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MainMenu
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google-tower
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The Family Room/Living Room |
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Some homes have a “great room” and no living room,
others have a “family room” and a living room. No
matter what you call it or how many of these rooms
you have, organization is necessary to make it a
welcoming haven for your family.
Walk in to this room as a visitor would. Notice the
small details that you’ve overlooked in daily
living. Do you see clutter? Your guests do, too. To
make this room inviting, we’re going to reduce the
number of *things* in this room and make it more
homey.
What did you see in terms of clutter? Magazines and
newspapers all over? Toys? Shoes lying around? Start
with several laundry baskets (empty, please!) and
put things that don’t belong in this room in the
baskets. The idea is to send things to different
areas of the house in these baskets and make your
de-cluttering that much easier. Throw away the
newspapers and old magazines. If you’re just not
going to have time to read them, get rid of them.
Why have them hanging around making you feel guilty?
Put toys in the basket that will get them to their
owners’ rooms. Shoes should be kept in the room
where their wearer lives. Now that you’ve done that
(and delivered the baskets to the appropriate
locations), go back and look at this room as a
visitor sees it. Better? If not, keep going in small
stages and steps.
If you look at your furniture, do you see
fingerprints and dust deep enough to write a ransom
note in? Do you even see the top of your furniture?
If you can’t answer the latter question, don’t worry
about the former one. Take care of the flat surfaces
first—we call this The Law of Flat Surfaces. This
Law is defined by the idea that flat surfaces
collect papers, no matter what the surface is:
tabletops, armoires, desks, or floors. If you start
with clean flat surfaces, you’ll be more likely to
keep them clear—a little every day. Once your flat
surfaces are clear, give them a once-over with a
furniture polish (if appropriate) or glass cleaner
(if appropriate). Run the vacuum—don’t worry about
getting the edges and moving furniture—just vacuum
the places you can get easily. Chances are if you
can’t reach the areas easily, no one has been able
to deposit large amounts of dirt or tracks back
there, either.
Can you see your TV through the dust and
fingerprints? If not, give it a once-over with the
rag and some glass cleaner. Same with your stereo
cabinet.
Now look up. Do you see cobwebs in the corners? Not
a huge deal—grab a feather duster and knock ‘em
down. That’s that!
You’ve tackled your family room and/or living
room—congratulations! Keep moving along, taking baby
steps every day. Soon, your home will exude the
warmth and hospitality you want.
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