5 Tips to Get Organized

Turn the "To-Do" Piles Into "Done" Piles

• Every house has at least one "To-Do" pile, the assortment of junk moved from one location to another until further notice. Tackle these first, whether they're piles of clothes, heaps of junk mail or odds and ends that just need to be filed away into their proper places. Once this miscellaneous clutter is removed, it will be much easier to see what needs to be addressed next.

Minimize, Minimize, Minimize

• No matter what their sentimental value, saving mementos can only go so far. If you find lots of loose scraps of papers (reminders, notes, funny quips, etc.), pare these down to the necessities.

  If you have lots of unused items laying around, or unused clothes that you just can't seem to throw out, donate what you don't use; and be firm with cleaning out the unnecessary items. Creating leaner, less-cluttered spaces in your home -- whether it's the kitchen counters or our work spaces -- goes a long way toward overall organization.

Stow Out-of-Season Items

• There's no need to have clunky winter boots laying in the hallway throughout the summer. Safely store your unused seasonal items in whatever out-of-the-way place you find appropriate. Some people find it useful to keep these items in the attic, or in a spare room closet. Designate that location for storing all of your seasonal items, so you'll know exactly where to find them when their time rolls around again.

Keep Similar Items Together

• Keep like items with like items in a place that makes sense. This means keep your banking information at your personal desk where you'll use it, and not on top of the TV in the living room. It might seem obvious, but things have a tendency to migrate away from where they are used and end up sitting for long periods of time, creating clutter and disorganization.

  Be vigilant about keeping items with their partners -- keep pots and pans and corresponding lids tucked away in their cupboards, while bath products stay on the shelves in the bathroom. It's easy to get lazy and set things down instead of putting them in their proper place; but this is a behavior that can quickly get out of control. Instead of slinging your dirty clothes over the back of chair, make the trip to the laundry room. Small acts lead to greater organization.

Space-Savers Eliminate the Clutter

• Use containers to separate your things, and store these in an accessible yet aesthetically pleasing way. This can be tailored according to your needs, but this approach involves designating a drawer or space-saver for individual miscellaneous items. For instance, use containers with snap-top lids in the basement to keep kid's toys, costumes, gardening tools and other things separated yet neat. This way, everything has its spot and these items won't be as prone to lying haphazardly around the house. Stackable drawers create an image of orderliness, while keeping your common spaces tidy and clutter-free.