No matter where you go, a perfect #summer should allow time for a little R&R. Take a whole day (or two) to do absolutely nothing alone or with family, suggests Swift Wellness. Go outside and take a hike. Lay in a hammock or deck chair and read a book. Revisit an old hobby or take the time to learn something new. Turn off your phone and social media feeds for a day. #Clean and #declutter the entire house — and #donate the #stuff that’s getting in the way of a calm and #clutter-free mind. “Taking a break can feel like you’re not doing enough and missing out. However, this is far from the truth. Time off is time to re-energize.” #PerfectSummer
Tag: stuff
Junk Hides in the Most Obvious Places
In a consumer society, household #junk tends to build up. You go out and buy the latest fashions, gadgets and gewgaws, and they either become a part of the daily routine or your personal style, or they don’t.
Lots of that #stuff is probably packed away in boxes or hidden in the backs of #closets, with only a dim memory of their purpose remaining. But still more stuff is likely hiding in plain sight — and making your home a #cluttered #mess.
Think about it: Do you have stacks of #clothing where they shouldn’t be — anywhere outside your closets and dressers? Are mail and paperwork piling up on your desk? Is the kitchen table or entryway littered with new purchases or decorative items?
You are not alone. Most homes have “dump” zones where new stuff or stuff that hasn’t been integrated into the everyday lands. The trouble is that sometimes this stuff doesn’t find a spot for months or even years, especially if you have a smaller space.
All of this piled-up #clutter can easily make you feel overwhelmed. “It usually isn’t until the walls are closing in or someone brings those things to our attention that we do something about it,” says California-based Organizing Concepts & Designs.
What can you do? Find ways to tame those piles and places for those things. Go room to room and make an honest assessment of what needs to be in sight and readily accessible, and what can be hidden in storage or dispensed with altogether.
You might find that you need more shelves to display your knickknacks, a filing cabinet for your office, an underbed box for your extra linens or a new #storage system for your #closet. Don’t hesitate to install them; cost-effective solutions are available.
As you take stock of your stuff, you will find things hiding in plain sight that you no longer want or need. #Donate them to ClothingDonations.org by scheduling a free #donation #pickup for your #purge. Keep at it, and soon you’ll enjoy a #clutter-free, #organized home.
Phil Says: Embrace Minimalism This Winter
Welp, looks déjà vu all over again: You humans — at least in Western Pennsylvania — have six more weeks of #winter to cope with. Take advantage of that #indoor time to #chuck some of that #stuff you don’t need like I would wood! I’m a minimalist — I often dig multiple chambers and only furnish and use one or two, but it keeps me and the forest above healthy. Try to limit the visible items in each room to the things you use there every day, and #store anything else out of sight. In the process, you can eliminate and #donate the things you don’t need or want to ClothingDonations.org. Many thanks to the Organizing Blog for letting me guest this week. Now it’s back to bed for another month or so — Punxsutawney Phil, signing off!
Celebrate Boxing Week Now and Into 2023
Long celebrated in the British commonwealth on Dec. 26, Boxing Day is the day to present servants, tradespeople and the less fortunate with gifts or cash. The name derives from alms boxes collecting money for the poor, some believe, or to boxes of gifts or bonuses given to employees on the day after Christmas.
Americans often erroneously associate Boxing Day with boxing up and putting away all of the holiday decorations once gift-giving and celebrating are done. While acknowledging this complete misinterpretation, The Organizing Blog would like readers to follow up on it this week and into 2023.
The holidays are notorious for clutter. You may have hauled out box after box of decorations, themed tchotchkes, wrapping paper and greeting cards in preparation for the holiday. Add all of the new stuff that accumulates during the season while shopping and giving, and you can easily create crisis-level #clutter.
As the season winds down, take advantage of the opportunity to edit some of that #stuff. Get a plastic bin (or several), and systematically de-stage your space. #Organize everything upfront, sorting like items into bins by room or purpose, #decluttering expert Vicky Silverthorn told Good Housekeeping — whatever works best when it’s time to display the items again.
Think of your future self: When you open these bins again in 11 months, you’ll want to find everything neatly packed and organized; it will make finding and using them easier. Also store boxes and bins away properly to eliminate more stress from decorating and add to your #holiday cheer.
Do not, however, pack and store anything you don’t plan on using again. If something is broken or compromised, trash it. If something just doesn’t suit your taste, #donate it. Schedule a #free, #contactless #donation #pickup from ClothingDonations.org, and a driver will whisk those lightly used castoffs out of your sight on the appointed day.
Since your #donations help fund #veterans programs, you’ll be merging the two meanings or traditions of Boxing Day, however archaic and/or misconstrued — giving and storing. What better way to observe the event?
Have a safe, happy and #clutter-free New Year!
Start the School Year Clutter-Free
It’s back-to-school time, and if you are a parent of a student or a student yourself, you know that the sudden influx of homework, books and other supplies makes it a challenge to stay #organized and on top of tasks. But several strategies can help manage all that #stuff better while keeping track of assignments, due dates and extracurricular activities.
Parents can help young students stay #organized by streamlining the household environment. Invest in a chore chart, white board and academic planner, Good Housekeeping suggests. And to keep clothing, books, shoes and other items from getting #disorganized, get as many shelves, bins and cubbies as you need and label them.
A homework station is a good idea for students of all ages — and WFH parents, too. You’ll need a rolling cart, plastic storage baskets, a dry-erase calendar and a desk, Woman’s Day says. Post a calendar, a daily schedule and a pegboard organizer or bulletin board nearby, and it will be easier to keep track of tasks and needed supplies.
Teens who build good habits in school will keep them their whole lives. Student empowerment specialist Daniel Wong offers 30 tips on using routines to stay focused, get homework done on time and still have time to relax with family and friends.
One is to #declutter one’s #workspace on a weekly basis. “Look through all the papers, notes, brochures, and other things you’ve accumulated,” Wong says. “Recycle or throw away all the things you don’t need. Clutter attracts clutter, so if you declutter once a week, you’ll be more likely to stay organized in general.”
#Thrift stores supplied by #donations of clothing and goods to ClothingDonations.org are a great place to look for lightly used organizers, baskets and bins. You might even find a good selection of stylish #clothing that growing students can wear to #school at prices that won’t break the bank.
And if you find anything your students won’t be needing in the as they move ahead in school — disused sporting goods, books, outgrown clothing, etc. — contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a free, contactless #donation #pickup. Here’s to a happy, healthy school year!