Power cords are the scourge of modern living.  But they are a necessary evil.  We need electricity for our computers, our TV’s, our appliances, and a thousand other things.  And if you’re anything like me, it seems like every time I go to plug something in, there is never a convenient wall socket.  So we can't completely eliminate power cords or we'll be forever reaching behind the couch to plug things in.  So what do we do?  Well the way I see it we have three choices when it comes to cords.

1.  The Man Behind the Curtain – We simply declare “there are no cords here, please ignore them.”  Sure you know they are laying out in the open, your guests know they are laying out in the open.  But we all just agree to ignore them.  Hey it worked for the Wizard of Oz!

2.  Twist & Shout – Here we break out twist ties, measured cables, and cable management devices.  We just work very hard to organize and maintain our cables. 

3.  Get Creative – While this approach isn’t for everyone, being creative with our cabling can blend the first two strategies.  By making the wiring part of your decoration, it can become a Neat Feature all by itself!

Now personally, I don’t want a lot of little birds hanging out on my walls.  But I have to admit, it’s a lot better than having a power cord laying on the floor!  Because let's face it, when you tell people not to look behind the curtain... that's the first place they look.

When we think of Neat Features the first things that come to mind are rooms or large objects.  We think of Neat Features as being that unique fireplace or the amazing view from the master bedroom.  But Neat Features can be something small too.  Something as simple as how you’ve organized your kitchen cupboards.  

• Inventory – before you can do anything you need to know what you have.  So take some time to figure out what’s there.  You can do this the old fashioned way (paper and pencil) or you can get creative and use a bar code scanner.  A scanner will take longer up front, but if you manage the system well, you’ll always know exactly what you have and where it is. 

• Eliminate – Now that you know what you have it’s time to eliminate the stuff you don’t use anymore.  Don’t use that waffle iron Aunt Gertrude gave you for your birthday 10 years ago?  Get rid of it.  Not a fan of canned beets (and who is?) get rid of it.  Throw away the things that are spoiled, old, or just a hazard.  For the rest of the things take it to your local salvation army, church, or food bank.  There’s lots of places that would love your no longer wanted things.  Plus now you won’t have any guilt over throwing away “perfectly good” things.

• Reorganize – This might be the hardest part of the whole process.  Things got out of hand because we haven’t been organizing.  And for some of us, organization just doesn’t come easily.  That’s okay, there are lots of ways to get help here.  If you live near Ikea, they offer great storage solutions at reasonable prices.  Just make sure you have a place for everything.  Consider hanging pots and cooking utensils on hooks.  Save the cupboard space for the canned or baking goods.  You can also use drawer organizers to really keep track of silverware, spices, and all kinds of things. 

• Replenish – Now that you’ve eliminated the extra stuff, and reorganized the remaining things, it’s time to replenish.  Get the products that you know you’ll use.  But as you replenish, make sure to put everything where it belongs.  You’ve just spent time organizing your kitchen cupboards, let’s not mess that up so soon!

• Use – Actually use the products you buy.  I know that seems like it shouldn’t be advice, but we often end up buying things we neither want nor need.  I used to do it all the time when I went to the grocery store.  I would think, “I don’t really like green beans, but they are healthy, and that’s a good price, so I guess I should buy them.”  Into the cart they’d go, only to sit in the freezer until I finally threw them away.  If you don’t use what you buy, all the organizational power in the universe won’t help you!

Do you have a Neat Feature of your own?  Consider submitting it, and we may post it.