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New Year stirs desire for “home organization”

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Organization: Desiring Order and Freshness
by Sandy Coughlin
The Relucant Entertainer [5] 

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” ~William Morris

It’s January, a time when I come up with a plan of getting organized in my home. I seem to let things get over-cluttered, partly because I end up with so much “stuff” or things that I want to display.

And then there is entertaining supplies. How much do I really need? How much do I want to store? I’m constantly having to thin out and let go of stuff [6] and to figure out what I want to use, and then figure out an organized storage system.

I will admit, organization is the KEY!

Where to begin – start small!

Choose a room that needs to be de-cluttered, or if that is too overwhelming, pick a drawer or a cupboard to start with!Have 4 containers nearby.

Separate your trash from your treasures!

– Garbage

– Recyclable

– Giveaway

– Store

Things given to you!

After a gracious thank you, gifts do not necessarily require a lifetime home. If you think of the amount of gifts that we’ve received over the years, our homes would be filled to the ceiling with clutter.

– sort out what are prized possessions

– either display them or store them

– reuse or recycle (meaning – can it be given away as a gift?)

– give it away or toss it

Give each item a home!

Group like things together. For example, since our kitchen remodel [7] I’ve had several junk drawers to go through (yes, one year later I have one more to go). When I tackled them, I had a garbage can nearby. Some things had sentimental value, but I really did not need to keep them, so they got tossed. You can do the same in your closet, your bathroom drawers, your book shelves, your kids’ toys, even with your entertaining supplies.

Staying on top of an organized system takes determination. Even though I sometimes lack in this area, there is just something about the NEW YEAR that sparks my creativity, my desire for order and a certain freshness.

 

Paperwork?

Now this lady scares me! I am NOT the expert on paperwork, for sure. But I do have a goal this year … again, to be a bit more organized than I was last year and to stay on top of my paperwork.

Katie gives some great tips: 10 Ways to Declutter Your House [8]! The less you need the freer you become! She also wrote a post on “never handle a piece of paper more than once [9].” Check it out! Also last year AnNicole shared about stuff that brings great sentimental value to you [10] – and what to do with it!

My 2 good friends Tsh and Laura each have a brand new book out, both available on Amazon.

Clutter Rehab: 101 Tips and Tricks to Become an Organization Junkie and Love It [11] by Laura Whittmann.

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living [12] by Tsh Oxenreider.

If you had to pick one room or one drawer to start thinning out, which would it be?