If you are ready to live clutter free this year, start with these 5 areas. Take it one step at a time. As a professional organizer, and owner of Cincinnati Organizing Solutions, the most common word I hear is OVERWHELMED. If you need help with this process I can work with you to make 2016 a year of more time and less stress.
Project #1 – Kitchen Countertops
Do you constantly have mail, kid’s school papers, bills, etc. piling up on your kitchen countertops? Tackle that mess with one easy system. Set up a small hanging file bin with folders for each category. As mail and papers come in, file them in this temporary system to keep your countertops clutter free. Give yourself a To-Do folder for things that need action, a folder for each child, a bills folder, an events folder for all those wedding/baby shower/birthday party invites, and anything else you need. Limit yourself to no more than 10 folders. Check the box once a week to see if there is anything that needs action. Grab your girlfriends and check out one of my Girl’s Night Workshops and we can create this together.
Project #2 – Clothes
If your closet needs some de-cluttering, try this. Turn all of your hangers backwards on the bar. As you wear things and wash them, hang them back up on the bar correctly. At the end of the season, keep what you actually wore (the hangers facing the correct way) and say goodbye to the rest. You can read more tips on how to organize your closet HERE.
Project #3 – Paper
If you have papers for days, but no clue why or how long you should actually keep them, use these guidelines to help you sort through the mess and keep only what you really need. A great way to contain the mountain of kid’s artwork and school papers is to create a file box for each child. Use one hanging file for each year. If you’re having a hard time deciding which ones to keep, check out my guidelines.
Project #4 – Toys
The holidays are over, and if your house was anything like mine, I bet there are new toys EVERYWHERE. Grab your children and teach them how to de-clutter too. Help them go through old toys and decide which ones can be donated. This is also a great opportunity to talk about giving to those who are less fortunate. When you are ready to put the new toys away, check out some of my tips for organizing toys.
Project #5 – Phone
This is a big one for most people. Think about how much time we spend on our phones. But how often do we actually think about organizing them? Probably never. Go through your phone and delete all apps you don’t use. While you’re at it, set your wallpaper to something that makes you happy. Upload all pictures to your computer, but don’t stop there. Print. Back-up. Store. You don’t ever want to say those dreaded words, “I lost all of my pictures because….” Preserve your precious memories.
Danielle Boerger is a professional organizer and owner of Cincinnati Organizing Solutions. As a mother of two, Danielle has learned how to create systems to stay organized even with life’s busy demands. Helping others declutter and organize their homes to save time and stress is her passion. You can also find her here:
Pinterest: pinterest.com/cincinnagiorgan
Facebook: facebook.com/cincinnatiorganizingsolutions
Instagram: instagram.com/cincinnatiorganizingsolutions
