Category: Organized Closet and Clothes

Start With The Easy and Obvious. Just Start.

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Let’s Start with Starting. 

Some days, our most important word is “start”.

I received a text from a client this week. She is delightful. I work with the most amazing people.

She is an in-person organizing client.  We were scheduled to work together later that day, and she was thinking through her project list and what she wanted to accomplish that day. She has a few high priority projects and determining where specifically we needed to spend our time since we would not be able to accomplish all the projects in the time we had scheduled. She didn’t know if we should start on putting away the Christmas decoration bins or start on the basement storage space or start on the clean and dirty laundry in the primary bedroom and walk-in closet.

And, of course, this is a great question to ask. Where to spend our time? But more importantly, of course, is that all of those options start with the word start. Because if we want to make progress in any direction we have to start. 

In this case, we started with the easy and the obvious, with the big project RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, which was laundry.

If you also wonder where to start on your organizing projects, here is the answer:

  • Start with the easy and the obvious.
  • Start with a project that is small.
  • Start with a project that is completely straightforward and un-emotional.
  • Start with the project that you’ve already made progress on or is almost done.
  • Start with the obvious. If you want to organize your kitchen today, load up the dishwasher and clean out the sink first before you open one cabinet or drawer. 
  • Start with the easy.  Take out all the trash and recycling.  Those are already-made decisions and getting that all out the door can jump start our motivation.
  • Start with what is on the floor in front of you, because that will make taking a next step easier.
  • Of course, You can always start with the hard and intimidating, too, but that is a topic for another article!

Just so you know, this article is not just about physical organizing.

My organizing work also utilizes the skills I’ve learned in coaching because in the best organizing sessions, the conversation stays solidly with the client, the client gains awareness, we utilize clear communication and powerful questions, and we set my client up to continue to succeed.

This client texted me that she was overwhelmed. She had small children home this week due to the cold and snow here in Chicago. The holidays wrapped up less than a month ago.  January activities are in full swing. I say all of this because, hey, who among us hasn’t felt overwhelmed?

She was asking for guidance around prioritizing work and projects.  She is clear on what her projects are but was sorting out where was the best place to start.  She was crafting her plan for our time together based on needs (hooray!!!).  And for our purposes that day, the answer was Start with the Easy and the Obvious.

So regardless of if we’re working on organizing a bedroom or in coaching, setting our professional goals for 2024, the process and questions are similar!

We determine needs – in my client’s example, the needs were physical spaces that needed to be organized, for better functioning of her home and therefore some peace of mind. 

Next, how do we prioritize? What shall we do, first , second, third, etc.? Let’s make sure that what we’re working on, in organizing or in coaching, is important. That it will move us towards our goals, will improve our lives. Let’s think it through.

For this client, we could look at our three options, Christmas bins, storage space or clothes, and we could acknowledge that all three were important but taking care of the clothes and laundry would help immediately.  So, we started with the Easy and the Obvious right in front of us.

And once we know what to do and when, let’s actually make the work happen.

SO THEN WE START.  And the twist here is that STARTing is the easy and obvious step to take.

My client started the work when we set the appointment for this week a month ago. 

She started the work when she reached out to me earlier in the day to tell me that she was overwhelmed but still willing to work.

She started the work when she texted me to talk through priorities.

And when I got to her house, after we talked through things a little bit longer, we DOVE IN and made great progress on the clothes / laundry / bedroom project.

If you, too, are wondering where to start on your organizing projects, let’s review.

  • Start with the easy and the obvious.
  • Start with a project that is small or impersonal or already started or almost complete.
  • Start with what is right in front of you.
  • Just start.

What does that look like for you this week?  Sure, this has been about an organizing project, but let’s ask the question about you personally.

What is easy and obvious? What simple things can you change to make things better in 2024? 

  • Want to eat healthier?  Bring home healthy foods.
  • More exercise or movement?  Every time that idea occurs to you, stand up and move around your space.
  • Improve your relationships? Text a friend.
  • Better sleep in 2024? Got to bed.  No really.

Start.  Just start.

