Spiff up Your Space

Is your bedroom a disaster area? Or just a tad cluttered? Either way, you’ll feel tons better once it’s tidied up. Crank up the music to get yourself pumped!

In the Trash
OK, first the obvious: empty soda cans, wads of tissue, half-eaten, petrified peanut-butter sandwiches -- in the garbage. Next, carry all dishes, silverware and cups to the kitchen sink. Then chuck dirty clothes in a hamper or laundry basket.

Brace yourself: Here comes the hard part. Time to say buh-bye to stuff you no longer use. Blow a farewell kiss to the pile of faded polka dot headbands you haven’t worn since pre-K. That cheap bracelet with the broken clasp? The cluster of dried-up markers? Your Dora the Explorer poster? Kiss, kiss, kiss.

If you have things in decent condition that you’ve outgrown, put them in a box for donation. Uh-oh, getting sentimental? Read on.…

What to Stash
You can’t squeeze into that teeny, tiny T-shirt from your first year at day camp, but it just holds so many memories and you don’t want to part with it….Get a box or bin to store items to which you have an emotional attachment and pack ’em away in a closet.

As for all your belongings that you currently use, two words: Get organized. The best way to attack it is to put similar items together. Group stuffed animals into one corner. Put all books on a shelf. Line your shoes along the closet floor. Toss hair accessories into a basket.…you get the picture.

In a Flash
Almost done, hang in there. Grab a rag and give a good swipe to all exposed dusty surfaces -- the top of a dresser, your desk, the bedside table. Then get the vacuum cleaner and give your floor a clean sweep. (Yes, your parents might pass out when they hear it whir, so be prepared.)

And we saved the best for last: Make your bed by smoothing out the sheets, pulling up the comforter and fluffing your pillows. Whew! Tired yet? So fall back onto your mattress and crash!