RULE #1: A Place for Everything & Everything in It's Place!

There are a few blogs that I have followed for a number of years and these ladies never cease to amaze me with the clever ideas they have for keeping an organized and efficient home with seeming little effort.

My absolute favorite clutter buster tip comes from Amy at The Red Chair Blog. She shared the perfect system for managing "transient" items that are just passing through our homes...you know what they are, all those little things that have no real home: library books, gifts for family/friends yet to be delivered, Goodwill donations to charities, video rentals, borrowed items from friends, and I am sure your list goes on.

I love this organizing system. She uses 4 bankers boxes (but a dollar store basket or laundry basket would work just fine too) and a simple 4 shelf rack system which can be found almost anywhere organization systems are sold (Target, WalMart, craft stores, Lowe's, Home Depot and the like).

Label each box with Donate, Deliver, Gifts & Library (she used Library, but we don't visit ours often enough to give space for this, so our system is simplified to just the first three). Keep this system in an area that is high traffic for these items coming and going from your home: next to the garage door, your command center, mudroom or wherever it fits your decor and your lifestyle.

How simple but powerful of a clutter buster for those items that will never take up permanent residency in your home!

Take a few minutes to put this together and be amazed at the difference this simple little system will make in your life. If you don't have the same items or the money to purchase everything here, don't get caught up in the details, just grab some boxes and stack them one on top of the other until you have the resources and time to design to fit your decor :)

I added a cute little printable in 2 sizes for you to put on your box or basket.  

(Download links are below).

(If you are using the box system, then all you will need to do is tape this on the front end. If you go the basket route, I have included 2 sizes for you to print out and would suggest that you glue them onto cardboard or poster board, punch holes in the top and use either decorative wire, ribbon, or yarn to attach it to the basket.)

Links to download your Free Printable:

Large Size (Full Sheet) Labels for bankers boxes/large boxes

Small Size (Half Sheet) Labels for smaller boxes/baskets

Never forget that a little time spent preparing to be organized
will be a LOT of time regained later!

~ ali