Say Goodbye to the Holidays, Hello to 2022

The first thing to do as you attempt to get #organized in the new year is to get the #holidays out of sight as quickly and as neatly as possible, says A Clear Path. If you have gifts that you won’t use or didn’t give, return or #donate them immediately. Take down any holiday decorations and store them in labeled bins and boxes. Resist the urge to peruse the post-holiday clearance sales unless there is something you truly need. And finally, enter #decluttering deadlines such as an upcoming ClothingDonations.org #donation #pickup on your 2022 calendar.

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

So goes the old Frank Loesser hit. Never intended to be a holiday anthem, the song tells the tale of a suitor looking far ahead on the calendar as a testament an plea for enduring love. As we prepare for the new year, though, the question looms.

With a new variant driving COVID case numbers up, one acceptable answer is “nothing” — or at least nothing far from the confines of your own home. Gathering in large groups has again become a risky proposition, so a quiet night in might be the safest option.

If you do celebrate, keep parties small to avoid the risk of spreading the virus. A Zoom, Skype or FaceTime session is always a good option if you wish to see faraway friends and relatives faces unmasked.

Small gatherings are safest, with only the people you know have taken the appropriate precautions invited. Epidemiologists told The New York Times that those who are at low risk for serious illness and have received a booster shot can celebrate with less worry.

For planners who still want to ring in the new year in style, Reader’s Digest offers 20 themed party ideas that can keep things interesting for small groups of almost any age — game nights, pajama parties and so on.

Weather permitting, the safest way for groups made up of members of different households to celebrate is outdoors. A socially distanced bonfire, beach walk or campout might make a memorable way to ring in 2022.

Another option exists for those worn out by 2021: Get comfortable, order some food, binge-watch a show and relax. You may even choose to go to bed well ahead of the ball drop in Times Square.

Or you could begin a #clutter-free new year one day early by taking down all of those #holiday #decorations and storing the ones you’ll want to use next year. Set aside the extras and contact ClothingDonations.org for a free #donation #pickup.

Consider it an early start to your #spring cleaning and part of your #resolution to be more #organized in the new year. Happy New Year from the Vietnam Veterans of America and ClothingDonations.org!

Follow CDC Guidelines to Keep Your Office Safe

Offices and schools should to revisit CDC guidelines as they attempt to reopen during the #Delta variant’s “fourth wave” of coronavirus infections. Depending on the office layout, transparent shields, physical barriers, and signs or tape markers may be necessary to keep employees apart. “High-touch” communal items such as coffee pots and bulk snacks should be replaced with single-serve alternatives. Offices should consider upgrading their #ventilation systems and enhancing #cleaning protocols to keep workers safe, in addition to keeping facemasks, wipes and #sanitizers stocked and ready for use.

Keep Papers in Check to Cut Desktop Clutter

Students and office workers alike do the majority of their work on a computer, but papers can stack up nonetheless. Best Life suggests creating a zone on your desk distinct from the computer’s area to keep papers organized and cut down on #clutter. To stay on top of the piles, review papers at the end of each day, deciding what can be scanned, filed and shredded. Then, do a complete desktop #decluttering and #cleaning once a week to “deal with any papers or trash you missed” [and] reorganize office supplies, stray folders and misplaced files.

Keep Only what You Need on Your Desktops

#Cleaning and organizing your desk can not only reduce the threat of colds, flu and #COVID-19, it can make you more productive. Having a #disorganized desk makes it harder for most people to process information, and getting rid of #clutter can help you focus. Medium recommends starting with a purge that involves moving everything off your desktop and adding back only the things you need for one week; anything else can be stored or tossed. The same goes for your digital desktop: Extraneous files and open browser tabs only compete for your limited attention, and should be judiciously culled to the ones you actively use.