The "Key" to Keeping Up with Your Keys

Have a central location for keys. Have one place to store keys and make a habit of putting yours there when coming home. Some suggestions for key storage:

• Designate a small kitchen drawer as the key drawer
• Hang a decorative key board near the door you enter
• Have a decorative storage box on the entryway table to drop your keys into
  

Cleaning out the Pantry

Decided to clean out the pantry, but not sure when to toss certain items? Here are some guidelines for a few pantry staples:

Mayonnaise, if it’s sealed, it will last indefinitely, but the color and flavor of an opened jar in the refrigerator will be affected in about three months.

Maple syrup will last about a year.

Honey never expires.

Toss a refrigerated bottle of salad dressing after nine months.

Olive oil is good up to two years from the manufactured date.

Tobasco sauce will last five years if stored in a cool, dry place.

An opened bottle of soy sauce should be tossed after three months.

Laundry Tips

Laundry Tips:

Have a wastebasket next to the clothes dryer for discarding lint balls and used dryer sheets

Hang a towel rack in the laundry area for hanging wet things that can’t be dried.

Establish a regular routine for laundry. For example, do one load each morning or each evening, depending on your schedule.

Finish. Think finish when doing the laundry. Get the clothes into the dryer. Set a timer so you get the clothes out of the dryer the moment the time dings. You are not finished until the laundry is folded and put away.

Folding and putting away a load of laundry actually takes no more than five minutes, so just do it.

Find Your Organizing Style

There are many different ways to be organized. Do what works for you. Some people like their papers filed out of sight, others need to have certain papers visible. Some like color-coding, others find it too much of a bother. Some people like to keep their calendar on a computer, some prefer a paper planner.

Are your employees very busy doing paperwork which is no longer necessary?

Questions to ask to answer this question:

Why are we collecting the data?
Where does the data go?
Who uses the information?
Even if we continue all or part of the process, what shortcuts can be taken?