Super Bowl LVI ended in a 23-20 win for the Los Angeles Rams over the Cincinnati Bengals. As is the custom, the gridiron action was framed by record-settingly expensive ads, but maybe for the first time, selling more #stuff wasn’t on the agenda. Apps, consumable snacks and experiences led the way this year, with even the biggest consumer products pitched — automobiles — being mostly #sustainable electric vehicles. It’s too soon to tell, but The Organizing Blog thinks that maybe this is an indication that the country has finally turned the corner on #clutter.
Tag: clutter
Show Your Valentine You Care by Decluttering
You and your romantic partner probably have different #organizational styles and skills. And that’s OK — relationships demand compromise. But what can you do to meet in the middle this #Valentine’s Day?
Whether you consider yourself more the #hoarder or the #neat freak in the relationship, you must learn to respect their stuff, their attachments to it, and the ways in which they #sort and #organize it (or don’t).
“It’s rare that my clients have the same thought process, emotions and vision about the things that they own,” professional organizer Tanisha Lyons-Porter told The Washington Post magazine last year.
COVID-19 has only exacerbated these differences. The neat freak may have used their extra lockdown time to scrub down and organize every nook and cranny, while the #clutterer may have stockpiled canned goods and toilet paper.
Assuming that your differences are within the normal spectrum of neat vs. messy and not the indicator of a genuine psychiatric disorder, Valentine’s Day presents the perfect opportunity to join your partner in an effort to get more #organized.
Frustrated with your partner’s clutter? Have an honest discussion about the situation and dedicate a few hours of your time to help them get things sorted. If you are the #clutterer, ask for their help or make an attempt to rein in the #junk in an area you both use.
You can also hire a professional organizer to give you both a crash course in #decluttering — or if getting things #clean and #sanitized is the challenge, hire a maid service. Either service makes a great #Valentine’s Day gift that shows you care.
ClothingDonations.org is here to help! Once you declutter, we’ll pick up any lightly used items you decide not to keep with a free #donation pickup — and leave you to celebrate #Valentine’s Day in a more organized, clean home.
Resolve to Cut the Clutter Consistently
As the new year begins, many among us will take a hard look at our lives and lifestyles, making resolutions to lose weight, cut the #clutter and so on. The trouble is that sudden, sweeping moves don’t pay off as often as gradual and consistent efforts. To ensure your #decluttering effort succeeds, set more reasonable goals, says the Economic Times. If you can’t clean a whole closet at once, start with a single shelf. Or take 10 minutes each day to sort through a box or drawer, keeping a bin handy for those things you no longer want but can #donate to ClothingDonations.org.
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Back-to-School Shopping Sans Clutter
Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $848.90 per child on back-to-school shopping this year, according to the National Retail Federation, or $59 more than last year.
Given the downturn in spending while kids were distance-learning during the #pandemic, the uptick isn’t surprising. In fact, that lull in spending may mean that many students (and their parents) will be buying more #stuff this year than ever before.
If you’re going to be shopping for school in the weeks ahead, consider what you really need — and what you and your kids can shed in order to make room for it. Otherwise, all of that too-small clothing and all of those broken iPads will just add to the #clutter.
To keep levels of #junk in check, do a thorough #decluttering before you send the kids back to school. Help your children sort toys and books into four piles, Motherly suggests: Keep, donate, trash and “not quite yet.” Put the not-quite-yets in a closet or other out-of-the-way place until your child is comfortable letting them go.
Clothing is simpler: If a garment doesn’t fit, it should be handed down, sold at your next #yardsale or #donated immediately. If something it too worn to be of any further use, you can cut it into rags or trash it.
Books that won’t get read again can go, too. While you may want to hold on to classics that get read again and again, some books are age- or classroom-specific. If your child isn’t going to read a book again, you can donate it to a local library or ClothingDonations.org.
Finally, you can take any starred assignments and drawings from last year off the bulletin board or fridge. New ones will be on the way in just a few weeks, and Family Handyman suggests several #space-saving ways to save and show off a few family favorites.
Once you’ve cleared out the extra stuff you won’t be using, you’ll have space for nearly $900 in new goods. Make a list and start shopping early, however, since there may be shortages of essential items such as backpacks, stationery and tablet computers due to supply-chain disruptions.
“What we will likely see is more limited choice and lower stock levels towards the end of the back-to-school period,” Neil Saunders, retail analyst at GlobalRetail Data, told CNN. “Some consumers will inevitably miss out on the things they want to purchase.”
Start Planning Fall Home Improvement Projects Now
One of the curious aspects of the #pandemic is that it forced people to stay home more — and all that staying at home helped many launch renovations and other projects to make their space more useful and livable.
With things are nearly back to #normal in many parts of the country some 16 months later, people are in a more celebratory mood, using their summers to travel, visit friends, go out to restaurants and generally do all of the things that the coronavirus curtailed.
There are likely a few household projects that still need doing, however, and you might want to plan ahead to get them done when the weather turns cooler and the kids return to (in-person) school.
Likely projects for areas with cold winters include upgrading your furnace, replacing single-pane windows and adding insulation, says Family Handyman. You should also clean the gutters and replace any missing shingles to protect your roof against leaks.
If any exterior painting needs doing, early fall is one of the best times to do it, the Spruce says; pick a dry week with temperatures above 50°F. You can paint interiors at any time, but it’s always nice to give your space a fresh new look ahead of the holidays.
Wait for the fall to do any projects that involve lumber — new building, flooring, decking, etc. — to give prices a chance to stabilize. Wood products continue to be in short supply, and costs are high as a result.
Upgrading your home office is a good project to tackle this fall if you’re one of those lucky people who will continue to work from home (#WFH) once the pandemic subsides. Consider a new desk, shelving, artwork or an attractive background for your Zoom call.
One household project you can tackle at any time of the year but is especially important to do ahead of DIY projects is #decluttering. Go through that room, closet or garage, weed the #stuff you don’t need, and contact ClothingDonations.org for a free #donation #pickup.
Your fall projects will be easier to accomplish once you get that #clutter out of the way. And once you complete your fall home #renovations, you’ll have an attractive, functional and clean new space to call home.