Tag: clutter

Toward a Clutter-Free Christmas

Posted on by Jordank

Now that this year’s (shortened) #holiday season is in full swing, faithful readers of the Organizing Blog have likely dragged multiple boxes of decorations out of their attics and garages in an effort to create a bit of holiday cheer in and around their homes. After all, what are the holidays without lights, tinsel, ornaments and tchotchkes?

You may have also made multiple trips to the store in search of odds and ends that you’ll “need” to create that warm-and-fuzzy holiday feeling. Maybe the lights you stored last year didn’t work this year, or you just “had to have” the newest Star Shower laser lights or inflatable snowman.

The Organizing Blog is not here to tell you not to decorate or bah-humbug the holidays. But we will always remind you that it’s often best to keep things simple. During the holidays and throughout the year, it’s never a good idea to buy or keep anything that won’t truly add to your own happiness now and in the years to come.

As you shop, don’t give in to that voice that says you “need” to buy new decorations to keep up with the neighbors or feel a sense of shopping accomplishment. Instead, consider what your ideal holiday decorating scheme will be, whether whatever it is fits into that theme, and most of all, when you’ll know if you’ve decorated enough.

Similarly, as you examine your inventory of stored holiday supplies, you may find cracked ornaments, burnt-out lights and dog-eared decorations. If you think they can’t be used now, throw them away immediately — don’t just set them aside only to repack them later.

If there are any items that are nice enough to be on display somewhere but no longer fit your needs, bag them up and donate them to ClothingDonations.org. Even though you’re finished with them, an old nutcracker, elf or #Santa figurine might bring joy to someone else’s household.

When it’s time take down the tree and unplug the lights, again question whether or not everything going back into those boxes for storage adds to your holiday cheer. If you store only what you want and use, you’ll have a head start on next year’s holiday season!

Get Ready for Garage Sale Season

Posted on by Jordank

The weather is finally heating up in many parts of the country that suffered a long and inclement winter and spring. A dreary spring is great for spring cleaning, of course, but are you ready to make the most of the new season — garage sale season?

Here’s hoping that you have been able to go through your home room by room to sort out some of the excess junk you’ve accumulated over the months and years. If you haven’t given that stuff away already, now’s the time to make some money off it.

To get your sale ready, get everything you want to sell in one place. There are some things that will need to be trashed, of course, but you may be surprised at what people will want to buy, says FrugalFun.com.

“Try to sell everything! What’s junk to one person is often someone else’s treasure. Even broken appliances can be sold for parts. And don’t throw out your old magazines. Stick them all in a box and sell them for a quarter apiece.”

Arrange your selling space — whether it’s the garage, driveway or yard — like a store, with tables, racks and aisles to group similar stuff. Sort items into areas: clothing, tools, kitchenwares, electronics, knickknacks, jewelry, etc.

Post bright, colorful signs around the neighborhood, and save extra grocery bags for people’s purchases. Play some background music at your sale and greet shoppers to put them at ease while they browse.

If you plan on having more than one sale this season, you won’t have to haggle on prices much. But if your goal is to clear that crop of excess stuff (#clutter) out once and for all, allow shoppers to bargain and slash prices in the sale’s final hours.

You won’t sell everything, so contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a pickup in the days immediately following the sale. Not only will your donation of lightly used clothing and household goods help veterans, it will reduce the temptation to take any of the excess merchandise back into your home.

Garage sale season lasts from now into fall, so get ready to get rid of the junk you don’t need. Whether you stage a single sale or decide to make garage sales a regular outlet for #decluttering, you’ll be happy how streamlined your life can become — and have a few extra bucks to spend, too!

Get Mom an Organizer for Her Favorite Things

Posted on by Jordank

While it won’t necessarily reduce the amount of stuff your Mom has on hand, a good organizer may be just what she needs to keep the household #clutter in check. There are organizing products for every area of the home, By George Organizing says, so if she has a lot of appointments, she might need a new day planner. If she has lots of shoes, jewelry, purses or clothing, there are organizers that can streamline storage. There are bathroom organizers, car organizers and kitchen organizers. And if not everything fits in the newly organized spaces, contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup.

Help Mom Tackle the Chore of Decluttering

Posted on by Jordank

Maybe your mother is like most of us — beset with stuff she doesn’t need and doesn’t know how to let go of. The best way to thank her on Mother’s Day could be to help her tackle the chore of #decluttering! Tune in to Tidying Up With Marie Kondo and make a day of it. Go room by room, editing a few excess items out of each, or concentrate on just one problem area. Then get that excess junk out of Mom’s sight with a ClothingDonations.org donation pickup. Not only will she appreciate the newfound space you helped her clear out, but she’ll also cherish the quality time you spent together.

Give an Experience Instead of More Stuff

Posted on by Jordank

Instead of giving Mom a bread maker, Keurig coffee machine or yet another gadget that clutters up the countertops, says The Fun Sized Life, buy her a lesson instead. Perhaps she’d like to try out a yoga session, go to a wine tasting or take a pasta-making class. To give the gift of relaxation, get her a day of pampering that includes a massage and a mani/pedi or facial. On a budget? Make her a card or a photo album and spend some quality time with her. Unless she asks for something specific, you can keep your mother’s #clutter to a minimum and still show you care.