Tag: declutter

Six More Weeks of Winter for Decluttering

Posted on by Jordank

The sky was overcast as Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his Western Pennsylvania burrow early Saturday morning. He “told” his Inner Circle handlers that he hadn’t seen seen his shadow, and to expect an early spring.

But the world’s most famous marmot is notoriously inaccurate. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the woodchuck has zero predictive skill, and Phil’s track record has been equal to a coin toss — about 50/50 — for the last 10 years.

Whatever the groundhog says, no one north of the 35th parallel should be surprised to see wintry weather through mid-March at least. But having projects to do inside your own “burrow” while you hibernate will help make the next six weeks fly by.

This year — instead of just hoping for an early spring — make an early spring cleaning a reality. Start now by #decluttering, says The Simply Organized Home, because “There is no point in cleaning things that you don’t need, use or love.”

Put away or donate any winter-themed knickknacks and decorative items. With those out of the way and the junk you don’t want boxed and bagged for a #donation pickup from ClothingDonations.org, you can get to work on a deep-clean.

Start with the entryways, a checklist from Premeditated Leftovers says. Sweep, mop, and wipe down all surfaces. Empty the front closet to clean and store heavy sweaters and winter coats as the weather warms, or #donate them if they didn’t see any use over the winter.

Clean seldom-considered areas including as sliding door tracks, dryer vents, behind appliances, and the tops of baseboards and picture frames. Pressure-wash the patio and scrub your outdoor furniture and grill so you’re ready to enjoy warmer weather.

If you’re feeling ambitious (or empowered by your initial success), repeat the decluttering/deep-cleaning process in every room of the home, one by one. By the time temperatures reach the 60s and 70s again, your home will be streamlined and sanitized.

When you finally emerge from hibernation to see your shadow, you will no longer be encumbered by useless stuff and your home will feel fresh. And you’ll be ready to make the most of the spring and summer seasons.

How to Beat Cabin Fever

Posted on by Jordank

In the wake of last weekend’s winter storm, temperatures dropped across the country, leaving many people confined to their homes or at least reluctant to go out. Homes today have numerous entertainments, of course, but cabin fever — that restless feeling that comes with being stuck at home — is a real challenge in wintertime.

Children get especially squirrely when daily activities are limited by deep drifts and icy temperatures. Keep them busy by having them help bake cookies, make homemade Play-doh or build an indoor fort, The Budget Diet suggests, or try to help them embrace the weather by going on a nature walk or sledding trip.

Avoid binging on television and food if you want to beat cabin fever, WikiHow says — such overindulgences can actually make you feel more listless and hopeless. Instead, get plenty of vitamin D through sunlight and healthy foods, engage your mind with a good book or puzzle, and clean your home to make it more comfortable.

Host a dinner, cocktail party or game night if you want to socialize without traveling far, LifeHacker suggests. “Make people trudge through the snow to you. Put on a pot of stew, bake some bread, and break out the whiskey. How do you think people in cold climates stay social?”

You can also take advantage of the downtime to plan for the parts of the year you won’t be stuck inside, WiseBread says. Check out destinations for your summer road trip online or plan your summer garden. Better still, volunteer some of your extra time to help people facing worse problems than boredom.

One of the best things to do to keep cabin fever at bay while making that “cabin” a better place to live is #declutter, says MakeSpace.com. A cluttered home is a cramped home, “so spend the next big snow day cleaning and organizing,” the site says. It will make your space more livable and enjoyable, even while you’re stuck there due to the weather.

When you’re done decluttering, pack up any still-useful clothing and household items and contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup. You won’t have to lift a finger — we’ll come to you, navigating the slushy streets to get your donations before reselling them to local thrift stores and using the proceeds to fund veterans programs.

That act of charity alone should make you feel somewhat better about being stuck indoors. Stay warm!

Keeping the Resolution to Declutter

Posted on by Jordank

The new year’s resolution to declutter may be harder to keep than the resolution to go on a diet, the Washington Post says. To succeed, make a list of goals and schedule specific projects. The individual components of your decluttering plan don’t have to be huge; just pick a closet, shelf or drawer to start and spend 30 minutes organizing it. Clearing a horizontal surface such as a kitchen countertop or shelf, for example, will show results right away and motivate you to do more. If you can dedicate a half-hour per day to decluttering, it will add up to more than four full-time workweeks over the year. Make 2019 happy and clutter-free!

