This time of year is the perfect time to get organized. The kids just got a bunch of new clothes, plus i’m sure that there are some they have grown out of. They also got some new toys that you need to find places for…yikes! You probably got a few new things yourself. Its chilly…brrrrr, and we are probably staying indoors a bit more. Why not use this time indoors to organize your space for the new year?
Yes, it can be daunting, but also quite refreshing once complete. An organized home helps you to stay streamlined and puts off a positive energy, which in turn helps you reach your other goals for the new year. Why not work towards it? Here are some of my simple steps to getting organized:
- OUT WITH THE OLD
Go through closets and start purging. Decide what should just be thrown away (ie. an old pair of tennis shoes or that raggy t-shirt that every husband is still holding on to), then decide what would be worth selling and/or donating. I usually sort into those 3 stacks: trash, donate and sell. I donate items that are still in good condition, but may not earn you a lot at a consignment store or selling online. I then sell the rest either through Facebook Marketplace, sites like Poshmark or at local consignment boutiques. It’s a great time to make a little bit of money back, too, after the holidays. I do the same with the kids clothes that they have grown out of.
Next stop are the kid’s toys. We all know there are a ton of toys and stuffed animals just left discarded, it is truly sad. Some toys I again just throw away. They may be broken or just completely worn out, and just not worth keeping around in general. Second, I look at some that are still in good condition that the kids have grown out of using. Those I post up on Facebook Marketplace or local mom groups to sell. Last are the mid range toys, usually stuffed animals (how do they accrue so many?). My husband is in a local Mardi Gras association, so we bag up those discarded stuffed animals for him to throw in parades. If you know someone that parades, give them a call and see if they want them. I promise you the answer will be yes, and they will most likely drive over and take them off your hands for you. Throws are expensive! If you don’t live in a Mardi Gras area, I highly suggest donating them to your local fire and police departments. Departments regularly keep little toys on hand to pass out to kids at calls. They may have been involved in a wreck and are scared or their home could have suffered a fire. Those little stuffed animals provide comfort and something to hold on to in those times of stress.
2. COME UP WITH A STRATEGY
Now that all the old/unused items have been removed from your home, its time to start thinking of organization that will work for YOUR family. What are the areas of your home that you feel need organized the most? Does everyone seem to leave their shoes on the floor in the living room? Maybe you should provide a section where the shoes should be placed. A cute little bench or hall tree is perfect! Another cute idea is to have a besket for each family member somewhere in the living room. Pick a day of the week that the basket must be emptied by or mom gets to do whatever she wants with it! Whether that be donate the items or hold them hostage until certain chores are completed. Bottles and makeup all over the bathroom counter? Pick yourself up some pretty little organizers that you will WANT to use! Little toys get deposited all over the play room floor? Find yourself some durable baskets to keep everything in their place.
3. FOCUS ON THE DETAILS
Now that you have cleaned things out and put in a strategy for the larger areas of your home, its time to start focusing on the small things in our lives that if disorganized, make a big difference to us! Take your purse for instance? How long do you spend digging for things that you need? Keys, sunglasses, Chapstick, it all seems to disappear into the abyss. Take a moment to clean out your purse and toss away and/or scan those old receipts (see last post as to why to do that), or if you have a larger purse, maybe look into a purse organizer! This one is my favorite!
Now think about those junk drawers in the kitchen….dun dun dunnnnnn. We all have em and they all have a tendency to get out of control. Get in there and pull everything out. Throw away what you know you don’t need, take things that shouldn’t be in there and put them where they do belong and get some drawer organizers for the rest. Now take a cleansing breath. Ahhhhh. You can once again find what was lost.
I will link up some great organizational finds below! Thanks for reading! xoxo
