Clear the clutter… we need a family room!
When you think about your family room, you probably think about a place where you want to relax, watch TV or spend time with your family (and pets). So, to make the importance of a relaxing haven a reality, there are a couple cleanup tips that will help you maintain a peaceful environment for your family and an inviting place for guests:
Decide the function of your room.
After you know what you want to use your room for and how you can make it function, then you can begin to structure your room in a way that fits your lifestyle and family’s needs.
Clear the clutter!
We tend to collect a lot of things that end up in our living spaces. We also keep a lot of things in our living spaces that we don’t use There are several culprits that tend to steal our visual peace and make even a nicely functioning room seem unorganized. Look around your room for these things: remote controls, wall hanging art, tabletop photographs, magazines, newspapers, houseplants (alive, and dead), knickknacks, lamps, bulky pillows, DVD cases, CD’s, video games, video game systems and remotes, telephones and cell phones, electronic chargers, books and coasters to name quite a few. All of these things clutter our mantles, coffee tables, couches, walls, floors and any shelves we have. Let’s cut down the clutter starting with books, CDs and DVDs.
- Collect all your books, CDs and DVDs from your house and from your car and make sure CDs and DVDs are in correct cases.
- Go through your collection and make three piles: Toss, Sell/Donate and
- Part with the Sell/Donate pile and throw away the items in the “Toss” pile right away. Don’t keep them, because they’ll be more likely to stay and you’ve already decided you don’t want them, right?
- Clean off your bookshelves and put books back according to size, like smallest to largest or visa versa. If you have a lot of different authors or genres you may choose to place them on the shelf based on author or genre.
- Organize your CDs by categories. Then go a step further and organize them by artist. If you don’t like the look of the CD cases then store them in storage boxes or a decorative binder with loose-leaf sleeves. When CDs are used throughout the house and in your car, they can always be returned and you’ll be able to find them later.
- Organize DVDs by genre or simply alphabetize by title. Remember to keep the title facing out.
How do you maintain the de-cluttering you have just done?
- Put away CDs and DVDs when you are finished using them!
- Utilize your computer. Use MP3s or iTunes instead of CDs.
When you are finished with a book and you know you will not read it again, donate it right away. Don’t clutter your bookshelf with items you know you really don’t need or won’t ever use again.
Kathy Jenkins is the President of Come To Order, a residential professional organizing company in Richmond, VA. As a Certified Professional Organizer®, Certified Family Manager® Coach, Love & Logic® Parenting Facilitator/Coach and Student Organizer, Kathy especially enjoys working with kids and their families to help them learn good organizational skills that will benefit them for a lifetime. To learn more about Love & Logic Parenting, follow Kathy on Facebook.