Organizing Projects Don’t Stay Done (sorry)

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This may be difficult to read, but our organizing efforts do not always stay done. (I know, sorry about that). It’s true, though. We can do the work, work the organizing process, and LOVE the outcomes. However …

Sometimes… things slowly creep back out from their storage spaces and don’t get put back away. Or we acquire a new item but don’t dedicate a new home for that item so it lingers on the counter or in the middle of the bedroom floor, etc.

This time last year- well, we all know what we were doing this time last year. Here in Chicago, this was our last non-shelter-in-place week (not EVEN going to call it normal) before things closed down for a bit. I was agonizing over how to properly but safely celebrate my husband’s birthday, my son’s college campus was closing up until August, and trying to figure out how to pivot my business if I couldn’t actually see people in person. Well, you remember. We all have our stories.

The point, though, is that many of us responded to Shelter In Place with a flurry of organizing projects. And I LOVE THAT, of course!

However… Organizing Projects don’t stay done.  It may be time to tweak the areas you organized in a flurry a year ago.

This week, I challenge you to check in on the organizational status of areas in your home, and add some maintenance to your project list for Spring. For Example:

Kitchen:

I offered my “An Organized Kitchen” presentation last week which inspired me to take a look in my own cabinets.

Pretty, right?

I checked the dish cabinets and made sure things still made sense in there.

I checked the food cabinets, looked at expiration dates, tossed out a few stale items, made my menu for the week with what we have already and assembled a bag of food for a local food drive.

I ordered a new tea pot and a replacement blade for my blender, too.

Maintenance is quicker and easier than organizing, AND it is essential.

Clothing closets:

I know MANY of us organized clothes and closets for ourselves and our family members last Spring. I always feel the itch to review my clothes this time of year as the season changes. But if you do not always get the organizing itch, let this be your reminder – time to check in on your closets. Try things on, swap out heavy Winter items for Spring, look critically at things too old / stained / big / small and purge the things that don’t make the cut.

Be objective, friends – those lounge pants and hoodies you or your kids have been wearing for a year now? Umm, just saying, it might be time to let them go…

Linen Closets / Hall Closets / other small storage spaces :

I am lumping these storage spaces together as only YOU know how you use your storage spaces. When we attacked the linen closet or coat closet last March, we were reacting, getting by, making do. Look more critically at your small storage spaces this week and make sure they’re still doing their jobs. The process remains the same –

  • sort what is there,
  • purge what can go,
  • assign a home and containerize what you’re keeping, and
  • maintain the work as you live in your home
  • (process per Julie Morgenstern, Organizing from the Inside Out)

The good news? You may have done this project in the last 12 months, so you just need to catch up instead of starting all over.

Clearing clutter in these spaces: I offered this tip last year and here it is again – linen closets or bathroom storage? Corral your toiletries and use up all the partial bottles or travel sizes for the next few weeks, then recycle!

And cleaning supplies? OK, if you were a clorox wipe, bleach or paper towel collector (no judgement here), you may still have a stockpile of such items cluttering up your spaces. Take a couple of deep breaths and start using some of your stock to clear clutter and make room for more living.

Outdoor Spaces:

Last summer was definitely the summer of the backyard oasis.

Many of us worked on gardening, our garages and our outdoor spaces since we couldn’t really go too many places or do too many things!

Now is the time to sweep out that garage again, put the things away that have wandered out of storage over the winter and start dreaming again of warmer and sunnier days in our outdoor spaces. And maybe, just maybe, we get to include more friends this year!

Sooo, what areas made it onto your project list this week? As I wrote this, I also thought to share my resources page with everyone again, if you have recycling or hauling or selling questions as you clear clutter, https://peaceofmindpo.com/2019/06/26/organizing-resources-to-reduce-repurpose-and-recycle/.

How To Stack & Store Stuff!

January is Get Organized Month! How To Stack and Store Stuff!

Getting organized is a process, and choosing and using the right containers for storage is a really important step in the process!

During my presentations, I talk a lot about Containerizing and how to do it the right way! (BTW, “Containerize” is a word introduced by Julie Morgenstern in her book Organizing From The Inside Out). And for ease of writing (and reading, I expect!), I am talking about large storage containers during this article, and not the little ones in your kitchen cabinets.

