Make it easier to put away, harder to get out — For example, store picture books as a flip-file, standing upright in a plastic dishpan. The child flips through the books, makes his selection, and tosses the book in the front of the dishpan when he’s done. Compare a traditional bookcase, where little fingers can pull down a whole shelf faster than they can replace one book. Build the effort into the getting out, not the putting away.

 Organize bottom to top — Befitting a child’s shorter stature, start organizing from the bottom of the room, and work to the top. Most used toys and belongings should live on lower shelves, in lower drawers, or on the floor. Higher levels are designated for less-frequently-used possessions.

Working bottom to top, the best-loved teddy bear sits in a small rocker on the floor, while the extensive Grandma-driven bear collection is displayed on a shelf built 6 feet up the wall.

Label — When it comes to keeping kids’ rooms organized for the long haul, labels save the day. Use a computer printer to make simple graphic labels for young children. Pictures of socks, shirts, dolls or blocks help remind the child where these items belong. Enhance reading skills for older children by using large-type word labels.

Slap labels everywhere: inside and outside of drawers, on shelf edges and on the plastic shoebox storage containers that belong there, on boxes and bookcases and filing cubes. Playing “match the label” can be fun–and turns toy pickup into a game.

1. Remove everything from your desk. Place your phone on your left if you’re right handed and on the right if you’re left handed. Display personal items elsewhere.

2. Keep a spiral notebook by the phone for messages and phone notes. Write your voice mail messages in it and delete them from the system. Jot down reference notes before you make a call to reduce phone time.

3. Open your planner or turn on your PDA and place it on your desk. Use it to keep track of to-dos, follow-ups and ideas.

4. Keep office supplies in one drawer only. Buy a dozen of your favorite, inexpensive pens and keep them in a cutlery tray in the drawer. Keep back-up supplies in a plastic storage container with drawers.

5. Sort through your desk files. Keep in your desk drawers only files you use weekly or those that are personal or confidential.

6. Place your computer at a 90 degree angle to your desk. Keep your desk work surface clear of everything except essentials and your current project.

7. Set up a system for active files either in a step file sorter on your desk or in your file drawer. Sort your paperwork into it: Do, Consider, Awaiting Answer, File, Hold, Read and Refer.

8. Take ten minutes at the end of each day to keep your desk organized. Place tomorrow’s top priority project in the center of your desk. You’re ready for anything.

There is no need to spend lots of money decorating your house for Halloween. These quick and easy decorations use items you may well have around the home.

Large hanging ghosts that will sway spookily in the breeze outside can be made easily by draping a white sheet, tablecloth or pillowcase over a balloon and tying below the head. Small ones for indoors can be made from white paper napkins or kitchen paper tied over any small ball or crumpled tissue paper or stuffed sock then secured with string or thread and a face drawn on with marker pens.

Scarecrows to decorate the party room, trees, patio or porch can be put together cheaply by stuffing old clothes with rags or rolled up newspapers tied at elbow and knee to look jointed. Faces can be made from the back of old shirts or tee shirts tied over a ball or balloon and hair can be stuck on made from straw from a pet supplies shop, raffia, yarn or strips of fabric poking out from beneath an old hat.

Creepy looking headstones can be fashioned from painted cardboard or wood and joke shop spiders and flies can be stuck on to windows and doors with sticky tack. Spiders and flies are also good for decorating sandwiches and the table, but not if there are very young children around who may actually try to eat them!

Children will enjoy cutting cats from black paper and sticking on large eyes made from kitchen foil or making bats to hang from the ceiling by folding an oblong of black paper in half, drawing half of a bat shape and cutting away the excess.

Even very young children can paint or colour in huge orange paper pumpkins using bright yellow to represent the light shining through the eyes and mouth.

Any old Ghostbuster toys that you have around can be fun decorations for the table and an inexpensive centerpiece can be made by using a dollar store/pound shop black plant cauldron with a large bowl inside it, or just a large bowl covered with black tissue paper and filled with cola or blackcurrant cordial plus a few grapes, cubes of pineapple or pieces of apple floating around for a gruesome looking witches brew.