Archive for the ‘
Spring Cleaning ’ Category
OK–Spring is here and although the temperatures where I am certainly don’t feel like Spring, I’ve started to do some Spring Cleaning around my house.
My first big project was kids clothes. I have two boys and I had to switch sizes and seasons for both of them. Besides all the sorting, purging, and categorizing–it was a lot of laundry, too! My sister gave me a ton of clothes for my youngest that her child has outgrown. Whatever wasn’t seasonally appropriate went to my friend who had a baby in January. The rest went into the attic–into tubs, marked by size.
Gotta get the garage ready for summer soon. That’s next on my list…
What will YOUR first Spring Cleaning project be?
Sunday, March 20th is the first day of Spring–yea! And it’s going to hit 70 degrees on Friday–bigger yea!
Are you ready for Spring cleaning? Although the 70 degree temps aren’t going to last long, it’s still a good idea to start thinking about where and how you’ll start your Spring cleaning. Closets? Basement? Garage?
Wherever you choose to start–just start. Pick a time when you’re feeling good, throw on some motivating music and begin turning your home from winter wasteland to spring/summer spectacular!
We all know about Spring Cleaning, but what about Winter Cleaning?
The Winter Cleaning I’m talking about has little to do with a dust rag and a mop. It has more to do with purging. Take a look around your home. Do you have a lot of ‘stuff’ you don’t know what to do with?
There are many people who are out of work or who are living on less this holiday season. Consider donating your unwanted items to local thrift stores or international charities. Those toys your children no longer play with make inexpensive holiday gifts when purchased from a thrift shop. The clothes that no longer fit you will keep someone warm, dressed for work, and feeling good about themselves.
So when you’re finished reading this blog post, think about what you can take to your local donation center. There’s no need to wait until Spring to do a thorough ‘clean-out.’
It’s almost the end of April–I hope you’ve started your Spring Cleaning for 2010. Although the weather has turned cool today, you’re going to want those sandals, sports equipment and other ‘summer fun’ items at arm’s reach very soon.
So far, I’ve given you four basic organizing principles–here’s number five–the last one you’ll need for Spring Cleaning and Anytime of the Year Cleaning.
Basic Organizing Principle #5:
Group ‘Like with Like.’
Grouping ‘like with like’ helps you to find what you need when you need it. For instance, if all of your daughter’s hair clips were to be grouped together all in one place it would be easier to find the pink Hello Kitty barrette that matches her pink Hello Kitty T-shirt. If her hair clips were dumped in a drawer with a bunch of crayons and a few beanie babies, they would be much harder to locate quickly.
Another example: All that ‘tupperware’ we talked about in Basic Organizing Principle #4–how many times have you cursed under your breath because you couldn’t find a square-shaped lid to match it’s bottom part? Grouping ‘like with like’ is the key to finding that bottom part in a matter of seconds.
To achieve optimal container storage, take all of your storage containers out of your cabinet and place them on the dining room table. Sort them by category–group all circle and oval shaped containers and then the squares and rectangles. Do the same with the lids. Then match up lids with bottoms. If you have any missing bottoms or lids, consider recycling or repurposing the other mate-less piece.
Grouping ‘like with like’ will save you:
Time – no long and tiresome searches for what you need
Money – no more spending $$$ on items you already have but just can’t find
Stress–self explanatory…
Even if you haven’t started your Spring Cleaning yet, start grouping ‘like with like.’ It will make you feel like you’ve taken a huge step towards organizing your home.
Remember the last organizing principle we discussed?
This one piggy-backs on the last one…
Basic Organizing Principle #4:
Take the Time to Put Things Away Properly
You’ve created a home for your stuff. You’ve used it and now it’s time to put it back in it’s home.
If you take a few seconds or minutes to put something away properly (as opposed to haphazardly or next to/on top of where it should be), you’ll be able to find it next time you need it. And, the next time you need it, it will be easier to retrieve.
For example, if you usually take your tupperware out of the dishwasher and jut toss it into your cabinet, you’ll have difficulty retrieving a matching top and bottom the next time you need it.
