{Post by Jessica}
Cold winter temps mean spending more of your down time stuck in doors. Cabin fever can easily set in, but instead of curling under a blanket eating the last of the Christmas cookies, take this time to review and organize your home. Let’s focus on a room-by-room home organization plan.
To keep this task from feeling daunting or from becoming so overwhelmed you don’t know where to begin, try tackling one room, one week at a time. This is the home organization plan I follow when starting the year.
Home Organization Plan
Week 1: Kitchen Resolutions
Clean out your pantry.
Many of us set goals for better health and nutrition at the beginning of each year, and the pantry is a great place to start. Consider getting rid of items containing a lot of processed ingredients or items you no longer see yourself cooking with (consider donating anything unopened to a local food pantry).
In addition, toss opened olive oils, herbs, and spices that are more than a year old and anything past its expiration date. Feel free to keep long lasting items such as vinegar, salt, sugar, and other grains as long as they are tightly sealed.
Take the time to organize your remaining pantry items so they are grouped similarly and easy to find.
Move on to the Fridge and Freezer.
Go through your condiments and check the expiration date. When in doubt, throw it out!
Wipe down shelves and drawers-I love this natural cleaner to keep foods and my family safe from toxins.
Re-stock items you are keeping by grouping them into similar categories. Frozen vegetables have a longer storage life, and older items should be moved up top and used first. If anything has severe freezer burn, let it go! There are more fridge and freezer organization ideas here too.
Simplify Storage.
Start with your kitchen drawers by taking everything out and wiping them down. Invest in a few inexpensive drawer organizers like these, and discard items that are no longer functional (dull peelers, splintered wooden spoons).
Repurpose or dispose of any tattered, torn or dingy wash clothes, towels, and pot holders.
Don’t skip the junk drawer. Sort, pitch, ditch, clean and organize!
Corral the containers and cups.
Pull everything out and find it’s match. If it’s solo, see ya later! Same goes for sippy cups or other beverage cups that should have a lid.
If this cabinet is a real mess, consider donating your items and starting over with a nice set of glass nesting bowls and boxes. You can also try using baskets inside your cabinet to hold similar items.
Restock wisely.
Make a list of items that need to be replaced, and add items that will help make cooking easier. Quality is key to ensure tools will last.
Week 2: Bathroom
Start with your makeup.
Check expiration dates. Mascara can usually last 3-6 months, and most other things are good for a year or two. With that being said, consider investing in an all new palate that is better for your skin (I love the Savvy Minerals line by Young Living.)
If you have multiple makeup bags, consider grouping items by season: bold or smokey colors for the fall and winter months, and softer shades for spring and summer.
This is a good time to clean your makeup brushes and toss any unopened products you may never actually use.
Go through your nail polish, lotions, and hair products and ditch anything old or that you do not regularly use.
After you have wiped down your drawers and cabinets, take the time to organize items as you put them away. Small drawer organizers work great for makeup and other small items.
Organize under your sink with inexpensive plastic drawers or baskets. You can also try shortening a shoe organizer and hanging that to the inside of your vanity cabinet.
Pitch your toilet brush and plunger and invest in a new set. Who knows what’s growing on them!
Week 3: Closets
Start by going through your clothing.
There are a few different approaches you can take on this one to organize your closet.
You can start by getting rid of anything you don’t feel comfortable in, that doesn’t fit quite right, or is worn and dated. If you have a wellness goal you are working towards, keep a few select pieces and get rid of anything that doesn’t fit. Chances are, once you hit your goal you’ll want to go shopping and update your wardrobe!
Another approach is to try turning all of the hangers backwards. Anything that hasn’t been worn/turned around over the course of the year should be donated.
Lastly, you can try grouping your closet into outfits that can be mixed and matched. If an item can only be worn in one particular way, consider letting it go.
Sort your shoes.
Let’s face it, as moms comfort is number one when it comes to footwear. Those heels you used to wear dancing and haven’t tried on in years might need to go. Shoes whose soles are too worn or scuffed up may also need to go. Then invest in some type of shoe organizer for your closet.
Odds and ends should be organized using clear stacking totes so that you can see what’s inside. These items may include belts, scarves and other accessories.
When putting items back into your closet, consider functionality and design. If the space is put together from the beginning, you’ll be more likely to remain organized rather than just throwing items in and closing the door.
Week 4: Office Space
Sorting through Desk Drawers
Put on your favorite show or book on tape and get ready to purge! This task is by far the least exciting, but should be done once a year to prevent papers from piling up.
Begin by sorting through your drawers and tossing anything loose or un-useful. Give each drawer a good wipe down before deciding what will go back in it. Again, there are a variety of drawer organizers available to help you keep items contained.
Decrease Paper Clutter
There are a variety of important documents that we all need to keep on hand. For example, hold on to tax records, birth certificates, vehicle registrations, mortgage papers and other medical or legal documents. Before filing these items away, consider scanning them into your computer and saving them in a specific file.
Helpful tip: Use a portable filing cabinet specifically for these types of documents that can be easily thrown into your vehicle if you should ever have to evacuate your home due to fire or weather.
Other paper items should be sorted through and shredded if they contain personal information. I recycle non-personal documents for my kids to scribble on, and we use a paper shredder for some as well (makes for great campfire kindling).
If you have boxes of photographs, consider committing a few hours a week and placing them in albums where they can be better enjoyed.
Organize the surface of your desk.
It’s extremely difficult to be efficient in your workspace with piles of paper thrown over your desk. Again, consider your work style, and invest in organizers to keep the surface of your space clean and useful.
Labeling organizers will help you to know where to place various items such as bills, school newsletters, etc. You can also label organizers based on the priority of the papers placed in them.
Invest in a daily planner or whiteboard.
Creating a goal for your day and week can help you to be more efficient and productive. Fill your space with items that will encourage productivity while also bringing you joy, such as a “dream board” or quote board.
Congratulations on working through these areas of your home! For those of you who have basements and garages, that may just have to wait until spring cleaning time. 😉
What are you resolving to organize in your home this year?
Jessica is a stay at home mom of two lovely little girls. She is also a military spouse and an entrepreneur. Jessica enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors with her family, cooking, and reading. In addition, Jessica is hard at work as a wellness educator with Young Living Essential Oils and growing her company Five O’Clock Jelly.
Enjoy your time at home!
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