tips on keeping those memories.
Scan the art projects and upload to your computer. If you cant scan the project,take a picture of the object and upload to your computer. Turn your photos into a slide show or screen saver for your computer. Be sure to add notes with your files such as name, year and title.
Another fun way to keep your photos organized is to turn your photos into a calender, stamp or puzzle

Do you shop at a warehouse club? Buy large supplies and get overwhelmed by the your lack of storage? It's really important to get organized before bulk shopping, especially if its at a warehouse club. Make sure you have the room to store toilet paper before you pickup a month supply. This is especially important if you are buying refrigerated or frozen foods.
Make a list of items you constantly buy and focus on those items first. Or you will get sidetracked by the giant boxes of muffin mix or tuna fish. These items are great if you are having a party but not the best for everyday. And finally make sure you can use everything before the expiration date.

Happy Shopping!

Are your Rubbermaids out of control in the kitchen? Heres a quick tip on keeping them organized. Keep all of the round storage containers together in one drawer,cabinet or shelf and the square containers together. Better yet only purchase one shape. Its much easier to stack containers of different size than different shapes. Its also easier to keep the lids together.

Good luck!

Kitchen appliances and equipment can take over your kitchen! It is a challenge to keep it all organized. Some items you use everyday, once a week, once a month or even once a year. They can be big and bulky or small with a million parts and pieces.
We purchase items sometimes thinking we are going make fresh pasta everyday, dried fruit, soy milk or even yogurt. If you do this everyday...great! You are getting your moneys worth, and making these items work for you in your space. But if you don't use these items its better to store them elsewhere.
Store these items in lower cabinets, or on shelves away from your immediate cooking area. Some kitchens have a few oddly huge lower corner cabinets that are a little harder to get to. These spaces are great for storing the "not so often" used items.
Appliances, entertaining pieces, and specialty cooking items fall into this category.
It is important to keep your services clear so you can prepare a meal and clean up easily.

Not all home organization gets custom closets, sturdy plastic storage bins and shelving. In a perfect world your items would be organized and stored perfectly in bins and stacked neatly. But in this economy its not always possible. So you have to make do with what is readily available and what is affordable. In some areas like garages, attics and basements areas can be affected by water, dust and dirt. So your items do need to be protected. I recommend organizing your home using white trash bags for storage. They are cheap and easy to protect your items. You can sort items into categories and label the outside with black magic marker. I see this is a temporary solution until you can get plastic storage bins. They will keep your belongings dry, free of dust and dirt until you can transfer to a plastic storage bin.

Its possible to organize your life with bags! Ziploc has come out with giant Ziploc bags to help you get organized in your home, office or car. The Big Bags can hold everything from clothes, electronics and toiletries. The Ziploc Flexible tote is cube shaped with zippers on the side which are great for stacking and storing seasonal items in the top of your closet, under the bed and even in the car. Sturdy paper bags such as gift bags or shopping bags are great for storing items on shelves. They can also add a pop of color.

What do you do with 15 years of boxes? A friend of mine recently moved from a condo where she lived for 15 years. Shes living in an apartment temporarily and will soon be moving to a 4 bedroom home. A lot clothing and other household items were sent to storage because the apartment is smaller than her last place. She spent many hours organizing everything for the move and lives with essentials and cherished memorabilia. Realizing that she has not missed anything from the boxes in storage is now happy to report that nothing will not be coming to the new home unless it can prove itself worthy enough to come inside.

How many times have you purchased greeting cards or birthday cards and never sent them? They were purchased with the best intentions but you just never made it to the mailbox. We forget, get busy and sometimes cant find the cards! A simple way to organize cards is to keep them together in a resealable bag and write the types of cards on the outside. If you have a lot of birthday cards keep them together in one bag. Miscellaneous cards like shower, blank or thank you cards can be kept together but add a list of cards to the bag for quick reference. The bags make it easy to see and they can be stored in other locations other then a file cabinet or folder.

