Tag: organize

Daylight Time Is Spring Cleaning Time

Posted on by Jordank

Daylight savings time — still observed in most states nationwide — begins again at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 5. The practice is rapidly declining in popularity, but most readers will temporarily lose an hour to the switch nonetheless.

The transition is increasingly associated with sleep deprivation and upticks in other dangers such car accidents, heart attacks and strokes. Daylight time apparently produces a mini-jet lag that can have subtle but marked consequence on the body and mind.

To reduce daylight time’s initial health impacts, Northwestern Medicine suggests adjusting one’s circadian rhythms by getting more natural morning light, exercising and going to bed an hour early in the week leading up to the change.

Even if you approach DST with little or no personal preparation, there are things you can do around the house to take advantage of the seasonal shift, Apartment Therapy says, and prepare for the longer nights of spring and summer.

First, of course, you’ll want to reset every clock. Then, take care of some of the seasonal chores that make your home safe and comfortable: Change the smoke detector batteries, reverse the ceiling fans to counterclockwise, and rotate or flip your mattresses and couch cushions.

This is also a great time to #sort and #declutter winter clothing. Chances are that those heavy coats and woolen sweaters are already falling into disuse, so make sure all of them are cleaned and stored, eliminating and #donating any that just didn’t make it into the rotation to ClothingDonations.org.

Outdoors, you’ll have an extra hour of light in the evening to #clean the gutters, #organize the garage, powerwash the deck or prepare your garden for #spring planting. Just be careful going up that ladder as your body slowly adjusts to the new time.

The mental health benefits of making your home #clean, #organized and #clutter-free are well-documented — and they may even outweigh the negative effects of losing an hour of sleep and adjusting to the change in light.

Until a proposal to make daylight time permanent becomes law, we’re stuck with it. So make the most of it by using it as a reminder to do the seasonal tasks you’ve been meaning to do. Time’s a-wastin’!

E-Commerce and Clutter

Posted on by Jordank

A Super Bowl ad for e-commerce giant Rakuten debuted Sunday, featuring Alicia Silverstone revisiting her star turn as Cher in the 1995 rom-com Clueless. Focusing on fashion, the spot shows her getting cash back on her many #clothing purchases. While Cher is able to magically #organize her wardrobe by color and cut using a giant motorized turnstile, the rest of us aren’t so lucky. If your #closets are #cluttered with unfortunate purchase decisions and sizes you no longer fit into, stop living in the past! Take an hour to sort out those garments that are only taking up valuable space — and contact ClothingDonations.org for a convenient #donation #pickup. #SuperBowlAds

Making a Major Move More Manageable

Posted on by Jordank

About 27 million people changed primary residences last year in the United States, according to Move.org, and one-fifth of those #moves were out-of-state. With the job market still competitive and real estate activity starting to slow, more people will likely be on the move this season.

A move is rarely easy, and supply chain dirsruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic made things more difficult. But you can make a major move more manageable if you make a timeline and spread the work out over a period of days, weeks or months.

If you hire a moving company to transport your #stuff (as 80% of people do) there’s a financial incentive to #packing as little as possible. That’s why the first step in any move is to #declutter and #organize your possessions. “If you don’t love it, need it, [or] use it regularly, or if it’s broken, get rid of it!” says Living Well Spending Less. “There’s nothing worse than unpacking boxes of stuff later on only to realize you don’t really need any of it.”

Edit your stuff well ahead of time to give yourself time to sell some of it, or #purge as you #pack. Either way, you’ll have less to transport and integrate into your new home when the move is complete. Assuming you find lightly used items things that you won’t need in the new home, contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a free, contactless #donation #pickup — or schedule multiple #pickups during your pre-move #packing period and another in your new location.

Moving long-distance is particularly challenging. While couple of friends with a UHaul may be able to handle small moves, that may not be sufficient for families with houses full of stuff. Architectural Digest offers a guide to the moving companies adept at facilitating relocation across the country or another part of the world.

Near or far, a major move is a great opportunity to reinvent your lifestyle and revisit the things you truly value, use and need. It may not be easy, simple or cheap, but you can start fresh in a new place — without the #clutter that weighed you down in the last one. #MovingTips

Leading Support for the Nation’s Veterans

Posted on by Jordank

Every other year, the Vietnam Veterans Association (VVA) hosts a National Leadership Conference to help it better support #veterans. This year, VVA will invite members from its more than 650 local chapters nationwide to the summit, set for Aug. 9–13 in Greenville, S.C.

While VVA was launched by and for #Vietnam veterans, the association’s motto is “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.” Topics discussed at the conference will be of interest to veterans of all U.S. conflicts and their families.

Seminars will cover multiple VVA initiatives, and many are open to the public. They will offer information on healing the wounds of war, including disabilities related PTSD, traumatic brain injury and toxic exposures to substances such as Agent Orange.

Others will discuss accessing veterans’ benefits, homelessness, substance abuse, suicide, and health care for the aging veteran. Special training will be available to veteran service officers (VSOs) who are helping veterans on the ground throughout the country.

Like any convention, there will be banquets, awards and special recognitions. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Walter Gaskin, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, will deliver a keynote speech at the event.

“It is my honor to serve the member of our military, veterans and their families in the state of North Carolina,” Lt. Gen Gaskin said upon being appointed to his current post. “Although I retired from active duty in 2013, my commitment to providing the opportunities, resources and care owed to our military members and veterans has never ceased.”

Likewise, VVA’s commitment to veterans is unflagging. It holds the summit to better serve the nation’s 17.4 million veterans in substantive, constructive ways. And the association couldn’t accomplish this important work without your generous #donations.

Every #donation to VVA — made directly or via ClothingDonation.org — helps a veteran. When you #clean a closet, #declutter a room or #organize the garage and donate, a veteran benefits. We thank you for your ongoing support!

Make the Most of a Spring Break

Posted on by Jordank

With school spring breaks and Easter celebrations, many students will have a full week off this month to spend with their families or take a trip. That kind of down time is rare to get, so if you have (or can take) the week off together, make the most of it.

There are plenty of options for a cost-effective trip for the entire family, Family Destinations says, from spring skiing in Colorado and Upstate New York to soaking up the sun in Puerto Rico, Cancun or Jamaica.

Thriftier still — but just as fun — are road trips and camping trips. Whether you want to sleep under the stars or see the city lights, there’s likely an option within a day’s drive of home. Try Roadtrippers and other apps to plan your adventure.

The thriftiest and safest option, of course, is the staycation. While it might be a letdown for kids with wanderlust, you can make it special by planning leisure activities that you don’t normally make time for on school days.

Hikes, scavenger hunts, museum visits and art projects are all fair game. Or visit the library, camp out in the backyard or make your own film festival, National Heritage Academies suggests.

Another good idea is to spend a day or two #decluttering and #cleaning up your house in order to get it ready for the busy summer season. Chances are that there’s a lot of #stuff that needs to find a new home, not to mention some dirt and grime from the winter.

Sort through that stuff, and #donate whatever you don’t want to ClothingDonations.org. Challenge your kids to sort through, #organize and #declutter their possessions, too; there may be any number of school outfits that no longer fit or toys that get ignored.

Then, reward them (and/or yourself) with a special #spring-break outing! You’ll come home to a #cleaner, more #clutter-free place.