Do you ever feel like your home or office is so cramped that the walls are closing in on you? Before you start to feverishly dispose of perfectly functional items, consider the estimate that approximately 75% of clutter is caused by disorganization. By collecting items in like groups, labeling them, and finding an appropriate place for everything, you can have your home and office feeling twice as big. In addition, since you'll be eliminating a major source of stress, you will probably find yourself more productive and relaxed from day to day.



One of the greatest tools for organizing is the adhesive label. Available in a huge variety of sizes, colors, and designs, the possibilities are endless. If a quick and easy organizational overhaul is what you're looking for, simply use your printer to create basic labels that will help you find what you need, when you need it. However, for a more fun and interesting project, create designs or draw on the labels and color-coordinate the writing for more efficiency and an overall more enjoyable experience. Once you have created your labels, simply start organizing! If you're stuck, the following suggestions will hopefully inspire your organizational crusade.

" Label stuff. The most obvious of the tips, this is really the best place to start. If your office supply drawer, closet, desk, etc. is completely out of control, set up various zones for groupings of like items. Label each zone, or if you have a supply cabinet, try labeling each shelf. Have one for paper and notepads, one for office supply tools (staplers, staple removers, hole punchers, etc.), one for general organizational supplies (paper clips, staples, sticky notes, pens), and so on. Same goes for pantries, supply closets or craft closets at home. Label different bins, cabinets, drawers, or shelving areas for cleaning products, mail, paper goods (paper towels, napkins, toilet paper), food, and anything else that needs somewhere to go.

" If you're a teacher, labels are a perfect accompaniment to any classroom. Learning students' names is important, so have them wear name tags in the beginning. Another great idea is to write student's names on labels (or better yet, have them write their own names and decorate their labels), and stick them by the backpack hooks, in their cubby holes, on or in their lockers, or on their desks. Labels can help you organize graded papers, files, your teaching supplies, and just about every area of the classroom. For younger groups, labeling the basic items in the classroom is a great way to teach them how to read. Finally, instead of marking up student's projects with grades, place a label with the grade on the project so the student has the option to remove the grade and display their project. You'll be the most popular (and organized!) teacher in school.

" Mark off dangerous and off-limits zones. If you get bright neon labels, marking off dangerous areas is a great way to catch employees' attention and keep the office safe. At home, these labels can warn children and visitors of certain cautions as well.

" Identify your property. If you're going on vacation or sending your children on a school trip, using leftover address labels or labels with your name on them are a great way to keep track of your family's belongings. In addition, placing a label on things before lending them to friends, family and neighbors takes the guesswork out of what belongs to whom (also a good idea before taking dishes to potlucks). If you're living in a roommate situation, these labels are especially useful for keeping everyone's things separate from one another so that when you eventually move away, there will be no confusion about property ownership.

Once you have your life labeled and organized, you will feel so much more relaxed and able to focus on the more important aspects of life, like having fun and spending time with loved ones.