If you have ever bought a gift for a minimalist chance is they have re-gifted it or donated it by now. It’s not out of disrespect to you or because they are not appreciative, most likely it is a matter of clutter reduction. Minimalists appreciate a home that is peaceful and free of all possible clutter, what is not strictly necessary or takes up space and is not often used is considered clutter. I myself have never identified as a minimalist but I tend to follow those same patterns. A house full of stuff is stressful to me. Although I appreciate the thought, I do not like gifts unless really well thought through, as most of the time I would not have chosen to purchase those items myself. As a Professional Organizer I often see people struggle with lots of items they do not use or like or even want but they keep them because of that feeling of Guilt associated with giving away something that was gifted to them by someone dear to them. So think about the guilt feeling and the clutter you are passing on to someone when purchasing a gift, ask yourself: Would they buy it for themselves? Have you ever heard them say that want that particular gift? If the answer is NO or I don't know maybe find a better alternative. So what can you do if you have a minimalist in your life and want to be able to show them you care with a gift? You have choices… preferably of the Consumables or Experience sort. If your “giftee” is something of a food aficionado you can’t go wrong with food related gifts which are consumables and they will not take up space permanently. Gift Giving is not about materials objects, it's about showing love to the people you care about. 1 – Wine A bottle or two of good Wine is a great gift for those who enjoy such beverages… (not me ...lol) if you are not a wine expert ask for advice at the store. 2 – SugarWish Gift Box. This is a customizable consumables gift box that comes in various sizes from Small to Grand, and with multiple options from candy to coffee and teas, including vegan cookies and even dog treats! Still edibles but for your pet :-) You just purchase the size you prefer and the receiver will choose their favorite option, they will then receive a pretty gift box with a customized card from you. They will think of you every time they “savor” their gift and it won’t be REGIFTED. Guaranteed! To read more on how it works visit SugarWish website HERE 4 – Wholefoods, Trader Joe gift cards. You can purchase these at local pharmacies and stores where gift cards are showcased. Trader Joes does not offer them online so you will have to purchase in store. Wholefoods gift cards can be purchased on their website. These are popular high end groceries stores that anyone would love to shop at. Lots of options for healthy, vegan or diet conscious choices. Again you will come to mind when they shop and once consumed it will take up no space. 5 – Costco Membership A one year Costco membership is a thoughtful gift, it gives them access to not only food but anything else they might need, from school supplies to pet supplies and if you feel generous you can add some extra $$$ to enhance their shopping experience :-) They will be able to pick what they want to bring into their home, and they will save along the way.
These are just some ideas but I am sure there are more and that depends on how well you know the person you are buying gifts for, the more thought you put into it the greater the chance they will actually love the gift.
What if your loved one does not cook or is not into food? Come back later for more Gift ideas for the minimalist in your life. We will explore other viable options. Do you have one of these shoe piles somewhere in your home? Maybe in your kids' room or right next to your main door? How unpleasant is it to see it on a daily basis? If you are like me it would drive you crazy! Walking through the door and tripping over shoes is not on my list of "Fun Things to do". Shoes are one of those things a Professional Organizer encounter on a daily basis, and sometimes it is literally a pile of them!! Maybe due to the nature of the job we deal mostly with those that have an abundance of belongings or have limited storage space, but the fact remains that both men and women have lots and lots of shoes and most often not enough place to store them, especially once they get rid of the original box. Oftentimes it’s high end shoes and I find them piled up and dusty at the bottom of the closet, causing them to lose some (if not all) of their original value, if one intends to resell, as many do, on sites like TheRealReal. Even if one has no plan on reselling them, a pair of high end shoes that is not well kept will not look great. So we are called in to try and resolve the issue of too many shoes and no place to put them. I have clients that like to display their shoes, it is sort of a collection, and the same goes for bags. I have other clients who view shoes as something to keep their feet warm and protected...lol… No matter what, shoes should have a proper home where they reside when not in use and where you can find them when you need them. So we will now discuss a couple of options to store or display your shoes.
Depending on your budget and the size of your closet you may even choose towers with slanted shelves to better display your pretties. If you only have a Reach in Closet you will need a stand alone tower somewhere in the vicinity of your closet. This type of storage will keep your shoes visible, accessible and will not devalue them.
