Organizing For Summer Vacation

Organize Your Summer Vacation With These 5 Tips

Ah, the long-awaited summer vacation!

Whether you’re planning a major trip to another country, heading to the beach, or going on a family road trip, an organized approach to travel results in less stress and less wasted time. After all, you wouldn’t want to go and realize in the middle of the trip that you forgot to bring essentials! For a relaxed and fun-filled trip, you need to plan and organize your tasks in advance. In this article, we will share a few unmissable tips that will make the preparations run smoothly.

Research Your Destination

If you’re traveling to a place you’ve never been before, this is a mandatory step. Ask your friends and family for suggestions. Purchase a travel book and visit local websites to check out locations and snag great deals on travel, places to stay, dining, activities, and more. A few hours of planning are worth the effort if everything runs smoothly!

Set A Realistic Budget

Keeping your finances organized is also essential, and that’s why we recommend that you set a vacation budget and do your best to stick to it. This includes any money you will spend while you are on your trip and traveling to and from your trip. Finally, we also recommend you get informed on the refund policies of your airline, hotel, booking site, travel agent, and so on.

Prepare Your Itinerary

The next thing you’ll need to organize is the trip itineraries, which include transportation, lodging, and activities. To do so, you should start by defining the sites you want to visit and the must-do activities you want to try, and then book the transportation and accommodation accordingly. Many fantastic apps can help you with this step, such as Wanderlog or TripHobo.

Organize All Documents

Depending on where you are traveling and how you are traveling, you will need different documents and paperwork. From plane tickets to passports, you will need to prepare these beforehand. Don’t forget to check your passport (if it is about to expire, you need to renew it as soon as possible) and health insurance cards, as well as to purchase any tickets and passes you might need.

Packing For Summer Vacation

Start Packing – and be practical about it!

Whether you are going on a three-day getaway or a month-long vacation, the more things you pack, the more the chances of problems popping up. Keep it simple by making a checklist with the indispensable items for your trip, from bathing suits to medicine. Pick clothes that are easy to wash and combine, and avoid taking things you don’t usually use. And remember: the best way to pack is to roll up your clothes. This technique will avoid wrinkling, free up more space, and keep the bag organized.

Lastly, don’t forget that the best time to focus on summer organization is before everything gets too busy. Start planning your vacations at the very start of the summer – or even before that – and set realistic goals. Summer vacation can be pretty stressful, especially with kids, but with these tips, we’re sure everything will be much more relaxed and enjoyable!

Organized Kitchen Drawer

Top Organizing Tips From the Professionals

When it’s time to declutter, it can be hard to know where to start and what to keep. Fortunately, professional organizers have developed strategies that can make the task less daunting. Read the following sections to learn organizing tips from the professionals.

 

Start Now and Start Small

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re thinking about organizing your entire home. When the task seems like more than you can handle, you’re more likely to put it off until later. A good strategy is to start small and start right away.

 

Instead of tackling the whole kitchen, for example, try this organizing tip – tackle one drawer at a time. Take everything out of that drawer and donate or give away items that you have not used in the last year. You’ll enjoy a sense of accomplishment and your kitchen will be organized and easier to use before you know it.

 

Declutter First

When you’re feeling inspired and ready to declutter, it’s tempting to shop for cute boxes, stylish baskets and a trendy label maker. However, professional organizers strongly recommend decluttering before you do anything else. Otherwise, you may just end up storing your clutter in cute containers. The best strategy is to finish sorting and purging first, so that you’ll know how much “stuff” you have and how many containers you really need.

 

Organize Paperwork

There are many tools available for reducing those stacks and boxes of paperwork. For example, you can scan receipts and other important documents and store them digitally on your computer or the cloud. Is unwanted mail piling up every day? A great way to cut down is to unsubscribe from print catalogs and opt for online versions.

