The kids are back in school and the holidays will be here before we know it. Let’s head into that busy time of year a little more organized. By just taking 10 minutes each day to organizing one of these spaces in your home, you will feel more in control of your home and ready to tackle whatever comes your way.

• Pantry – Start by throwing out any food that has expired. Make a bag of anything that is still good, but your family will not use and drop it by your local food pantry. Put like items together and organize so that you can easily locate what you need.
• Sock Drawer – Throw out any socks that don’t have matches or are tattered and torn. Straighten by color and style so that you can easily grab what you are looking for.
• Cabinet Under Kitchen Sink – Under the kitchen sink can be a scary space where things hide. Pull everything out and get rid of what you no longer need. Organized cleaners and other supplies stored there by categories in simple plastic shoe boxes (without the lids).
• Magazines – Decide how long you want to keep magazines (1-3 months is recommended). Take what you don’t want to keep and tear out any articles you wish to read, put them in a file and take them with you next time you know you will be waiting with nothing to do (waiting at car shop, doctor’s office, DMV).
• Junk Drawer – Everyone needs a junk drawer but it need to be organized to be useful. Empty the contents on the counter. Grab some basic bins to divide out the space and put things back by category in bins. Get rid of or put away elsewhere anything that doesn’t belong in this drawer.
• Books – Scan thru your bookshelves and pull out any books that you feel you will never read again or refer to. Bag them up and take them to your local library. Straighten the remaining books.
• Refrigerator – Pull out anything that needs to be tossed. Arrange what is left by category. Dressings go together into one shelf, condiments in another, leftovers on the top shelf, meat and cheese in a designated drawer, etc.
• Movies – Most of the movies we watch are digital now. Scan through your stack of DVD’s and pull out anything you haven’t watch in a while. Donate them to the library or local charity. If for some reason you still have VHS and no way of playing them, these definitely need to go. Have family movies transferred to digital or DVD.
• Medicine Cabinet – Empty the contents onto the counter top. Discard any medicines that are expired or you no longer need. Put back what you do need neatly by category (cold medicines, medicines for digestion, etc.
• Purse –  Dump everything out of your purse. Decide what really needs to go back (keep in mind a lighter purse is better for your back and posture). Use any compartments purposefully. Place like items in baggies or cosmetic bags so that you can more easily find them. Throw out or put away anything that doesn’t belong.