Morning Glory Farm

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Getting Organized Challenge - Day 4

One more tip on Dusting 101 from my mother:
Use Enddust to spray your dust mop. It will attract dust to the dustmop and leave the floor less slippery than furniture polish.

Organizing Tip 3: Cutting the Clutter, part 1
No impulse purchases! Take a list with you when you go shopping and be firm about sticking to it. Our homes tend to clutter up by us purchasing things we think we need but really only want.

Proof of the pudding: That set of colonial gold dishes (4 place setting) I bought last summer -- definitely a want!

My mother gave us a beautiful set of Sango china (12 place setting) for our first anniversary 24 years ago. My mother-in-law and her mother gave me a set of Corell (8 place setting) when I finished college 15 years ago. My dd1 gave me a set of snowmen dishes (8 place setting) for Christmas 3 years ago.

I would have to entertain a crowd of more than 32 people before I would run out of dishes!

Monica Ricci of Creative Organizing Solutions says to ask yourself the following questions before you buy:

"Is my life really difficult with out this item?"
"Is there something I already have which will give me the same result as this item?"
"Where will this item live?"
"What am I willing to get rid of to make room for this thing?"

Monica also says: "Every single thing you own, from your three toothbrushes to the four winter coats to the shoeboxes you're saving 'just in case,' takes something from you. It costs you time and energy out of your life because it all has to be maintained, stored, cleaned, moved, or sorted through at some point. Plus, it takes up physical and mental space."

All I can say to that is "Ouch!" and "Where is that box I was saving to put donations in?" (Probably under that pile of clothes in the corner of the bedroom! ;-< )

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Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Getting Organized Challenge - Day 3

Posted in Organizing

Dusting 101:
HuberHof asked me about getting rid of dust from a wood stove.

I've searched for ideas and have only come up with two suggestions directly related to wood stoves:

Use a humidifier - dry air allows the dust to fly more.
Wash the walls frequently.

We have a carpet (dark green) in the room with the wood stove. I have to vacuum at least once every day, sometimes more because of the dust and such that fall off the wood pieces as they are brought inside.

One thing I do to lessen the work of dusting is limiting the amount of knic-knacs on the mantel and in the rest of the room. I've actually been moving toward a more "Shaker" style of decorating (if it isn't useful, I don't need to dust it). I prefer the restful look of clear tabletops.

I found the following ideas on HGTV's website featuring TIPical Mary Ellen's show.

Dust cloths should be made either from cotton or flannels because synthetics do not absorb well and can scratch the surface of many items. Fabric-softener sheets (dryer sheets) or old socks worn as gloves will work in a pinch if your dust cloths are dirty. [Tip from Patty: We cut up and reuse old cotton under shirts.]
To create a dust cloth that leaves a shine, soak your normal dust cloth in a mixture of two cups water, two tablespoons vinegar, and four drops of lemon oil. Once the cloth is soaked through, remove it and wring it out, then store it in a glass jar with a lid until you want to use it.
Make sure that you have a way of reaching those hard-to-reach places by having on hand a yardstick, broom handle, or even a hockey stick. Simply put a sock on the end of any of these, and wipe those corners and moldings.
After dusting the blinds on your windows, wipe each slat with a fabric-softener sheet. This will help them stay cleaner longer because the sheet helps to repel dust.
A dust mop is a must for any household with hardwood floors because it attracts the finer dust that brooms fail to pick up without the harshness of a broom. Spray it very lightly (too much will make the floor slippery) with a furniture polish to keep attracting dust without dispersing it.
Instead of shaking out your dust mop outside, try this easy tip: Spritz the inside of a plastic bag, then place the mop head in the bag, securing it around the handle. Shake the mop out in the bag, then remove the bag. The dust should cling to the water in the bag. [Tip from Patty: Rinse out and reuse your bag. It will dry and be ready for the next dusting if you turn it inside out.]
For delicate areas like a lampshade, use a soft paintbrush to dust. Not only will it not hurt the lampshade, but it will also get into the nooks and crannies.
Put a clean, slightly damp dust cloth on top of a helium balloon, and float it up to the rafters to unreachable corners. Just pull the balloon around, and in no time you will have collected all the dust.
To dust narrow areas such as between a book shelf and a wall, slide a sock over the end of a hanger.
A can of compressed air will help you expel dust from hard-to-reach areas and delicate electronics. [Tip from Patty: This is indespensible in maintaining a clean computer keyboard. It will even help remove dried peanut butter from between the keys. ;-> ]
Another way to bust dust from such areas like a television or on top of a refrigerator is to mix together one part fabric softener and four parts water. Moisten a rag with this mixture, and rub over the area. It will help take a way the static electricity.

One very important tip my mother taught me about dusting is to dust from top down. Gravity carries dust to lower surfaces. I start with the cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling and finish with vacuuming the carpet or sweeping the floor, with all the picture frames and table surfaces in between.

Happy Dusting!!! Please send me more tips about this important cleaning task...especially if you have any about making homemade fabric softener.

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Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Getting Organized Challenge - Day 2

Posted in Organizing

Winter is in full swing with its lower humidity, and using a woodburning stove provides the house with much higher levels of dust. Here's a tip from http://organizetips.com--

Organizing Tip 2: Countering Counter Clutter --
Make a "ritual" to clear off tabletops and countertops when you are finished using them or before you retire for the evening. And, don't let things pile up. Also make sure to have a safe storage spot for remotes and think about getting a universal one to program most of your entertainment systems, limiting the confusion and the clutter. Less clutter makes dusting an easier chore.

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Monday, February 12, 2007

Getting Organized Challenge

Posted in Organizing

We are six people (five adults and a toddler) blessed with living in a three bedroom, one bath home. Construction is underway for a new master suite, but as I refuse to go into debt and let someone else own my bedroom, it may take a year or more to build it "pay-as-we-go." We are doing a great job of reusing the materials from a house on our property that burned about 15 years ago. There is a lot of reusable siding (for the outside walls and reversed for the inside walls--goin' for the cabin look!). We even have enough reclaimed oak hardwood flooring to complete the room, but the subflooring will be about $200 and the beadboard ceiling panels I want are about $200. So we have turned our unfinished sunroom into the master bedroom. It is just off the dining room, no closet (I use the hall closet & and my husband has hung a rack in the basement for his clothes), just a large dresser.

Storage is at a premium in this house, so organizing is a must!! I have a tendency to collect things...books especially...and cooking/baking products. I even have three sets of dishes. Coffee mugs are a huge weakness for me... I would love to collect organizing tips to make this house a haven of rest. I will post an organizing tip a day. If you have one to share, please post it and I'll collect them all and put them to use!!

Organizing Tip 1: The Three Box Trick--
Take three boxes into the room you are going to organize.

Place things that belong in another room in Box 1. When you finish organizing the room, walk around with Box 1 and put its contents into their proper places.

Place things you don't want/need anymore in Box 2 for donation. When it is full, place it in your car and take it to Goodwill on your next outing

Place things you aren't using in Box 3. Seal Box 3 and put it away. If you don't open Box 3 for six months, make it a donation box, put it straight into the car, and take it to Goodwill on your next outing.

Lookin' forward to your organizing ideas!

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