Good luck!

You know all those keys that you have been shifting around from drawer to drawer year after year that have no identification? If you absolutely have no idea what they belong to it might be time to let them go.
Go through you house and match up all these miscellaneous keys to every single lock and door knob you can find. Also make a master list of all the locks so you know how many doors require a key. If you still have keys that don't match at least you can rule out your home. Next make a list of other places they might belong to. Did a friend or relative give you a key to hold onto? Are there any other buildings you have access to? Continue to test out all of your keys by process of elimination. Any keys they don't belong to anything should go. If you still are not sure about some of the keys, put them in a container and store outside of your immediate work area.
In the future get rid of keys as soon as you know they are no longer needed. If you have a lock changed take the key off your key rings immediately so they don't get lost in the shuffle again. If you are moving make sure you leave all of your keys behind you will not need them anymore.

Capturing precious moments is priceless! I swore that I would never use my blackberry camera to take pictures because it was not the best quality and the prints never really turned out. But sometimes you don't have a camera available and your cell phone camera is the only option. Every once in a while I would get a great shot but still wonder how much better it would have been with a "real" camera.
Just recently I took some shots and was so upset at the quality.
I started to do some investigating and thought "I wonder if the lens is dirty"? I got out the trusty q-tip and wiped out the lens.
After the cleaning the picture quality was so much better!
I am happy to say I will continue to use my cell phone to take pictures but keeping the lens clean is a must! If you keep your phone in your bag or your purse you might want to pack a few extra q-tips to keep the lens clean. Another option is to keep you phone in a case.
Now if the blackberry could only do action shots!

Winter is almost over. Even though it still gets cold here in Chicago its time to start packing up those heavier clothes and start looking into spring. Soon you will be wearing shorts and flip flops!
It can be difficult to determine what you should put away until next year and what to keep out. If the temperature drops you want to be prepared.
Here are a few items that you can put away that will jump start your closet organizing.
Heavy wools
Heavy coats
Velvets
Bulky sweaters
Winter sports gear-hats, gloves scarves or ski pants
Winter boots
Organizing your heavy winter clothes now will make the change of seasons a little easier next year. Also, by opening up space in your closet you can start adding a few of your warmer weather clothes like rain jackets, lightweight materials and cottons.

Yesterdays post I talked about organizing flower vases. Donating them or giving them back to the florist where they can be reused. But did you know it can also save you money? I had a dinner party and wanted to order flowers instead of trying to make the arrangement myself with the store bought flowers. I also wanted to use one of my existing vases so I did not start collecting vases again. I brought my vase to the florist, told them what I wanted and how much I wanted to spend and viola! A beautiful arrangement for half the cost because I brought my own vase. It pays to be organized!

If you were lucky enough to receive fresh flowers for a special occasion and they came from a florist, most likely they came in a vase. Another special occasion would have brought you even more beautiful flowers...and another vase. Eventually you have a cabinet or two packed with vases which can be challenge to keep organized.
If you are unsure of what to do with all of these vases pull them all together and take stock of what you have. If you only put fresh flowers out on occasion keep one vase in each size or shape and donate the rest. Better yet take to a local florist so they can be reused.

When organizing your china cabinet, its common to have several different patterns of china, odd number of stemware or even a few broken figurines. The problem with all of these extra pieces is you cant have a dinner party for 8 if you only have 7 plates. One way to work with the odd number of dishes is to add another pattern that will compliment your current set. Or go to Replacements,Ltd a China, Crystal, Silver and Collectibles supplier to replace those hard to find patterns! If you are ready to let go of your current set of dishes to make room for a new set you can even sell your pieces to Replacement, Ltd!

Here's a quick way to get rid of items you no longer need. Organize a themed swap party where everyone brings items they no longer need. It could be kitchen items, home accessories or even clothes. Its a great way to get rid of items and give them a new home. If you pick a theme its easier to look at one category at a time and makes the task of organizing a little easier. If the theme is kitchen cooking equipment all you have to do is go through your pots and pans and weed out a few that are not getting any use. This also is a good time to toss out those scratched, burnt and broken pieces too and reorganize your cabinets!

