Thirty years ago, the average home was much smaller, with little to no clutter. Today, homes are twice the size, and with our growing desire for “stuff”, the usable space is less than previous generations. This makes keeping living spaces organized a continuing and difficult task.

By following a few simple tips, even the most cluttered homes can look organized and more attractive.

1. Look for the focus of clutter in each room and make a list of the areas needing work. Marking items off your list when done is a gratifying feeling.

2. Include as many small, less than 30 minutes, projects as possible. Scattering these mini tasks among the large projects makes organizing less overwhelming. Don’t set impossible time frames for the bigger jobs; you do more by setting reasonable goals.

3. Make a household storage plan starting with assessing what you have. Walk the house, looking for possible storage areas, then decides what needs stored and what fits that storage area best.

4. Never stack dishes in the sink. A full sink makes the entire room look messy and unorganized, even if the counters are spotless.

5. For more under the bed storage, set your bed on bed risers. This is a great place to store winter sweaters, extra bedding, or gift wrap.

6. Shoe boxes and bank check boxes make good drawer organizers. These sturdy boxes work for storing smaller items like makeup, sewing supplies, hair clips, and many other items you normally toss in the drawer.

7. Tired of instruction manuals getting lost? Store in three-ring binders and place on bookshelves or closet shelves for easy access.

8. For optimizing closet storage, hang a 3 tiered wire kitchen basket in an empty corner. This is good for storing scarves, belts, and socks.

9. Store bagged and boxed food like rice, pasta, and oatmeal in stacking glass containers. This not only saves space, but makes cooking ingredients visible for quick use.

10. Add floor-to-ceiling shelves to light traffic halls space. This is great for storing books, DVDs, or cooking bowls, freeing up valuable space in other high traffic areas of the house.