#Spring is here, and it’s time for spring #cleaning! If that’s not something you look forward to, helpful cleaning “hacks” can make the task less onerous. Make cleaning as fun as possible by pairing it with a favorite podcast, TV show or music, The Every Girl suggests. Also dedicate small chunks of your day to cleaning so that it becomes routine — washing the dishes after dinner, starting a load of laundry or “resetting” the living room when turn off the TV. “By routinely chipping away at small cleaning tasks every day, you’ll save yourself from having to do an intensive deep-clean later.” #CleaningHacks
Tag: clothing donations
Are You a Decluttering Lion or Lamb?
With its rapid temperature fluctuations and blustery winds, it’s often said that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. This begs the #spring-cleaning question: When it comes to #decluttering, which one are you?
#Decluttering lions roar into a room and make snap decisions. They’re prepared to sort things into #keep, #trash and #donate piles fast, and have labeled bins, boxes and bags at the ready. They’re fed up with #clutter and perhaps preparing for a deadline or an imminent life change.
“Aggressive decluttering isn’t gentle editing; it’s decisive, time-boxed and real about what your home can hold,” says The Scarlet Society. “You’ll move fast, make smart calls and stop saving for a ‘someday’ that never comes.”
Aggressive #declutterers often follow if/then rules: The 20/20 rule, for instance, says that if you can replace an item in less than 20 minutes for less than $20, then get rid of it. If you can replace a rarely used memorabilia item with its memory (a photo), it’s time to say goodbye.
You might take as little as 48 hours as a decluttering lion, spending a few hours on each specific area of the home and paring things down to the essential, often-used #stuff. Then, you can bundle the rejects for #sale or #donation and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup.
If you’re more of a lamb when it comes to #decluttering, you will aim for slow and steady progress instead of a frantic purge. You might target one drawer instead of a whole room, taking just 30 minutes to #sort things out. The next day, you can move on to #organize another spot.
Gentle #declutterers often get overwhelmed by the task. To prevent decision fatigue, Simple Clean Living suggests keeping a “Not Sure” box close to catch things that may have true practical or sentimental value. “You can revisit it days, weeks or months from now, when your nervous system is more settled.”
You can let go of #clutter without the rush if you do it in manageable moments. The key is to make it a regular, ongoing practice to ensure progress. With time and regular effort, lambs can create calmer #spaces for themselves.
Lion or lamb, ClothingDonations.org is here to accept your #donations of lightly used clothing, media and household items. Let us take care of the things that no longer serve your lifestyle or fit your space!
Embrace Simplicity During Lent and Ramadan
The season of repentance arrives for approximately 3 billion people this week. Christians and Muslims throughout the world will begin observing the traditions of Lent and Ramadan Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 by engaging in fasting, prayer and abstinence.
If you’ve ever wondered why the observances are so similar, it’s because the two religions trace their origins to the mystical experiences and religious quests of Abraham. Lent commemorates the 40 days the Hebrews spent in the desert; the month-long Ramadan recalls the moment God revealed the Koran to the prophet Mohammed and follows the broader theological principle of advancing toward holiness on a pilgrimage.
Whatever religion you practice, the season invites everyone to embrace #simplicity. Even if you aren’t observant of a major religion, the monthlong or 40-day timeline can support you in your efforts to be more sensible, healthy, penitent and/or #organized.
Lenten sacrifice calls for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. You may be familiar with the season’s abstinence from eating meat (particularly on Fridays) or individual choices such as abstinence from temptations such as chocolate, alcohol, television or gossip. Almsgiving includes #charity in many forms, including #donations of money, services and goods.
Similarly, Ramadan suggests that Muslims strengthen their connections with Allah by practicing selflessness. “Through acts of charity, Muslims express gratitude for their blessings and demonstrate compassion towards others, embodying the values of empathy and kindness,” says Al-Ayn Social Care Foundation.