I often advise people that spending a few minutes putting items ‘back in their home’ will save them time when they need to revisit that area in the future.
Spending time NOW will save you time LATER.
Keep on doing that Spring cleaning!
Did you do your taxes yet? If not, stop reading this entry and go straight to your accountant’s office. If your taxes are done and you’re ready to tackle another part of Spring Cleaning then read on…
I’d like to share with you another basic organizing principle–one that is so basic, we don’t even realize half the time that we’re doing it.
Basic Organizing Principle #3:
Designate a logical and specific ‘home’ to put your belongings
Also known as:
“A Place for Everything and Everything in It’s Place”
First example: the toothbrush.
How many of you keep your toothbrush in the living room or the bedroom? Where do most people keep it? Right—in the bathroom—in a holder or drawer or medicine cabinet. Why do we keep it there? Because it’s logical to keep it in the place that we use it. And it’s most likely that when we need it, we’ll find it right there in the bathroom.
Whenever I give a talk, I like to tell people the story of when my hubby and I were first married. We used to go shopping for items for the house and we would bring the tape measure with us. When we came back it would be put down—we hadn’t established a home for it. After one too many, ‘Honey, have you seen the tape measure?’ We decided to designate a home for it in one of our kitchen drawers and now, nine years later, we always know where to find it…
This doesn’t need to be complicated. When figuring out a ‘home’ for an object, ask yourself,
• Where would i use this most often (toothbrush = bathroom)
• If this object leaves the house with me often, where should I create a spot for it? (near the front door? hall closet? mudroom? On a hook/shelf/in a tote bag?
• If I don’t use this item often, what is the most logical spot for it?
If you think finding a home for every itty bitty thing in your home is going to be overwhelming–don’t panic! You’ve already made a logical home for most of your belongings (clothes in the drawers/closet, food in the fridge/pantry,and let’s not forget your toothbrush…). By designating a logical and specific place to put your belongings, it will enable you to find what you need when you need it–and that’s REALLY what being organized is all about.
March 20th was the first day of Spring. Started Spring Cleaning yet?
Whether you have already started or you haven’t made that appointment with yourself yet (Basic Organizing Principle #1), here’s another way to make Spring Cleaning a less overwhelming task:
Basic Organizing Principle #2:
Break Large Tasks into Smaller Tasks
Let’s say you need to go through your chest of drawers and let’s say you have four drawers—one with underwear, one with socks, one with T-shirts and one with pajamas. Instead of taking a few hours to go through the chest of drawers, try going through one drawer at a time on different days of the week. You’ll be less tired from the task and the job will still get done.
Remember:
Any organizing task is doable if it is broken down into smaller and less time-consuming tasks.
Last Sunday I did a presentation for a lovely group of women who were very interested in getting organized. The title of the presentation was, “Organize Your Space…Organize Your Life.” Sounds like a lot of information to cover in an hour but I talked about the basics–what one needs to know to get started.
During the months of March and April, I’ll be sharing some of those basic organizing principles with you. Spring is just around the corner, which means Spring Cleaning is on the minds of many. Whether you have a studio apartment or a six-bedroom house, it’s important to have a plan for your Spring Cleaning.
Here’s the first of those basic organizing principles–they’re easy to follow and will help you to reach your Spring Cleaning and organizing goals.
Basic Organizing Principle #1:
Make an Appointment with Yourself to Get Organized
Why should you make an appointment with yourself to get organized?
It’s very important to set aside time for organizing–just like you’d make time for the doctor or an oil change. What happens if you don’t keep the doctor’s appointment? You may get billed and be in poor health for a long time. What happens if you don’t keep the appointment for the oil change? Your car might stop working. What if you don’t keep your organizing appointment? Your home will not function efficiently much like the car without the oil change or your body without seeing the doctor…
Carve out a time when you’re most energetic and likely to have a minimum of interruptions. Mark it on your calendar and keep that appointment!
Contact Stacey to Get Started!
