Purging

Summer is in full swing, and depending on where you live, it might just be too hot to venture outside during the middle of the day.

We’ve had several hot, humid, summer days already and the weather forecast shows several more to come over the next few weeks. So I’m taking advantage of my time indoors {with the air conditioning on} to tackle a few organizing projects this summer.

Here are a few projects I’ve already finished or still plan to do:

1. Declutter the closets.

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Eventually, I plan to tackle all our closets, but for now, I’m focusing on installing and organizing our master closet and our future nursery closet.  The summer is a great time to purge any winter or fall items that you did not wear this past year. Plus, by donating them now, they will be for sale at the thrift stores when people are getting ready to go back-to-school shopping.

And ever since my mom found out we’re having a baby girl, she’s been shopping every garage sale she sees for adorable baby clothes — so one of my mini organizing projects will be to divide those up by size and get them situated in our nursery closet and dresser.

2. Take stock of the pantry and freezer.

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I actually started this projects a few weeks ago and was able to go almost 2 full weeks without buying any groceries!! I got creative making meals that used primarily the ingredients we had in our freezer and pantry and made more room to stock up again this fall. It feels great to have a semi-empty freezer and pantry for a bit — and it’s a great time to defrost our freezer too.

3. Clean out the garage.

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I know, this sounds like a HUGE task — and it’s not indoors!  However, if you get started with 2 hours on a Saturday, you might be surprised at how much junk you can get rid of. We did this a couple weeks ago when it wasn’t quite as hot, and it was SOOO nice to have a clean and organized garage again!

4. Clean out and clean up the winter gear.

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This might not apply to warmer climates, but whenever summer rolls around, I take an hour or so to go through all our winter gear. I get rid of anything we won’t need next year, wash everything I’m planning to keep, and then store it in our upstairs closet so it’s not cluttering up our entryways in the summer and fall months.

I’ve tried tackling this project in the spring, but I find that we still end up using some of our coats {and even gloves or hats} on cold spring mornings so it really doesn’t pay for me to do it until summer.

5. Weed out and donate extra toiletries.

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I know this might sound absolutely ridiculous to some of you, but since I’m always shopping the sales and using coupons and rebates, I get nearly ALL our toiletries for free — and sometimes I even get paid to buy them!

Eventually, I end up with a bunch of extras that we probably don’t need — so twice a year I weed through them and donate a bunch of brand new toiletries to local food pantries. I’m planning to do this in the next week or so and will probably donate over $100 worth of products that I got for free!

6. Clean out our filing cabinet.

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This is another project I usually tackle twice each year — just because paper clutter accumulates SOOOO quickly! It honestly only takes me 30 to 45 minutes to quickly flip through every file and purge any unneeded papers.

I make a “recycle” pile and a “shred” pile and am always amazed at how much paper I can get rid of! It’s so wonderful to know that we can start off the new school year with a freshly organized filing cabinet.

These are just a few of the projects I like to accomplish every  summer when I’m cooped up inside during those hot, humid days. Of course, we’re still working like crazy to finish all our house projects… but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to let our house become a disorganized mess just because it’s summer and we’re off our normal routine!

What projects are you hoping / planning to tackle yet this summer?

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If you live in Michigan and decide to move 3 days before Christmas — chances are pretty good that the weather is going to be cold.

So, when we moved into our new house just a couple days before Christmas, we were thankful that although the weather was cold, it was NOT snowing, raining, sleeting…or below freezing. I think the sun actually came out for part of the day!

Even still, we tried to move as quickly as possible and ended up shoving lots of “stuff” in our extra garage… just as a place to put it for now {who can relate to that!?!?}

But then, when we started tearing up and gutting nearly half our main floor, we needed a temporary holding space for all the carpet, pad, trim, doors, windows, etc. that we were pulling out of our house. And since it was still winter, those things also went into our extra garage!

So pretty soon, our extra garage looked like this:

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Yup, it was pretty bad!

Thankfully, we do have another 2-stall garage so both of our cars were still inside throughout this whole process

But two weekends ago, we decided we couldn’t handle the mess any more and it was time to clean out our garage. So we ordered a 10-yard dumpster.

We figured it would take us several days to clean out our garage and fill this dumpster and I was actually worried we wouldn’t be able to fit everything in the dumpster.