Happy New Year from ClothingDonations.org!

Give the Gift of Decluttering

Posted on by Jordank

While we at the Organizing Blog often preach minimalism, we still maintain a childlike sense of anticipation about finding brightly wrapped gifts under the tree with our names on it — not to mention the many hours of “retail therapy” that go into giving a thoughtful gift.

But the many new things you’ll give and receive during the holidays do take up space, and when left haphazardly around the home, they become clutter. And when left unchecked, clutter not only crowds tabletops, hallways and closets, it can crowd the mind.

That’s why some of the best gifts are ones that organize all of the stuff in one’s busy life into spaces that make sense — or even cut down on what and how much of any category of thing one hangs onto. Treat decluttering as a gift, and you can show you really care.

This year, try giving things that maximize the space already available in one’s home. SimpleMost suggests 19 clever gifts, for example, that will help your giftees create more storage space in kids’ rooms, mud rooms, kitchens and closets.

Another excellent gift at year’s end is a daily, weekly or monthly calendar, planner or journal. You can’t magically make someone into a Type A, but having a place to write down and organize one’s appointments is a great start. Self offers a number of options.

Some of the best gifts are things that hold other things. Sorting small, like items into a designated place can help keep them from scattering around the house or getting lost. Pop Sugar has selected a bunch of bins, hooks, caddies, shelves and holders that can contain the clutter in style.

You can also give a gift that doesn’t add to the clutter whatsoever. Anything that can be used up is a great choice — homebaked cookies, a nice bottle of wine or a gift basket of gourmet charcuterie. Or you can gift an experience with theater tickets, dinner out at a local restaurant or a spa treatment.

If you get something for which you just can’t find a place, there’s no shame in getting rid of it. The goodwill won’t go unappreciated— even though whatever it is might get lost in a heap of surplus stuff. Quietly set whatever it is aside and include it in your donation to ClothingDonations.org so it can’t clutter your home.

Less clutter means less stress. And who doesn’t want that?!

Declutter and Donate Ahead of the Holidays

Posted on by Jordank

The holiday season is upon us, and every day, retailers provide us with new incentives to spend: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday. But those thoughtful gifts and doorbuster deals can take up lots of space in an already-cluttered home. That’s why you should do a pre-Christmas decluttering, knowing that new stuff is on the way.

If you have children, there will definitely be new toys coming into the home, and you probably have huge bins of old toys that have fallen out of favor or are no longer age-appropriate. Sort through them and get rid of anything broken or incomplete, The (Mostly) Simple Life suggests, and involve kids in the process. Set aside anything that’s useful, but unused.

As you decorate the home, edit out any decorations that no longer make the cut. Whether it’s burned-out string lights, cracked tree ornaments or dog-eared accents, trash anything that’s too worn to fulfill its function. If something is still functional, but you don’t like it or want to display it, set it aside in a “donate” pile.

This is also an excellent time to take stock of cold-weather clothing. If there are items you won’t be wearing due to changes in sizes or styles, set them aside. At the same time, you can sort, streamline and store your summer wardrobe. Was there anything that spent the entire summer in your drawers and closets? Get rid of it!

Put all of the still-usable castoff decorations, games, toys, sweaters, swimwear and other goods into boxes and bags, and visit ClothingDonations.org to schedule a pickup. If you do so quickly, many of your unique but unwanted items will be available to other shoppers for purchase ahead of Christmas — making their holidays happier.

When you give away the stuff you’re not using, it can find a new purpose with someone else who can really use it. They might actually want and enjoy that stuffed Santa or those old baby clothes. And when they purchase those disused items through a thrift store supplied by ClothingDonations.org, they will help fund veterans’ programs throughout the year.

An added bonus? After you’ve done a thorough, pre-holiday decluttering, you’ll know better what you and your family need to buy new — making holiday shopping and gifting easier. Better still, you’ll have reclaimed the space in your home you need to store it. Start decluttering today — Giving Tuesday — for a happy holiday season!