There are a gazillion of choices, stackable, wood, fabric, even adjustable in length to fit your space and budget. Just measure the space and consider the type of shoes you have and how many before you chose what to buy. Shoe Racks are a good option also when placed near the main entrance for shoes that are often used, and you don’t necessarily want to keep in the closet. – SHOE CABINETS Mostly used in entryways/hallways and there are many options as cabinets go, in part it will depend on the size of space and your décor preference. For all budgets as well and you can see above. For very narrow entryways/hallways Ikea has plenty of thin and attractive shoe cabinets in all price ranges. Your most often used shoes can find a home here, especially if you don't have a coat closet where you can place a rack or cubbies for shoes. – SHOE BENCH If you have the space by your main entrance you can place a Shoe Bench near the door area for most used shoes, it will add some seating as well. Over the bench you can place hooks for coats and jackets used often, or to hang your most often used purses. – OVER THE DOOR SHOES ORGANIZERS If you have lots of sandals or flats, those are easily accommodated in an Over the Door shoe organizer, and again there are many choices here, but the downside of them is they will not accommodate most winter shoes, since the pockets are kind of small, they will fit kids and women shoes but NOT most men shoes either. The quality is also important as some will break quickly, I don’t recommend those with plastic pockets, fabric like material is best for longevity. If you have it in your budget the Container Store has a similar Organizer wish sideways pockets that accommodates slightly larger shoes and will probably fit some MEN shoes. Keep in mind NOT all doors have the space between door and frame to accommodate over the door hanging. I have encountered many such doors. – HANGING SHOE ORGANIZERS I often use these in standard Reach In closets, those with just the 1 hanging rod and shelf above. You can hang them on the rod either via a hook or Velcro straps and come in various width, the thinner ones will fit a pair of women shoes in each compartment but will only fit 1 SHOE if thicker. For thicker shoes, ½ boots, heels or men shoes you will need the wider type. It all depends on how much available space you have on your hanging rod. These type of Organizers will not retain their shape well if too much weight is placed on them, so keep that in mind. They can be placed in the Coat Closet for quicker access or in the Bedroom Closet for less used shoes. – UNDER THE BED Some clients’ space is extremely limited so we resort to storing things under bed, especially out of season shoes. You can store them in their own box or place them in long under-bed storage boxes, some even come with wheels to easily pull them out. – SHOE SHELVES Most often I have general shelves to place shoes on, the problem is that often they are 12 to 14 inches apart and by placing shoes on shelves without a box inevitably wastes space, unless I have extra shelves to add. To make an example consider a space of 12” between 2 shelves, if I place a pair of shoes in their box I can sit another pair without box on top fitting 2 pairs in the same space instead of one. If the space is 14” I can place the pair in the box plus 2 pairs on top of it if I use shoe stackers like “Slotz”. Alternatively I can place 2 boxes plus 1 pair shoes, depending on size of box. In this manner I can use vertical space to accommodate more. As you can see in the picture below you place smaller shoes below and higher/bigger shoes above the stackers. Note that thick/tall shoes will most likely not fit underneath. This is why I believe in not discarding shoe boxes, unless dirty or damaged. Just keep the prettier ones and use for whatever shoes you want, it doesn’t have to be what came in the box. You can label them if you like. If you discard the box your only other option is to purchase shoe boxes, and there are definitely plenty options online, but why buy more stuff when you already had the box the shoes came in? – NOTE ON FLIP FLOPS AND SANDALS Flip Flops and other very flat shoes are super thin and I often store them in a box, preferably a clear plastic one so the client can see what the content is, if I place them in a shoe box I attach a label to identify the content. Flip flops/sandals season is rather short so when not in use is best to store multiples standing up on their side in a box to save space. If you live in warm climate where they are used year around place them on over the door organizers, 1 pair will fit in a pocket. Alternatively you can place them standing up in a bin by the door. ALWAYS inventory your shoes before you decide what storage option is best for you. I can’t count how many times I have seen the wrong type of storage because people just purchased something that looked great but did not fit their needs. When thinking about Shoe Organization consider that 1 pair of women shoes need about 7-8” of space (width) and 6-7” of height. Boots and heels will need more. Men shoes will need 9” of space (width) at least per pair, some thicker ones may need more. Height wise 7-8” will fit most sneakers. In conclusion it pays to make sense of your shoes, and find the right fit for you based on the amount and type of shoes you have, taking into consideration your décor and space available. Remember that investing a little time in inventory and research will save you some frustration if the product is not going to work and will have to be returned.
In general I avoid following advice from those "Hacks" that in theory looks good but in reality never work or cost more time and money than just purchasing a product. Happy Organizing Getting Things Done!!! It is an important step in getting your life organized. Remember that soundtrack from the iconic movie Flashdance? Irene Cara was bellowing out “What a Feeling!”…..Well that is how I felt today… I got things done!!!! The previous night I made a plan, set some goals, and had a good night sleep. This sets your intentions and prepares your mind for the next day tasks. If you go to sleep without clear intentions and goals you will wake up with no path to follow and your day won’t be as productive, which in turn will make you feel unaccomplished :-( I don’t like that feeling. Like many others I have things that I dread doing or simply “don’t have the time to do “ (???) so I decided, no more procrastinating. Another little helper was my list of to-do, and I did not just make a random list, but I tried to think about the places I needed to visit and arranged my list according to my route.
Once I got home I had more tasks to take care of.
I portioned my meats so I can quickly defrost only what I need, and precut my veggies and fruits leftovers for next meal. I use the precut potatoes for breakfast hash browns, the strawberries in smoothies, and the chopped veggies for stir-fry meals. I accomplished everything that was on my list and it was not that hard, I just have to set and prepare my mind for it. And like the good old James Brown sang…. I feel Good!!! I knew that I would! Once you are able to get things OFF your to do list, and off your mind you will feel like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. Walking around carrying with you the burden of things undone, feeling unaccomplished and frustrated is not how you want to spend your days. When you are relaxing in your home those undone and overdue items are looking at you, reminding you over and over they are waiting. Getting things done will rid you of those reminders and make you feel lighter, relaxed and happier. All you need is some planning, a little motivation and intention. Here are some tips to help you along:
In conclusion, being and staying organized requires multiple steps, routines, habits and good planning helps you to maintain that organization you worked so hard to achieve, it is not hard and definitely doable, set your intensions and go!