 

You may want to keep some paper items, such as bank statements or tax records. Keep records from the past six years for these items and shred the rest.

storage container

Get Creative With Containers

When you’ve finished decluttering, it’s time to get creative. There are many affordable storage options that will help you stay organized. One professional tip is to repurpose boxes and bins that you already have. You won’t have to spend money on new containers or bring home more items. It’s also an environmentally friendly alternative to buying more containers.

 

If you prefer to buy new storage containers, look for baskets. Available in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors, they can be a stylish, creative storage option.

 

Deal With Digital Clutter

While you’re at it, remember to declutter your digital life, too! Is your inbox full of emails that you’ll never read or reference? Now is the time to click that “unsubscribe” link and delete all those unwanted emails. Create folders and file only the emails that you plan to reference.

 

Could your bookmarks use some organizing and decluttering? Delete bookmarks to pages you haven’t visited in the past year, and organize the remaining bookmarks into folders.

 

Get Support

Does your decluttering project still seem like more than you can handle? The experts at ClutterBGone are here to support you with professional organizing experience. If you’d like a free consultation, get in touch today!

repurposing home items

Inventive Ways to Reorganize with Things You Already Own

One of your goals this year might be to cut back on spending or create a new budget. One of the drawbacks you might envision is not getting as many new possessions. But with a bit of creativity, you can enjoy a sense of “new” by repurposing things you already own for organization.

Spare Ice Cube Trays

They might just be sitting in a drawer, and you’ve been tempted to toss them. But extra ice cube trays can come in handy for purposes other than creating ice for your drinks.

For example, you make DIY dishwasher tabs using the plastic compartments. Or use the trays to freeze fresh herbs and bring them out to enhance your homemade dishes.

herbs in ice cube trays

Mason Jars

After you’ve eaten the food that came in the mason jar, why not use it for a different purpose? You might organize your stationery supplies, such as paper clips, binder clips, and thumbtacks, in them.

Another option is to use the jars as a baking dish. Yes, you can make custom desserts in them, including mini cakes.

An Old Rake

Look through your gardening shed to see what is there to repurpose. That old rake takes on new meaning when you turn it into a jewelry organizer.

Start by cleaning it and then hang the head of the rake by a nail on the bedroom wall. Easily display your necklaces and bracelets as they fit easily over each of the tines.

Lunch Boxes

Your kids’ old lunch boxes don’t have to sit in the closet collecting dust anymore. Bring them out and fill them with items you’ve wanted to organize better.

For example, one lunch kit might be for your chargers, while another one could hold instruction manuals. Put a label on the side of each one, so you know exactly what’s in it, making finding something when you need it a lot easier.

Sink Drying Rack

Who knew you could find another use for this rubber rack than to put dishes and cutlery to dry? Here’s a new way to put your old drying rack to good use in the home office.

Start by using the utensil caddy to hold pens and pencils. Then, place file folders in each plate holder, where they stay wonderfully organized!

Planters

You might have a pile of empty planters, but what do you do with them? If you’ve been hesitant to toss them, that’s great because now you can repurpose them for home organizations.

Begin by cleaning and painting them with bold colors. Then, take them to your bathroom and fill them with different cosmetics. One planter could hold makeup brushes, while another is for lipsticks. They’re easy to grab during your daily beauty routine.

Getting Creative Around the Home

These projects help you tidy the home and find new uses for items rather than buying new ones. Not only are reusing things easier on your wallet but it is also eco-friendly. Our professionals have more great ideas like these ones to help you get more organized at home, so feel free to reach out to us for more solutions!

stay organized this year

Let Go Of These Bad Habits to Stay Organized This Year

Despite your best intentions to be better organized, you might have these three habits that are interfering with it. Whether you want to get your home clutter-free or want to make better use of your time, this guide provides a great starting point for improvements in 2022.

Quit Trying to Take On Too Much

Trying to excel at work and in personal areas of your life is commendable but doing so can lead to burnout if you continually take on more than you can handle. The result then can be that you’re overwhelmed or overworked and don’t get everything done that you intended.

Instead, only say yes to the projects that you know you can deliver on time at work. As for outside of the office, practice saying no to additional burdens to ensure you spend time doing what matters most to you with loved ones.

