Seven Days of Spring Cleaning and Organizing

by Audrey Cupo, Professional Organizer

After a long, cold winter, we finally get to look forward to Spring. This is the time of year for new beginnings: fresh flowers, green grass, the sounds of birds singing. Ahh!

This is a great time to prepare your home for the new season. I suggest that starting today and for the next seven days, making a plan to do a Spring organizing and/or Spring cleaning project each day. Here's a sample agenda to follow:

DAY 1 ~ Begin outside clean up, including getting rid of any leftover winter brush, snipping dead branches from plants to get them ready for the warmer weather ahead and sweeping the walkway and driveway.

DAY 2 ~ Put away any winter clothing for the season that is still in your closets, and bring out your spring and summer wardrobes. Iron anything that requires it.

DAY 3 ~ Begin sorting through the outdoor toys (including sports equipment, skate boards, bicycle, etc.) from last year and determine what your children have outgrown and will no longer be using. Then, create a list of a few items to supplement to provide them with items that are more age appropriate for this year.

DAY 4 ~ Clean areas in your house that get neglected most of the year, such as the tops of your high cabinets, under the fridge and the bookcase shelves (empty, dust, and return all books again).

DAY 5 ~ Begin to plan your family’s summer vacation. By reviewing your budget and discussing ideas with the family, you will be able to formulate a vacation plan so you will be ready when the end of summer comes around. (It arrives before you know it!)

DAY 6 ~ Empty the fridge and freezer and clean them out before returning your perishables back inside. If you have a spare in your garage or elsewhere, don’t forget to clean it out also.

DAY 7 ~ Make arrangements for your summer help, including the lawn mowing service, grass, tree and plant service. Check the outdoor furniture that was left out over the winter to see if it needs any repair (mine is made of wrought iron and might need to be repainted). It’s also a good time of year to make an appointment to have the car detailed.

By the end of these 7 days, I guarantee you will feel great knowing a lot was completed you can now enjoy the Spring!

About Audrey Cupo:

Audrey Cupo is a full-time Professional Organizer and sole proprietor of A BETTER SPACE based in Bucks County, PA. She specializes in residential organizing and focuses her business on helping busy moms and women entrepreneurs get organized with her in-home services and her U Can Do It product line. To sign up for her free monthly newsletter "Organizing News You Can Use" or get a free "Room-By-Room Organizing Checklist", go to http://www.4abetterspace.com/.

How to Store Out of Season Clothing

by Audrey Cupo
Spring is about to be sprung! As the days quickly pass, the chance of getting a big snow storm in the Philadelphia area where I live diminishes - yeah! (You might be able to tell I am not a winter person - I love the summer.)

Well, since Spring officially begins in just a few weeks, I thought it would be a good time to provide some Quick Tips for A Better Space when it comes to storing your out of season clothing.

With a large closet, people are often tempted to keep all their clothes in the one spot and not rotate clothing seasonally. Unfortunately, this sometimes creates cramped closets and makes it hard to see what you really have in your current wardrobe.

If you have a smaller closet, this is even more of an issue. If you can relate to this situation, I would suggest the following:

Store out-of-season clothing in plastic under-the bed containers or pretty cardboard boxes that can fit on top of your closet shelf.

*  Folded clothes should be stored with acid and dye-free tissue paper so they won’t be as wrinkled when pulled out for next season.

*  Fragrant, insect-repelling herb sachets are a good alternative to mothballs. They will keep your clothing smelling fresh and well protected without being potentially harmful to your family and the environment.

Any out of season clothes that need to be hung should be stored at the very back of the closet since they do not need to be readily accessible. They should be stored in a garment bag to keep them clean and dust free in the off-season. Avoid using dry cleaner bags for this purpose. They should not be used at all, in fact, for any type of clothing protection and storage. They trap the dry cleaning chemicals which stay on your clothes and can be harmful to your health and the environment. Your clothes need to breathe so cloth garment bags are suggested.

This is also a great time to look at what you have not worn the past season and get rid of it. Chances are you won't wear it next year either. Why pack away something you will not be wearing. Make room for new purchases next Fall instead!

You will need to start planning a time to set aside to convert your wardrobe from Winter to Spring and Summer so be prepared with the proper tools to do so.

If this task is too overwhelming, consult with a professional organizer to help you out.

About Audrey Cupo:

Audrey Cupo is a full-time Professional Organizer and sole proprietor of A BETTER SPACE based in Bucks County, PA. She specializes in residential organizing and focuses her business on helping busy moms and women entrepreneurs get organized with her in-home services and her U Can Do It product line. To sign up for her free monthly newsletter "Organizing News You Can Use" or get a free "Room-By-Room Organizing Checklist", go to http://www.4abetterspace.com/.

Are You Getting Jewelry for Valentine's Day?

By Audrey Cupo

Many of us get jewelry on Valentine’s Day from our sweetheart. Are you? How many pieces do you have now? Are they organized? If not, there are various ways you can sort it all out to make it easier to find what you want, when you want it.

You can sort your jewelry by putting all types together

. You can keep all your rings in one place, all your necklaces in another place, bracelets somewhere else. You can use various jewelry boxes or decorative containers for this purpose.

You can sort your jewelry by putting them together in sets                                   

. For example, your onyx necklace, ring and bracelet can all be stored together in one box.

You can store your jewelry by color groups

. You can keep all silver together (avoids tarnishing), your gold jewelry together, or even reds, blues or greens, depending on your collection.

When you are trying to decide which is the best option for you, you need to determine how you would look for your jewelry: by type, sets or color. Then, empty all your current containers and re-organize it by the category you have selected.

Where do you want to keep your jewelry? There are various options available.

You can use your dresser top

. Select either beautiful boxes, necklace trees, earring screens or a jewelry box. Just don’t clutter up the surface with too many options. When selecting a jewelry box, look closely at it’s features. If you have lots of necklaces, you want to make sure it has a hanging system. If you have rings, you want to make sure there is a section for the rings to fit into. If you want to separate out your earrings by silver and gold, etc., you want to make sure it has drawers to hold the amount of pieces you have. Then, select a wooden jewelry box that complements your furniture.

You can use your dresser drawers

. If you are using dresser drawers, select fabric or velvet covered dividers to keep it all organized and easily accessible. The stackable velvet trays provide many options, depending on your needs and can take up much less room.

You can use your closet

The other option to consider is your closet. You can use a door mounted clear shoe divider to divide up your larger pieces, such as costume jewelry. You can use a wall mounted jewelry organizer. If you have room, you can put a jewelry armoire either in the closet or in the main bedroom area to store your various pieces.

The options are endless but organization is key to keeping everything in good condition and easily accessible.

If this task is too overwhelming, consult with a professional organizer to help you out.

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About Audrey Cupo

Audrey Cupo is a full-time Professional Organizer and sole proprietor of A BETTER SPACE based in Bucks County, PA. She specializes in residential organizing and focuses her business on helping busy moms and women entrepreneurs get organized with her in-home services and her U Can Do It product line. To sign up for her free monthly newsletter "Organizing News You Can Use" or get a free "Room-By-Room Organizing Checklist", go to http://www.4abetterspace.com/.