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Learn to Organize

I sincerely believe, with all of my heart, that an organized home is a happier one. No, seriously! It doesn't matter if your home is large or small, organization is an important element of harmony, peace and pleasant aesthetics.

If your home is small, organization will serve you well because in a small space, it only takes 5 seconds (OK, maybe 5 minutes!) to go from neat and tidy to disaster. Just pull a few items out of the closet, throw them on the sofa or bed, and it can only go downhill from there.

Those with larger homes know that it may take longer for a mess to become apparent, however, once it gets so messy that you notice it, that mess is a big intimidating project! And sometimes, the way we deal with scary tasks is to avoid them, which only makes it worse.

Organization can help you in every room of the house. Imagine: when you cook, you open a drawer to find the right tool-and surprise-there it is! Having the confidence to know that what you need is living in a place that's easy to find might inspire you to cook more often or even more creatively! How about your kids? Would there be more peace between you and them, and between brother and sister, if toys were put away where they belonged? In the bathroom, wouldn't it be nice to find a clean, dry towel right where you need it, instead of dripping all over the place while you search for one?

I also mentioned pleasant aesthetics. Having stuff everywhere simply distracts from serenity in your home. Your mind sees these things, and registers "mess" (consciously or subconsciously). You will feel more antsy and unsettled, as though there's "something you need to do" all the time.

The declutter/organization movement has really picked up lately and you can find experts everywhere who offer great tips for getting organized. My personal favorite is Peter Walsh, author and organizer on TLC's Clean Sweep. Here are some of my favorite tips for getting organized:

1. First, declutter (see other article). It's really hard to fit 20 things into a box designed to hold 10 things. You must accept the reality that you have "X" amount of space, and you need to keep the amount of things proportionate to the amount space that you have. Once you have your stuff down to a reasonable size, you can then move on to step 2. Sorry, that was tough love, but you needed to hear it!

2. Start small, and put like things together. Starting small will keep you from pulling everything out, making a mess, getting overwhelmed, and

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