Why Containerize?

-To protect your items.

-To maximize your vertical space.

-To keep your items conveniently portable.

-To provide boundaries and limits for collecting.

-To enable retrieval of similar or related items when needed.

To Protect Your Item, choose the right containers that will offer physical protection and structure for your stuff. Consider heat and cold variations when you are storing your stuff (as in, snow globes will FREEZE and SHATTER if they’re kept outside), protection against bugs and moisture and dust. Cardboard is almost NEVER the right choice for long term storage of your belongings because it is susceptible to moisture, dust and bugs plus it degrades over time and usage.

Containerize your really heavy or fragile items to protect them from falling or from harm. And store both heavy and fragile items in small containers with only a few other things (but not together, of course!).

Maximize your vertical space. Containers are great for utilizing your vertical space well, since you can stack containers into tall stacks. When you are storing filled containers, store the heaviest and widest containers at the bottom of the pile, and don’t just keep piling. For safety sake, most stacks shouldn’t be over 3 or 4 containers tall.

Keep your items conveniently portable. I have no intention of moving from my home any time soon. BUT, if I did, it would be super easy to move the contents of my crawl space. Most of the contents are seasonal items and decor, and all are pared down, categorized, containerized and well labeled, so moving would be a piece of cake.

When containerizing, don’t pack really big containers full of really heavy items. Those 18 gallon Rubbermaid containers are great for storing holiday decor, bedding or clothes or toys, but not books and photos and papers – those heavy dense items would make the big containers too heavy to conveniently move and stack.

Containers provide boundaries and limits for collecting. Containers provide reminders of what is the reasonable amount of stuff to keep. Think about your dresser. It seems reasonable to keep one or two drawers of t-shirts (or socks or underwear), right? But if we don’t containerize our stuff in a drawer, it is difficult to determine how much for something we actually own. Containers provide a gauge for quick estimates of content.

When you’re explaining to your kids (or others) how much of something to keep, you can say ‘one container’ or 2 or whatever of memorabilia or stuffed animals, etc.

Containers enable retrieval of similar or related items when needed. Label your containers, so you can find things again. Affix a label to two sides of the container, one end and one side. DO NOT label the top, for as soon as you stack your containers, you will not longer see the top.

Label your container (and DO NOT write the containers’ contents on the container!), and be willing to change them if the contents change. I have spent 17 years now searching for good labels. So far, the best combo is a Post-It note and a Sharpie marker covered over with clear packing tape.

Decide if you want to see the contents of the container or not. Clear containers provide a clearer view, but are often more expensive and less sturdy. In addition, we may want an opaque container for a more uncluttered look in your storage area.

If you are packing away seasonal decor this week, or looking to get organized for 2020, give some thought to the right containers for the job!

Quick Fixes for a Better Closet

I received photos of a stranger’s closet via text last week.  (It sounded funny to me as I typed it, but it is not an uncommon occurrence, and the stranger isn’t strange at all!)

A participant from a recent presentation asked questions  about her oddly shaped and slightly frustrating closet.   I love these questions!  And regardless of the size or status of your closet, there are steps I suggest to EVERYONE, including this class participant, to give you more breathing room and make your closet work better for you!

Try one of these suggestions this week, or all of them!

      • Pull all unused hangers off your closet rods.  Toss or recycle the old or decrepit ones, and set aside the ones you may use as you hang clothes up today.   When you’re done clearing space today, put all the extras in the laundry room.

