Kathy Zengolewicz

Make a list of weekly chores that will keep your home clean and organized. Set certain days for specific chores. For example, make Monday laundry day, Tuesday ironing day and Wednesday the day to empty all waste basket throughout the house. Also, if your child is tall enough to reach your washing machine, you should have him/her do one or two loads of laundry weekly. Teach them how to sort colors and whites, or better yet, start them out with towels. That is two less loads of laundry for you to do and you will be surprised at how important it will make them feel.

Make up a daily list of chores for each child and spouse too. Younger children can dust and straighten the house and the older children can vacuum the carpets. This will help you to deal with keeping your house in tip top shape and also teach kids valuable lessons on being responsible.

Creating a schedule and sticking to it is not as hard as you think. Once you list everything that needs to be done on a daily and weekly basis you then need to assign those chores to the right person. Let the kids help you with the schedule. Speak with them and let them know that you value their input and the help they can offer.

This is a great time of the year to get started on this project. If you start now, you can have thing running smoothly into the new year.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Mini Waste Hanging Basket – While this container isn’t the most attractive out there, it’s convenient and inexpensive. The hanging basket hooks on to the waste basket which makes recycling easier. This would be a convenient way to recycle at work. Simply throw your plastic bottles and paper into the hanging basket. At $4.51, it’s affordable.

Scrolled Metal Newspaper Rack – This is a perfect example of an attractive recycling solution.  This piece keeps your newspapers neatly together and is nice enough to go in your living room.

Set of 4 Recycling Bags – These are great if you like bright colors or want to several bins for sorting.  At $30, these are fairly inexpensive.  My concern is the amount of floor space that these would take.

Flip Lid Recycler – This one is probably my favorite.  It’s a bit pricer than the others, but it seems to be well-made.  I think this is something that would get plenty of use and could be set out in your kitchen without being an eye sore.

What do you think of these recycling containers?  Do you recycle?

images are from sites linked above

Post from: Keeping the Castle

One of my struggles is organizing the clothes in the bedroom that is shared by the two smaller children. We have future plans to turn some attic space into a fourth bedroom, but for now they’re sharing and I need to work with the space we have.

I hung up all of the hanging clothes, but I still had lots of pants and other clothes to sort through. As you can see here in these pictures, I dumped them out on the bed and the floor. I needed to see what I was working with and what my needs would be.

My husband was going to put in another hanging rack on the bottom of the closet , but I didn’t really like that idea. That would mean I would need more hangers and that I’d have to hang up every piece of their clothing. Then we agreed upon a shelf so that I could fold their pants and shorts and put them on the shelf. Then I got to thinking that we already had the Yaffa blocks and they would work great because they have divided sections.

I ended up sorting a bunch of outfits together and putting them into two bins for my daughter. She likes to have her things sorted to where she has lots of choices. It also helps keep the morning drama to a minimum. I also folded some pants and put them on the top shelf and I have another bin for my son’s shorts. I’m still working on washing and sorting fall clothing, but it’s ok because we still have plenty of room left.

Right now I’m waiting on my hubby to hang up the canvas shoe racks on the back of the doors. I didn’t show you the mess of shoes. I’ll save that for another time.

This is what I’ve been tackling. What are you tackling?

For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, visit We Are THAT Family.  images (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Keeping the Castle

I have stored shoes under the bed before, but I just put them into an under bed plastic tote.  This clear storage bag is made specifically for storing shoes.  It sells for $11.99, which I thought was reasonable.

Do you have any old dresser drawers? Better Homes and Gardens recommends converting them into under bed storage by using paint, harware, and casters. I have tossed out old dresser drawers before and never thought of this idea. What a great way to repurpose something old.  These dresser drawers are also more attractive than the normal plastic totes too. You may even decide that you don’t need a bed skirt.

The best use of under bed space is with an underbed dresser. The problem is, these are usually pretty costly and can cost hundreds of dollars.   If you have some carpentry skills, you might consider making your own.  Knotty Plans has several different building plans that you can purchase to get your on your way.

What types of storage do you have under your bed?

Under the Bed Storage, Part 1
Under the Bed Storage, Part 2 

image 1 – organize.com, image 2 – bhg, image 3 – knotty plans

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Instead of the normal under the bed plastic box, you could use a similar box that is soft sided and made of cotton.  Several years ago I purchased some of the cloth storage boxes.  Although they are an attractive solution, I liked the plastic bed boxes better because the cloth ones gave me big concerns about dust.  I am very allergic to dust and did not want my personal items getting covered in allergens.  Someone that is looking for a more attractive box may like this solution.

If you’re looking to put a lot of stuff into a little space, then you the space bags might be just the thing for you.  You simply put your clothing or bedding into the space bag and then use your vacuum cleaner to suck all the air out of the bag.  Once the air is gone, the bag lies flat.  I have tried these bags before and was pleased with them.  You do have to make sure your valve is on the bag properly so that the air won’t leak back inside the bag.

 Stay tuned for part 3 of this series where I’ll show some other under the bed storage solutions.  Do you have any organizing tips to share?

images from target

Post from: Keeping the Castle

We just returned from mom and dad’s house a few days ago.  As usual, my friend had some clothes for my kids.  We really enjoy hand-me-downs.  The clothes are nice and most of them look new.  I’m so thankful for this blessing that saves me money.  I’ve been busy sorting through five trash bags of hand-me-downs.  It is overwhelming!

The task would not be as great if we weren’t so limited for space.  We brought a new blessing into our home a few months ago and now we are really cramped, especially with closet space.  Today I finished pulling out all of the fall and winter clothing.  As always, I kept a few long-sleeved t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts in the closets.  In North Carolina, you just never know when you’ll need them.  I kept most of the pants in their closets too.

I feel as though I’m constantly shuffling things around and trying to find better ways to store our clothing.  Hopefully, I can find another great deal on a dresser for J’s room.  Until our house sells we’ll just have to be cramped, make due, and be thankful that we are able to pay two payments.

Today I am washing clothes, sorting clothing to store and clothing to get rid of, and putting away this year’s spring and summer clothing.  What are you tackling?

images by Karen Weideman

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Tonight, there is a free teleclass from Messies Anonymous.  You simply have to call in to take part in the class.  Thrifty Mommy has more details.

image by Karen

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Capessa features real advice from real women. Women who have been there, done that. Who know that organizing and organizing with kids are two different things. In this featured video, professional organizer, Deborah, shows us how she has organized kids’ rooms, drawers and toys:

Take-home ideas that I got from this video are:

• Use small containers to house kids’ items. Right now, I have huge bins. After seeing how Deborah has organized kids’ toys, I’m planning to redo my system.
• Create smaller spaces inside drawers, using plastic bins.
• Create zones for various activities for kids.

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Mabel’s Labels are sturdy labels for just about anything in your home. They are strong enough to “withstand the dishwasher, microwave, UV Rays and hard-wearing children”.

The Neat Freak Combo is a combination of three Household Labels: spice, canister and bin labels. If you’re organizing your home, or want to, this is a great tool to help you along. To see the labels included in each set, click here.

To join this giveaway, leave a comment (one per household) before 11:59 p.m. ET on June 4, 2008. This is open for residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

Don’t forget to check out the other giveaways that usher in the 4th year here at Keeping the Castle: EZ-Fit Safety Gate Adapter and The Peaceful Nursery.

Post from: Keeping the Castle