Reduce, Reuse, Recyle!

With Earth Day just around the corner, I thought that I'd talk about the 3 R's:  reduce, reuse, recycle from an organizer's perspective.

Reduce
I like to watch HGTV and other home improvement programs.  I am often amazed at people that think they need to move because they don't have enough space, yet every room in the house is cluttered.  Before going through the stress of house hunting, getting a mortgage, and moving, I think that they should try to organize their things and get rid of things that they can't even use in their clutter.  Sometimes, simply bringing in an organizer can help you tackle your things and find storage solutions for the items that you still want.  Doing this solves the need for more livable space and can save you money.  Here's some other advice:

• Being organized allows you to reduce the amount of items that you bring into your home, because you'll be more aware of the items that you actually own.  I'll admit that I like to stock up on certain things, especially if they are on sale.  However, if I don't have the space for it, it stays in the store.
• To help me remember what extras I have already purchased, I keep a shelf in my bathroom for all of the extra health and beauty aids.  If I have an extra on the shelf, I definitely do not need to purchase another.  
• Keeping cleaning products in a common location also prevents me from buying more when I don't need it.  
• My ready made grocery list allows me to check my current inventory and only mark the items in which we need.  It also can save money since we won't buy things that we don't have time to eat before they expire.  
• When I buy non-consumable things, I donate or throw the old ones away depending on the condition.   Twice a year, we go through our clothes and donate what we no longer want to wear.  This prevents our closets from getting out of control.
• Yesterday, I blogged about mail and how you reduce your mail by using online bill pay and canceling magazine subscriptions.

Reuse
Just because something is designed for one use doesn't mean that it can't be used for something else.  Again, referring to yesterday's post, I made mail sorters out of cereal boxes.  Re-purposing items is easier on the environment, but can also make things easier on your wallet.  Here's a brief list of ideas:

• Reuse paper or plastic bags when you go to the store if you don't have reusable bags.  Some stores will even reduce your total by a few cents per bag.  The small plastic bags also work great for garbage liners for trash cans in your bathroom.  Bread bags can be used to clean up pet waste.  Keeping an extra plastic bag in the car can also come in handy for various things that occur. 
• My husband loves to reuse plastic jars that held food for things, such as hardware, in the garage.  If you drop them on the ground, they don't shatter, and you can easily see what is in them.  They can also be reused for food or craft supply storage.  I store my measuring spoons in one in the cupboard and keep it next to the measuring cups.
• Scrap paper is great for writing notes to members of the family or for to do lists.  I like to use the back of envelops that held my mail.  We then like to save some of the paper to start fires in our fire pit during the summer.  
• Newspapers can be used to wrap gifts.  I use stamps to dress them up a bit and add color.
• Spray bottles can be cleaned and reused to make homemade bug repellent, window wash, fabric spray, etc.  You might like to put water in one to spray yourself on those hot summer days. You'll not only save money on bottles, you'll save money on what you make to put in them. 
•  Old toothbrushes work great when cleaning small hard to reach places.
• Mint tins come in handy to hold small items like paper clips, tacks, and bobby pins.  

Also, don't forget that you don't need to be the one to reuse the items.  Donate the items to a school or charity, such as a women's shelter or a community member in need.  Or you can try to sell the items in a rummage sale or online.  We have a sign that we sometimes stick in the yard to advertise that things are free.  After all, "one man's trash is another man's treasure". 

Recycling
While recycling saves room in our landfills, it tends to take up quite a bit of room in our homes.  My house was built way before recycling was conceived, so finding space for it can be a challenge.  The containers designed for recyclables are often large and come in loud colors.  I would recommend keeping the larger containers outside or in the garage unless you have the space.  I would love to have the cupboard space to have pull out containers, but I don't.  I decided to think outside the box and find something that wouldn't scream recycling.  Here's what I found:

What I like about it is that the drawers pull out completely and can be returned with ease, it has wheels, and it comes in black.  It is meant to be used in a closet and/or bedroom.  Assembly was required, but took me less than 10 minutes and included the tools needed.  I have labels on the handles of metals, plastics, and papers.  I also have it near my garbage can, so it is easy to sort what needs to be recycled.  Once they get full, the drawers are pulled out and put in their containers that will go out to our curb on recycling day.

Because the Mail Never Stops!

Regardless of how you feel about the USPS's recent decision to stop delivering mail on Saturdays, organizing your mail can be an issue.  So, today's post includes some tips on how to better manage it.

