Time for the holiday's- do you have guests flying/driving in and staying with you and your family? We do, and I am in the midst of re-calibrating the home for guests. Everything changes for a few days while guests live-in and these tips below might help you keep the cog running smoothly (as well as keep your mind chugging along sanely ;) I plan on trying out a few of these tips for the Master Bedroom, where our guests will stay. We have a 3 BR house for 2 adults and 3 kids so we don't have an extra room to make into a guest room; these tips for making our usual bedroom bit more luxe and welcoming for a guest will come in handy! I already have a nice comforter and bedding set,pillows and little bedside-table baskets that I take out for guests ( they are filled with mini hand-lotions, mints, a reading-light and a book, one for each side of the bed.) But I would like to make things even less like 'our' room and even more like a relaxing retreat away from visiting. In the meanwhile, I plan a big sleepover party for us downstairs- that I have to have cleaned up by 7am each morning when the coffee get's going for everyone ;) blarrgh that means I have to get up at 6:30 instead of 7; yes I know you all feel so sorry for me! lol!! We all sleep downstairs when we have guests so it's pull-out couch and dvd rentals fun for us; the kids love it because they get to sleep downstairs and they like their sleeping bags. My husband doesn't mind the floor, but he hates lying down to sleep on the couch(go figure, since he can sleep for hours sitting up in the recliner and show no signs of soreness,lol ) so I get lucky at these times of year; I get the couch and a splendid couch it is. I still love it, and we purchased it 4 years ago! It's a Lane, it's a sectional(with 3 parts, so it's huge- seats 7) and it is a velvety, mossy green- with a pull-out drink table. And it's VERY cushiony. What's NOT to love?? Didn't mean to hijack my own holiday organizing and readying post with an ode of love for my couch, but...yeah, it's mine so, I can do that and not get yelled at ;) Hope some of these tips can help you with something~! I enjoyed reading them ;) 5 Tips for Preparing Your Guest Bedroom for Overnight Guests Company coming? We're here to help with ways to turn your spare bedroom into a cozy retreat. Preparing a stylish guest suite is a snap with inspiration from 5-star hotels and these five tips: 1. Create an environment that promotes a great night's sleep. Make the bed super comfy by adding a thick duvet and lots of fluffy pillows. High thread-count, 100 percent cotton sheets are also a must. 2. Stock the guest room with magazines and books, and put together a snack tray or basket filled with light snacks and bottled water. 3. Lay out bathrobes and place rolled bath towels at the foot of the bed in case your guests would like to freshen up upon arrival. 4. Hang a small mirror in the guest room to provide a spot for touching up makeup or putting on jewelry. A long dressing mirror is also a nice addition. 5. If your overnight guests are family or close friends, it's always a nice touch to display photos of time spent together in the past; everyone enjoys a trip down memory lane. Cluttered Master Bathroom Makeover Mission: Organization : Episode MSO-212 -- More Projects » Nancy and Larry Fittons' large master bathroom, measuring in at 14 feet by 9 feet with a 4-foot hallway, is in desperate need of a makeover. It's plagued by a poor layout and piles of clutter and confusion. The closets are overflowing, and the counters are piled high with miscellaneous items. Amy Rehkemper, a professional organizer is brought in to help clear out the clutter and transform the chaos into a functional stylish room. The soaking tub is not used very often. Nancy doesn't like the fact that she can't stretch out in it, so she has opted to use it as clothes rack instead. The vanity and supply closet, one of three in the bathroom, are also in disarray. The clothes hamper in the middle of floor is just in the way. This closet does double duty for shoe storage and cleaning supplies. This one has clothes in the upper half and more cleaning supplies below. Nancy has made an attempt at organizing with this rolling cart. The problem is that some of the drawers don't even open properly. Miscellaneous items fill the shelves and baskets in this closet, making if difficult to find anything quickly. So what to do? As usual, sorting through everything is step 1. Rehkemper brings in a bin for each type of product/clutter to help Nancy see what she has and decide what to keep or toss. She also brought along a little cheat sheet she devised to help with the task: To Keep or not to Keep Love it? Need it? Live without it? Last used it? Worst-case scenario? Damaged? Duplicate? Would you buy it? Is it expired? Out of style? Cluttered Master Bathroom Makeover Mission: Organization : Episode MSO-212 -- More Projects » (Continued from Page 1) The new his-and-her sink and vanity unit, done in rich earth tones with dramatic wooden accents, adds texture to the room. There's also plenty of drawers below for storage. This medicine chest was placed conveniently by the sink. To the right of that is an entire wall unit of closets, cabinets and drawers to house Nancy's clothes, costume jewelry and supplies. The toilet has been moved to a more private location within the room. There's yet another storage cabinet above it. Cluttered Master Bathroom Makeover Mission: Organization : Episode MSO-212 -- More Projects » (Continued from Page 2) Once the sorting is