Let’s talk about flat surfaces. I always advise my clients to keep flat surfaces FREE of clutter as much as possible, since those are NOT for storage but for working or decorating purposes. If you have the need to keep certain items on your flat surfaces it is best if they are corralled on a tray or something similar. It will look neat and decorative. For example to keep a table free of clutter create a centerpiece with a tray, candle and small succulent, etc. This will be the only item allowed on your table. Any other clutter will distort the pretty picture and will signal you to be removed. Similarly you can use the same strategy throughout your home, corral items on your vanity, bathroom counter, kitchen counter etc. Depending on the room decor you might choose a material and look that complement the room. Now let's move on to the bedroom and vanity/dresser surfaces. Very often I encounter top of vanities and dressers loaded with tons of stuff, it’s a very cluttered and noisy look. Even in this situation corralling items will allow you to keep some items visible but in a way that does not create visual noise and does not allow for a cluttered look. I found this cute tiered tray at Marshall’s which can be used for pretty perfume bottles, make up and even your daily beauty regimen, it all depends on how you display it. There are many other styles around to match your room decor, I chose this because it matched the look of client's room. I t could be used on your bathroom counter as well depending on style and color pattern and if space allows. If you have scattered jewelry on your dresser and you wear it often the jewelry organizer on the right is an option to corral those pesky little items, bracelets on the top bar, rings, earrings in the bottom dish. You can also use this for hair accessories, scrunchies on the bar and barrettes in the dish. The purpose is to keep items together and not scattered all over your flat surfaces. It will also be easier to find them when needed. These items are both from Marshall’s but it was some time ago. To keep your kitchen surfaces organized, free of clutter and make it easy when it’s time to cook dinner, keep your most used utensils handy in a stand up style, you can use ceramic, metal, wood jars as long as they are heavy enough to hold your utensils without tipping over. I have 2 on my counter near the stove 1 for wood/metal utensils and one for plastic/rubber utensils. It is much quicker than having to rummage in a drawer. Especially if you have a smaller kitchen with little drawer space. The second picture is a potato canister which can also be used for onions, but potatoes especially since they need a dark and cool place, the air vents allow for air circulation, and it is pretty enough to be displayed in your kitchen, maybe on a shelf or if there is space on the counter. These items are also from Marshall’s. The last 2 items are for your DROPZONE which is commonly as close as possible to your main entry, depending on your home it may be an entryway, a mudroom or a hallway.
In conclusion if you want to keep your surfaces clear of clutter with as little maintenance as possible, keep items together within a tray or other container, and allow the rest of the surface to remain FREE, it will not only look better it will also cut down cleaning time. It is easier to move one item than an array of small lose items, and a clean place is a happier place.
I recently had a discussion with a couple of clients that are environmentally aware, the discussion led us to possible options on how to dispose of certain items and the tons of clothes and packaging disposed of everyday. A scary thought! So I did a little research in my free time and I wanted to share with others what I found. There are great options for those that are ready to do their part in keeping our planet happy! One of those options is offered by Nordstrom, and I was pretty impressed with their website and their commitment to reuse and recycle. Nordstrom runs 2 programs: - BEAUTYCYCLE which aims to recycle tons of empty beauty packaging. - A CLOTHING DONATION program with 2 options, either visiting a drop-off donation site or mail-in option. According to their website the clothing collected in NYC are donated to Housing Works those collected in California and Washington are donated to Goodwill. This will give you the option of recycling both clothing, shoes and beauty products containers all in one location, and you can drop them off before you go shopping. NORDSTROM BEAUTYCYCLE This program aim to collect empty beauty products packaging that cannot be recycled otherwise and would end up in the landfill, like empty shampoo bottles, lipstick cases etc, items we usually discard in the trash. Think about the impact on the planet! This program is made easy by having collection bins in the Beauty Section of Nordstrom stores nationwide where you can drop off your empty containers before you shop, probably even if you don't plan on shopping. All you have to do is collect them at home and drop off when visiting a mall or store. Below you can see accepted and not accepted items, for detailed information visit the Beautycycle link above. Beautycycle is a program that partners with Terracycle, an organization that recycles all kinds of materials that are not recyclables by local entities. Here is their website https://www.terracycle.com/en-US You can visit Youtube for a video on how Beautycycle works: https://youtu.be/Dn07pPtMk6M CLOTHING DONATION BINS According to Nordstrom website there are collections bins in store in Washington, California, and New York state. All other states would have to use their mail-in program partnered with Give Back Box which allows you to ship boxes of donated clothing, shoes and accessories for free. All donated items in Washington and California will be sent to Goodwill, items collected in New York will be sent to Housing Works which is a non-profit that provides services and programs for people living with HIV/AIDS. This will not only save tons of usable clothing from ending up discarded in a landfill but it will be given new purpose by serving others in need. MAIL-IN PROGRAM
If you live in a state where Drop Off bins are not an option you can take advantage of Nordstrom Mail-In program in partnership with Give Back Box a non profit that focus on recycling unwanted goods by allowing people to use any box to ship their donations free of charge. Follow this link to Nordstrom Donation program to find store locations for drop off, details for Mail-in program, and answers to FAQ This link instead will bring you to Give Back Box website where you can learn more and print your free shipping label. I am still researching options and there is a lot of information to sift through so I will update this post with new info in the future. Check out the recent REDFIN article we were featured in:
