Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts

Let's get organized!

Happy Saturday! It's a cold one here in Upstate NY (36 Degrees!). I think it's Mother Nature's way of telling us winter is coming and we best get ready. We had our first accumulating snow yesterday. Nothing over the top but it was sticking to the ground for a few hours. It never seizes to amaze me when I see the first snow related accident into the ditch. It's like people forget what it's like to drive in snow from one year to the next. I mean come on, we only get around 5 to 6 months of non snow months. It can't be that hard to remember.

Anyways, now that it's going to be consistently cold outside, it's time to start getting organized. The summer months are much to precious to waste indoors cleaning, so now that I will be spending more time inside I want it to be clean and organized. I am not the biggest fan of winter, but I must admit I love to make my home feel warm and cozy this time of year. I like to pull out the seasonal candles and decor to make my home feel inviting. I however can't do that until I get cleaned up.


Today I want to share my tips for getting stuff organized in a smooth way. No chaos here. Once I am done writing this post this is how I am going to spend most of my weekend. I can't complain to much. I will be doing this in my pajamas with a hot cup of coffee just inches away at all times, and music jamming in the background. Cleaning and organizing doesn't have to be a bad thing :) Follow these tips and you will be on your way to less clutter and a happier living space:

  • Make a list of all of your rooms you want to tackle. List everything that needs to be accomplished in each room. Not all rooms will need major attention, so this will help give you a starting point.
  • Pick the rooms that need less attention first. This way you can whip through them and leave the biggest areas for last. For me the rooms that need the least attention are my dining room and bathroom.
  • Remove all clutter off of all surfaces first. For example if you are in your living room and your coffee table is cluttered with magazines or dishes, these can be eliminated quickly by putting the dishes in the kitchen and recycling the magazines/flyers.
  •  Now that you can see all of your surfaces, wipe down and dust everything. Don't forget to dust around the ceiling and in corners. Cobwebs can be hiding anywhere, and getting them cleaned up is the first step is getting that clean feeling in your space.
  • Next I will tackle any cabinets or closets. Pulling everything out if usually the best plan of attack. For example, in my bedroom closet I hang most of my work clothes and store my shoes, bags, coats, and any other little thing that doesn't have a place. Often it looks like a bomb went off in there any is very hard to find matching items. Pulling everything out makes this an easier job.
  •  Now that you have everything out, sort through things that you use and things that you don't. Bag up anything you haven't used in 6 months. Chances are if you had no use for it in 6 months you probably won't use it.
  • Once you have sorted and bagged up some stuff, take care of the rest of the clutter and things on the floor. Put everything away in its place. 
  • Now that you have wiped everything down, got rid of cobwebs, organized its closet/cabinet space, and cleaned up the floor you should be able to vacuum or sweep. You always want to save this to the end. 
 There you have it. A plan of attack to get clean and organized. And you did it all in your pajamas. Pretty sweet deal! I hope you get some things accomplished this winter!

What is your plan of action when it comes to cleaning and organizing?