While saying no can be difficult at first because of perfectionism, personal beliefs, or another reason, it does get easier as you go. Be sure to leave time for self-care on the schedule to help yourself feel at your best. You deserve it.

stay organized

Put a Halt on Impulse Shopping

You’re not alone if you find it fun to shop for new furniture and decor for the home. There’s something exciting about the newness! But, if your residence already feels cluttered, consider looking around your home for what you already have that could fill the space. The object can feel “new” when you put it in a different room in the house.

Ask yourself if you really need it or not, rather than impulse shopping. Doing so can help you avoid purchasing something that is unnecessary, help keep rooms looking great, and save you some money too.

When you buy less, you have fewer things to organize at the end of the day and avoid clutter. Thinking through the buying decision has many perks!

Stop the Impulsivity: Plan Out the Project Before You Declutter

Rather than going headfirst into a project, why not think it through in advance? Doing so can save you extra steps and be more efficient with your time.

Diving into a decluttering project without thinking it through can quickly become exhausting too. Instead, take a step back and look at what works and what doesn’t in your home to evaluate what is the priority.

If you’re not sure quite where to start, bring in the professionals. Our organizer will team up with you to ensure you get all or part of your home clean and tidy in a streamlined way, exactly how you want it to be. It’s a no-pressure approach that helps you reach your organizing goals. We’re here to help you!

A Few Last Words

Be gentle with yourself as you begin new habits and break old ones. It takes effort and time to become a better you, whether you focus on organizing the home or anything else in your life. Rest assured that the attention is worth it as you sit back and enjoy a living space that is tidy and looks terrific.

home organizing trends

4 Home Organizing Trends to Watch in 2022

So much has changed in the last few years, with so many of us spending more time at home. The abundance of home offices and the search for a sense of peace and security during uncertain times has driven new trends in home organization to watch for in the New Year.

1.      More Storage

Wanting to make the most of the house interior makes sense given the amount of time there. Thus, spaces such as garages will benefit from more homeowners adding storage solutions in 2022.

The storage options can range from custom cabinets to wall shelving. Our professionals often suggest storage options that hide belongings for a clean, clutter-free room, while keeping everything well organized.

2.      Expanding the Space

Another prediction is for home renovations that expand the physical space. An extra room is something more people are likely to need as they set up home offices long-term.

Having a division between personal and business spaces with a separate room for your job can help make achieving a healthy work/life balance easier. Another reason to expand might be to set up a games room or another type of entertainment area. Or maybe you are thinking about setting up a home gym.

3.      Rise of Minimalism

The minimalism trend continues in 2022 as many folks seek to achieve a calmer living space. Tossing or donating unneeded items involves creating a tidy area, but it is so much more than that.

Looking at the bigger picture, minimalism is about furnishing the home with the essentials. That enhances the area around you, making for a welcoming space that holds items of personal value. Integrating custom storage solutions provides a way to hold extra items you want to keep while keeping them out of sight.

home organizing trends

4.      Room for Relaxation

With travel so limited during the pandemic, a common thought is to create areas inside the home that are as relaxing as vacations far away. This type of room provides a haven without having to step out the front door.

Upgrading the bathroom is an example of a way to infuse relaxation. Perhaps adding tropical wallpaper provides a wonderful getaway experience while in a soaker tub. Creating a beautiful room free of stressful clutter makes for soothing surroundings.

A meditation room might be another idea, or perhaps just somewhere to sit and read a book with a cup of coffee. The main thing is to have a place to escape and unwind when you want to do so.

Creating a Meaningful Home

The trends above speak to the desire for a fuller home experience considering the challenges brought on by the pandemic. Looking for calmness at home makes sense, and that involves clearing clutter from rooms and closets.

We stay on top of trends to help you get more out of your home, from helping you organize to implementing storage solutions that fit your household’s needs. Reach out to our team for more ideas on better organizing and, in turn, get more from your house.