But, after ONE afternoon, we managed to clean out the entire garage and filled our dumpster to the brim! Dave practically “packed” the dumpster like a puzzle so everything fit perfectly and there was no wasted space.

And now our extra garage looks like this:

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Obviously, it still needs a good cleaning {and repainting!} but it is currently one of Dave’s favorite spaces to “hang out” — we actually call it “The Man Cave” right now!

He has a TV with surround sound, his weight bench, his grill, the tractor, a workbench area, etc. etc….so you can see why he likes to “hide out” in here for long periods of time!!

I was so excited about our quick, one-day garage transformation and figured maybe it might motivate some of you too. I’m sure many of your garages are much cleaner than ours was…so just think how much you can accomplish in one day; or even just one afternoon {and seriously, the dumpster was SOOO convenient and only cost about $175 for a week}

With the long Fourth of July weekend coming up, now might be just the time to call for a dumpster and have a garage cleaning party!!

Oh, and just because I think it’s so cute, here’s a picture of the outside of our second garage/Man Cave.

What are your biggest “garage organizing” issues?

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Is your garage as bad as ours? Is it worse? Can you fit your car(s) in the garage or not?

We’re planning to clean out our main garage later this summer and I’ll have all sorts of garage organizing tips to share with you then!!!

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Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule?

If not, it basically implies that there is an imbalance between the amount of resources we use, and the amount we have.

For example:

• It is often said that 80% of the wealth is held by only 20% of the population {or less}

• There’s a good chance that 80% of your phone calls, emails, or text messages go to only 20% of your contacts

• I know I often fall in a rut of making 20% of my recipes 80% of the time

• You’ll notice that 80% of the time, your kids will gravitate towards the same 20% of their toys

• If you are a blogger, you’ve probably noticed that 80% of your comments are left by the same 20% of your readers — and we love those readers!

You get the idea, right?

So if you apply those statistics to the mass amounts of clothing in your closet, it means that 80% of the time, you wear the SAME 20% of your clothes.

This also means that the other 80% of your clothing is simply taking up valuable space in your closet.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

If you’re feeling like you wear the same things day after day, this is the perfect time of year to get out of that rut!

Set aside a few minutes {or hours} this weekend to pull everything out of your closet, take stock of what you have, purge, declutter, and create a simple, more organized closet space.

Here are a few tips to get started:

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GET RID OF IT IF…

1. …you didn’t wear it this past winter, because there’s a pretty good chance you’re not going to wear it next winter either.

2. …you don’t love how it looks/feels on you

3. …you’ve been mistakenly asked if you are pregnant while wearing it

4. …you often try it on, but then change before leaving the house

5. …you look to old or young in it {age appropriate clothing applies to adults too!}

Now, as you begin to put everything back in your closet, take 2 extra minutes to hang each hanger “the wrong way” {see picture below}.

Then, every time you wear something {not just try it on, but actually wear it} you can turn that hanger around. After a few months, you’ll easily be able to see what clothes you’re wearing and what ones can probably go.

You’ll have so much extra space in your closet, and you won’t even have to feel guilty about getting rid of anything because you weren’t wearing it anyway!

These tips work for me, but I’d love to know…

What are your best closet decluttering tips?

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Do you crave a simple, more organized home and life?

Do you dread the process of getting there?

Simplifying and organizing is a challenge for most people, but it is TOTALLY worth it in the end…I promise!! And letting go of excess “weight” {clothes, shoes, unused gifts, unneeded supplies, anything you don’t LOVE, etc.} is the first step to creating a simple, more organized life.

So how do you do it?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for any organizing project, but the steps below will hopefully motivate you to keep moving towards a simple, more organized home and life.

1. Visualize the end results.

Yes, sometimes this is difficult to do, but the more clearly you visualize your clutter free home, the easier it will be to get started. It is also helpful to remind yourself how great it will feel once you’ve “lightened your load” and have all kinds of extra space for the things you DO use, need, want, and love.

2. Prioritize.

Ask yourself what area of your home is MOST stressful for you…and then start in that room. Once you start purging, continue to ask yourself what things are most important to you.

3. Eliminate obstacles.

Here are some common obstacles I see when working with clients

Obstacle #1: Emotional Clutter

Purging anything with emotional ties is very difficult. If you find yourself in this situation, you might want to read my post about dealing with Keepsakes and Family Heirlooms or this one about dealing with Inner and Outer Clutter.

