Organizing with children in the home

 The key to organizing and keeping order is to have a designated place for everything and limit incoming items.

Adults have to lead by example in teaching, maintaining cleanliness, and organization.

My childhood

Growing up, my family didn’t have abundance. We had enough, but not a lot.

The four children were encouraged to give to others who didn’t have as much, and we usually only received one toy at Christmas. We took care of our toys and breaking one did not garner a replacement.

Books were borrowed from the library and returned.

We had a limited clothing supply or choice of clothing—two pairs of shoes, one winter coat, etc.

Kids don’t need a lot of “stuff.” They need love and attention.

Our child and grandchildren

Our daughter requested that we “not” give her children toys—she wanted those to come from her since they lived in a tiny duplex.

I bought their first dolls, a ball or two, a set of cars, and two stuffed animals each. [The purchases were cleared with their mother first.]

Later, we bought family board games at appropriate times—being sure to clear with mom what she wanted us to purchase (sometimes we gave her the money to cover those purchases.)

When the children were older and started playing with handheld electronic games, we gave each enough cash to purchase a game for that device at Christmas.

What else did we give them?

We purchased beds and bedding, pillows, desks, chairs, shelving, a battery for mom’s car, tires for the car, dishes, cups, money for school clothing, shoes, and coats.

We invited them over for meals as much as their busy mom could come to our home.

We had staycations which included taking the children or family out for meals, playing with them in our home and yard, and watching movies. We shared our love instead of things that would clutter their home.

Our nieces and nephews

We gave family games, food towers, blankets, sleeping bags, clothes hampers, disposable party supplies, birthday cakes, etc.

Our parents and siblings

We gifted cash to our parents in addition to drawing names for the adult gifts. Later, that became “Dirty Santa.” Now we get together for a meal and don’t give any presents for the large family get-togethers.

In conclusion

Children remember the time, attention, and events you participate in with them. They generally don’t recall specific items if there is an overabundance of stuff.

Teach your children how to pick up after themselves. Having a system of organization in place will help maintain order in the home.

Arthritis Recommendations

 What are some tips you'd recommend for cleaning the house when you have arthritis?

Sometimes we make adaptations for changes in our physical abilities. Here are some personally tested ideas that work.

I have a long-handle two-wheel garden cart that is great for bringing in the groceries. I can use one hand to roll it up the ramp into the barrier-free entrance at the kitchen.

I love my kneeling garden bench and use it for getting down low for cleaning, organizing, and getting into the kitchen pantry. The cushion protects my knees and the inverted legs give me something to push against to get up more easily.

Those rolling walkers with seats are great so you can sit at various points. The seats (some have under-seat baskets) are great for getting things place to place.

Buy spray cleaners already in the bottle, or get someone else to fill them for you. If you cannot handle spray bottles, try squeeze or pump bottles.

Get a paper towel and toilet tissue holder you can replace with one hand or arm.

I’ve found a large plastic measuring cup and microfiber or paper towels are a good way to clean. Those long-handled kitchen cleaning items can help too.

You might want to reconsider the height or depth of any sinks you are using if bending is a problem.

I now have long-handled brooms, swifters, dusters, dustpans, and dust mops.

Those sticky clothing rollers are suitable for quick pickups of things on cushions.

You might want to consider a quality rolling cart to carry supplies and things—I got one for my kitchen.

I love my rocker knives, pull “d” handles on cabinets, and an adaptive cutting board in the kitchen. I have a bottle opener mounted to the underside of the top kitchen cabinet. Electric can openers are easier to use than wall-mounted openers.

Dishes are a little tricky to clean, so the dishwasher became a welcomed friend.

Ladders need grab rails and a landing area. Climbing one arm is no joke and balance can sometimes be a consideration.

Get someone to help you rearrange the placement of items you use the most.

This .com site has a lot of ideas that might prove helpful. I like some of the items this site offers. If you don’t want to purchase from them, at least you have viable recommendations.

Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Devices & Equipment

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Decluttering Clothes

 If you are decluttering clothes, shoes, sporting items, or accessories, ask yourself the following questions.

• Is the item in good condition?
• Does the item need repair?
• Is the item faded, stained, pilled, or ripped?
• Does the item fit or is it too big or too little?
• Does the item flatter you with its color and style?
• Do you like the way the material feels on your body?
• Do the shoes make your feet hurt?
• Does the item have an unpleasant odor?
• Do you still participate in the sport or exercise?
• Would you buy the item again?

Getting rid of things

• Get rid of faded, stained, pilled, ripped, or smelly articles or clothing.
• Get rid of items that need repair.
• Get rid of items that don’t fit.
• Get rid of items that don’t flatter you.
• Get rid of items you would never buy again.

Sorting

• Sort the items in the keep pile.
• Try articles on and have someone take pictures of you in the item.
• Ask yourself if you really want to keep the item now?

Success

• Set up a core wardrobe of clothing.
• Supplement needed items with quality mix-and-match timeless pieces.

For the future

• Keep a Goodbye Bag or Basket in your closet for ongoing purging
• If you put the item on and realize it no longer works, put it in the Goodbye Bag or Basket.
• Clean the item and put it in the bag immediately

Rockers

 A rocking chair can be in any room or on a porch. My grandmother had one on the porch and two in the living room.

The nursery is currently the most popular room for a rocking chair—where the baby sleeps and is fed.

My glider rocker is located in the living room, and everyone fights over sitting in it.

One might have a rocking chair placed in the bedroom in a reading nook.

A gaming room might have a console gaming chair. The seat is on the floor, and there are no legs. You might have these in a playroom for gaming and watching movies or sports.

I haven’t seen a rocker in the dining room or the kitchen or bathroom—yet! However, I could make a case for having one in the dining area if the mom has more than one child and needs to watch other children while feeding a baby.

Most kitchens in smaller homes don’t have enough space for a rocker, although those homes with open designs could probably work in a nook with room for a rocking chair in the kitchen.

The bathroom—just no. A changing table, if room permits. A rocker, no. The bathroom isn’t the place to loiter.

Mapping out furniture in a room.

Use graph paper to “map” a room and its furniture. I prefer the type with many lines, not just equal size squares. Having divisions in the larger squares makes scaling furniture more precise.

Graph out the room to scale using the large squares as feet. Include doors, windows, air vents in the placement. Indicate the direction the doors open—this takes up available floor/wall space.

Measure and graph out each piece of furniture—length and width. Scaling the furniture pieces sizes is more precise with the extra squares for accurate representation.

Play with the furniture placement in the room. It is much easier to move around paper pieces than real furniture.

Don’t block doors and windows. Air vents need adequate circulation, so don’t cover them with furniture that blocks the vents. At least one window should be available to exit in case of fire.

You need at least 3–3.5 feet of open floor space to access doors and drawers. Five feet of clear space is better if there is a need for wheelchair use.

Fifteen- foot square bedroom layout question

 I was asked how I'd lay out a fifteen-foot square bedroom. Here's my reply.

The layout of any room depends on the window, heating/air vents, closet doors, doors to the bathroom, and the entry doorway.

My fourteen-square-foot room has two dressers on one wall and a window. The opposite wall has a closet extending into the room and the entry door. The window wall between them has the head of the queen bed.

The wall at the foot of the bed has a closet, a mantle (overhead attic access), and the walking area of most of the room.

There is enough space to walk along both sides of the bed to access dresser drawers and the closet. This space is tight using a walker. (A king bed would take up too much space. If a wheelchair were necessary for the 14-foot square room, neither bed's setup wouldn't work.)

I'd opt for a platform storage bed with a storage headboard. I would choose window coverings and bed linens that are decadent.

I'd also include a valet seat or even two. I'd opt for a sofa table or drop leaf table if I used a laptop in that room, plus a comfortable chair that may do double duty as a valet chair.

Trick out the closet, and don't forget a hamper.

Graph the room's layout and use to-scale graph cutouts of intended furniture.