Post-Christmas Organizing

Your Post-Christmas Organization Checklist

Christmas is such a beautiful time of year. Getting the family together, eating delicious food, and watching the joy on their faces as they open carefully-chosen gifts brings many happy moments. But the holiday season can leave a lot of “stuff” in the house. This checklist can help you to stay organized at home after Christmas.

Get Rid of the Packaging

The boxes and other types of packaging around items can take up a lot of space. So, the first step in having a clutter-free house again is opening items and removing the packaging.

Make sure you keep any instruction manuals. Recycle what you can, of course.

Donate Extra Toys

Your kids likely received new toys, and now you may have duplicates or feel like there’s simply too many of them for space you have at home. If so, why not donate gently used dolls and other toys to a local charity? Encourage your little ones to pick out a few that they think other children would like to play with to get them more comfortable with letting go.

Find Places for New Things

Where do the opened gifts belong? From the kitchen to the playroom, decide the best places to store them. If the space is tight, perhaps you start taking items you rarely use to charity to make room. Or you might get creative and put up shelving on walls to house them or create other storage solutions. If items are broken, dispose of them in the appropriate ways.

post-christmas organizing

Holiday Decor Takedown

Taking down the holiday decorations and tree can be a time-consuming process as many items are fragile and oddly shaped. But it’s well worth it when next year comes, and your precious decorations are not broken or warped and organized in a way that makes sense when unpacking them.

Get Replacement Items

While you might be tired of Christmas by the time it ends, there are many great sales on holiday items in the days following the big day. Thinking ahead, look at what you can get on clearance to use next year. You will likely need a new string of lights, for example.

Cleaning

Cleaning up is a process, so start with vacuuming the carpets one day and then wiping down countertops the next day. Spacing out the tasks helps keep them from becoming overwhelming. Assign age-appropriate tasks to your kids, too, to get them involved and help with the workload.

Redecorate and Rejoice

Now that the holiday decor is put away, the house might seem a bit bare. Bring out the everyday items again that make your house cozy and familiar.

Finally, take a step back and feel good about the efforts you’ve put into organizing and decluttering the home after the holidays. You ought to feel good about doing it properly as it will make things so much better come next Christmas!

We wish you a wonderful New Year, in both heart and home. May you be safe, healthy, and happy. From all of us at the ClutterBGone team, Happy Holidays!

Their House is Always Clean: How Do They Do It?

Do you have a friend or family member whose home is always clean? Is it driving you up the wall trying to figure out how they stay on top of removing clutter and cleaning rooms? If so, here are some ways they keep a tidy home – and how you can do the same.

They Clear Countertops and Other Surfaces

Look at the kitchen countertop the next time you visit their place. It is probably clear of dishes, appliances, papers, and most other things. The same probably holds true for the dining table and several other surfaces.

While it is easy to toss the mail on the countertop or table, keeping surfaces tidy gives the room an organized appearance. If you are not already doing following this rule, now is the time to start.

They Regularly Go Through Their Stuff

While you might not consider yourself a collector or someone who keeps a lot of things, clutter can easily build up over time. Often, stuff accumulates in rooms without realizing it.

Those who have a clean house likely routinely go through and purge items to make room for new or to simply maintain an orderly space. For example, some people abide by the rule of donating a piece of clothing for every new one that they bring into their closet. Doing so helps prevent an abundance of belongings.

They Have a Cleaning Schedule

Most people who maintain an orderly house can do so because they follow a cleaning schedule. How often to clean depends on many factors, including the size of the interior and the number of people living there.

How you space out the cleaning tasks, such as vacuuming carpets and wiping down counters, during the week depends on what works well for you. For example, running the vacuum on Sundays might suit you if it is not a workday.

weekly cleaning schedule

They Return Things to Their Proper Place

Another trick to keeping a sense of order in the home is returning things to where they belong after use. Let’s say that you use a hammer to hang a picture on the wall. Do you return the hammer to the toolbox where it came from or leave it on a shelf in the room where you were working?

By returning items to their proper place after using them, you will have less to clean up by the end of the week. On a related note, if you don’t have set places for some of your items, start finding “homes” to put them in so the rooms look more put together.

