Clutter Control & Cleaning

First, keep all papers in one place. Your home will be neater and you won’t misplace important documents, explains Alicia Rockmore, co-founder of Buttoned Up, a company that helps women get organized. Designate one basket to store school permission slips, mail, bills, etc., that you can’t deal with immediately. Second, make a weekly appointment with yourself to sort through this in-box (for example, every Tuesday at 8 p.m.). Your goal? Deal with every item — pay bills, make appointments, respond to invitations — until the basket is empty. And position a wastebasket at your side to toss unwanted papers, which you should get rid of right away.