Tag: Summer clutter

Conquering Back-to-School Clutter

Posted on by Jordank

Every year around the third week of August, “Where did the summer go?” is a common lament among parents of school-age children. Those big yellow buses will start to pick them up in next couple of weeks, if they haven’t already, and the three-day Labor Day weekend notwithstanding, the start of school is a transitional moment for familes.

As with many seasonal transitions, back-to-school time carries clutter with it. The kids will return home from school each day with new paperwork, books, instruments, sporting goods, electronics and other stuff — and will tend to toss it aside the second they enter the front door. Summer is nearing its end, and with it, your vacation from indoor clutter.

To get ready for the influx of new junk, sort through and get rid of anything your kids won’t need in the upcoming school year. Store summer items such as camping gear and swim goggles out of sight to make the transition less traumatic. This would also be a good time to file last year’s art projects that are still stuck to the fridge and send one to grandma.

This is also a fantastic time to take inventory of the clothing that does and doesn’t fit your kids; there is no reason to keep things that they have grown out of. Bag up the rejects and contact ClothingDonations.org for a free donation pickup of anything you won’t be using in the year ahead; somebody can use them! Plus, the proceeds from their resale will help fund veterans programs.

Once school starts, parents should model proper decluttering and organization skills, suggests Mindful Decluttering & Organizing. Work with kids to designate confined but comfortable workspaces; create storage systems for their school supplies and projects; and sort, file and/or trash old papers to keep the clutter from escalating.

Most of what kids learn in school is stored in their brains; it doesn’t need to be in overflowing bins and boxes that crowd the closets and attic. It’s perfectly fine to document your child’s growth and progress, but keep only the pictures, papers and other memorabilia that represent pivotal moments in their development.

Back-to-school time is bittersweet, since it represents the end of the relatively carefree summer months. To ease the transition and preserve the stress-free feeling of summer, stay organized as the weather gets colder and the leaves begin to fall.

Stay Organized All Summer Long

Posted on by Jordank

Everyone wants to make the most of their summer leisure time, but the added burden of managing all of that extra summertime stuff can be overwhelming. Let’s say you love going to the beach, for example. Do you really need two coolers, several inflatables and a ladder golf set to have fun?

That junk takes up space in your car and home, and you’ll have to find an out-of-the-way place to put it when summer is over. That’s why you should keep your summer stuff organized and at the ready for when you need it, while also storing only the essentials in the off season.

By this point in the season, you should have already disposed of any summer clothing you haven’t worn this year and/or didn’t wear last year by bagging it up and #donating it to ClothingDonations.org. That stuff has #cluttered your closets for months, tempting you with thoughts of summer fun — and guess what? It hasn’t delivered.

When it comes to a summer outing, try to keep the things you have to bring (and later find a place for) at a minimum. If you’re headed to the beach, pack a bag of the essentials — sunblock, towels, (deflated) inflatables and sunglasses — and keep it at the ready so the day doesn’t become all loading the car and no fun.

To keep from gathering too much stuff, the Krazy Coupon Lady says, borrow instead of buying. Public libraries are a great source of books, movies and even power tools, and when you’re done using them, you can simply return them. Another suggestion? Read digital books and magazines to keep from having to shelve your summer reading long-term. And always borrow or rent a kayak, canoe or personal watercraft unless you know you’ll use it every week.

To keep summer-only stuff from creating #clutter throughout the home, establish “drop zones,” Simplify 101 says. “A hook or shelf by the main entrance/exit of your home makes a terrific drop zone. As an added bonus, this area can also serve as a launch pad when you’re ready to head out on your next summer outing.”

Summer is all about relaxation. To maximize your R&R, make it simple for yourself, your family and friends to get out and enjoy the weather without making packing, organization and storage a burdensome chore before and long after the outing. You’ll never miss that extra stuff.

Summer Whites

Posted on by Jordank

Are your summer jeans and white tops looking a bit yellowed or dingy? This is a good time to use a non-chlorine, oxygen-based bleach detergent on your summer whites. Remember to wash your whites only with other white clothing to keep them looking dazzling. Remember to donate things you no longer need to us!