Living in the Northland and also in a small home, space is precious. Twice per year I go through my Summer/Winter wardrobes and do some serious housekeeping. This time of year we are in the layering stage; too cool in the morning yet by afternoon you are sweating. I store a cardigan or light jacket in my car until the snow makes an appearance.
As for wardrobe, a good portion of my summer wear is stored in a tote and vice-versa. First I go through each piece and decide whether to keep, toss or donate. If too worn out, goes into the toss pile. We all acquire new pieces of clothing throughout the year and this is a very good way of staying organized and keeping clutter at a minimum. I made a rule for myself that for every new shirt, etc that I buy, one or two others will go out the door.
I will be the first to admit that unless a store has a very good discount on items I like, I will do most of my shopping at my local GoodWill or Salvation Army. There are some real nice articles of clothing, some with the price tags still on them.
Organizing by room
I stick to one room at a time or I find myself wandering in circles getting absolutely nothing done but making a mess everywhere! Another good idea is to have a specific cleaning day for each room as well. That way you already know what will be done. The exception is the bathroom. We know that room is more like a daily clean. Look around, pick a corner and work around the room. It is easier to keep a room clean than to go into a disaster that hasn’t been touched in months. (I know this first hand!)
Unless you are seeking a specific item, avoid garage sales! I avoid them like the plaque because it is too easy to fill your vehicle with items you really don’t need but snatched up because it was so cheap or too cute to pass up. Soon you have more things cluttering your garage than you know what to do with. Good time to have a sale of your own and hope someone else has the garage sale bug? Then also is the “I made need this one day” excuse to hang on to something you haven’t used in 5 years and it’s collecting dust on a shelf or taking room in a closet.
I acquired a lot of nick-nacks from my beloved grandmother when she passed away. All sorts of miniatures I would help her take down and wash once a year. I get to do this at home now! These will be passed down and once I am gone it will not matter what is done with them. I keep them because I have such good memories with my grandma-mom as I called her.
Getting organized can be a challenge, staying organized can be easy once you have a routine in place and stick with it. Until next time, make each and every day count for something!
Lisa