Kitchen Cleaning 101: Experts Share Their Favorite Tips Of all the rooms in a house, kitchens usually require the most cleaning. Messes build up after every meal, dishes are left in a pile, and your compost fills up faster than you can take it out. Cleaning can seem like a daunting task. However, it doesn’t have to be. With the right know-how, you can take simple, everyday steps to keep your kitchen clean and fresh without any complicated tools. Just follow the link to find how how easy it is to keep your kitchen clean and tidy and read all the experts tips to make it quick and on point. You will enjoy spending time in your kitchen and so will your family. The Real Life Struggle of Laundry and SocksAs funny as it may sound as a Professional Organizer I often encounter the problem of what I call Orphaned Socks, yes, that pile or mountain of socks that is awaiting to find its match. It’s a headache that many households (or should I say Moms?) have to deal with and rarely gets done and it goes hand in hand with another headache for many, Laundry! What can we do to avoid this problem? For once you can eliminate having a myriad of colors, styles, and patterns unless you are a sock collector, and just have 1 or 2 base colors and styles, dark for boys, light for girls, maybe some athletic socks for boys, and ankle socks for warmer weather. The point is cut it down to LESS variety, make it more uniform, it's just socks! Make your life easier. If you buy them in bunches even if one gets lost or get a whole you have more of the same to match. If you have more than one child you will just have to pair by size. The simpler you keep it the easier it will be to deal with. You have no idea the amount of time we spend sorting and matching socks, hours on end, wouldn’t you rather do something else with your time? If your kids insist on having colorful socks, then make it their chore to sort, maybe play a game or Sock Sorting...lol… whoever sort the most wins a prize, or give them a reward, it might be fun and it will teach them there are consequences to their choices. It might serve them well later on in life. Point is: Make them a part of it. Your only other alternative is to wear different types of socks and call it a fashion statement! LAUNDRY The other headache I often hear people complain about is laundry, it is a necessary evil if you want to go out in the world smelling fresh and clean, but there are things to consider to make it an easier task. Issue #1 – Having to many clothes – Having too much will allow you to go longer without the need to do laundry. If you have 50 pairs of underwear you can go months piling laundry, same with the aforementioned socks! And let’s not talk about T-shirts!
If you pair down your wardrobe you will be forced to do laundry more often and in a more manageable size, that will take less time to put away and will stop procrastination. Avoiding the wrinkled look, achieved by laundry lingering in piles on couches and corners is attainable!! Issue #2 – Semi-soiled items – Items that touch your skin especially in warm weather can and should be washed after 1 use, unless it was 5 minutes. Garments that are layered and do not come in contact with skin, maybe worn for a short time and free of stains can be worn again before washing. Just hang them in a separate area from the clean ones to wear one more time, thus decreasing the laundry pile. Note: If the garment is for a special occasion and the time lapse until it will be worn again is long, it will be advisable to wash or dry clean it, otherwise it will yellow and stain. Issue #3 – Too many styles – People often have an eclectic wardrobe, with multiple styles, colors and items that match only another specific item. If you keep your wardrobe simpler and your clothes mix and match you will have to own less because your pieces match with multiples so you are not tied to a specific one (see capsule wardrobe post) thus creating smaller laundry piles and fewer loads of separate colors and wash cycles that might be ½ full. You will not only conserve water and detergent, thus decreasing pollution, you will also save time and money and... possibly a headache ;-) It’s already April so you should be well into your Spring Cleaning and almost done, then it will be time to enjoy the warmer weather knowing that your house is in good shape. With good maintenance you should be able to keep it that way for a while. NOTE – Days are not all numbered by actual date so you may pick and choose based on the amount of time you have on a specific day. Some tasks will take longer than others, so I left some blank days at the end. You may copy/paste this into a blank document and print so you can have it handy and checkmark the tasks already accomplished. Day 1 – Sweaters Maintenance – With the warmer weather approaching your sweaters will go into hibernation until next winter (Finally!) but before you put them away make sure they are clean, stains will attract moths. Read care labels on proper way to launder, some will have to be hand washed. If there is pilling on sweaters or even sweatshirts you can use a de-fuzzer to remove before storing away so they will be like new and ready to use. I have one and it does work, there are plenty options to choose from, here is one, from Target. Day 2 – Taxes – If you still haven’t filed the deadline is approaching. Get your papers together and get it done as soon as possible. Check the January Blog post for more info. Day 3 – AC Maintenance – Depending on where you live the time might differ but in general this is a good time to check if your AC needs maintenance, filter need to be cleaned or changed so it is ready when the warm weather arrives. Day 4 – Winter Gear – This includes coats/jackets as well as hats, scarves, gloves. Again depending on your area climate might differ, but again April seems good to start preparing for change. Go through your winter gear and assess, is it the right size for kids? Is there too much wear and tear? Does it need to be laundered/dry cleaned? Take care of all that before you store it away for next season. Day 5 – Winter boots and shoes – just like for the winter gear check for wear and tear, size and if need to be cleaner before putting away. Ideally put it away in a box, either the original box or other. Label to quickly find it next season. Day 6 – Bedding swap – Some people like to snuggle up in warmer bedding in winter like flannel sheets, and thick blankets or duvets. With warmer season approaching start thinking and locating your lighter bedding, switch to cotton sheets, lighter blankets etc. Before you know it it will get hot!! Day 7 – Outdoor furniture – If you have a patio, balcony, garden chance is you have some kind of outdoor furniture to enjoy those cool evenings before it gets too hot. Take them out of hibernation and thoroughly clean them, check if pillows need replacement and they will be ready to use. Day 8 – Lawn Mower – Time to check your lawn mower for a tune up, and maybe stock up on gas. You will need it soon enough. Day 9 – Rugs Cleaning/steaming – April is when allergy season usually starts, with the warmer weather we also start opening the windows more so pollen will get in. Winter is a dust collecting season so now is a good time to deep clean your rugs or wall to wall carpeting especially if anyone has allergies in your home. If needed schedule a steam cleaning of your wall to wall. Day 10 – Picture Frames – We all have frames on the walls, either it’s art or family pictures, they are often forgotten so go from room to room and dust all your frames. Maybe update some of the family pictures, and if you display them also your kid’s school awards depending on space, remove old ones and display newer ones if space is limited. Day 11 – Kid’s Art – All parent’s tend to hang on to their kid’s art, but we all have a space limit, so go through your kid’s art today and see if some can go, maybe some