12 Days to Organized the Holidays - pt4

The holidays are such a wonderful time of year! There is food, and gifts and we get to reflect on how thankful we are for our bounty. This is also a great time of year to seize the chance to begin anew with the welcoming of a New Year. In organizing your home, thinking ahead to the holidays can be just the nudge you need to get you off on the right foot.

     In the organizing industry, the term for clearing away unwanted or unneeded items is called a purge. Purging your home of items that you no longer use or no longer honor your home can be a freeing event! With an increase in shopping, more items naturally arrive in our homes. Between decorations, gifts, baking, etc. it can get down right overwhelming. Now is a great time to look around your home for items that you have that no longer work, either physically or spatially. Do you have a replacement on your list to Santa? If so, consider donating the item or passing it on to a local charity. Year-end is a great time to not only think of others in need, but rack up those charitable deductions for Uncle Sam.

• Donate or toss old bakeware, blankets and clothing that could be used elsewhere. Consider local animal shelters and women's shelters in addition to larger donation drop-off centers like Goodwill. 

• Stock up on storage containers for items that are out of season. Don't forget to use that label maker to mark the bins for easy access next year! Color coding works well too. Use orange bins for Halloween items, green or red for Christmas, etc. 
• Sort through papers on your desk or other work area (don't forget the junk drawer!) and gather receipts in a manilla envelope for tax time. Don't forget to label the envelope with the tax year and title for easy reference. Trash or shred other papers that you deem unimportant. 
• Be realistic  when it comes to your Christmas lists. Do you have a home for the items that you're requesting? Remember, on December 26th, if you don't have a home the gift can lose it's fun if it becomes clutter. 
• Encourage your children to get in on the fun. Are they asking for new action figures? Books? Games? Sorting through current toys and tossing or donating will easily make room for new. This is also a great opportunity to teach your children a valuable lesson on charity and organization! 
• Find the right home for gifts. Consider passing along those trinket gifts that can pile up from various parties or events. Uncle Ralph collects coffee mugs? He may love the silly reindeer one that your boss passed out to everyone in the office! 

     I hope these ideas will give you ideas on how to get a jump on the New Year and those organizing resolutions! If you are in the greater Atlanta area and would like help with those resolutions, contact us and let us know what your goals are and see how we can help!