Simplify Your Life: Through Organization {In the Home}
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I live in a small two bedroom townhouse, with tiny closets, no basement, and only a utility room converted into a pantry and a small shed out back. Somehow families live in these townhouses, managing to store the necessities of multiple people. And somehow, I’m running out of space for all of MY stuff. It’s time to simplify.
Through the genius of Pinterest, I have collected some of my favorite resources of how to start pairing down to get organized and simplify your life.
Getting Started
The first thing that you need to do in order to be successful in this drastic change to your home and current state of chaotic organization is to develop a plan of attack… one that will help to keep things under control while you begin sorting through drawers, cupboards and boxes that you haven’t seen the inside of in years.
- It may be helpful to make a list of what areas need to be organized throughout your house. The Simplify Your Life and Start Living Organization Challenge may provide a good start.
- If you become overwhelmed easily, you may want to consider starting with small areas, such as your medicine cabinet or beside table drawer. Once these tasks are complete, you can check them off your list as a means of encouragement and proof that you are making progress towards a more simplified and organized home.
Clean Up
Organization also requires cleaning, so get others involved. Have kids or a husband handy? Give them a list of chores that you’d like completed in a particular room of the house. Even if it’s just wiping down the counters in the kitchen and cleaning the sink in the bathroom, it will be one less chore that you have to tackle yourself.
Don’t have a family of your own? Enlist a friend’s help. Make a deal that if they help you organize your home, you’ll make them dinner or even help them do the same in their own place.
- Check out these lists from my friend Amy at Counting Change Again, for ideas of how to get the dirty work done in no time.
- If these lists work, create one of your own for the remaining rooms in the house and consider hanging these on the back of the door in each room, for quick reference on future clean-ups.
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Minimizing Your Wardrobe
Minimizing and simplifying your wardrobe is not always an easy task, or one that you want to tackle. But face it, you probably have enough clothes to outfit a small army, so stick to a few rules and you’ll be on you way to the closet and wardrobe of your dreams…
- Designate space for items you want to trash and items you want to donate.
- Ask yourself the question, “If I were shopping right this second, would I buy this?” If the answer is NO, then out of the closet it comes and into a pile – trash or donate.
- Organize your remaining clothes by season. No packing away until you’ve reviewed your collection!
- Ask yourself the question, “During the last season (depending upon what collection of clothes you’re reviewing), did I wear this item?” If the answer is NO, then out of the closet it comes and into a pile.
- Store your out-of-season clothes in a durable container that will not allow moisture or insects inside. Keep a few items from the opposing season handy in case of a uncharacteristically hot or cold day.
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Space Saving Organization
Now that you’ve paired down your clothing collection. What should you do with all of those accessories and shoes? These great space-saving ideas are ingenious ways to keep things organized and from ending up in a chaotic pile at the bottom of your closet.
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Ideas For Small Spaces
If you’re anything like me, you want the most bang for your buck; and the most space for your things. Living in small quarters makes it tricky to be organized and functional. Here are some great “hacks” on organizing a small home and/or space.
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More great organizing tips to come for your schedule and meal planning! Stay tuned!
See other ways to Simplify Your Life and Start Living…
Great pointers! 🙂
Thank you for taking time to comment, Ashley! I hope that some of the tips will help you to get things organized in your life and on your way to a more simplified you! Be blessed!