Man Cave Matters vs The Organized Woman

Although I dont have any scientific evidence to back myself up here I'd like to believe that women are far more organized than men when it comes to keeping the house from looking as though a bulldozer ran through the front door. Toilet seat up? Check. Dirty clothes on the floor? Check. Just as I was sitting down to write this on my couch my fiancee's PS3 controller was conveniently wedged between the cushions. My purpose of this blog post is not to create a heated debate over who does more at home when it comes to cleaning, but rather come to the realization that most men just don't make a point to pick up after themselves as well as women. There is typically an area in your home where the men of the household like to store all of their crap, for lack of a better word. Whether the male in your household has a man cave, or stores everything in the garage or basement I'm sure on more than one occasion it has crossed your mind to throw it all out. I equate that to my shoe and bag collection suddenly missing from the closet so since that is not an option lets instead take a realistic approach to possible getting the man caves in order.

• Know and decide which area you're tackling and needs the clean up- the garage, basement or the man cave. 
• Make a decision as to whether this is a surprise clean up (might be great but risky!), a family affair where everyone chips in or a task to be worked on slowly but surely.
• As much as it drives you nuts, let him know you understand how much his collection of empty pizza boxes means to him but its time for them to go. Suggest taking the time to rummage through things and sort them out. If it's broken I'd suggest tossing it!
• Concentrate on organizing the things he wants to keep and try not to toss things that are important to him. 
• Group like things together such as video games, tools or strictly auto repair.
• Always look into storage options such as shelving units, totes and drawers. 
• Make it his own. Maybe he has a collection of sports jerseys, trophies or other memorabilia that he'd love to showcase. Pick a spot and create an area where these can be displayed.

Check out the man cave gallery on the website below, if you decided to create a space in your home like these I think a clean up compromise would be easy! http://www.mancavesite.org/

Comments? Questions? Feel free to post! Don't forget to follow me on twitter for more organizing essentials, or like this on facebook!

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Organizing Our Photos From Years Passed

I love old photographs. They capture a moment in time before all the events that shape our lives could be digitally captured from start to finish. Before they were shared through social media and email. They serve as a gateway into the lives of our ancestors and loves ones who have passed on, or who may be still with us today. Their history almost creates a sense of mystery that is absent in today's photographs.  I also love the photos and memorabilia I hold onto from my childhood. Their value is just as important as the memories they hold so taking the time to organize them is a great step to preserving that value. Maybe you have boxes of old photos to sort through or picture albums taking up space in your home. There are so many important reasons for sorting through your memories, and equally important to create a system in doing so. Here are some quick organizing tips to making your walk down memory lane a simple process!

Storage for Photos

• Older photos need special care so using photo boxes, such as the one pictured here, or photo albums are always the best way to keep them from becoming worn or tearing.

The Task- Getting Photos Organized

• Make time for yourself to gather all your photos together throughout your home. Whether they are stored in boxes or albums bring them together and find a comfortable spot where you can sit down and begin to sort through them. Remember to take your time, tackling organizing projects don't have to happen in one day!
• Begin to create piles based on chronological order. If you aren't sure what dates the photos were taken always best to guess and move on. Start with the year they were taken and once they are stored by year create piles based on the month.
• Now is the fun part! You can create categories for your photo storage boxes dedicated to family vacations, children's birthdays, holidays or just random shots. Use envelopes to separate by date for each box. This holds true for photo albums as well. Label for quick reference! 

Storing Older Photos Onto Discs

• Scanning your photos and storing onto discs, or saving in your computer, is another great way to getting them organized. If you have multiple photo albums and boxes of photos this will prove to be a great space saver as well. 
• Archive discs based on events and store in CD holders, or if saved on your computer create folders based on month or event title. 

Photo discs and keepsake photo boxes are also a great gift idea for our loved ones on birthdays, anniversaries or simply just because. 

Feel free to post your own ideas on organizing memorabilia!

Don't forget to follow me on twitter or "like" this page on facebook, and happy organizing! 

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