Organization. *sigh* It seems like such a lost cause some days.
It’s not that I want to have so much clutter. It is my dream to have my home and paperwork all organized. I have this dread that something will happen and my kids will be left to sort through a bunch of junk. It’s a horrible thought.
Plus, clutter “confuses the mind and a confused mind shuts down.” (I heard that from a Mary Kay rep years ago and she was so right!) I really don’t need my mind to shut down!!
Unfortunately, my time is crunched on the best of days and I really can’t dedicate myself to one particular space for more than a couple of hours at a time. Sometimes a couple of hours doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface, so I am starting to work on mini organization projects. I figure a little at a time is better than none at all.
Day 1
Under the Bed. If you are one of those amazing people who never stores anything under the bed, I would like to applaud you. Now, tell me how you do it!
I don’t mean to put things under my bed, it just happens. I have finally disciplined myself to only put large things under there, so I guess that’s a start!
- Get everything out
- Vacuum (or sweep/mop if you don’t have carpet)
- Go through anything you find and decide if any of it can be tossed, sold, given away, relocated, or repurposed
- Only put things back under there if there is no other alternative
Day 2
Bathroom Storage. We have shelves in the closet, two cabinets, and three drawers. This one will probably take a little more time for me, but you can work at your own pace!
- Straighten towels and wash cloths
- Go through and check expiration dates–throw old stuff away!
- Get rid of things you don’t use or that you have multiples of that might go to waste.
- Group things together and store them that way..i.e., vitamins, hair care, body lotions, perfumes, etc.
- Vow to put things away neatly from now on
Day 3
Under the Kitchen Sink. The mice like to go here when they mow the hay fields. It’s just…yuck.
- Take everything out
- Wipe shelves/walls/doors down with a good cleaner
- Reorganize whatever is under there
- Get rid of old cleaning supplies or anything you won’t use
Day 4
Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers. This will probably take a while. : /
- Take one cabinet/drawer at a time
- Take everything out
- Wipe out bottoms of drawers, shelves of cabinets, doors, etc.
- Get rid of things that are broken, worn-out, missing parts/pieces, never used, or in excessive multiples that will just sit there collecting dust
- Put items in places that are convenient for you. (For example, don’t put that casserole dish that you use every week in the back of the cabinet.)
Day 5
Paper–Sorting. This is one of those never-ending things. There is always another bill or receipt. I think they breed when you aren’t looking!
- Divide into categories: bills, receipts, keepsakes, etc.
- Sort by type: household, credit cards, personal
- Throw away as much as you can–shred it, burn it, make stationary out of it…whatever it takes, just get rid of it!!
Day 6
Paper again–Filing and Organizing.
- Scan things you want to keep a copy of, but don’t necessarily need the original. (I’m looking into buying a Scan Snap. Does anybody have one and find it useful? I’d love to hear an opinion on this!)
- Find a way to store papers that works for you. I’m trying binders and a hole punch this time around!
- Make notes as you sort if you get inspiration for your keepsakes. For instance, if you think of a scrapbook or art project to do, write it down. Otherwise, you’ll probably forget about it!
Day 7
Laundry Room Cabinets. Welcome to the junk drawer of the laundry room! If you don’t have cabinets, clean out a box or two somewhere else.
- Take everything out
- If it doesn’t pertain to laundry or any other thing you use your laundry room for, throw it out or find it a new home
- Replace your laundry supplies neatly!
Day 8
Books. It’s incredibly hard for me to part with books.
- Look through all books and try to choose some to sell or donate
- Use other books in a creative way–decorating or making crafts
- Organize the rest of your books on shelves
Day 9
Music and Movies (CDs, DVDs, etc.)
- Try to purge (Make digital copies and store them on an external hard drive)
- Throw away empty cases
- Consider storing discs (without the hard cases) in a CD/DVD wallet or carrying case.
Day 10
Desk. I dread this every time.
- Clear it off
- Throw away dried up or empty ink pens.
- Store pens and supplies out of sight or in decorative containers
- Clear paper clutter
- Dedicate a space for bills and incoming paper
- Clear that new paper as soon as possible!
Naturally my clutter is probably different from yours. My best suggestion is to unclutter where you need to and do it at your own pace. Some areas may require multiple passes to clear it all out–and that’s okay! What matters the most is that we get it done and still have time to enjoy life instead of trying not drown in all of this stuff!