For Christians, Muslims and anyone else who feels beset by #clutter, we offer a simple strategy to add to the calendar: #Clean out a #closet, drawer or other #household space and #donate any #extra #stuff to ClothingDonations.org. You can feel good that the simple act of almsgiving will go toward programs that help #veterans in need.
Whatever else you choose to do during the season of Lent and Ramadan, make a #donation! Whether or not it is part of your religious observance, it will help you embrace a more ascetic and sustainable existence.
Create a Project for the Dead of Winter
There’s always a time of year when the #winter weather starts to wear on a person. Snow and cold likely find you indoors more than you want to be, and there are few holidays or occasions to provide a distraction. We’ve entered the year’s gray doldrums.
There’s a fantastic way to fight any boredom, anxiety, cabin fever or seasonal blues you might be feeling, however: Think up a new #project and get it off the ground! There’s extra time on the calendar, and you can defeat the winter weather to get something accomplished.
At #new year’s resolution time, the project might be yourself and your health. You might have started a dry January or be counting down to a dry February. You might set fitness goals such as losing X number of pounds or visiting the gym regularly.
You might decide to enhance your knowledge by learning something new — a language, a musical instrument, or a craft such as woodworking or pottery. The internet is full of free and reasonably priced classes; sites such as OpenCulture, MasterClass, Babbel and others help you get started.
Perhaps you’ve been planning a few small #household renovations — interior painting and redecorating, installing new insulation or shelving, and so on. As long as you’re trapped inside, you might as well get started on a project that makes your surroundings more inviting.
#Decluttering and #organizing is a great project to start now, since it can rapidly improve your home’s livability and your mood. The Spruce offers a 30-day challenge for the winter months, but you can adjust the scope of the project to suit your capabilities. ClothingDonations.org can help when you schedule a #free donation #pickup.
Projects don’t have to be huge to make a difference. Maybe you have a hobby you’d like to revisit. Maybe you’d like to finish one good book. Maybe you’d like to update your résumé, volunteer locally or help a family member with their project. Now’s the time.
Tackling a project can keep you from getting frustrated and bored during the dreary winter months. No matter what you might choose to do, you’ll feel more confident when you launch a new project and a sense of accomplishment when you complete it. Get it started!
Meet the New Year Head-On
The start of a #new year always carries hope for renewal. With the #holidays officially complete, people look to the future and think about how they want to spend the months ahead and what they might want to accomplish.
Six days old already, 2026 still holds ample promise for reaffirming #goals large and small. Everyone’s goals will be different; the important part is to acknowledge what they are and make concrete steps toward them.
Be intentional as you consider the year ahead. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed” by your goals, says Planoly. Write down the steps need to move ahead on any resolutions or plan, breaking the tasks down into achievable, bite-sized pieces.
Goals themselves don’t have to be huge to be life-changing. Success suggests 44 ways to “kickstart” a new year — everything from calling one of your kids to planning a vacation to #cleaning a #closet and #donating the excess #clothing to a #charity like ClothingDonations.org.
Medium suggests another 10 goals, including eating three square meals a day, buying a plant, spending time with your best friend, checking your blood pressure and going to a yoga session. These goals couldn’t be simpler, and yet, you will feel a sense of satisfaction and renewal if you complete one.
We at the Organizing Blog have many goals for 2026 (maybe too many). First, we’re going to continue to #declutter and #organize, of course, and report back to our many loyal readers what we’ve discovered about the process, ourselves and our surroundings along the way.
But we’re also going to tackle a few overdue #household #renovations, starting with new paint in the main bedroom and a complete bathroom overhaul. Satisfying these goals won’t be cheap, but few things are going to get any cheaper than they are right now.
For anything you put off until “next year,” that time has come. Make a list of goals and a plan for getting to where you want to be, Forbes says, and tell people about your goals so they can help. Measure your progress and course-correct when necessary, but never admit defeat.
Have a happy, productive and fulfilling new year!