      • Collect and recycle the empty shoe and shipping boxes, then toss out the shopping bags, dry cleaner bags, tags, pocket lint, tissues, etc. from the floor.
      • Collect all those Errands-To-Be-Run items – for return, repair, donate or share?  Yep – send them all on their way.  Pack them into the car, and add the errands to this week’s to-do list.
      • If space is tight, consider moving move all non-clothing items elsewhere.  (For example, more-than-one-piece-of-luggage, keepsakes, excessive bedding, gifts to be given, bags of clothing donations, fans, furniture?)  Send these under the bed or into storage elsewhere in your home.
      • Swap your clothes for the season.  Yes, I know it may seem like a hassle, and I also know some items can be worn all 12 months but some… can’t or shouldn’t be worn all 12 months.  Store these in storage bins or totes under the bed or on the top shelf of the closet.  Your clothes will last longer safely folded away instead of hanging and collecting dust, and you will reap major space benefits by clearing away items you won’t wear for a while.
      • Swap out your shoes for the season, too.
      • Move that safe on the floor. (Yes, everyone keeps their safe on the floor of their closet and thieves know it.) Hide it somewhere clever while freeing up some closet space.
      • Now that you have more breathing room, use your vertical space better: install over the door shoe racks on the back of the doors, or jewelry storage on a blank wall.

Try one, try all!  And enjoy some breathing room in your closet this week!

Maintain Your Home Today to Avoid Emergencies Tomorrow

Earlier this year, I crafted this list of monthly, seasonal and annual household tasks for a client new to home ownership.   She wanted to keep up on regular maintenance tasks because she is smart, and realizes that regular maintenance is the best way to avoid emergencies down the road.

For example, every Fall:

  • Have your furnace and air conditioner looked at now, to avoid an emergency and costly repair or replacement in the dead of winter.
  • Turn off outdoor water faucets completely, to keep pipes from freezing (and bursting).
  • Take care of your lawnmower and snowblower at the change of seasons to keep them running well for many years to come.
  • And the list goes on and on…

Of course we can’t avoid emergencies or accidents completely, but we can invest some time and resources in keeping them away as much as possible!

This list is a start, a jumping-off point.  Feel free to copy and paste it to your own document and edit it to make it more personal and specific to your situation, such as if you have pets or a swimming pool,  or more than one home or just a condo or apartment, obviously tasks can be added or subtracted to fit your needs.

Annual Tasks:

  • HVAC system check
  • Clean rugs
  • License and license plate sticker renewal

Fall / Winter:

  • Winterize your lawnmower
  • Get your snowblower ready, turn it on and let it run a few minutes  (Get some gas, too)
  • Flush hot water heater and remove sediment
  • Turn off and flush outdoor water faucets
  • Test sump pump /  sump pump valve replacement
  • Outdoor greastrap
  • Rout the shower drain
  • Winterize air conditioning system
  • Clean duct work
  • Get heating system ready for winter
  • Clean / check fire place, get chimney cleaned
  • Check driveway/pavement for cracks
  • Buy winter gear and sidewalk salt
  • Bring deck furniture in
  • Check window screens
  • Wash mini blinds
  • Wash out and de-clutter cabinets and closets
  • De-grease top of cabinets if no soffit

Spring / Summer:

  • Check and repair screens
  • check and repair deck
  • move deck furniture to deck
  • clean and summer-ize snow blower

Twice a Year:

  • Windows inside and out
  • Clean curtains / draperies
  • Wash or dry clean comforters
  • Vacuum your fridge coils, pull fridge out and vacuum behind
  • Swap out reverse osmosis unit water filter
  • Check and clear dryer vents
  • Reverse ceiling Fans
  • Test smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and all ground-fault circuit interrupters.
  • Clean gutters and downspouts

Monthly:

  • Inspect and possibly change furnace filter
  • Vacuum heat registers and heat vents
  • Clean range hood filters and garbage disposal (grind ice cubes, then flush with hot water and baking soda)
  • Pour a tea pot full of boiling water down bathroom sink drains
  • Clean coffee maker

Weekly / Daily:

  • Clean dishwasher trap (weekly)
  • Errands and grocery shopping
  • Pet waste clean-up
  • Restock pet supplies
  • Rugs, towels and bedding
  • Daily laundry
  • Go through mail / shred stuff / pay bills

So, use a little time this week to take care of your home maintenance tasks, and get your home prepped for the next season!

A Place To Put My Hiking Gear

These last few weeks, I’ve written or shared articles about Being Prepared for National Preparedness Month.

Being Prepared isn’t just about preparing for crises and emergencies, though.
Being Prepared can be about being ready for anything that life throws your way, the Good in addition to the emergencies!

