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Spring cleaning is more of a process to clear out the 'weeds' of winter and make ready for new growth. It can help simplify your life by getting rid of the things that crowd your environment. Do you have so many things that your household feels chaotic, cluttered, and overwhelming? It's time to Clear Out the Clutter.
Here are four simple tips to get you started.
TIP #1 Budget 'clearing' time in chunks. Start out with 20 - 30 minute time frames. Keep to this time frame. Most of us start out with the intention of spending a little time and what begins as a 30 minute task becomes a four hour task. This makes you procrastinate the next time because you remember the last time drain.
TIP #2 Start out with 4 containers. The key is to tackle one area at a time. A structure to organizing an area is to determine the treasures, keepers, and losers.
Trash bag - for trash and items too damaged to sell or donate.
Box 1 - Label 'For Garage Sale or Donate.' Put things that your family hasn't used over the last year. Box it and commit to donating the items or having a Garage Sale. If you opt for a garage sale, store the items in your garage or storage locker. If you don't have a garage sale by the end of summer, donate the items to a local shelter or charity.
Box 2 - Label 'Other Room.' Put things that belong in another room in this container. The job is to keep to the task at hand. If you start putting things away in other rooms, it is easy to get side-tracked. Schedule another time frame to empty this box.
Box 3 - Label 'Treasures for Storage.' This is for any sentimental items that you don't have room to display ,or for items that you want to keep for special memories. Be realistic, don't get caught in a 'pack-rat' syndrome. Unfortunately, 'pack-rats' have a negative connotation. My take is that most pack-rats are very sentimental people and have a hard time parting with items that bring back special memories. Well, like most things a balance must be reached. One suggestion is to take a picture of these items. I had kept several bridesmaids dresses, and we all know the story on bridesmaids dresses. Finally, I came up with the idea of laying them out and taking a picture of them. Voilá, the dresses are gone, I have extra space and the memory of the infamous dresses.
TIP #3 Keep to the task at hand. Start out small like a drawer, bookshelf or small closet, and don't jump to another area. We've all done this. We start out by clearing a junk drawer and putting things in another room, and we begin tackling that 'other room.'
TIP #4 Reward yourself. Just as you would reward your children for their accomplishments, reward yourself. It can be as simple as enjoying a Café Latte. Resist the urge to buy more stuff as a reward.
Clearing and cleaning our environment, whether in the home or outside is a continual process and behavior to improve upon. If the the idea of organizing your home is too overwhelming, there are professional organizers. You can look up local chapters or request a referral from NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers.
The
Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room...
Here's a good book for children about messy rooms.
Available through Amazon for $2.92.
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