Want a quick way to get rid of leftovers and keep your fridge organized? Make a list of all leftovers and keep on your fridge door so you know what is available.
Make a section in the fridge only for leftovers that is visible and easy to reach. If you like to take leftovers to work, store in ziplock bags or disposable containers so you don't have to transfer to another container when you are rushed for time.

Kids get a lot of toys at the holidays, birthdays and other occasions. Instead of adding them all to the current play list, keep existing toys organized by putting new toys away until they are ready for them. Some toys are not age appropriate and your kids wont be ready for them for few months or a even a couple of years. Some toys have too many parts and pieces or are just plain messy! These toys might be better off used in the summer outdoors or not at all. Make it easy on yourself and limit the amount of toys your kids have to choose from. Give away toys your kids have outgrown as much as possible so you can keep current toys organized. Rainy or snow days are great times to beat old toy boredom. So pull out a new toy (or overstock of existing toys) out of your extra box of toys and make any day a celebration!

Its time again to take inventory of your closet and get organized! This is one huge way to save money in 2009. If you don't know what you have, you don't know what you need. If you know exactly how many black turtlenecks you own, you won't buy three more just because they're on sale.

Organize a clothes exchange with your friends. Bring everything that doesn't fit or doesn't suit you and have your friends do the same. You'll come home with new outfits without spending a dime.

Its important to stay on top of your home and office organizing. The more you get into the habit of putting things away after you are finished using them the easier it will be later when you need to find them. When you don't put things away you will only make more work for yourself later, create clutter an easily become disorganized. If you are working on a project, put away your files away and clear off your desk before you move onto another project. This way you can focus 100% on your next project. Get in the habit of putting things away now instead of later it will help you stay organized.

Organizing baby clothes is a full time job. The sizes change so quickly theres no time to dig through clothes that dont fit. The easiest way to organize and keep track of clothes is to have 4 areas where you keep the clothing. Typically clothes are either too big, too small, currently fit or close to fitting. I call the clothes that are close to fitting "on deck" because they will be wearing in the next couple of weeks.
Keep an open bag or bin for clothes that no longer fit so you can easily separate from clothes that do fit. Have the bins of larger clothing labeled by size in a 3 or 6 month range. Clothes that currently fit should be in the drawers and the "on deck" clothes should be in a drawer or close to the drawers so you can easily access.

Before you make out another grocery list organize your pantry. By organizing your pantry you can categorize your canned goods, boxes of rice, pasta and snacks and get rid of stale open packages and expired food. Remember some of those items have "best if used by" dates so don't waste them, eat them! A really great way use up this food is to find a recipe for each product on the products website. For instance if you have a can of beans from Bush or box of barilla pasta find a specific recipe for that product and be sure to purchase additional ingredients on your next grocery shopping trip.

You could help other women achieve the success they deserve by interviewing for a new career in a new suit. How will you do this? By organizing your closet and getting rid of suits, separates and accessories you no longer wear.
Donate your suits and accessories to Dress for Success so women can interview in style. Dress for success is a not-for-profit organization that helps women finds jobs, remain employed and give support. Women must have an interview scheduled to receive a suit and once they get the job can come back for a second suit and additional outfits for her new job!

Having a iPod makes Organizing and storing your music so much easier. But sometimes the battery dies or you just want the latest and greatest. Instead of dumping it in the trash where it will never decompose send it back to the Apple store and get 10% off a your upgrade.

Get your home organized while helping a family in your community build a home. Head out to your garage and put away your summer gear and gardening equipment to make room for your car. If you have an overstock of cars, don't let them take up space - donate them! Habitat for Humanity's cars for homes program excepts cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, construction equipment or other vehicles. And you get the tax write-off.

