One way of dealing with the whole house at once is the  Boxes Method. You will need at least a weekend to do this. Enthusiastic helpers will make it go faster, otherwise save your nerves, and go it alone. You will need all the empty boxes you can find, garbage bags, a piece of paper and pen, an alarm clock, and rewards.  To start, place a box in the entrance of each room and closet. Label three boxes - Redirect, Give Away (or Garage Sale), Action.  Start at the front door with your garbage bag and list. Set the alarm clock for 1 hour. Take any item that doesn't belong in that area and place it in the appropriate box. When you come across something that you suddenly realize is urgent and must be done now - don't do it. Put it in the Action box and write it on your list. When the area has been cleared of all misplaced items, take the Redirect box around the house and place the contents in the boxes in front of each area where the items belong. Don't go into the rooms because you will get sidetracked and that will only take longer and destroy your momentum! Work from the front door and expand into the adjoining rooms. Don't crisscross back and forth across the house. You need to see the organized area expanding as you go. When the clock rings, take a short break and treat yourself to a small reward. Congratulate yourself, set the timer again and then get back to work!

There is a game called Erase the Evidence. Once your home is clean and organized the way you like it, playing this game will help to keep it that way. All you (and everyone else in the house) do is make sure you put things back where they were, and clean up any mess you've made, after each activity. Every night before bed, one person in the family inspects the house, looking for clues. The person who has left the least amount of evidence behind becomes the judge for the next evening. Make your own rules and rewards. It is so much easier to keep it looking nice, than to have to keep starting over!

Having  an organized home gives us a peaceful retreat to relax in after a hectic day in this busy world. Spending just a little time, and doing just a little bit every day will return huge rewards!

When you want to organize just one room, or one section, the best thing to do is set your alarm for 15 minutes at a time and work on it until the alarm goes off. Sometimes you will feel like working longer. You will be amazed at how fast it goes by spending 15 minutes on it every day, or as often as you can.

If your whole house is a disaster, the easiest and most rewarding way to tackle it is to pick the spot that drives you most crazy. It could be the scene visitors look at when they come in the front door; it could be the kitchen counter piled high with bills, school work and odds and ends. Choose one spot and clear it off. Find homes for everything that accumulates there and proclaim that area off-limits to everyone, including yourself. Do not allow anything to land there ever again. If you enforce this rule until it becomes habit, guess what? It starts to spread. Since that spot looks so nice, how about doing the same with the adjoining area?