They’re Smart about Storage

You might assume that they don’t have many possessions, so they’re able to keep a tidy house. But the reality is more likely to be that they use clever organizational systems.

Doing the same can help you keep items in ways that make them easily accessible yet often out of sight from your visitors. For example, consider storing jewelry in an over-the-door organizer or doing the same with your makeup.

They Worked with a Professional

Another way to keep a clean, clutter-free home is by teaming up with a professional. Our organizers can provide insights into the best ways to organize your unique home and offer tips to keep it tidy that work for your family.

Get a free initial consultation when you reach out today!

kids organizing house

Fun Ways to Get Your Kids Organized at Home

Teaching your kids how to stay organized at home can be difficult for many parents. To help them be more interested in cleaning their room and keeping it that way, make the activity more fun with these ideas.

Laundry Basketball Hoop

An over-the-door basketball hoop turns cleaning up from a chore into a game. Putting an affordable hoop on the bedroom door lets them dunk the dirty laundry into the hamper below it. Swoosh!

If they have fun doing this task, they are more likely to do it. That helps eliminate piles of clothes on the floor and makes doing laundry easier as it’s already in the basket.

By the way, the hoop doesn’t have to go on the back of their bedroom door. Instead, you could mount it on the wall or the closet door.

The ‘How Fast’ Game

Toddlers love playing with their toys, but when it comes to putting them away afterward, they’re likely more resistant to it than you would have hoped. Try the “How Fast” game to get their help if you’re tired of cleaning up by yourself.

The game is exactly how it sounds. It involves kids picking up their toys and putting them into a bin or other storage area as fast as possible. The excitement of trying to do it quickly is surely enough to entice them to follow your lead and put the scattered items away.

home organizing with kids

Turn On the Tunes

Music has a great way of energizing the spirit and lifting moods. So, helping your kids get more involved in organizing at home might be easier when you turn on (and up) some upbeat songs.

Just make sure that they are songs that your children want to listen to. If you’re not sure, ask them! Getting them involved in creating the family music playlist helps them feel they are contributing to the family, and then listening to the tunes will be extra special for them.

Once the music is on, start on the project together. Perhaps you want to declutter and organize your kid’s stuffed animals or the clothes they’ve grown out of in the closet. If your little one starts to get bored, remind them of a favourite song that hasn’t been played yet, to help them keep going.

30-Minute Cleanups

Rather than continually asking your children to cleanup, you might find that scheduling 30-minute cleanup sessions with them once a week makes more sense. It might be Saturdays, for example, when you’re all home from school and work.

With the whole family cleaning up at home simultaneously, the activity can go much quicker than doing it alone. Explaining this logic to the kids can help them put in the effort as they know it won’t be that long.

Then, the rest of the day is for fun activities, such as soccer in the backyard, baking cookies in the kitchen, or something else.

Getting Organized

Are you looking for more ways to get your kids involved in decluttering and organizing the home? We have a lot more creative ideas to help you. Organizing is a great habit to instill in kids that will help them greatly as they grow up.

organizing small spaces

5 Ways to Get Organized in a Small Home

A small space is cozy and easier to clean than a bigger one, among other benefits. But organizing a small home can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, these five ideas can help make getting organized much easier!

1.      Go Vertical for Storage

When there is not a lot of floor space, the good news is that there is likely a lot of vertical space. That means that vertical storage when it comes to storage, it’s time to look up (literally).

Creating storage solutions is one of the things that we love doing! Finding what works well with your lifestyle and unique home is a must, and we totally get that.

Adding shelves to closet walls or elsewhere can quickly create extra storage areas. Add baskets and boxes to hide items you don’t want everyone to see and create a cleaner look while keeping things accessible.

2.      Look Low Too

Another creative place for storage is low areas, such as under the bed. So, after looking up, look low.

There are many ways to store items under the bed, by the way. It could be using clear plastic containers, for example, to easily see what is in each bin to find what you’re looking for.