I’m going to re-cap this article before you read the rest, with these tips for Preparing For The Good Stuff:

  1. Recognize what is important to you.
  2. Proactively clear obstacles that stand in the way of being able to do what is important to you.
  3. Dedicate resources to what is important to you.
  4. Maintain your Prepared for the Good Stuff status with regular attention.

For example:  I recently purchased a hiking back pack.

Did you know?  I love to hike.  Nature nurtures and delights me. From big vacations to stolen moments as I travel through my day-to-day, I find reasons to stop and be out in nature.

I like to be prepared, so I have a small pile of hiking stuff I take with me when I hike, and I keep it at the ready in a small pouch.  What is my “hiking stuff”?  Bug spray, signal whistle and compass, small portable first aid kit, hat, bandanas (for keeping mosquitoes out of my ears, I hate that!), etc.  And I would toss that small pouch, a water bottle and a protein bar in my big backpack when I was going for a hike.

Or, I would do that if I wasn’t already using the big pack pack for something else, like when we were already traveling and the big back pack was my luggage. Or, sometimes the big back pack was just, well, too big for a day hike, and if you hike, you know you want to travel light. And where do I keep my pouch of hiking stuff between hikes?

I recently decided that to truly honor my love of hiking, I needed to dedicate some resources to making my hiking hobby work better for me.   Life is never about the stuff, but I can still be really happy with a new purchase that will make my life better.  (Shown here is the Kavu Paxton Pack I purchased, after a little bit of research.)

The new hiking pack solved the challenges I had with my hiking stuff before now.  Most importantly, I find the already packed hiking backpack motivating and it makes me happy, so Win-Win.  When there is absolutely no obstacle to an early morning hike other than filling my reusable water bottle and heading out the door, I am much more likely to actually head out that door!

I haven’t always considered myself an athlete, but knowing I’m prepared to hit the trails makes me feel like an athlete in this game called life, and I find that motivating, as well.

So, to Be Prepared for the Good in life:

  1. Recognize what is important to you.
  2. Proactively clear obstacles that stand in the way of being able to do what is important to you.
  3. Dedicate resources to what is important to you.
  4. Maintain your Prepared for the Good Stuff status with regular attention.

Happy Hiking! (Or whatever you choose!)

I Love My New Packing Cubes

My morning view on va-ca!

As we prepared to travel to California in April, I took a moment and ordered packing cubes from Amazon.

I rarely encourage my readers to go out and buy something, but these specific items might make your life better! I love my packing cubes!  My set cost me $25 and showed up on my porch a few weeks before our trip.

What are packing cubes?   The image to the left is the set of cubes I have .  They are nylon and mesh zippered pouches.  My set of 4 ranges is size from small (11″ x 6.75″ x 4″) to XLarge (17.5″ x 12.75″ x 4″).  I’ve also seen sets that are 4 of the same size. Search for your favorite combination!

As I Pack:

Packing cubes help with the packing process!  I like that I can lay the cubes out on my dresser instead of a carry-on or big lunky suitcase. With packing cubes, you can:

  • compartmentalize your clothes and personal items, like packing pants in one cube and shirts in another; or
  • pack casual wear in one and dressier clothes in another, and then just pull out the cube that you need when you get to your destination; or
  • roll your outfits together in the packing cubes and zip them tight, then pull out just what you want; or
  • for short trips, each family member can use their own cube in the big communal suitcase, saving lots of time and trouble!
  • I use the smaller cubes for pajamas and swim wear (packed weeks before the CA trip and then set aside) and socks, bras and underwear.
  • Also, I find that my packing cubes help me realize how much and what I’m actually packing!

One of the strengths of the packing cubes is that you can pack them really full of your items and then zip the cube tight, which helps keep your items compressed in your bag, taking up much less room.

When I Get Where I Am Going:

If you have to open your suitcase mid-trip, packing cubes keep your stuff from flying out!

I rarely unpack at hotels, but having my cubes makes it ridiculously easy to pop the cubes out of my luggage and into a drawer.

