Declutter 101: Strategies To Cut Clutter

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on July 19, 2018

Taking aim on the household clutter problem, you've resolved to work slowly and steadily, and you've carved out blocks of time to declutter.

Now what? And how?

Time to consider weigh in with specific methods and strategies for decluttering.

These tried-and-tested methods bring different strengths to the fight against clutter. Choose the one that's right for you and your family. READ MORE >>

Pardon Our Dust! Site Updates Underway

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on June 27, 2018

Looking for Cynthia? Hang in there! I'm under the hood and working hard. With back-to-school on the horizon--and autumn holidays close behind--it's time for site updates.

Please pardon our dust! As we work behind the scenes, there may be periods when the site is offline, or when certain features don't work correctly.

We appreciate your patience while we create a new, more organized home on the Web. READ MORE >>

Paper Chase: The ABCs of Household Paper Management

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on June 21, 2018

The tax man cometh ... and you need to respond! Do you know where your tax records are?

Chances are, they're swimming in a stack of paper ... somewhere.

Rafts of paper flood into the average home each day. The mailbox discharges letters and bills and bank statements. Briefcases explode with professional journals, pay stubs and calendars. School backpacks unload children's artwork, meeting notices and sports schedules. READ MORE >>

Summer Cooking Tips: Cool Off in the Kitchen!

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on June 11, 2018

Who can imagine summer without summer food?

Steaming corn-on-the-cob, each kernel bursting with sweet flavor.

Burgers and barbecue. Ice cream sundaes.

The crisp red smile of a watermelon wedge, dripping with sweet juice.

There's a darker side to summer meals. Food budgets groan under the strain of substituting quick-cook steaks and chicken breasts for thrifty stove-top casseroles. READ MORE >>

Cut Clutter in the Kitchen

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on June 4, 2018

Open the kitchen cabinets ... and you can tell it's time for a kitchen declutter!

Pudding mixes perch on top of the cereal, showering down onto the head of a sleepy, squawking teen each morning. To reach the oatmeal pan, you must shove aside a stack of pizza coupons, the bread machine pan and a glass jar of pickles.The top of the refrigerator is a greasy, dusty jumble of unfinished crafts projects, the dog's leash, empty prescription bottles, broken toys and fast-food drink cups.

Time to declutter the kitchen! Here are our best tips for streamlining and sorting kitchen clutter. READ MORE >>

What's Your Clutter Personality Type?

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on May 24, 2018

It's silent. It's sneaky. It creeps about in corners: clutter! When the state of the house aggravates you to your last nerve, it's tempting to launch an all-out battle in the war against clutter.

First, though, know your enemy!

There are as many reasons for household clutter as there are clutterers. As Pogo says, "We have seen the enemy, and he is us!" READ MORE >>

School's Out! Summer Survival for Busy Moms

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on May 21, 2018

They're here! Tumbling from the school bus, fresh from Field Day, with papers and projects and petrified sandwiches spilling in their wake: your children.

Summer vacation is wonderful, no doubt about it.

Damp heads and wet bathing suits, backyard tents and fireflies in canning jars.

"Look, Mom!" rings out a hundred times a day, from the top of the pool slide to the bug-dotted bottom of an upturned rock. READ MORE >>

Summer Cleaning Chore Checklist

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on May 16, 2018

Summer's here, hot, high and sweaty. Vacations beckon. The garden takes on a life of its own.

Busy families don't have much time for home chores these months. School's out, travel's in and it's easy to let life slide on the home front.

Still, summer will run more smoothly if you keep tabs on these important areas in the Summer Cleaning Chore Checklist. READ MORE >>

Travel Tips: Get Organized For Family Vacations

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on May 8, 2018

Memorial Day is on the horizon, and the school year is winding down. It's time to think "road trip" as summer begins.

Family vacation travel can be enriching, enjoyable and exciting--but only if you're organized.

The family that fails to plan for summer travel can end up frazzled, frustrated and longing for the quiet comfort of home. READ MORE >>

Moving On: Tips For An Organized Move

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on May 7, 2018

Every year, one in five American families makes a move --- and this year, it'll be your family on the road.

No doubt about it, moving can present the organizational challenge of a lifetime.

Every habit, every routine, every tiny piece of the mosaic of your life is tossed at random into a huge, cluttered van, to be shaken out and reassembled at the other end. READ MORE >>