Keeping House
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/22422313/list/want-to-streamline-your-life-get-a-system comment from sarasternman "I hope I'm not boring the rest of Houzz but ok! For cleaning, I pick my most energetic time of day (for me that's early morning). I go methodically around my house doing the tasks that I have determined I need to do daily: putting toys away, cleaning down eating surfaces and countertops, sweeping, all dishes, making beds, and processing any laundry. I do it in a specific order, by room, so that I know I've done everything. It usually takes 1/2 hour and the house looks great. Once a week, I do all of that plus: wiping and dusting surfaces, scrubbing counters, washing the floors, bleaching bathrooms. That's my weekly cleaning. I have a list of cleaning tasks that can be done when I have time, such as cleaning the fridge, walls, windows, polishing silver, under the beds, straightening closets, cleaning stroller and baby equipment. These end up getting done about once per month, but I don't pressure myself as I know I will get to it while working on my to do list. I really don't like to be a slave to the house so I find limiting the cleaning to specific tasks on specific t...
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/22422313/list/want-to-streamline-your-life-get-a-system comment from sarasternman: For my kitchen system, i have a list of meals. I just go down the list and it lasts three months. Whenever I see a new recipe that I like I add it to the list and I sometimes also weed out recipes that aren't good enough, too time consuming, etc. I have two categories of food items in my kitchen- stock items (flour, sugar, spices, oil, ketchup, cooking wine, etc.) and recipe specific items (eg. zucchini, cheddar cheese, things that I don't keep in stock). Whenever I or someone in my house opens a stock item from the pantry they must write down the item on my shopping list. That way, when the last flour (for example) is opened, I automatically write down to buy 1 more. We never over-buy or run out.. mostly :) . Then, once per week I go through the recipes from my list that I will be making and add the recipe specific items to the list. Menu planning and list making takes 15 minutes! Also, I have a week's worth of ingredients in my house so I can make any of the week's dinners I've planned on any day of the week (to appease my spontaneous side :)
You can put just about any identical storage containers on open shelving — they’ll look fantastic and hold a lot. To make the most of your space, let your shelving go all the way to the ceiling, and measure before buying the containers to get the size exactly right. Details make all the difference between having a giant storage wall like this looking sleek versus looking shoddy — so consider how you will label your boxes before you get started, and keep your labeling system consistent. This homeowner paired white boxes with small instant photos of the shoes contained within for labels. You could also use a label maker, or write in neat handwriting on simple kraft paper tags.
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/22205693/list/how-much-stuff-is-enough comment from samanthaja: Every time I empty a cardboard box I begin filling it with stuff from around the house to donate. (The boxes fill up quickly since I have two small kids.) It is so satisfying to drop it off and come back knowing I have a good cubic foot (or more) of living space back in my house.
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/22205693/list/how-much-stuff-is-enough comment from Krista Roney: Here's my contribution to the " less is more" conversation: white towels only. I bought the same brand for years until the store went out of business, and the brand I buy now " match" the old ones beautifully. I still buy (very, wildly) colourful accessories for the bath
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/4182885/list/decorate-with-intention-simplicity-for-lifes-sake "Preventing clutter from entering your house is at least as important as getting rid of the excessive belongings you already have. The $100 rule is simple: Whenever you're considering making a purchase, first ask yourself if you would still buy it if it cost $100. The idea is that no purchase, no matter how small, should be taken for granted. The dollar amount you use doesn't really matter — it should just be a number that feels expensive to you. For me, $100 is a good benchmark, but your number could be higher or lower."
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/3655403/list/How-to-Savor-Your-Beautifully-Imperfect-Home Embrace wabi-sabi style. The wabi-sabi philosophy, which has its roots in Japan, finds beauty in imperfection and impermanence. The flowers whose petals are just beginning to turn brown, the thick slab of wood with an interesting crack running down the center — these are more highly valued than something flawless. Isn't that refreshing?
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/3655403/list/How-to-Savor-Your-Beautifully-Imperfect-Home Find beauty in the mundane. Sure, designer spaces are beautiful to look at. But that doesn't mean your refrigerator, crammed full of snapshots and handmade magnets and postcards, isn't beautiful too. Take a moment to be aware of the meaning behind the little "messes" strewn about your house. They are the sign of a life well lived.
Doctor Rooter’s garbage disposal cleaning method: Ingredients: ½ cup baking soda ½ cup vinegar Sprinkle the baking soda down the drain, getting as much of it into the disposal as possible. Pour in the vinegar (this will begin the reaction between the base and and the acid). Let this mixture react for about five minutes, then run hot water down the drain for about 30 seconds. If the smell persists, repeat.
One Good Thing by Jillee’s garbage disposal cleaning method: Ingredients and materials: Vinegar Lemon Ice cube tray Cut up a lemon and place a lemon slice into each ice cube mold. Fill the rest of each cube mold with vinegar. Freeze fully, then keep the cubes in a zip-top bag in the freezer. Feed a handful of cubes into the disposal every few days, then run cold water and the disposal until they are crushed up.
It's one thing to get organized — staying organized is another matter altogether. One tool that has the potential to keep your home neat and clutter free is a permanent bin dedicated to giveaways. Keep it in a central spot where you can toss things in whenever you think of it. When the bin is full, empty it at your favorite charity shop; repeat.
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