Obstacle #2: I want to sell it.

Unless you are super organized and have experience with hosting a garage sale or selling items on Craigslist, I can almost guarantee that you won’t ever get around to actually selling your things. They will simply sit in your basement or garage until you get sick of them and donate them.

My advice is to save a bunch of time and just donate everything now. Yes, you might lose out on a few bucks, but you’ll be done with it and have all that extra space.

Obstacle #3: What if I need it someday?

Odds are you probably WON’T need it someday! However, if you are seriously worried about needing it “someday”, then put the items in a box and label that box with a date 6 months from now. If you still haven’t used anything in the box in 6 months, then donate it.

4: Work quickly.

I always like to start with the quickest and easiest projects…just to get myself moving in the right direction.

For example, I might simply take out the trash, bring the recycling away, or load up the dishwasher. None of these jobs will totally declutter my home, but they make it instantly look better — which is key.

Another thing I often do with clients is to grab a laundry basket and fill it with everything on the floor in one room. Even though we still have to empty the laundry basket, it makes the room LOOK so much cleaner.

5: Build on your success.

I’ve said it a thousand times before, but I’ll say it again…

Set a timer for 15-20 minutes a day to tackle one small area of your home. Keep doing this day after day and you’ll be surprised how much you accomplish. Little by little you’ll lighten your load and create YOUR simple, organized life!

So what are you going to purge today?

Linked to: Works for me Wednesday

{Top Image Credit}

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Have you ever started to clean, organize, and declutter an area of your home, only to realize there were a bunch of things that needed to be brought to the basement, the garage, the trash, or another room?

….so you bring those items to the other room, and realize THAT room could use a little organization…

…so you start organizing that room, only to realize {once again} there are a bunch of items that need to be returned to their proper homes in other areas of your house.

It’s a never-ending cycle!

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If you’ve been in this situation before, I bet you were really frustrated at the amount of time you “wasted” for not-so-great results…right?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Plus, I have a really simple solution!

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Simply bring a basket into the room you want to declutter and put everything that doesn’t belong inside your designated basket. {You could also use a laundry basket, a trash bag, a cardboard box, or whatever you have on hand.}

The idea is that by dumping everything that doesn’t belong into one central {and portable} location, you’ll be able to stay focused on your specific area and not be tempted to waste time, traveling around the house to deliver various items.

Yup, these items were actually all in our kitchen!

• Extra pasta sauce for the pantry downstairs
• Toothpaste, floss sticks, and hairspray for the bathroom
• A huge bag of nails from Lowes
• 2 random DVD’s that I’ve been wanting to watch
• Reusable shopping bags that need to go back in my car
• Dave’s tennis racket… no explanation!

So yesterday, I delivered these items to their proper homes, and our kitchen is neat and organized… for now!

Give it a try!

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The next time you tackle a room or area in your home, bring in a bag for trash, a box for giveaway, and a basket for items that need a new home. You’ll be able to stay focused, you’ll save time, and I garuntee you’ll get more accomplished {believe me, I’ve done this a few times before!}

Do you have any great time-saving tips to help you get organized? Please share!!

linked to Things I Love Thursdays

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If you’ve been following along for the past couple months, you know that I have experimented with a few different types of natural cleaning and beauty products. And since it’s official spring cleaning season, I thought it might be nice to compile all these posts into one location so you can see what I’ve been up to.

So far, I’ve tried:

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1. Homemade window/glass cleaner

2. Homemade face-wash

3. Homemade fabric softener / static cling remover

4. Homemade drain cleaner

5. Using vinegar for whole bunch of household purposes

6. Using Prairieland Herbs organic toiletries

7. Turning old t-shirts into homemade rags

I’ve been really impressed with how well these natural, organic, and homemade products are working — SO impressed that I actually decided to get rid of most of my store-bought products!

These are the items I purged:

{I got almost everything for free, and I was able to donate all the unopened bottles to the thrift store.}

And THESE are the products I’m using now:

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I know they are not ALL natural, organic, or homemade…but that’s not really my goal.

My goal is to use products I love, that I can get for a reasonable price, that help me to simplify my cleaning routine, and that I feel good about using. So all the above products fit my criteria for cleaning supplies.