Or repurpose an old dress drawer by adding wheels to the bottom, and use it to hold shoes, games, or out-of-season clothing. Simply slide it out by the handle from beneath the bed when you want something.

3.      Declutter Regularly

You knew this one was coming! In a small house, it’s easy for it to feel overcrowded. To make the most of the limited space, decluttering is a must, and doing it regularly will help you stay in control of the living area.

Rather than taking on the whole house on a weekend, break up the decluttering process into rooms and schedule certain days and times for it. For instance, one day you might sort through a shelf in the TV room, while another day could be for going through the kitchen utensils.

Breaking up the tasks like this will make decluttering the home easier to take on, and each accomplishment will motivate you to keep going.

4.      Make Creative Use of Space

In addition to paring down possessions, another great idea is to maximize the functional space in your house. One example is adding room dividers to create different zones. You might put a desk behind a divider in the living room for a home office, and the room divider adds privacy.

Using a divider can make a room feel bigger, too, as it adds dimension. You could even use a divider to create storage space.

We also encourage you to make use of corner space. It could be a breakfast nook that looks out a corner window. A corner bookcase is another idea; it can provide useful storage.

5.      Use Dual-Purpose Furniture

Furniture that serves multiple functions is great to have in tiny houses! For example, the footrest in the TV room could open to hold extra blankets or sheets. Or look for a floor light that has shelving at its base where you keep books and decor.

We are happy to suggest other ways to organize your house. The changes can keep you organized, helping you in your small home in BIG ways.

family meal planning

Clever Ways to Organize a Busy Family

When it comes to organizing the family, the ultimate objective is to bring people together, and it’s important not to lose sight of that. Planning is essential to get there with less stress, as you’ll see in each family organization idea below.

Set a Weekly Family Meeting

This one is a great place to put in place before or soon after the start of the school year. Begin the first meeting by saying that this is a safe place for everyone to share their thoughts and ask questions.

Then, begin to discuss the family goals, such as getting homework done or getting enough sleep. From there, figure out the priorities to reach those goals, such as everyone sleeping a certain number of hours per night.

At the start of the next meeting, ask what went well the last week and what didn’t go as planned? What will your family work on this week? The activity helps families connect and organize their time together.

family organizing app Make Lists and Maintain a Calendar

These tools – to-do lists and a calendar – are essentials for organizing your family. There are several apps available that make it easy for each person in the household to add items to the shared grocery shopping list and add events to the shared calendar.

When people rely on you, and you need them, too, collaborative apps are convenient and valuable. Share them with those whose input you need and want and explain how to add tasks or mark them as done.

Or, if you prefer pen and paper for the lists and calendar, that works too! Just make sure you keep them in a place where everyone in the family will see them, such as on the fridge or pinned on a corkboard in the entranceway.

Organize Chores Too

You didn’t think we’d skip the household chores list, did you? Getting everyone involved is important as it can instill a sense of pride in kids, and they learn to appreciate their home more.

A great place to start with children is cleaning their rooms. Young kids can become responsible for picking up their toys after playing with them. To help instill a positive connotation with chores, talk about how wonderful their room looks when it’s clean and how putting away toys keeps people from hurting themselves stepping on them.

When teaching the importance of maintaining a clean house, you must lead by example. If your child feels they do chores only so you won’t have to, they may start to resent it. Instead, they will see the tasks in a better light if you are organizing the home alongside them.

Menu Planning

Another area of family organization is meal planning. Taking the time to think about meals for the coming week and the shopping list based on that plan will help save your family money. Including everyone in the house in this task brings you all together, and people can also speak up about what they like or don’t like.

For each meal, write out the ingredients you need to prepare it. Look at what else is needed too, such as paper towels, and add them to the list.

By making a list of what is necessary, you can avoid impulse purchases at the store. Stick to the list and notice how much money you save!

A Few Last Words

Organizing the family involves much more than only physical items, as you can see above. Organizing time and people is also important. Reach out to our professional organizers to learn more! We are happy to share more suggestions with you and customize them to your unique family.