Get Your Ducks in a Row

Have you ever accidentally locked your keys in the car? You can save yourself and family members a lot of time and stress by purchasing a car entry key from your dealership. An entry key is anti-theft since the key only opens the car door. One needs an ignition key to start the car. Put the entry key in a sturdy metal key box with a strong magnet. Attach the key box to the undercarriage of your car. You’ll never have to call a locksmith again or wait for a family member to arrive with spare keys. Buy entry keys for each vehicle you own. Keep a spare pair of inexpensive sunglasses in the car for those times when you forgot yours at home. Use felt tipped pens for your mileage notebook or for writing other notes in the car. Ball point pens won’t write in cold weather or when held in an upright position. Keep several on hand. Hang all children’s clothing - dresses, shirts, tops and t-shirts on hangers. Hangers make it easier for children to find clothes instead of rummaging through piles of items in a basket or drawer. Place the hangers on a clothing rod above the wire basket systems/drawer chest. Hang the clothing rod within easy reach of a child or provide a small stable step stool in the closet for child’s use. If the household is down to just you and your spouse, have an imaginary line to divide the garage in half. One side of the garage is for her belongings; the other side for his belongings. Having one’s own space can often end the battle of what belongs to whom and where it should be kept. Designate a separate drawer or bin for surplus office supplies that you purchased on sale: pencils, pens, scotch tape, post it notes, binder clips, rubber bands, note pads and permanent markers. You may want to make it your secret stash to keep family members from raiding it. Place a work or family business card in your eyeglass case, offering a reward for returned glasses if lost. For storing Tupperware snack cups and small storage bowls, use an uncovered, see-through plastic storage container. Select a size that fits the shelf and can be easily removed from the cupboard. A useful size is 16 x 12 inches/16 quarts. Stack the Tupperware containers inside the larger container. When looking for a specific piece of Tupperware or when unloading the dishwasher, just pull the container forward to remove, or place, Tupperware containers in it. If you bake, create a cooking storage area for all the items you might use: mixing bowls of various sizes that nestle inside each other, a rolling pin, baking cake pans and other bake ware. This eliminates opening multiple drawers or cupboards to find what you need, saving you time and energy. Make it a rule that if you buy a new cookbook, you must discard an existing one. This may make you think twice about purchasing another one. Set aside an area in your refrigerator for leftover meals. Store leftovers in microwavable Tupperware containers. These products go from the refrigerator to the freezer to the microwave to the table. A quick glance in the refrigerator lets family members know what there is to eat for a snack or a meal or take to work for lunch. Keep a tempered glass, heat resistant board on the kitchen countertop. It’s handy for placing items removed from the microwave or oven or for quick cutting jobs without hauling out another cutting board. It’s easy to clean when countertops are wiped down. Buy two decorator sheet sets and designate them for the guest bedroom. When guests depart, immediately remove the sheets and replace with fresh linens. The guest room is now ready for your next overnight visitors whenever that may be. Buy two decorator sheet sets and designate them for the guest bedroom. When guests depart, immediately remove the sheets and replace with fresh linens. The guest room is now ready for your next overnight visitors whenever that may be. Each day make it a goal to restore the master bathroom to its pristine condition before you leave the room. Put everything away in its place after usage – makeup and hair brushes in the drawer, hair dryer in another drawer and hairspray on a shelf under the sink. It only takes about 15-20 seconds to do so. You’ll be rewarded with a continually tidy bathroom. Keep a plastic basket of cleaning supplies under the sink in every bathroom. With cleaning supplies in each bathroom, it’s convenient to do a quick clean of the sinks, mirrors, toilets and countertops without having to drag supplies in from another room.