4 Clutter Busters for the New Year

The Big Cleanup
The play room was a disaster, the family room a state of chaos. Fed up and alone, I grabbed a plastic bag, picked up toys I figured no one would miss, and tucked them in my closet. Weeks passed, and no one asked about the toys that had gone AWOL. I tossed them in the trash. Soon, I got bolder and began collecting bigger toys, which I then took to the Salvation Army. Read more.

After-School Bins
"Mom, I have to turn in my permission slip today or I won't be able to go on the field trip," my daughter whined one morning last June, as I searched in vain through the pile of paperwork stacked on the dining room table. I remembered seeing the slip, but couldn't find it in my unorganized mess. Read more.

Clutter-Clearing Craft
Most of our art projects tend to add clutter, not eliminate it. But I found one creative activity -- making shadow boxes -- that actually helped us see the surface of Caitlin and Ellie's desks and dressers. No small feat, I promise you. Read more.

Coffee Table Art Books
"Mom, look at the flowers I made you," Trevor exclaimed, proudly showing off his latest art project, a vivid drawing of red and yellow tulips. "Can I hang it up on the refrigerator?" he asked. The picture was lovely, and certainly worth displaying -- but it also was his third artistic creation in less than an hour. I was quickly running out of refrigerator and wall space to hang their personal Picassos. Read more.