A Dad’s Guide to Decluttering

Father’s Day is June 15, and — like most people — #dads sometimes need a little help with #decluttering. Whether they’re #minimalists when it comes to extra #stuff or irrepressible #packrats, there’s always room to streamline.

Of course, every dad is different. Some are juggling family, kids and career in starter homes with little space to spare, and others may be dealing with the weight of a lifetime of accumulated paperwork and other #stuff post-retirement.

His hobbies will have an effect on the level of #clutter. If Dad is a woodworker, mechanic or tinkerer, he may have hundreds of tools and parts to #organize. He may even have duplicates! Help him sort out his favorites — the ones that really get used — and #donate or sell the rest.

If he’s an avid athlete, sportsman or musician, he will probably have more than one piece of specialized equipment that takes up a lot of space when not in use. And even if Dad just likes to read or listen to music, chances are he has a lot of accumulated books, papers and media.

Young dads with kids may not have as much stuff of their own, but struggle to keep the family #organized. Brooklyn’s Tidy Dad believes that #decluttering, #cleaning and #organizing responsibilities should be shared in a household, since everyone contributes to the #clutter and mess.

His advice? Know what makes a space seem #messy and #cluttered. Reassess the “hypothetical someday” to determine what’s really in use. Find a balance of possessions, space and everyday life. Schedule #decluttering on the calendar. And make #tidying tasks manageable and routine.

Ultimately, he says, #tidying is more than decluttering — it’s a way to create space for every part of your life. Young or old, the idea is for dads to have “just enough” #stuff and systems in place to make it easy to maintain an equilibrium.

Once you’ve helped Dad declutter, tidy up and organize, contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup. He’ll be happy you helped, and in turn, happy to help the nation’s #veterans with his donation. #DadsDecluttering

Treat the Vets in Your Life on Vietnam Veterans Day

Tomorrow, remember the #Vietnam #veterans in your life and community with a special visit, message, card or meal on National Vietnam War Veterans Day. But remember, you don’t have to wait for March 29 to honor and support #Vietnam #veterans. Every #donation made to ClothingDonations.org is resold to fund valuable veterans programs. That means that even as you improve your life and space by #decluttering, you can ensure that those who served have access to health care, food, housing, camaraderie and more. Fill a few boxes or bags with your unwanted #stuff and #schedule a #pickup today!

Have a Virtual Vietnam War Veterans Day

If you can’t find a National Vietnam War Veterans Day event in your area, you can recognize the nation’s #veterans virtually. Download a frame for your profile picture on Facebook to show that you’ve served or support those who did. Visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to watch the wreath-laying ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Take a virtual tour of the Pentagon’s Vietnam War exhibit. Or send a #Vietnam veteran you know a message of thanks and goodwill. The nation’s veterans appreciate your recognition! #NationalVietnamWarVeteransDay

Celebrate National Vietnam War Veterans Day

This may be final year of Vietnam War 50th Year Commemoration observances, but National Vietnam War #Veterans Day will continue to be observed every year on March 29. It’s an opportunity to thank and honor the nation’s #Vietnam #veterans and their families for their #service and #sacrifice, as well as recognize the contributions of the armed forces, support organizations and American citizens during the war; highlight the technology, scientific and medical advances made in that time; and recognize the contributions of the nation’s international allies. Attend an event this weekend! #NationalVietnamWarVeteransDay

Observing Boxing Day Traditions

The Organizing Blog’s favorite holiday is nearly here, and it isn’t Christmas, Hannukah, Diwali or Kwanzaa. It’s the day practically everyone pays attention to how much stuff they have and where they’re going to put it — Boxing Day!

Observed on the day after Christmas, Boxing Day got its start as an occasion for wealthy English landowners in to present servants and tradespeople with #holiday #gifts. The box — filled with seasonal delicacies and trinkets — was a gratuity recognizing their contributions over the year.

Boxing Day continues to be a holiday in many parts of the former British Commonwealth such as New Zealand, where anyone working gets time-and-a-half. And retailers in the United States use the occasion as an excuse to mark down merchandise and shore up holiday sales figures.

We regard Boxing Day as having a meaning that’s arguably closer to the original and more literal: a day to box up your holiday decorations and extra merchandise and give it to a worthy service provider or charity.

You can observe Boxing Day on Dec. 26th or any day of your choosing. Have some empty boxes ready to collect extra decorations and household goods, clothing that didn’t quite fit this season, books that have been read — whatever you no longer need.

Sort those things out as you bring a close to the holidays. As you see the boxes fill up, set them aside in a special location. As the boxes start to pile up — and this will happen faster than you might imagine — #schedule a #free #donation #pickup at ClothingDonations.org.

Put anything you will continue to use back into their proper, designated places in closets, drawers and bins. And know that you will be getting rid of some of the #clutter that has built up and be able to start the new year more #organized.

Your #donations go to a good cause: supporting programs that help the nation’s #veterans. And thanking #veterans — those who served — by giving merchandise is about as close to the original meaning of Boxing Day as you can get.