Aprons in home kitchens

 Aprons are probably not popular now to use for home cooking; however, I still use them, and here is why.

I’ve sometimes been clumsy in the kitchen, dropped a knife, tipped a pot of hot water, not had a good enough grip on a pan when pouring into a serving dish, grabbed a hot handle, etcetera.

• I don’t want to ruin my clothing with grease, food stains, or the sanitizer used at cleanup.
• I want to remove the apron and party when the cooking and buffet setup is complete.
• The apron is another layer of protection against hot liquid spillage or splatters—mine covers my chest area and is long enough to cover my knees.

The above reasons bring up another issue—wear shoes that protect your feet when cooking, and don’t forget to use hot pads to protect your hands.

Kitchen question

 What is the most important concept to consider in the kitchen premises for yourselves and others?

• Safety for everyone—whether the appliance choices and floorplan layout allow those working in the kitchen to do so safely. Kitchen users vary in height—someone over six feet tall will not have the same wants and needs as someone around five feet tall or in a wheelchair.
• Work triangle—affects efficiency and safety.
• Counter space—multiple small appliances are contributing to the need for more counter space. My mother had enough counter space for the dirty dishes and the sink drainer, her mother used the kitchen table and had no counter space. The counter space that was adequate ten years ago seems restrictive today.
• Storage—with the abundance of new small appliances comes the need for more storage. There was a trend where pantries were eliminated in homes. Smaller kitchens need one or some type of extra storage space. I use a set of chrome shelves, a baker’s rack will work also. My rarely used kitchen supplies are stored in a separate building. Inconvenient? Yes, but it works.

Upholstery

 Upholstery choices for home use will vary according to the occupants' preferences.

We chose quality dark prints with a strong weave and durability for living room sets. The fabric also had a texture we found pleasing. [The children in the family were small, and we had dogs and cats for pets. We felt like we needed to be able to spot clean and wipe up spills.]

Before we upgraded to upholstered furniture, we had sturdy wooden living room sets with cushions that could be recovered or replaced. The covers were washable.

I like Sunbrella fabric and chose it when I had cushions or cushion covers made at an upholstery shop. The cushion covers are washable; more importantly, you can wipe them when spills occur, and the material tolerates the sun.

I don't think leather works well with cats for pets. In my family, we always chose cloth material and added throws. Cats have sharp claws and like to knead.

People with dust allergies might prefer leather upholstery.

How to clean a Lazy Susan Cabinet.

 Cleaning Kitchen Cabinets

Assemble needed supplies

• Gloves
• Eye protection
• A covering for your head
• Spray cleaning solution of your choice or pan/sink of wet cleaning solution—Dawn and hot water
• Rags, wipes, paper towels—your choice
• Soft scrubber
• Baking soda or slightly abrasive cleaner
• Knee pads or step stool depending on the location of the cabinet
• Oil for the mechanism—I use sewing machine oil
• Shelf liner
• Scissors
• Cabinet cleaner for the outside of your type of cabinet

Remove everything from the cabinet that you want to clean and the adjacent cabinets on each side unless this is a standalone cabinet.

Check for items that may be in the void the lazy Susan doesn’t address and remove them.

Remove any removable liner placed on the shelves.

Cleaning the shelves

• Spray or wet the shelves with the cleaning solution.
• Wipe the shelves.
• Repeat until the shelves are clean.

Hard to remove the residue?

• Wet the area
• Add a sprinkle of baking soda over the area.
• Use a damp soft scrubber to clean the area.
• Repeat the baking soda as necessary.
• Use a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue.
• Use a dry cloth to dry the shelves.

Maintenance

• Use the oil to grease the moving parts.
• Add shelf liner—use scissors to cut the liner to fit.
• Clean the outside of the cabinet per the cleaner's directions.

Finishing up

• Place the desired contents back into the cabinet.
• If food contents have expiration dates, remember to purge the items.
• Put like items together.
• Place the items that will go out of date in front of items that will last longer.

Bonus

• Clean the adjacent cabinets.