Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES II, III & IV • March 10, 2010
Home Improvement
(ARA) - A disorganized home wastes time, and time is money. It can be frustrating if you’re constantly misplacing items, throwing out spoiled food that went missing in the kitchen, and paying surcharges for unpaid bills that got lost in the shuffle. But it’s easy to put a little happiness back into your life if you just get organized. Here are some tips for getting your home -- and your life -- back in order. Get organized. Tackle one room at a time to get a sense of accomplishment right away. The kitchen is a logical place to start since it’s typically the landing place for all things that get dropped while passing through, from cell phones to car keys to school notes. Get rid of visible countertop clutter. Throw out what you don’t need, and corral small items in great-looking woven baskets or pottery bowls. Next, de-clutter behind the scenes in the drawers and cupboards. A few well-chosen cabinet accessories can help here. A wood cutlery divider added to a crowded utensil drawer will keep flatware in place, and will give you a fighting chance at locating the pie server or pizza cutter. If you can’t open a lower cabinet without a pile of pots and pans clattering to the floor, look for a pot and pan rack and pantry pull-out within one cabinet. Save money. Designate a home office so you can keep
Get organized, save money and be happy
& Decorating
track of money matters and never miss a bill again. Carve out desk space in the kitchen or family room to sort mail and pay bills as they arrive, or to keep it all in one place until payday arrives. Everyday items can pull double duty
to help you organize. Turn an attractive rectangular serving dish into an “inbox” for bills, and let a colorful coffee mug serve as a pen and pencil holder. While you’re at it, consider using a wine rack to organize bills. A wine cabinet with an open, X-shaped interior can provide fashionable storage for your reds, whites, and zinfandels, but it will also work perfectly fine for sorting and organizing bank statements, tax information, and charitable contribution receipts. It can serve to sort a variety of other items, from mittens to small toys. Just let your imagination be your guide. Be happy. As long as you’re making a few changes around the house, kick up your mood with color. Be on the lookout as you organize drawers, cabinets, and closets for items that can be used as accessories to brighten up your home. Dig out that collection of baseball caps in team colors and display it on pegs in the mudroom; turn a red metal toy truck into a conversation piece for the mantel; recover old pillows in fun new colors and throw them on the couch. Cheer up cabinets with fashionable finishes in inspiring colors that make you feel good, such as buttery honeysuckle, warm cider, spicy sangria, or a soothing blue-grey. With these simple changes, you’ll not only get organized, you’ll also save money and feel happier about it, too.
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1-20-10....Mike....from Janine PaulBanachConstruction2x2(1-20-10) 2x2”
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