Can you believe that Summer is well underway and that half of the year is already over? How is your New Year’s resolution to “get organized” panning out? Do you feel like you’ll never get there? You can do it and I’ve got 8 different ways for you to get there that won’t take a ton of time so you can feel good about what you can accomplish.
Even if getting organized was not on your resolution list, I would be willing to bet that there are parts of your home that could use some organizational tweaks and even some you’ve never thought of.
Simple Organizing Tasks: Big Impact
1. When was the last time you cleaned out your refrigerator? Can you identify what’ s really in that old takeout container? Take 30 minutes and clear out the old stuff, clean out the shelves and drawers, and put the good stuff back where it belongs. Check the expiration dates of those sauces and condiments, too.
2. Do you have a drop zone for your keys, wallet, and phone? Mine includes my glasses as well, given that I’m of a certain age. Get an attractive tray or short basket to put those items near where you enter your home so you’re not wasting precious time looking for them when you’re trying to get out the door.
3. Do you have a place for gathering tax documents for 2021? Get and label a folder now for storing receipts, car tag statements, donation receipts, medical statements, and whatever it is that you’ll need to locate for filing taxes next year. Since the filing deadline was delayed this year, it’s easy to put this task off. Put the folder in the front of your filing cabinet so it’s easy to find. When something has a home, you know where it goes when it comes up.
Get closer to your goals of a calm home, reduced stress, and have more time to do the things that you love.
4. Did you put away your Winter sweaters without getting them cleaned or washing them? Food and sweat is what attracts moths and other bugs to ruin them so clean them well. Don’t store in plastic because wool and cashmere need to breathe.
5. On that note, did you clean your coats and scarves? Now is a good time to get them cleaned if you haven’t already. Just take them out of the plastic bags when you get them home.
6. Do you order from Amazon or Target or have anything on autoship? I bet you’ve got some cardboard boxes you’ve been saving just in case. Now is the time to break them down and recycle. You’ll love having the extra space back!
7. When did you last do a clean sweep of your pantry? Check packaged foods’ expiration dates and toss anything that has passed its prime. That date is usually 2 years past the original package date so if you haven’t used it yet, you probably won’t.
8. Have you ever cleaned out your car’s glove box? In less than 30 minutes, you can separate and file your car’s paperwork so you can find all the necessary documents when necessary. Hopefully, you won’t need it soon but you need to know you’ve got your current proof of insurance and registration in there.
All of these tasks are a good jump start to give you momentum to get rid of clutter and achieve more order. If you need help getting to the next level of organization, contact Neatsmart. We’ll be there to dial your home up to the next level of organization so you can live more efficiently, have less stress, and more time to spend doing what matters most to you.
Why take the time to empty items into containers that you then have to label. Why not leave cereal, flour, sugar, etc. in the boxes/bags they came in as long as you close them securely between uses? I guess it looks better to have matching clear cannisters, but seems like an extra, time wasting step. What am I missing? A2
I set a calendar reminder to do a quick refrigerator clean out every Thursday night, because trash pick up is Friday AM at my house. So, I can put a trash bag in the sink and dump all sad, old food from various to go and plastic containers into the trash bag, tie it up and put in the trash and get all of those reusable containers in the dishwasher before I run the load after dinner.