If you want some comic relief, click on the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL6ubXD9ZjY
I am a huge Seinfeld fan, and always thought that Newman's ranting about the mail was quite funny.  I give mail carriers a lot of credit, even though I don't always want what they are delivering.  But as the saying goes, "don't shoot the messenger".

My husband used to pile up my mail on a chair.  This drove me nuts, as you can image.  After a long day at work dealing with paperwork, the last thing that I wanted to deal with before sitting down was my mail.  To solve this problem, I made "mailboxes" to put in our office.

To make these, I used cereal boxes and covered them with scrapbooking paper to match the decor.  Then I used chalk to write our names on them.  They were easy and inexpensive to make, lightweight to hang on the wall, but strong enough to hold our mail.  The best part is that my husband actually uses them. 

Above our "mailboxes" we have a bulletin board.  At the bottom of it, I use binder clips and tacks to hold the envelopes, stamps, and return address labels.  Viola, a cheap and easy mail center that is easy to find and take stock of. 

Here's some other ways to lessen the burden of your mail:

• Recycle or shred junk mail right away.  Otherwise it piles up over time and can become overwhelming.
• After opening the mail, get rid of the envelopes.  They take up space and addresses are usually written on the inside correspondence. 
• Use e-statements and online bill pay.  You can easily file your statements in your email.  Plus you can sign up for email and/or text reminders for when your bills are due.  You also save money on postage.
• Cancel subscriptions to magazine or newspapers if you don't have time to read them.  The amount of space they take up adds up fast.  If you do have time to read them, get rid of them when you are done reading them.  Ask a teacher if she can use them for a class project if you don't want to just put them in the recycling.  Many magazines now offer e-subscriptions that can be viewed on your tablet or computer.  Since they don't use paper, they are often less expensive.  Otherwise, visit your local library to read the hard copy version.  
• Find a place for the mail that requires your attention.  Choose a day and/or time to deal with these at least once a week.  Pay attention to due dates. 
• File needed papers immediately after you are done dealing with them.  Waiting until you get a big pile makes it much more of a chore.  

As an inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York City reads:  "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."  And I am ready for all that they deliver. 

Airing My Dirty Laundry...Room

We all know laundry is a chore that is never done.  What I dislike about it most is all the steps: sorting, pre-treating, washing, drying, ironing, folding or hanging, and putting it away.  I am just thankful that I live in a day and age in which we have washers and dryers.  I am also thankful for having these machines in my home.  I don't miss the days of trucking my dirty clothes to the laundromat or to my parents' house. 

My ideal space for a washer and dryer would be in a walk-in closet, so I wouldn't have to lug the clothes to and from the machine.  For now, I will need to be satisfied with my current laundry room. 

The cupboards above the machines come in extremely handy, but you could also use shelves or pedestals for storage.  (My mom uses an armoire next to her stacked machines.)  I chose not to have pedestals so I could utilize the tops as a folding table and a place to iron.  I am short and don't have back issues, so having the machines low to the ground isn't an issue.  There is a space between the machines and the cupboards.  To cover up the hook-ups, I painted a 1 x 6 board and had my husband use c-hooks to hang it. 

Laundry items are kept in the cupboards above the washer.  Detergent is placed in a plastic canister, since the boxes of detergent I buy are too big and heavy for me to keep handy.  Those I keep under the utility sink.  I also make sure to keep the handles of the vinegar, bleach, and fabric softener out so they are easy to grab.  There is an outlet in the cupboard, so I keep my iron there.  I also have a glass liquid measuring cup, Mr. Steamies, delicate bags, dryer sheets, and a lazy Susan with Wool-lite, Static Guard, Shout, a bleach pen, lint rollers, and cheap hair spray (for removing ink stains).

When I did the major reorganization last summer, I found duplicates or triplicates of cleaning supplies in the kitchen, bathroom, and/or laundry room.  So, I decided to put my cleaning supplies in a single location, which is the cupboards above my dryer.  This has freed up the space under the sinks in the bathroom and kitchen.  However, if it is a cleaning item that is kitchen specific, I still keep it under the kitchen sink. 

Not having a basement in our home means that we have our furnace and hot water heater in the closet of the laundry room.  I also utilize that closet for hanging the mop, broom, dust pan, Swiffer, and duster, as well as, the ironing board.  There is also a hamper and a drying rack that folds which is stored below the ironing board.