older pieces will have less of an attachment and newer ones will be better. Find a way to display really good pieces, and maybe give away some to grandparents or other relatives so your kids can see them when they visit. I found a great gadget to display multiple kid’s art pieces, you can see it HERE Day 12 – Fridge – Clean out your fridge and while at it assess the contents, chance is there is something hiding in the back that no one knows how long it has been there, and no one will volunteer to finish up...lol...also as season change so will your menu, try to use up winter foods and stock up on warmer weather foods like veggies for salads etc. Try to organize your fridge by keeping like with like and use bins if it helps. Day 13 – Take out freebies – Every time we order take out it comes with an assortment of Freebies, ketchup and sauces, napkins and plastic utensils, straws etc. In almost every kitchen I organize I find drawers full of these unused items, probably long expired but for some reason people hold on to them. They might be free but they take up valuable space, and unless you are eating in your car you don’t need them, you have forks at home. These items will just add to the land fills once you discard them. So lighten your footprint on the planet and ask for no utensils or sauces when you order out. The planet will thank you and you can figure out what to do with that now empty drawer :-) Same go for menus, if you need to keep them, make it just one place. Day 14 – Hangers – You can improve the overall look of your closet by updating your hangers, if you have mismatched hangers in multiple colors, materials and shape, switch to velvet hangers for lighter clothes and thin wood hangers for heavier items. Just by doing this and keeping similar items together you will create a cohesive look that will make you smile every time you open your closet doors. Thinner hangers will also save space. Day 15 – Garden – I am not a garden person but around April I see people going to Home Depot to get flowers and plants for their gardens. If you do have a garden it’s time to assess your garden tools and supplies, make a shopping list and start planning what and when to plant. If necessary create a to do list with all the major tasks to stay on top of it. Day 16 – Photos Organizing – If like me you have actual paper photos they should all be kept in one location. Some people have photo albums others use shoe boxes, and I have found many just shoved in plastic grocery bags. Ideally they should be stored properly to preserve them, otherwise what is the point in keeping them? Whatever your preferred choice is, go through them and weed out what is not needed, sort by category, date, event and label. An option to keep them organized and presentable even if displayed in open storage is this Photo Box. Day 17 – Wardrobe Decluttering – Season switch – while you put away cold weather clothes and dig out warmer weather ones – is a good time to go through your Summer clothes and try to let go of at least 3 items per family member, chance is you will purchase something for the Summer so it’s good to reduce in advance. Day 18 – Bathroom Vanity – The area under your bathroom sink most of the time is your prime real estate space for storage, to make the most of it keep it organized. If you need to add components there are tons of options depending on size and layout of the pipes. In general is best to group similar items together and keep them containerized. Go through your products and look for ½ empty bottles, expires or old and caked or damaged ones and discard. Go through your brushes and discard doubles especially if old, wash and clean the ones you keep so they will look nice and if need be can be displayed in a nice holder on the counter. The GOAL is to keep only what you use and need. Day 19 – Cards – I always encounter cards in every household, either blank ones for future use, or cards received in the past. The problem is they are spread all over the place rather than in 1 location. Make it your project today to gather all such cards and separate first the blank ones from the others, if you feel like further separate the blank ones by occasion, Xmas, B-day etc. If you have a pretty container/box store them there. Now go through the one you received and weed out as much as you can, keep the cards that are most important (you don’t need the envelope) and sort by sender or event etc and store in container along with blank ones if they fit. You can use the same storage box used for the pictures, I linked it above. Day 20 – Garage/Basement – Make some space by discarding at least 1 box full of stuff that has been residing there and never used. Garages/basements are places where people put things they think they might need later but never touch again. If you find that lot’s of stuff is sitting on the floor, get some study storage shelves from Home Depot or similar and store things in boxes/containers on shelves to free up floor space. Sadly there is no space to park in many garages :-( Day 21 – Pens, Markers etc. – In every households there are pens in multiple places, oftentimes hiding, in abandoned purses and backpacks, various drawers etc. So collect all writing utensils and go through them once and for all, discard what is not working and find a home that makes sense to what you keep. Some in your desk, a couple in the kitchen drawer, some with school supplies. Store away the overflow where easy to retrieve when needed. Day 22 – Earth Day – The Earth Day 2022 Theme is Invest in Our Planet. To find out more here is a LINK to EarthDay.org with events map, what to do lists, and how to volunteer in your community. Day 23 – Purses – Some people switch purses for the warmer weather just like for clothes. Again this is a good time to assess if anything can go, take out your Summer and Beach totes but most of all go through all and EMPTY them. While organizing I always find bags full of belonging, including old candy, old make-up, leaking pens even uncashed checks and expired credit cards that clients could not find. Always empty your purses before putting them away, aside from those you use often, and even then check periodically for lost or forgotten items. Try to put them away in an organized way that allow you to see what you have and makes it easy to find and put away. A bag it is only useful if you can USE IT. Day 24 – Bedroom Dresser – Go through each of the drawers one at a time, take everything out, get rid of old underwear, t-shirts, mismatched sock etc. Fold and return to drawer by category, best if one per drawer, it will make it easier to find things if they are not mixed up. Learn to file fold if possible, it allows you to store more and makes it easier to see what you have. Day 25/26/27/28 – Make Up days. – Catch up on unfinished projects. April 29 – National Arbor Day – Arbor Day originated in Nebraska City, on April 10th, 1872 and was founded by J. Sterling Morton and has since been recognized as a day to plant and care for trees. Schools, community organizations and local authorities all over the world celebrate Arbor Day by cleaning up public parks, caring for trees, and planting trees. To find out more, click HERE And for a map of when your state celebrates Arbor Day click HERE: As always I have left some blank dates for you to catch up on those activities that might require more than one day to finish up.
