Clutter/Lived-In-Look

As homeschoolers I'm sure you all know what I mean by the title. Especially if you live in a small home that does not have a room that can be dedicated to either a school room or even for just the storage of all the homeschool supplies. When this happens the normal spot for all that, is normally in the dining room or the living room, both which create a well lived-in-look, lol. If you have a small home such as I do.... Maybe these tips will help - I am currently working on putting some of these tips in affect in my home, and will share more as time goes on.

Best thing to do is conquer clutter/lived-in-look one zone at a time.
I am beginning in my dining/living-room area as to these two are connected and look like one room.

1. Shelves - Takes about 1 hour as I understand. Lol guess that would mean if you have everything you need on hand or can afford to go and buy what you need all at once.
Commonly these are dedicated to books, they represent wonderful, flexible storage options for things that don't fit in the entertainment center or other locations in the room. From display pictures to boxes and photo albums to candles and candle-holders, shelves can keep a variety of items in order and in view. Now if your homeschooling these shelves will more then likely consist of mainly textbooks, dictionaries, DVDs, and maybe even some science or other school supplies depending on the size of your home. The key to displaying these supplies in an orderly fashion is to go to a Bargain Shop, Dollarama or any other discount store and purchase some of their nice gift boxes or wicker baskets as to they come in a variety of sizes.
To make the most of this storage, shelf placement needs to be well thought out. Obviously, shelves can only be placed where they will fit, but they should also be placed as close as possible to where they will be used. For instance, a bookshelf will ideally be placed close to a reading chair and reading lamp. Available space and storage needs are the key determinants in what type of family- or living-room shelving you use.
  Wall-mounted shelves fit in odd spaces, such as over sofas or above wainscoting
They are especially handy for keeping breakables, such as a collection of glass vases or figurines, out of the reach of young children or out of the general traffic flow. You have more latitude in choosing the style of wall-mounted shelves because they are such small decorative elements. Don't use wall-mounted shelves for heavy objects, such as a row of coffee-table books. The chances of the shelf falling are just to great. These with bookends or a boxed wall-mounted shelf are great alternatives to CD or DVD holders. They can be positioned to leave just the right amount of room for your music or movies, and they are often less expensive than buying a CD tower.
  Stand-alone shelves provide more substantial support and far more storage space than wall-mounted units. They also offer more design options. You can choose from enclosed to box frame and back piece, shelves with an outside frame but no backing, and shelves supported by a base and vertical braces. When you need enclosed or hidden storage, pick shelving units that incorporate cabinets. In some cases, the floor or wall space where you want to locate the shelves are so awkward and oddly sized that finding shelving is quite difficult. You can deal with this by using tension-pole shelving systems The shelves themselves are sold in different widths and depths, so you determine how wide a given column of shelves will be and how many columns you'll use. The shelf positions in these systems are completely movable. If you're comfortable with a more permanent solution and have the money, you could also have custom bookshelves built or build them yourself to your specifications.
  Regardless of what type of shelves that you use, organize books with the largest on the bottom shelves, and smaller ones on top. This keeps it from tipping and is a lot more pleasing to the eye also. To optimize shelf space, stack same-sized books vertically. They take up less shelf space this way. You should review your collection either every semester or every school year to make sure you aren't dedicating space on your shelves to books you won't need.

THE SHELF RULES
1. Have a purpose. Individual items must have a reason for being on the shelf. A picture is there to be displayed, and a candle is there to be lit on a special occasion. Your reading glasses shouldn't be there, nor should a pile of mail, notepads with a letter you've been working on or a tool.

2.Collect to declutter. Individual items that are part of a collection, such as figurines or a trio of decorative vases, should be grouped together in their own section of shelf. Alone they can become a part of shel clutter.

3.Contain when possible. Some items you might like to put on a shelf are best kept within a box or other container. Perhaps you use a group of votives for parties, or pencils and erasers. Rather than stack them loose, put them in a decorative wire basket or a handsome box at the end of a row of books.

THE INSIDE SCOOP
CD ABCs: Shelved CD collections can be vast, making it difficult to quickly find the right CD. Make it easier with alphabetic markers. You can use tabs or marked dividers and then alphabetize the CDs. You could make your own collection of dividers with thick poster board painted in an attractive way and printed letters, makes a good project with the older children.

STORAGE IN STYLE
Literary Divisions: Sturdy, freestanding bookshelves supply a lot of storage space, but they can also serve as room dividers. This is helpful in a large, long room. You could even use box-frame bookshelves with backing. Simply attach two units back to back. This creates a wealth of storage.