Tag: get organized

Get the Jump on Back-to-School Season

Posted on by Jordank

For kids and the college-bound, the lazy days of summer will soon come to an end. School starts as early as mid-August in many parts of the United States, so it’s goodbye to campouts and cookouts and swimming pools and pickup games, and back to the books.

Parents will want to take advantage of the many sales. Retailers are promoting back-to-school #deals earlier to tap the average $875 parents will spend this year to get each child outfitted in new clothes, computers and backpacks.

College students need even more to set them up for success: $1,365, according to the National Retail Federation, because they also need basic housewares such as sheets and minifridges. Whatever the student’s age, Good Housekeeping offers a guide to the things they might need.

You’ll want to get your students looking the part, from outfitting them in the latest styles (baggy jeans and leopard prints are back) to getting them a fresh haircut. (Great Clips is offering 24,000 free haircuts and a glossary of Gen Z slang to get parents up to speed.)

“It’s tough to keep up with the latest slang kids are using, but it is important because you can’t help your child succeed if you don’t really know what they want,” says former NSYNC singer Joey Fatone, who stars in a promo with his teenage daughter.

Parents who want to cut the #clutter will also want to prepare for the inevitable onslaught of student projects. Now’s a great time of year to work with your kids to #clean out #closets and make room for new #clothes, #organize a desk and #file last year’s school work.

Set aside any #clothing that still has some useful life in it and contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a #free #donation #pickup. Other parents appreciate the deals they can find at the #thrift stores supplied by those generous #donations, and #veterans benefit from the resale proceeds.

So (attempting Z slang here) don’t do back-to-school mid — gas up your kids for the new year. If your beige flag is organization, it’s a good time for you to cook. But start right away — letting kids start school unprepared is delulu!

Declutter Before the Spring Scrubdown

Posted on by Jordank

Now that #spring is less than three weeks away, it’s time to plot your #spring cleaning strategy. Start by #decluttering so that you can focus on #sanitizing instead of #organizing when you get down to business. “Getting rid of items that no longer serve a purpose or bring joy will reduce the quantity of work that needs doing,” Beatrice Flores, professional cleaner, told Homes & Gardens. Go through your residence and sort out any unused-but-still-useful items and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #donation #pickup. Once that #junk is out of the way, stock up on cleaning supplies and start scrubbing. #SpringCleaning

Revisit Your New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on by Jordank

People often try to make a fresh start at the beginning of the calendar year, making #resolutions to lose weight, get more exercise, get #organized, save money and so on. But such resolutions — made to suit a salient juncture in time — often get sidelined quickly.

One can make a resolution or set a new goal at any time, of course, but the goal-setter needs to be ready. So if you made resolutions three weeks ago and are already coming up short, it’s time to revisit those goals and figure out how you can successfully meet them.

The first thing to do when making any sort of shift is to mentally prepare for change, says GoSkills. Inventory any progress you have already made toward a goal, however small; this will help you maintain positivity as you tackle the next steps.

Pick a goal that motivates you and has a substantial personal value or benefit. Is it to learn a new software program to boost your career? Learn a musical instrument as a creative outlet? #Clean and organize the garage to give you more space? What the goal is doesn’t matter as much as making sure it aligns with your priorities.

Limit yourself to just a few improvement goals. GoSkills suggests writing every aspiration on a Post-it and rearranging them until the most exciting topics rise to the top. When you have only a few Post-its left, you’ll know which areas to focus on.

Know your bandwidth. If multiple resolutions demand global changes or big chunks of time, you probably aren’t going to satisfy them to your satisfaction. Make your resolutions SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-sensitive.

If a resolution has anything to do with #organization, for example, “get #organized” is not the one to make — it’s too vague and too all-encompassing. Such a goal sets people up for failure, because it’s hard to measure progress and any obvious failures will demotivate.

The SMART goal would be something like, “I will install new shelves in the living room by April 1 and display only the books and knickknacks I want on them, sorting and #donating the rest to [shameless plug] ClothingDonations.org.”

Revisit the hopes and dreams you have for the new year. Calibrate any resolutions you might make into manageable life goals that carry demonstrable returns. And remember that there is never a bad time to pursue self-improvement.

Organize So That Everything Has Its Space

Posted on by Jordank

Think creatively to keep your home #organized in the new year, Good Housekeeping says. It offers 100 ways to sort out the #stuff in your small spaces such as #drawers and #closets in order to help you store everything more reliably. Use bins to compartmentalize and #organize drawers, install hooks and shelves to take advantage of vertical space, and designate a “drop zone” where everything can be sorted out as it enters the home. When your stuff has a place to be, it’s less likely to get scattered where it doesn’t belong and create #clutter — and you’ll be able to find whatever it is easily when you need it. #OrganizedNewYear

Start Planning Your Fall Projects Now

Posted on by Jordank

Another long weekend is on the books, and even though most of the country can look forward to another month or two of temperate weather, fall will be here soon. That’s why everyone should start planning — or doing — their fall projects now.

While spring and summer tend to be the busiest times of year for home improvement and renovation, fall offers relatively mild and consistent weather for DIY projects. In other words, it’s less likely you’ll be withering under the oppressive heat or dodging heavy rainstorms.

If you need to hire some help, you’re in luck: Business starts to slow down for most contractors in the fall, so you will probably have an easier time finding a qualified professional and the materials you need for a project. You may even get a price break!

Work from the outside in, Thumbtack’s Dave Steckel told The Spruce, winterizing your home and garden for the first freeze, then turning attention to interior projects. “The idea is to get ready for winter in the fall, because we never know when the weather will change,” he said.

Depending on your situation, painting, tuckpointing, roofing, gutter cleaning and HVAC maintenance may be on the list of exterior to-dos. All are essential to protecting the home and its occupants against the elements, so get them on the calendar now.

Once you have these handled, turn your attention to the interior of the home. Common projects include interior painting, floor and tile installation, lighting installation, bathroom remodeling, and home #cleaning and #organizing.

The Organizing Blog recommends a thorough #decluttering of any spaces you’ll be fixing up. Not only will it make completing your fall projects easier, reducing #clutter can beautify the space long after those projects are complete. #Donate any extra #stuff that you don’t need to ClothingDonations.org.

You’ll be spending more time indoors when fall and winter roll around; make your space more livable and efficient before the temperatures start to drop.