If you have followed all my monthly checklists since January you should be ready to enjoy Summer activities and have fun! Come back to check for future checklists by month and new posts. Happy Organizing When we hear "March" we start to dream about Spring, and Spring equal, well… Spring Cleaning :-) If you have followed my monthly checklist from January on you are already ahead with your Spring Cleaning and this month we will continue with the Organizing and maintenance of your home. NOTE – Days are not all numbered by actual date so you may pick and choose based on the amount of time you have on a specific day. Some tasks will take longer than others, so I left some blank days at the end. You may copy/paste this into a blank document and print so you can have it handy and check mark the tasks already accomplished. Day 1 – Microwave – If you haven’t cleaned it properly in a little while use the boiling water and lemon technique, you can watch videos on YouTube about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdFxcfH-05w Day 2 – Room Clutter – A way to address that clutter is to have 1 place (in each room if necessary) to collect random stuff that needs to be returned to its proper home. If you have multiple floors place a basket at the bottom/top of stairs to collect stuff that belongs to another floor. This is your task for today! Return this clutter to its proper home. Day 3 – Linens/towels – Go through your linens and towels, and get rid of what is old, yellowed, stained, damaged or it is not a full set. You should only keep what looks and feels good, it will improve your mood, it is not a good feeling having to dry your face with an old, stained and rough towel. Pamper yourself, you deserve it. It is better to have less but good quality, than lots of lesser quality. Day 4 – Bed and Mattress – In the old days people used sunlight to sanitize their beds, linens and even rugs. When did you flip your mattress last? It is recommended you do it 1-2 times a year. While you are at it, vacuum under the bed, bed frame, corner and crevices. You will sleep better tonight. Day 5 – Feng Shui – Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art of arranging objects and space in an environment to achieve harmony and balance, one of the rules of Feng Shui is to eliminate clutter. More small tips to create a good energy flow in your home can be found all over the internet, try to apply what you can. Day 6 – Dishwasher – Once in a while your dishwasher needs maintenance as well. Read your manufacturer instructions, there should be a cycle for it, or look up videos online. An alternative is to buy a product made to specifically clean/sanitize your dishwasher, AFFRESH dishwasher cleaner is one example. Day 7 – TO-DO Basket – If you have space close to your door that would be the ideal spot, if not place it where it is easy to see on the way out. This is a basket to collect things you will need to take care of while outside. Packages to return, items for dry cleaning, pharmacy prescription pickup, anything borrowed and in need of return, donation bags, or anything that needs to go OUT, or taken care of while you are OUT. Having to see these things will motivate you to take care of them. If you hide them you will forget. Day 8 – Car Emergency Kit – Every vehicle should have an emergency supply kit. Kits should be checked every 6 months, expired items should be replaced. For a list of what your kit should include check this link to the National Safety Council website. ttps://www.nsc.org/home-safety/safety-topics/emergency-preparedness/car-kit Day 9 – First Aid Kit – You should have one in your car and one at home, in the even of an emergency it will be a quick grab, rather than having to search multiple locations for the items needed. Keep it well stocked and check every 6 months for expired items. Check online for items needed in a Kit. Day 10 – Declutter/Donate – The focus for today is to find items you no longer need but are still useful and Give Back. Find out if there are still Coat drives in your community, maybe Food drives for families in need or Homeless shelters/animal shelter you can donate to. If there’s a DSW nearby donate your gently used unwanted shoes, they will be redirected to Soles4Souls. Here is a link with more info: https://www.dsw.com/en/us/content/soles4souls?cm_xm=philanthropylp-20210402-editoriallist-d-soles4soulslp-dswgivesshoedonation-2 Day 11 – Give Back Box – To continue with our decluttering and donating, here is another option to make an impact and donate to a good cause while making space in your home. Give Back Box is a non profit that allows you to donate gently used items for a good cause with Free shipping and give every carboard box a second life by REUSING them. So you are doing double-Good. If you want to read more here is the link: https://www.givebackbox.com/works Day 12 – Window Treatments – Dust all your blinds thoroughly, if they are light enough take them down and wash them in the tub, especially the kitchen ones, they need more than dusting. I know there are gadgets out there but a simple kitchen tong with a microfiber cloth wrapped around will do the trick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezx_0brpHss If you have curtains, proceed as you usually do to clean them. Day 13 – National check your Batteries Day – this year is March 13th. Celebrate this day by learning about how to maintain and care for your smoke, carbon monoxide, random alarms, remotes and other electronics like baby monitors etc. Remember your smoke alarm should be replaced every 10 yrs. Day 14 – Facebook Clean up Day – Fun and easy activity for today. Your goal is to clean up as much as possible, unfriend people you never interact