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Keeping Your Home Organized

by: Hana Lee

Now�as much of a challenge as it was to do all of that pitching, organizing, and cleaning, how do you maintain it and not let your stuff overwhelm you again?

There are some easy steps to take�and they just take moments a day. Please don�t email me and tell me you�re too busy to do this because of your special situation�everyone can find the time to take 15 minutes a day and maintain their home in stages. If you can�t, then I�m going to brashly suggest that you re-evaluate your schedule and determine what IS more important than maintaining your home for your family.

Maintaining the Kitchen

Daily, put dirty dishes in your dishwasher or dishpan under the sink. When either is full, do the dishes. If you run your dishwasher while you�re asleep at night, you�ll pay lower utility rates and the dishes will be cool and clean in the morning�ready to be put away.

Run a rag with the cleaner of your choice over the countertops and tabletop once a day. This will take you just moments, yet will help keep your kitchen organized and neat. You don�t have to scrub or take everything off the counters, just wipe where you�ve cooked or eaten.

Clean your sink daily. Scrub it with a soap pad or use some window cleaner and a rag�if your sink is clean, you�re less likely to let dirty dishes pile up in it.

Sweep your floors once a week. Just take a broom across it and get the big crumbs. Then run a damp mop over it to get the week�s dirt washed off�you don�t have to shine it, just a damp mop (the type is your choice).

Maintaining the Living Room Areas

Pick up the papers that land on your Flat Surfaces and either throw them away or file them appropriately in the study every evening. If you are diligent about keeping the papers picked up, your room will appear much more organized and clean, even if you haven�t done any deep cleaning.

Dust once a week�run your duster over the flat surfaces. It�s a 5 minute job that will make a large dent in your room(s).

Vacuum once a week. Don�t move furniture or pull out the crevice tools, just do the middles where you walk. 15 minutes, max.

Take your glass cleaner and go over the TV screen and any other glass that collects fingerprints once a week. 3 minutes, tops.

Just doing quick and easy tasks gives you the push to get started. That�s the key when it comes to staying organized. Once you get going, things get done!

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How To Plan For Kitchen Remodeling
by: Johnathan Bakers

Kitchen remodeling is one of the most desirable home improvement projects for many homeowners. A new kitchen increases the value of your home and makes your life easier. The first step to your new kitchen is to set a budget. Decide how much money you are willing to spend. This will help drive your other decisions. Be sure to leave a cushion in your budget for additional, unexpected expenses.

When determining your budget, consider how long you intend to stay in your home. If you are planning to sell in the next year or so, you may want to spend less money. Decide which features you must have in your new kitchen. You can cut corners in other areas by substituting less expensive materials for the counter tops, flooring or cabinet doors.

Research Kitchen Trends

Before you start planning your remodeling project, do some research on the current trends and designs being used in kitchens. Look for information on the internet or in home decorating magazines. Visit your local home improvement center for more ideas. Start a file for pictures of kitchens you love, furniture, appliances, fabric swatches or anything else you find interesting. This will help when you are ready to start purchasing items for your new room.

Options in Kitchen Remodeling

Cabinets are an expensive item in any remodeling project. They often take up half of the overall budget for the room. If you can�t afford the cost of brand new cabinets, there are cheaper alternatives. Consider cabinet refacing rather than replacing the entire cabinet. In refacing, the doors are replaced and exterior wood areas are covered. This is much less expensive since you are using the same cabinets. An even cheaper alternative is to paint your existing cabinets and buy new hardware.

If you must have new cabinets, consider adding some extra features. Features such as tilt out drawers, pull out garbage cans or a lazy Susan inside a corner cabinet are great space savers and make the room more functional. The doors can be either solid wood, clear glass or stained glass. Shop around to find out what is available before making a purchase.

You can save money on flooring and countertops as well. Substitute vinyl flooring in place of more expensive ceramic tile to save money. If you can install ceramic tiles yourself, you can have them for about the price you would pay a contractor to install vinyl flooring.

Countertops vary widely in price depending on the material that is used. Counters that are more durable are also more expensive. You may want this if you want to be able to cut food directly on the counter. For most people, this is an easy way to cut the overall cost of your kitchen. You can find less expensive material that gives the look of marble, butcher�s block or other expensive materials.

Once you have decided what you want, consider how much of the job you can do yourself. Contractors can eat up a large portion of your budget. The more you can do, the more you will save in the overall cost of the room. Use the savings for great new furniture.

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