Week 1 – Organise your paper & plastic goodies.

This week, we’re going to sort out all the cling wrap, foil, sandwich bags, bin bags, etc.

Dedicate a drawer or shelf for all these packs. If you have a wine rack you’re not using, the bottle compartments work nicely to keep it all organised.What other ideas do you have?

You know those metal/paper ties you get in each pack of freezer bags? The ones that pile up because you only ever use 2 – 3 out of every packet? This week, we’re throwing them out.

Week 2 – Organise your sideboard OR crockery & cutlery you use to entertain.
Really evaluate all the stuff – if you have 3 sugar bowls and you only ever use 2, give the other one away.

If you have 50 plates and the most guests you ever have over is 20, then use some of them as your everyday plates and get rid of the old, ugly ones. You get the picture…

Do the same for everything you keep in the sideboard but don’t obsess – do 15 minutes a day so you’re not overwhelmed. You can easily do a drawer or a shelf in 15 minutes if you don’t get obsessive compulsive.

Remember, we’re decluttering and organising, not detail cleaning.

Week 3 – Declutter and tidy your dressing table or any flat surfaces in your bedroom.
I want you to look around at any and all flat surfaces. Basically, we’re targeting all those common dumping grounds like the bedside table, dressing table, top of chest of drawers, chair, etc.

Starting with one “hot spot” at a time, remove everything. Decide what you would like to keep there. Move all the other stuff to a box or basket in the meanwhile. Do not start putting these things away in the rest of the house – you’ll get sidetracked!

Now organise the keepers. Do this same process for each of the other hot spots.

When you’ve done, you can then remove the box or basket and restore the other things to their rightful places, even if it’s just to the laundry!

There – you’re done. Now doesn’t that feel good.

Week 4 – Declutter and organise your bathroom vanity and corners of bath.
A bathroom can be a place of peaceful tranquility or it can be a messy, cluttered space. And you don’t have to have a big bathroom to have it feel peaceful. Trust me – I have one of the smallest bathrooms in the world so I know what I’m talking about (when I figure out the digital camera, I will show you what I mean).

Is your bathroom vanity cluttered with lots of stuff – knick knacks, soaps, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc, etc? See if you can’t mount a holder on the wall to use up some of that vertical space.

Get a rubbish bin and look in that bathroom cupboard. Throw out all old medicines, shampoos, anything you’re not using. You can donate some things like the shampoo you used once and don’t like, and the old medicines must just be thrown out.

Decide to use your bath salts, bath oils and so on or give it to someone who will use it. When you remove all these things from the corner of your bath, you can finally see all the dust that has gathered there. If you do have a decorative bottle, wash off the dust and wipe it down.

This challenge won’t take you longer than 20 minutes but it is going to make you feel so good! You can reward yourself by having a nice, long, bubble bath (men too)!

***introducing something new***
If you’re seriously doing these challenges, then please take before and after pictures, and send them to me. I’ll post the best ones on the blog to encourage the rest of the subscribers.

1. Instead of buying plastic bin liners for your rubbish bins, use a plastic bag.
2. Use plastic bags to hold vegetable peels or scraps of meat while cooking. Then throw them in the rubbish bin – your bin won’t have any dirty smells this way.
3. Wrap yoghurts or any food that can spill in a small plastic bag first before packing your lunch. This way, if it spills, it doesn’t mess up your other food.
4. Take a couple of plastic bags with you when travelling to separate your dirty laundry.
5. Wrap your shoes in a plastic bag so they don’t dirty your clothes in your gym bag or suitcase.
6. Keep shampoos and other liquid toiletries in a separate plastic bag inside of your toiletry bag.
7. Keep a plastic bag in your car to throw the rubbish on a daily basis and remove every weekend.
8. Use a plastic bag over your hand to pick up doggy poo. Then just turn inside out and throw in the bin.
9. Re-use plastic bags when you go shopping instead of buying new ones continually.
10. Use plastic bags to pop bread in the freezer before it goes stale.

Copyright Marcia Francois
Visit my website on www.takechargesolutions.org