with, maybe you don’t even know who they are! Leave groups you joined a gazillion years ago and never visit, maybe your interests changed. Streamline and clean your Facebook account by removing anything you no longer need, unfollow pages that make you feel like you are not up to par or make you feel unaccomplished, or those with lots of click bait. Day 15 – Light Fixtures – While it is easier to dust/clean floor and table lamps, ceiling fixtures are often forgotten. The task for today is to take care of those, including fans if you have ceiling ones. If your floor lamps need maintenance try to get that done as well. Day 16 – Spice cabinet – Collect all your spices, wipe clean if needed, consolidate if you have doubles especially if they are both ½ full. Check for signs of aging, since they usually do not have expiration date, but after a while they are no longer fresh and fragrant. Discard what you no longer use. Return the ones you keep in the cabinet in an orderly fashion, either on a lazy Susan, a bin, or however you store them. If you are cooking tomorrow it will be a breeze to find what you need. Day 17 – Saint Patrick’s Day – If you celebrate it dig out all your Grandma recipes. Day 18 – Cooking Utensils – How many spatulas does one need? Some people have way more than they need. Go through your utensils and discard what is old, burnt, stained, melted (yes I found melted spatulas) and keep only what you actually use, for example if you lack space a garlic press is not necessary, you can use a knife. Ideally all your cooking utensils should be in 1 location. Day 19 – Tupperware – If you have lots of them what you need to do first is match containers with lids and discard the rest. If they are plastic check for stains and wear and tear, plastic ones should be replaced after a while. Even better transition to glass ones, they can go in the freezer, over and microwave with no problem. Also remember plastic in not earth friendly :-( Day 20/21/22 – Clean Out your Closet Week! Every year we celebrate National Clean out your Closet Week on the 3rd week of March. You observe this day by taking on 1 closet per day, maybe 2 if they are small, depending on how many you have you may need more than 3 days. The process is the same for all, EMPTY the closet, clean the shelves, vacuum the floor, go through items and discard what needs to go, return items possibly in categories in your closet. Try to be honest and ask yourself when was the last time you used an item, if you didn’t even know it was there, you did not miss it, let it go. Day 23 – Clean out your Social Media – Let’s alternate from physical labor to mental work. How many social media platforms are you on? Chances are at least 3. Time to clean out a bit. Go through the list of friends and unfriend those you don’t even know in person and never interact with, unfollow pages that you lost interest in, leave groups you never visit, by removing what is no longer relevant the focus will be on what you are actually interested in and probably enjoy. Try to keep the focus on what really pertain to you Today not 3 years ago Day 24 – Clean out your phone – Since we addressed Social Media cleanup, we might as well continue with your phone, you use it everyday for multiple reasons, but how often do you perform maintenance on it? Check through your text messages and delete obsolete ones, do the same with emails, clean your spam folders as well, and what about pictures? How many are stored on your phone? Move to alternate storage and keep only those that are important, no need to have multiples of the same 2 people in similar poses, just keep the best. GOAL is to reduce the amount of stuff on your phone. Day 25 – Pots and Pans – Take them all out and check for damage, burned ones have to go, non-stick pans with damaged coating have to go, they are not safe to use, pots with broken handles or without lid can be discarded as well. You can use pans without lids but pots not so much. Try to really think about what you use on a regular basis. Those rarely used can be stored in harder to reach places. The rest of the month is for you to catch up with whatever tasks you left incomplete as some may require more than 1 day. If anything try to get your Clean out your Closets Week done, closets can accumulate huge amounts of clutter and dust! Spring is near and so is allergy season, dust will just make it worse.
Most of all try to have fun with it if you can, play music if it helps!! Happy Organizing. NOTE – Days are not numbered by actual date so you may pick and choose based on the amount of time you have on a specific day. Some tasks will take longer than others, so adjust accordingly, I also left some blank days at the end to complete unfinished tasks. You may also copy/paste this into a blank document and print so you can have it handy and check mark the tasks already accomplished. Day 1 – Keys – Either you have family members that often lose their keys or not, it is a good practice to keep copies of ALL your important keys (whatever they may be). Think about anything else other than the obvious house keys; car, shed, safe, parent’s home etc. Have a ring with all your copies clearly labeled so you don’t have to guess. Should you misplace any key it will save you time. If you use one of the copies remember to make another one and replace it on the ring, immediately. Day 2 – Clean your toaster and toaster oven day. You may need them for V Day breakfast. Make sure you open the crumbs tray and use a brush in corners to get all debris out. Day 3 – Valentine’s Day Prep – Depending on how you celebrate create a checklist with To-Do items like:
Day 4/5 – Master Closet – This will probably require more than 1 day so plan it over a weekend.
