Give adults experiences, not things. A gift certificate will often be more appreciated than more stuff to store & maintain.

"You can keep the dining room clean by eating in the kitchen." P J O'Rourke.

If you...need it, …use it, …or love it. Then keep it. Anything else is donated or garbage.

Give It Back. When the kids grow up, move out, & leave their things behind, humorist Andy Rooney suggests sneaking their stuff into their car trunks & under their seats while they're inside visiting. "Eventually", explained Rooney, "you'll have enough room inside to store more of your own stuff."

Anchor items that frequently disappear. Provide a hook by the door for car keys, a standing eyeglass case on the desk and tie a pen to the phone.

S. P. A. C. E.
Sort: Group similar items.
Purge: Get rid of stuff.
Assign: Find homes for things.
Containerize: Get something the right size, sturdy & pleasant to look at.
Enlist: Get help, family, friends or professionals.

If you can't bear to part with something take a picture of it. Those baby clothes, dried corsages & travel souvenirs may be hard to part with but if you photograph them before you pack them off their sentimental value is always with you.

Give stuff away. Put large items on the front lawn with a big "Free" sign. There's always a pack rat out there who can't resist another thingamajig. Their gain is your freedom.

One way of keeping paper under control is to remember the 3-Ds. Do it, delegate it or dump it. Think of the wastebasket as an ally. "Treat them like babies. Keep them within easy reach, feed them regularly and change them often." Harriet Schechter, Professional Organizer.

Don't clean your child's room, teach your child to do it. Painful as the first few times may be, it will be better for you both in the long run.

As a wise person once said, "A place for everything & everything in its place." Once your clutter has a home it's not clutter anymore. Develop a system for putting things away.

Getting a grip on clutter not only will allow you to move towards organization, it will allow you to move comfortably & easily around your home.
Taken from Stephanie Winston's Best Organizing Tips.