complete, Rehkemper reveals some of her remodeling ideas. The sweeping changes include removing the single sink and dropping in a double his-and-her-sink and removing the standup shower to add a combined shower/tub unit. Contractor Steve Waldhauser and his team of professionals are brought in for the construction. Three weeks later, the results are in: As for all those clothes, Nancy has an abundance of closet space now, and she's learned some spacesaving tricks to boot. Clothes are now neatly hung with ample space between each piece, and clear bins on the shelf above hold even more supplies. One of the spacesaving tricks Rehkemper taught Nancy is to have a hanging scarf rack. It's inexpensive and keeps everything in plain view. Cluttered Master Bathroom Makeover Mission: Organization : Episode MSO-212 -- More Projects » (Continued from Page 3) Rehkemper's Tips When organizing any drawer, use drawer dividers. Use sliding drawer trays in drawers. When possible, store the extra stock of things with the supply you're currently using so you see how much you still have and know when you need to get more. Store lipstick standing up so you can see the name of the color; easy solution: Punch holes in a necklace lid top and push through the lipsticks. Don't be afraid to use things other than drawer organizers--she used a kitchen spice rack to organize the nail polish. Use candy trays for organizing jewelry. Put a magnetic strip inside a cabinet door for holding tweezers and nail clippers. There is even room for a shoe rack below the hanging items. Note that it is clear so that Nancy can see exactly what is in there. The new laundry chute in the wall replaces the clothes hamper that was in the floor and leads to a hidden hamper in a hall closet. Benjamin Moore paint colors used: Muresco Ceiling White Fresh Start 100% acrylic primer Providence Olive HC-98 flat, #1520, semigloss Products from The Container Store: shoe drawer shoe bin wire pull-out recycling basket trays necklace organizer drawer organizers clear boxes folding skirt hanger mesh bins sweater boxes shower caddy easy liners mesh laundry bag EVA storage stool tie and belt rack This article also has some good tips, for neatening up those 'junk drawers'(as much as that is possible ;) : 3 Tips To Clearing Clutter In The Kitchen For Holidays and Every Day by Marilyn Bohn When you think of clearing clutter what do you think of? I know from my experience as a professional organizer many of us think of getting rid of things but this is just part of clearing clutter. I was given some plates for Christmas that are for everyday use that I love. I put them in the cupboard but I rarely ever used them. I wanted to use them and felt bad because I didn't, so I came up with a simple solution.I simply moved them to a different shelf in my cupboard. I had one of those corner shelves that doubled my cupboard space and I just changed places with some other plates I had had there for a long time and only used infrequently. What a difference such a simple exchange made. I can now use my plates and eat on them too. (Just like having my cake and eating it to). We don't always have to get rid of things to think we are clearing clutter. With a few organizing tips and organizing ideas we can create a home that is organized, functional and welcoming to us and to our guests. As the holidays approach by starting early to look at each room in our homes to see if we need to do some clutter clearing we will be less stressed not only during and before the holidays, but actually all year around. Here are some of my favorite organizing tips. Let's start with the kitchen: junk drawers can be a hassle and junky or they can be resource drawers. Because so many people in our homes use them and are in and out of these drawers, make it easy for them to put things away after they use it. Have you noticed it is easier to get things out than put things away? In the resource drawer the key to clearing clutter is to have plenty of containers, you can use several different sizes, depending on your needs. In one container place the pens and pencils. In another have glue and tape. I recommend having one place for every kind of tape your family uses. Then if you ask someone to get tape for you they will know exactly where to go to get it. Check out your utensil drawer or holder. Are there utensils there you never use and are just clutter? Are there too many spatulas and pancake turners? Are any broken, stained, or rusty that could be thrown away to give you more room in your drawer or holder? If your utensils are in a drawer, install a drawer divider to keep them contained in one place so they don't slide all over. Do your cupboards hold more dishes that you use making your cupboards crowded and let's say not user friendly? Divide your shelves by type of space. Premium spaces are the places you get into to use the items stored there on a daily basis. The dishes you use about once a week place in a secondary space.And dishes you use about once a year, such as holiday dishes place in semi-storage. You know where they are but they aren't visible on a monthly basis. By using a few organizing tips and organizing ideas you will feel more confident with clearing clutter, creating space and end clutter in your homes for the holidays and for everyday. Marilyn is a creative organizer who helps women, seniors & their families to create space and end clutter in homes and offices by setting up custom made systems. Visit her website www.marilynbohn.com for free organizing tips. Article Source: WAHM Articles