Day 6 – Annual Check-up – Set up doctor and dentist annual check-up for your family if you haven’t done so, if not possible at this time mark on your calendar the date when to address it. Day 7 – Check your vacuum filter. When was the last time you did maintenance on your vacuum? Each model is different but they all require maintenance. Read your vacuum manual (or look it up online) for proper maintenance. Some models of Dyson vacuums for example have a filter that requires washing. Day 8 – Organize your kitchen Junk Drawer. Take everything out, assess: does it belong here? If not re-home with like items. We all have junk drawers but it doesn’t mean they have to be messy. Use drawer organizers to keep items with like items, and to prevent mixing with others. Day 9 – Jewelry – Do you have lots of costume jewelry? Seasonal or event jewelry? Are the sets together, are your earrings in pairs or orphans? Gather all your jewelry and organize it however it makes sense to you, summer jewelry, work jewelry, special events etc. Find a place to store it all together and a small dish or box for everyday or often used jewelry to drop off at the end of the day. Day 10 – Couch – When did you last treat your couch to a good vacuuming? Remove all pillows, seats etc. and deep vacuum, surprises always awaits! Vacuum the armrests and back of the couch, move it and vacuum the entire area underneath. Vacuum each pillow and seat and place back. Good Job!! If you like use some fabric freshener for a clean scent. Day 11 – Medicine – If you haven’t tackled your bathroom organization yet, or keep them in the kitchen, go through your medicine and supplements and check for expiration dates, if something need to be refilled call your doc/pharmacy and get it refilled right away. Day 12 – Old magazines/newspapers/books – We all have things we mean to read “eventually” accumulating in various corners. Time to weed them out. Go through those piles and be honest with yourself, how long have you been saving them? Can you find a similar read online? Recycle as much as possible. And how about that book ½ read and never finished? Can you donate it? If you ever decide to read it one day just grab it from the library. Make sure to place what you keep near an area where you read. Day 13 – Descale your Coffee Maker. Did you know your coffee machine can grow mold, bacteria and accumulate mineral build up. Depending on the type you use follow instructions on it’s manual or find online. Maintaining your coffee maker will not only give you better tasting coffee but extend its life. What a great way to start your Valentine's day tomorrow! Day 14 – Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is also National Clean out your computer day. As the title suggest it implies weeding out what you no longer need. If you tend to save too many photos on your pc try to move them to an external drive, flash drive or cloud storage. Go through your files and clean out what is outdated, a duplicate or can be accessed on the web without need to store. You goal is to delete at least 20 files. You may postpone this task to the end and use one of your free days if you are celebrating V Day. :-) Day 15 – Car Maintenance – Time to declutter and vacuum the inside of your car, change your air freshener if you use one. Remove all junk and organize what you keep in your car by giving it a “home” to reside. Make sure you have your "car and registration" as well ;-) Day 16 – If you have time clean the outside of your car or schedule time for a car wash and oil change? Does your car need a tune up as well? Day 17 – Today is National Random Act of Kindness Day it may not have anything to do with organizing but you may take a break today and do something to brighten up someone’s day. Help an elderly neighbor, call a lonely relative, send a card to someone who doesn’t expect it, or just buy a warm meal for a homeless person. Today it is not about you. ADD PHOTO! Day 18 – Old Files/statements – Discard 1 year worth of old credit card statements or bills. You don’t need to keep them if they are paid and there is nothing related to tax returns. Shred what contains sensitive information. Day 19 – Kids Backpacks – Go through your child backpack and remove clutter, damaged, dirty items and replace with new, check if you need to replenish supplies, and check folders for forgotten permission slips or other important papers. Return items in an organized fashion. Repeat for other children. Day 20 – School Supplies – While replenishing your kids backpacks take notice if any supplies are low, there is still almost ½ year worth of school so make a list and replenish any supplies as needed. Day 21 – Washer/Dryer Maintenance. If you have never done maintenance on your washer/dryer now it would be a good time. Some people limit that to removing the lint from the filter in their dryers. More detailed maintenance will prolong the life of your appliances and save you money on repairs. There are plenty videos online that show you how to perform maintenance depending on your appliance. The maker of your appliance may have instructions as well. Lastly there are also products you can purchase. Day 22 – February 22 is National walking the Dog Day so take the time to enjoy a leisurely walk with your four legged friend. Exercise and fresh air will do both of you good. While we are on the dog subject before you go out find some time to Organize your doggie supplies. Do you have a home for them? If not think of one.
Day 23 – Make a Vision Board – Sometimes visual help is a great motivator. If there is a home related project that will take multiple steps, for example organizing your living room, having a Vision board with examples, pictures and motivating quotes will help you achieve your goal. I will give you the rest of the month OFF so you can try and finish off anything that may be incomplete. Do your best to finish it all off so you can move on to next month Tasks with no extra baggage :-) Come back for March Checklist! |
AuthorHello, my name is Vicky and I am a Professional Organizer in NYC. I am passionate about anything related to organizing and most of all I fully believe in the benefits of it. Archives
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