My wife and I just moved into a new apartment and I have all kinds of loose junk. How can I organize it without just ending up with a pile of hidden loose junk somewhere?

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DAVIDIVS DOCTVS VTRIVSQVE LINGVAE
Husband of Emilia
Member: First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham (RPCNA) - Durham, NC
Currently in the process of transferring membership to an as-yet-undecided church in Chapel Hill
Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German Literature and Classics

Yes, yes you can. Hope this helps.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC, Attending CCRPC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
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__________________
~Jay~
Husband of ENS, father of J II. | Indian Trail, NC
Currently disabled due to health issues
Communicant Member, Precentor | Presbyterian Reformed Church of Charlotte, NC | Presbyterian Reformed Church

__________________
DAVIDIVS DOCTVS VTRIVSQVE LINGVAE
Husband of Emilia
Member: First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham (RPCNA) - Durham, NC
Currently in the process of transferring membership to an as-yet-undecided church in Chapel Hill
Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German Literature and Classics

Seriously, um, loose junk is my specialty. You really do need to figure out what of it you REALLY need to hold onto, and what can get the heave-ho. After you've done that, then do it again.

And again.

Then, once you have it down to manageable size (I guess it really depends on what kind of stuff it is) you should determine whether it can be organized at all into categories/rooms with things of similar use and whatnot. Given that you're in an apartment, you probably need to relegate some of the least-used junk into boxes and put them into storage. Keeping a lid on this kind of thing is really important for a reasonably calm life, so good on you for looking into it.

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


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Glad it helped, Brother.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC, Attending CCRPC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

It depends on what the "loose junk" is, I would think. If it is truly JUNK, discard it. If it is "loose" -- SECURE it!

Seriously though, if it is little things that may be of sentimental value, or items which would be considered conversation pieces find a shelf, or some other way to display them somewhere in your apartment. For instance, in my library, I have all sorts of interesting small items displayed in front of my books. My wife, for instance, had this ugly little vase with ceramic tulip, my first thought was to put it where junk belongs, but after a bit of thought, a ceramic tulip in front of Calvin's Institutes is fun. Be creative! Have fun displaying your "loose junk!"

However, if the loose junk is that collection of half eaten apple cores and Orange peelings, you should probably just throw it out!

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Sterling Harmon
Coventry, CT
PCA
Deacon
________________

"Whatever is laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of God."
-- John Calvin, Institutes III:xv.3.

"Our Lord God must be a good man, to be fond of worthless fellows. I cannot like them, and yet I, myself, am one."
-- Martin Luther, Table Talk

Phil Johnson used to have a link to an actual website entitled something like, "What's In My Desk Drawer." On a daily basis the guy used to simply recount the items - junk mostly - that he saw there.

Perhaps he can help.

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Kevin Guillory
Pastor
Redeemer Christian Congregation
Baltimore, MD

I don't interpret Scripture. Scripture
interprets itself. And in the process ...
Scripture interprets me!

Burn it.

Before you do, invite friends with marshmallows they aren't afraid to share.

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Andrew DeShazo, Deacon, Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
"All of us stumble in many ways, but if anyone is never at fault in what he says, then he is mature, able to control his whole body."(James 3:2)

Like I said,

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


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Plastic storage bins that can go under your bed or in your closet are worth investing in for how many things they keep out of your way. You can pick them at a Big Lots fairly cheaply, or at Walmart in all different varieties --plastic filing bins, chests, stackable drawers etc. You might also look on Craigslist for your area because sometimes people sell dressers and things which could hold junk in a little more decorative manner for almost as little investment (sometimes even free, if you check that section) as plastic storage bins. We had always lived in apartments, with some things that I have wanted to keep for 'someday' --and a host of loose papers Ruben might someday reference, etc. I learned early on that it really is worth the money to invest in storage solutions to keep things clutter-free as everyone feels more relaxed in such an environment.

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Heidi
Indianapolis, Indiana

After two days, he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.

It's a good thing a woman joined this thread.

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~Beth Ellen Nagle~
Lakeside Church -Wales, WI (PCA)
Married to John
One wonderful daughter, Chaela Joelle
Creative Outlet: www.eclecticstudiocafe.com/blog

I'm packing to move as we speak! My kids wanted to know what I planned to do with all my 'junk'. I told them I planned to elevate my bed further to accomodate bigger storage boxes underneath! Besides its junk only when its yours! Its treasures when its mine!!

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N.L./ www.foundersbaptist.org
Spring, TX

You can get plastic window stack boxes. I'm speaking of a size something like 18" x 8" x 6" which holds 20 to 30 small plastic trays- good for small items like pens, keys, odd sized bolts, stamps. Since you can see in from the end you don't even have to label them. Check a discount retailer $10-$20.

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Scott
PCA
North Carolina

Soli Deo Gloria

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Rae W. | Elder @ Grace Central Presbyterian Church | Columbus, OH
not another blog, v2.0

That's it, David! You need to grow pointy-ended limbs and hover your sharp arms over a checkered object while fanning a piece of paper.

Or somethin'?

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC, Attending CCRPC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Looks like he's levitating the trash - something he might learn from the TM folks here:

__________________
Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

My biggest problem was organizing cables and stuff like that. Some of my "junk" isn't really junk but I've gotten a little more ruthless in throwing out stuff lately. I was just thinking yesterday, that when I moved from college to The Basic School in 1990 all my stuff fit in a single sedan. Today, I've got about 9 tons of household goods. I remember reading an article years ago where they had the average household from different countries lay out all their stuff and stand in front of it. Some people only had a few items while the American family (making only about $25K at the time the article was written) had *tons*.

Back on point because some of the stuff may not be junk.

Plastic bins are a good idea. Rubbermaid makes some nice multidrawer systems that you can stack on top of each other. You could also take up cigar smoking, like I have, and start collecting a healthy number of cigar boxes to organize your stuff. If you're going to keep it then try to keep like items together like screw drawers or stuff like that. I've actually found it useful in the past holding on to computer parts that I was able to find in a bin and then fix something that had broken on my computer.

Anyway, go to one of those Home stores and find bins and I think that might do the trick. Also, consider getting rid of boxes that have things in some cases and put parts to different things in ziploc bags.

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Rich
Northern VA
OPC

WebsiteMaven - Web Hosting Reviews, Guides, and Advice to build and promote your web site.
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Hey, if you get all the clutter figured out and put away and keep it that way for a month or so, let me know. I'd be happy to have you come to our apartment to help us with ours.

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Casey Bessette
Westminster OPC • West Suburbs of Chicago • My Blog: Paradise Regained

"It is part of the calling of the ekklesia to learn to know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge and also to make known within the world of science 'the manifold wisdom of God' in order that the final end of theology, as of all things, may be that the name of the Lord is glorified. Theology and dogmatics, too, exist for the Lord's sake." — Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 1, p. 46

Thanks to everyone







except Josh

__________________
DAVIDIVS DOCTVS VTRIVSQVE LINGVAE
Husband of Emilia
Member: First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham (RPCNA) - Durham, NC
Currently in the process of transferring membership to an as-yet-undecided church in Chapel Hill
Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German Literature and Classics