If I leave my suitcase packed, I can grab the cube I need and access just the item I’m looking for.  If you are packing up and moving on without heading home, leaving the cubes packed makes transitions easy.

My cube set came with a laundry bag, so I usually use the laundry bag and then compress it into the smallest amount of space possible, too, for heading home.  If I am gone a short time, I will just repack the largest cube as my dirty laundry bag, which makes unpacking a breeze.

When I get home:

If the packing cubes need a re-fresh, they are machine washable.

After I’ve unpacked from my most recent trip, I re-pack a small cube with my travel PJs and one of my swimming suits and all the other cubes folded flat, and then leave it packed, ready to go again next time.  I already shared this idea a couple of weeks ago with my toiletry bag, which stays packed all the time, and now I’m excited to use it for these items, too!

A lot of these packing tips can be used for better packing, with or without packing cubes, but I love my packing cubes, give them a try and see if they’ll work for you!

Keep Your Travel Essentials Packed ALL THE TIME

Recently, a man walked up to me before Mass and said “You look like a person who carries band-aids.  Could I have one, please?  My son cut his finger and needs some help.”  Not only did I have band-aids to share, I also provided a cleansing wipe, alcohol pad and a few tissues.

Yep, that’s how I roll.  I carried a mom-bag even before I was a mom.  I’m the one with a safety pin, phone charger, hand sanitizer, gum (even though I don’t chew it), toothpicks and tylenol.  If you need something and I’m in the room, go ahead and ask, I probably have it.

My thoughts are on travel this month and I want to talk about my travel kit. Our “travel kit”, shave kit, travel toiletry bag,  etc. is the bag of travel and hygiene essentials that we all should get used to taking with us when we travel.

And here is a little secret – Keep it packed and up-to-date ALL THE TIME to make life and travel so much easier!  I travel often enough, especially during the summer, that leaving these essentials packed all the time saves lots of time and hassle.

How to?  Here we go!

  1. Determine your list of essentials.  Yes, I actually made a list, printed and laminated it and posted it on the inside of one of my medicine cabinet doors (I had a list for the kids when they were little, too).  My list includes:
  • toothpaste, toothbrush,  shampoo, conditioner, soap / bodywash, face lotion with sunscreen, body lotion, hair styling product and comb, and deodorant.  A travel size of all of these items stay in the kit all the time, as do
  • lip balm, nail trimmers, tweezers, scissors and an extra eyeglass case.
  • Planning for emergencies, I also pack a glass repair kit, mini-sewing kit and first aid kit.
  • When I am ready to leave, I will add: contacts and solution, cosmetics, nail polish (for touch ups), and a jewelry pouch.
  • In the kitchen, there is a bag and a check list ready for packing my vitamins, protein shake, and travel coffee (Starbuck’s Via Packets) and tea for just in case.

2.  Find a pouch or two that will hold everything. Consider your options: washable (mine is plastic and wipes clean);  transparent (best for air travel, and for being able to see and find stuff!) or opaque (for privacy); appropriately sized – not too big or too small! I use two for longer trips, with shower stuff in one and everything else in the other, as they are less bulky in a suitcase this way.

3.  If you have a habit of forgetting your kit in hotel rooms, you could use a resealable quart or freezer size ziploc with disposable items inside.

4.  Check your linen closet or medicine cabinets for extras of the essentials, and populate your kit.  Grab travel sizes of your essentials, or those hotel sized toiletries you seem to collect but never use!  Once you know what you need, and what you already have on hand, take a swing through the travel size aisle at your local pharmacy for the items you’re missing.

5.  Most importantly, when you return from your adventures, check your list and your pouch contents again and restock anything you may have depleted while you were traveling.  Put your pre-packed travel kit away until you pack for your next adventure, when it will be waiting to help you out!

When Your College Student Moves Home For The Summer

May is a busy month most years.  But this year, we added an extra layer to the already busy month, when my college student son who lives on campus (the other lives at home) moved home for the summer.  With all of his stuff.

I’ve published over 430 blog articles on my web page.  That’s a lot of articles.  But moving a young adult back home was uncharted territory.   Whoooo, boy.

