At the start of any new year, there’s always a slew of organizing tips. We are sharing our top tips along with a few others we found!
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The Top 3 Decluttering Tips
Since we love all those “best tip round up” articles we thought we’d go through the top 3 tips from the 50 Best Decluttering Tips for 2020, from a Parade Magazine article.
Their top tips are:
#3 Make the most of underused Storage Space
I have been encouraging Bethany (which is a nice way to put it) to store things under her bed for a long time. She has limited storage space in home so why not store a few things under there!
I even got these wooden drawers that are on casters to store under my daughters bed. It is a small shared bedroom and we need all the extra storage space we can get!
#2 Pick a decluttering Style that most fits your lifestyle
I agree wholeheartedly agree with this concept. It is one of the main themes of A to B podcast, finding a systems that will work for you, but we are struggling with whether this is a tip or not. What do you think?
#1 Clear off all flat surfaces
I think we can all agree it is nice to keep you flat surfaces free of clutter but where do you put all the stuff that are on you table and counters?
In my opinion this is how junk drawers get started. You want to clear off your counters so everything is stuffed into a drawer.
Even when you do clean off your flat surfaces you are bound to end up with things that don’t have anywhere to go. That’s why the stuff was on the counter in the first place!
For example, I cleaned out my own junk drawer. You can see my organized drawer at the top of this picture.
All the stuff sorted below the drawer, were in the drawer but didn’t belong there! Now where does it all go?
I sorted each item into a pile based on where it lives or what action step is needed. Once you’ve cleared your flat surface, pay attention to the items you don’t know what to do with. It will tell you what organizing system is missing. But don’t worry, we have you covered!
Is it paper? Check out Ep 35 Clear your Paper Pile in 5 Steps, Ep 27 Stopping Paper Clutter Before it Starts and Ep 28 Stopping Paper Clutter: Mail Edition.
It is papers that belong to your kids? Check out Ep 5 Kids Paper.
Is it tasks to do? Check out Ep 14 Taking Action: The To-Do List.
Is it just random items? Check out Ep 59 Knocking out Common Clutter, Ep 58 20 Things to Throw Away Today, and this post, Everything in its Place.
*You can read more about what I did with all my stuff left over in The Aftermath of Organizing here.
My Top 3 Decluttering Tips
Here are my top tips to keep your home clutter free!
#1 Have a permanent spot for donations
When you have a place for items you no longer use or need, you can put them straight in the box without it cluttering up your home until you get a chance to make a donation run.
I use to even keep a second one in my daughters’ room because they would go through clothes so fast! Parade shared similar tips in #18 and #6.
#2 Focus on small areas at a time
We talked about this plenty with on of my favorite strategies, 10 Minute Tuesdays. It really can be any day of the week you set aside 10 minutes to clean out a small space, but we just love alliteration!
We also talk about going through mail quickly each day so it doesn’t pile up.
I’ve also shared how I get my kids to do a quick pick up at the end of the day (right before screen time is also a good motivator too!). In Parade’s list, tip #30, 41 and 37 all kind of fall under my second tip.
#3 Enlist the help of others
It can be family members, a friend, or a professional organizer, but having someone else’s opinion and support can make the process feel easier and go faster! Parade Magazine agrees in tip #33 and 45.
If hiring an in-home professional organizer doesn’t work for you right now, virtual organizing/coaching is a great alternative. I offer a FREE 20 minute phone/ skype consultation to see if virtual organizing can help you.
Routines!
We’ve been crazy about routines since our last episode, Ep 79 Ready, Set, Routine. Did you download our free Routine Worksheet to follow along with us? How has it been going?
Bethany shared how she tweaked her evening routine and surprisingly how she found out what was stopping her from doing her physical therapy for all these months. You’ll be surprised that is was a simple solution.
Just like with clearing off flat surfaces, pay attention to the hurdles or the blocks you hit during your routines. Why are you getting stuck? What can you try that could get you unstuck?
For my Kindergartener, she was getting stuck with the seemingly long list of tasks on her morning routine sheet.
I originally thought I would remove a few items off her list but unfortunately everything needs to be done. So I came up with option B.
I moved all the tasks she completes in the bathroom into one line item. Now she has 5 items to complete instead of 7.
To be clear, our morning routine hasn’t been perfect or even close to perfect! (See my Instagram Story under Episode Love,) But I’m working on keeping the long term goal in mind on those rough morning. Here are more tips for a smoother morning.
Links Mentioned:
- Parade Magazine 50 Best Decluttering Tips for 2020
- My junk drawer – The Aftermath of Organization
- Routine Worksheet Download
- A few storage beds I’ve sent Bethany – Pottery Barn, Target , Costco, and Amazon.
Let’s Connect!
What are the top 3 things you do in your home to keep clutter away?
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