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Fight back against clutter chaos with these ten simple strategies.

Designate a Mail Zone
Make sure there's a garbage can nearby so you can chuck all of the unwanted stuff.

Use an Inbox and Outbox
These can be wall pockets, a leather box, or a pouch that hangs off a knob on the back door. Your outbox is for what goes out with you the next day.

Create an Entryway Catch-All
Place your keys, sunglasses, parking pass, subway pass, etc. here so they're reachable as you're heading out.

Have a Main Bin
You can put your bills, stamps, checkbook, and a pen inside, and place it on a bookshelf for easy access. Pop the lid on when guests come by.

Pay Bills Online
Download your credit card bills and bank statements and back them up on an external hard drive once a month to reduce the chance of identity theft.

Buy Mobile File Boxes
They'll keep your paperwork organized and handy. When mail comes in, either file it away or shred it.

Keep a Paper Shredder
It insures safe disposal of paperwork with personal identification information.

Don't Neglect Mail
Don't get overwhelmed every month -- look at your schedule and pick one day a week to spend half an hour going through it.

Do a Once-a-Year Purge
If you aren't sure about throwing away something, ask your accountant. The IRS has three years to audit you, so you can probably get rid of files older than that.

Make a Mag Space
Forgo the sofa-side bin and go for a wall rack. Your favorite mags can be affordable wall art, and more importantly -- contained!

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Fight back against the clutter with these ten simple tips.

1. Create a space just for your mail. Designate a spot and make sure there's a garbage can nearby so you can chuck all of the unwanted stuff.

2. Designate an inbox and outbox. These can be wall pockets, a leather box, or a pouch that hangs off a knob on the back door. Your outbox is for what goes out with you the next day.

3. Place a catch-all container near the door. Place your keys, sunglasses, parking pass, subway pass, etc. in this spot. They'll be easily reachable when you're heading out.

4. Have a main bin. You can put your bills, stamps, checkbook, and a pen inside, and place it on a bookshelf for easy access. Just make sure the lid is on when guests come by.

5. Get as many bills and statements online as you can. Download your credit card bills and bank statements and back them up on an external hard drive once a month to reduce the chance of identity theft.

6. Have mobile file boxes to keep your paperwork organized and handy. When mail comes in, either file it away or shred it.

7. Keep a paper shredder for safe disposal of paperwork with personal identification information. (You can get a good shredder for as cheap as $30.)

8. Deal with your mail on a regular basis. Don't get overwhelmed every month -- look at your schedule and pick one day a week to spend half an hour going through it.

9. Purge your files once a year. If you aren't sure about throwing away something, ask your accountant. The IRS has three years to audit you, so you can probably get rid of files older than that.

10. Designate a place for magazines and catalogs. This can be as pretty as it is practical. Forgo the sofa-side bin and go for a wall rack, your favorite mags can be affordable wall art, and more importantly -- contained! 

Source here

Polish Chrome with Baby Oil

The little boy, according to my Yaya, tried to climbed up the stairs this morning. And our house is 3-floors up!  I don't want to think of what can happen if he wakes up in the middle of his nap and crawl down or up the stairs! Terrible!

Keep Brown Sugar Soft with Orange Peels

Certain items in your house practically scream "toss me" when their prime has passed. That mysterious extra white layer on the Cheddar? A sure sign it needs to be put out of its misery. Chunky milk? Down the drain it goes.

But what about that jar of olives or Maraschino cherries that has resided in your refrigerator since before the birth of your kindergartner? Or the innumerable nonedibles lurking deep within your cabinets and closets: stockpiled shampoo and toothpaste, seldom-used silver polish? How do you know when their primes have passed?

With help from experts and product manufacturers, Real Simple has compiled a guide to expiration dates. These dates are offered as a rough guideline. The shelf lives of most products depend upon how you treat them. Edibles, unless otherwise indicated, should be stored in a cool, dry place. (With any food, of course, use common sense.) Household cleaners also do best in a dry place with a stable temperature. After the dates shown, beauty and cleaning products are probably still safe but may be less effective.