My sons are either the luckiest people ever or completely tortured for having a mother who is also a certified professional organizer.   I prefer to go with “lucky”, they may have a different opinion.  But here is how we handled Moving Home For Summer!

The Move Home begins long before the big day.

  • The Moving-Home process really starts when your student leaves for the school year.  DO NOT take over your student’s bedroom or storage space when they go away to school. And
  • Keep an inventory of what moved to college with your student.
  • Clear as much out of the bedroom as possible before your student moves home.  I have spent a couple of hours in my son’s room while he’s been away, clearing out clutter, containerizing keepsakes, etc.  I know, ideally your children will do this themselves.  Ideally…
  • Plan for the Big Stuff:  In April, I cleared out one side of his closet to make room for the large storage boxes we sent off to school with him.  Expect to use under-bed storage, too.
  • In March, my son brought home a large suitcase full of stuff he knew he wouldn’t need anymore, to start the process.

Day of:

  • I did not help with the actual pick up / load up  / drive home day.  Son and husband tackled that day, bless them both.  Obviously, my son’s stuff did not come home from college nearly as tidily as it moved TO college, but they loaded up and got home in good time, so props to them.  The two packing tips I would share are 1.  zip-ties to bundle hung clothing together, and 2. reusable shopping bags for the last 10 minutes to toss the last of the random stuff into.
  • Unpack the car when you get home.  All of it.  Yes, all of it.
  • Accept that the mess will grow before it shrinks.

The Week After the Move Home:

  • I have to chuckle, my son just keeps saying he didn’t realize he had so much stuff, and so much he doesn’t need.  These have been teaching moments, to help review his belongings and determine what he does and doesn’t need.  There were a few days when stuff wasn’t getting put away, until he and I realized there was older stuff in his drawers that he had to make decisions about and probably get rid of, to make room for the stuff he does want to keep.
  • Unpack everything.  If food moved home, plan to use up what is perishable.  If items are shelf stable – dried goods, unopened hand soap or shampoo, etc. – consider repacking them for the move back to school to save $$ on restocking.
  • Wash everything (or mostly everything). Dishes, bedding, yep, just wash it all.  He cleaned the toaster and the coffee maker.  Review everything, and make sure it’s all clean.  You REALLY don’t want to find a dirty dish or old towel in three months.  Ew….
  • And, once the stuff is clean, re-pack it.  Kitchen items with kitchen items, books with books, room decor / cords / lamps, etc. all together. Most of the storage cubes in his closet are already re-packed and ready to go back so school in August.

Please, learn from our experiences!  And enjoy your summer with your family!

An Organized Person… Knows There Are Seasons for Our Stuff

An organized person… knows there are seasons for our stuff.  Which, to me, is quite a relief.

If there are seasons for our stuff, we don’t have to look at ALL OF OUR STUFF ALL OF THE TIME.  Thank goodness, because that sounds exhausting.

In my Clear the Clutter Class just last night, we talked about seasonal items and things around our homes that are exceptions to our rule.  The things that we need, sure, but maybe we don’t need right now. Or not even for a few months.

When we’re feeling a little overwhelmed by our stuff, It can be quite soothing to put things away for the next few seasons and breathe a sigh of relief by the clear spaces and sense of calm their absence leaves behind.

Snow blower for lawn mower.

Iced tea pitcher for favorite cold weather / hot tea bags.

Hockey for baseball gear.

Winter gloves and scarves for baseball caps and sunscreen.

Snow shovels for gardening tools.

Heavy sweaters for light.

Boots for sandals.

Flannel bed sheets for cotton.

Soup pot for grill basket.

I’m not suggesting that you need to get rid of these colder weather items.  They don’t have to leave our homes completely, but perhaps they can move to the back of the garage, or the top shelf of the kitchen cabinets, or the bottom shelf of the linen closet.  It’s time to make some space for today and this season, and ease last week’s and last season’s items to their off season-resting place for now!

And if, as you transition your belongings for the season, you decide to purge some no longer needed or used clothes or winter accessories or old bedding, then you will have even more open space and breathing room!