My Junk Drawer Secret

Silverware drawer organizers can be used to organize LOTS of other things in your home.

But my favorite use for them??

Organizing the Junk Drawer!!

You know, the drawer in the kitchen where everything little but necessary gets shoved? The drawer that turns into the Bermuda Triangle -- stuff gets put in there, never to be seen again?!
That jumbled mess of JUNK?!!

Well, no more!! :)

*Ahhhhhhhh* (heavenly angels sing)

Using a silverware organizer helps keep your Junk Drawer neat and under control!
Everything has a place.

I use a section for various keys. One for "office supplies" like pens, pencils, scissors & tape. Another section is used for dry erase markers and chip clips. Ipod & phone charger cords in another. Notepads and a calculator. Emergency flashlights have room in there, too!

It's amazing how much stuff these organizers can hold!

Everything is SO easy to find, and put back when you're done. Even my kids do it right every time, and if you saw the toys strewn upstairs, that's really saying something! LOL!!

Find these drawer organizers most anywhere!
Use them to organize most anything!

In the Kitchen:
Junk Drawer
Large Cooking Utensils & Measuring Spoons
Teas
Spices
Silverware

In the Bathroom:
Toothbrush & Paste
Nail Polish
Makeup
Brush
Hair Clips

In the Family Room:
Hide in TV Cabinet w/ Remotes & TV Guide

In Craft Area:
Buttons
Threads
Glue Gun
Glitters
Scissors
Staple Gun
Scrapbooking Supplies

In the Bedroom:
Jewelry Organizer
In the Nightstand for Paper & Pen,
Glasses, Hold Rings, Wallet for Guys, etc.

There are SO many uses for this inexpensive organizational item!!

What do you think?? If you use any of these ideas, or have any more great ideas, send me a picture & I'll post it on my blog!

Ready...Set...Go!

Wanna know how to get the whole family to help keep clutter under control??

Do what we have started doing....10 Minute Clutter Cleaning!

We aim for 7:30 every night to do our Family Clutter Cleaning. I set a timer, and all 4 of us spring into action! It's amazing how much you can do in 10 minutes!!

Fold a load of laundry, load the dishwasher, pick up toys, put belongings in their rightful place, clean your powder room, vaccum the carpet, wipe down your kitchen counters, throw away art project scraps, etc!!!

It seems like a fast, fun game for the kids and for us adults, too! The kids gain a sense of family responsibility as they help out, and learn how to do new skills (folding laundry, for example!) that will help them be responsible adults. My Hubby and I feel so much more relaxed having accomplished a task or 3. It feels good to be productive, and our home feels much more PEACE-ful!

Feel like giving this a try? What could your family accomplish in 10 Minutes of Clutter Cleaning?

Mission: Organization!

If you read yesterday's post, you'll know that my 2 "theme words" for 2009 are "Peace" and "Purpose". They pretty much encompass what I want my life to feel like and be like this year.

So, where does a girl begin?? For me, a HUUUUGE part of gaining peace in my home is going to come from some MAJOR paring down. And where did I start? Why in my crowded, cluttered, coat closet!

Oh, Boy! This closet has been on my list of "not fun" things to do for awhile now! LOL :) I started by pulling everything out and lookie what I found.....

....2 shopping bags of "stuff" that I shoved in there before guests came one time. And then promptly forgot about! ;) Oh, come on, you know you've done it before, too! hehe!!!

I also found and piled (below) a whole bunch of too small jackets and shoes. Flip flops the dog had chewed, and extra tote bags (you only need so many!). These items were sorted into garbage or donation piles.

Ok, now on to the fun part...Organizing!

I got these cute vintage locker baskets at Junk Bonanza, and decided to use one for each member of the family. These baskets will hold gloves, scarves, sunglasses, and my purse! I used these cute little tags to doodle our initials on so we'd know which basket was ours!!

Our puppy Sadie needed to have her things organized, too! So I hung a couple of hooks for her leash and a basket to hold her brush, toys, and an extra blanket!

What?! There's actually a floor in there?!! LOL On the floor is a basket holding the kids current shoes and one pair for adults who have to walk the dog. I used one tote bag (mine) to hold a tote for each kid and my flea marketing backpack. Those aren't used often, so they're tucked behind the shoe basket. The kids' backpacks can be neatly placed on the floor, and there's still lots of room!

Here's the finished coat closet! Yay! I'm feeling some order and peace coming into my life already!

It feels so nice to have this project done!

I'd like to encourage each of you to think of a "theme" word for yourself for 2009. What word would you choose? Share it with us in the comments below!