Food


Beer
Unopened: 4 months.

Brown sugar
Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof container in a cool, dry place.

Chocolate (Hershey bar)
1 year from production date

Coffee, canned ground
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 1 month refrigerated

Coffee, gourmet
Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container

Coffee, instant
Unopened: Up to 2 years
Opened: Up to 1 month

Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles)
Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date.
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.

Dried pasta
12 months

Frozen dinners
Unopened: 12 to 18 months

Frozen vegetables
Unopened: 18 to 24 months
Opened: 1 month

Honey
Indefinite shelf life

Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry)
Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days

Ketchup
Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Maple syrup, real or imitation
1 year

Maraschino cherries
Unopened: 3 to 4 years
Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated

Marshmallows
Unopened: 40 weeks
Opened: 3 months

Mayonnaise
Unopened: Indefinitely
Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Mustard
2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Olives, jarred (green with pimento)
Unopened: 3 years
Opened: 3 months

Olive oil
2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Peanuts
Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated
Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container

Peanut butter, natural
9 months

Peanut butter, processed (Jif)
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months

Pickles
Unopened: 18 months
Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.
Protein bars (PowerBars)
Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package.

Rice, white
2 years from date on box or date of purchase

Salad dressing, bottled
Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date
Opened: 9 months refrigerated

Soda, regular
Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected

Steak sauce
33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Tabasco
5 years, stored in a cool, dry place

Tea bags (Lipton)
Use within 2 years of opening the package

Tuna, canned
Unopened: 1 year from purchase date
Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can

Soy sauce, bottled
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 3 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Vinegar
42 months

Wine (red, white)
Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines
Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked

Worcestershire sauce
Unopened: 5 to 10 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened: 2 years

For more information, see:

How to Protect Your Produce
How to Save an Open Bottle of Wine

Household Products


Air freshener, aerosol
2 years

Antifreeze, premixed
1 to 5 years

Antifreeze, concentrate
Indefinite

Batteries, alkaline
7 years

Batteries, lithium
10 years

Bleach
3 to 6 months

Dish detergent, liquid or powdered
1 year

Fire extinguisher, rechargeable
Service or replace every 6 years

Fire extinguisher, nonrechargeable
12 years

Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered
Unopened: 9 months to 1 year
Opened: 6 months

Metal polish (silver, copper, brass)
At least 3 years

Miracle Gro, liquid
Opened: 3 to 8 years

Miracle Gro, liquid, water-soluble
Indefinite

Motor oil
Unopened: 2 to 5 years
Opened: 3 months

Mr. Clean
2 years

Paint
Unopened: Up to 10 years
Opened: 2 to 5 years

Spray paint
2 to 3 years

Windex
2 years

Wood polish (Pledge)
2 years

For more information, see:

The Right Way to Throw Out Medicine, Paint, Batteries
Earth-Friendly Cleaning Products

Beauty Products

All dates are from the manufacture date, which is either displayed on the packaging or can be obtained by calling the manufacturer's customer-service number.

Bar soap
18 months to 3 years

Bath gel, body wash
3 years

Bath oil
1 year

Body bleaches and depilatories
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 6 months

Body lotion
3 years

Conditioner
2 to 3 years

Deodorant
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 1 to 2 years
For antiperspirants, see expiration date

Eye cream
Unopened: 3 years
Used: 1 year

Face lotion
With SPF, see expiration date. All others, at least 3 years

Foundation, oil-based
2 years

Foundation, water-based
3 years

Hair gel
2 to 3 years

Hair spray
2 to 3 years

Lip balm
Unopened: 5 years
Used: 1 to 5 years

Lipstick
2 years

Mascara
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 3 to 4 months

Mouthwash
Three years from manufacture date

Nail polish
1 year

Nail-polish remover
Lasts indefinitely

Perfume
1 to 2 years

Rubbing alcohol
At least 3 years

Shampoo
2 to 3 years

Shaving cream
2 years or more

Tooth-whitening strips
13 months

Wash'n Dri moist wipes
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: Good until dried out