Summer is a wonderful time of year but it will soon be coming to a close. I know its a sad thing. The seasons change and so does your wardrobe. This means you have to put away your summer clothes and start pulling out the winter clothes. Im not saying you have to switch out all of your summer clothes right now but its time to start pulling out a few bins and bags to have ready for donation, packing or giving away to a friend. Its also a good time to start getting rid of items you did not wear this summer and you know you will never wear again...ever!
Its an even greater time to take a peak at what you stored away from the last winter and see if there is anything you can purge out. If you didn't wear it last year there is a good chance you will not wear it this year. While you are at it pull a few fall and winter items out of the storage you may need them sooner than you think.

Bonus tip! Consignment shops are putting out fall and winter clothes so bring those warmer weather clothes you no longer want and you might make a little money.

Need some help with all those receipts cluttering your life? Check out Shoeboxed where you mail in your receipts and they scan all of your paper making it easier to organize your finances. Information can be uploaded to a spreadsheet or exported to Quicken. This service can be used for your home or business.

If you went through your closet recently looking for empty hangers you may have found a few extra plastic bags that contain clothes cleaned and pressed by the dry cleaner. Or you found empty hangers with a plastic bag hanging over it. This is a huge waste of space.
I recommend taking the plastic off of all of your clothes as soon as they come in from the dry cleaner so they can breath and you can see what you have to wear. I don't recommend using the plastic dry cleaner bags as a dust preventive. Add a garment bag to your closet for special occasion clothing for protection.
Hopefully by removing the extra plastic bags and hangers and adding a garment bag you can not only gain space but protect your clothing and start categorizing your wardrobe.

We love to have paper supplies on hand especially when we are in a hurry. Say your on the phone and just need something to write a phone number on? Where do you keep this paper? If you in the kitchen, living room or office its nice to have a pad of paper accessible. In a drawer, on the desk or somewhere in your kitchen. But you just need one per room. Try not to over stuff your drawers, desktop or counter space with an overstock of supplies. Keep a storage bin full of post it notes, 3 ring binders and other paper products in one place so you can access when you need.

The kids are getting out of school soon. But before they unload their book bags full of crayons, paper, rulers and calculators find out what they need for next years supplies. Recycle this years supplies for next year by storing them for the summer away from the other art supplies. You may have to buy a few things things this fall but you will not end up with duplicate items that barely get used. You save money in the process and shopping time.

Save a little space in your closet by getting rid of used hangers. Go through your closet and pull all of the empty hangers. Now take a look at the pile. What do you have? A lot of wire hangers, trouser hangers or clip hangers that you got with your last department store purchase? If you are not using these in your wardrobe let them go. Wire hangers from the dry cleaner can be recycled so bring them back on your next trip. Those small trouser hangers are of no use to you if you fold your pants over a hanger. Finally those freebie plastic hangers from the department store should never come home with you if you are not using.

Tip* If you have some items in your closet like a silky blouse that falls off the hanger, get a specialty hanger with a non slip surface that keeps clothes on the hanger.

We all love our grandma's china and now that you've inherited it you get to keep it forever. The problem is it never gets used and its taking up a lot of space in your already cramped dining room. Some of the reasons why the china never gets used is because you already have a set of china and you don't have a lot of formal dinner parties of 12. If the dishes are taking up too much space consider packing them up in padded china storage bins and moving it out of your immediate storage space where they are not going to get damaged.
If you would like to occasionlly enjoy a cup of tea in from this beautiful set keep a tea cup and saucer out so you can see it, use it and remember grandma.

Here's a quick tip on keeping those office supplies organized. Do you have a lot of pens and pencils in your office supply? How many pencils do you have in the collection? Do you have both No. 2 and mechanical pencils? If you dont use pencils that often and you are short on space I recommend switching mechanical pencils only. The reason for this is you dont have to sharpen the mechanical pencils and you dont have to store the extra pencil supplies like the manual sharpener or electric sharpner. Both either take up desktop space or drawer space.