Here’s a quick list:

I’ve included an Amazon.com link for many of the products, so if you’re interested, you can purchase them online…or in most grocery stores.

{starting from the back left corner}

Mrs. Meyers counter spray — seriously, this smells SO good!

Mrs. Meyers laundry detergent

Vinegar/water spray bottle – for bathrooms and kitchen surfaces

Vinegar — I buy the biggest container I can find and use it for everything

My basket of homemade rags and microfiber cloths

{second row}

Safety pins — to reduce static cling

Baking soda — for drain cleaner, facial scrub, surface scrub, and more

Guardsman wood cleaner and furniture polish — I love this stuff so it’s not going anywhere!

Cornstarch — for  window cleaner

Rubbing Alcohol — for window cleaner

Swiffer dry cloths — these work great for all our wood floors

{front row}

Fels Naptha bar soap — for laundry stain removal

Window/glass cleaning spray bottle — this is the best “recipe” I’ve found so far

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser — these things are amazing!

{I buy  most of these products from Amazon.com using points I get from Swagbucks so I essentially get them for free}

I LOVE how simple and organized my cleaning cabinet is now. It’s actually kind of fun to pull out my small basket of supplies and start cleaning…almost!

However, I am still looking for a few additional products to add to my natural, organic, and/or homemade list of cleaning supplies.

Do you have any ideas or suggestions for…

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1. Toilet bowl cleaner

2. Dish soap

3. De-greaser

What are your favorite natural or homemade cleaning products?

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Do you use the same products as me…or do you have better ideas?

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you might have.

Linked to: Works for me Wednesday

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It’s almost spring – which means warmer weather, pretty flowers, busy schedules, AND spring organizing!

While I try to keep things pretty organized all year long, there’s just something about spring that pushes me into high gear and motivates me to organize and purge everything!

If you’re feeling the same way, here are 22 simple ideas to get you started!

1. Initiate monthly purges.

This list is not in any specific order; however, I did put Monthly Purges first for a reason. I’m a HUGE fan of regular maintenance, and monthly purging is a great way to stay on-top of your clutter. Here are a few things I’ve purged recently.

2. When in doubt, throw it out.

…my favorite phrase whenever I’m questioning something. If I don’t love it, need it, use it, or want it — I throw it out!

3. Focus on one room / area at a time.

Work on one specific area and don’t stop until that area is finished. You will most likely find several items that don’t belong in that area, but simply put them in a box or bin and deal with them later. If you leave the space to put those items away, you’ll probably get distracted and overwhelmed with too many projects.

4. Find a system that work for you — there is more than one right way.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly what system will work for you…but just keep trying. Staying organized will be SO much easier when you find the right system for you and your family — I promise!

5. File your papers.

Ok, so I’m obsessed with organizing and filing our paperwork, but only because I know how much easier it is to find everything I need, when I need it. Plus, it took me about 15 minutes to round up everything we needed to do our taxes!

6. Make a place for clothes that needs to be fixed.

Just this past week I had 4 buttons come off different coats and shirts. I didn’t have time to sew them on right away, but I also didn’t want to lose the buttons or simply put the items back in my closet. So I put them in a basket near my sewing stuff so I can fix them when I have time.

If you bring your items away to be fixed, then put that basket or bag in your car and bring it away the next time you’re out.

7. Go through one box, shelve, drawer, bin, cabinet at a time.

When we moved, I really wanted to unpack as quickly as possible so I started going through all the boxes at the same time. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything, and our house was pure chaos! I quickly realized that it would be much easier to focus on one box at a time. Before I knew it, all the boxes were empty!

8. Don’t let your emotions win.

As you set out to purge and get more organized, try to leave your emotions out. If you have trouble with this, ask a non-emotional friend to help you out!

9. Make your bed — every day!

Want 10 reasons why? click here.

10. Do a few minutes every night before bed or every morning before work.

Seriously, 15 minutes a day will add up to over 90 hours in the course of a year. Do you need more convincing?

11. Tackle your junk drawer.

If you’re like me, you open your junk drawer several times each day {yes, I have a junk drawer…but it IS organized} And since I open that drawer often, it feels great to open an organized drawer every time!

12. Make to-do lists every day.

I almost always “map out” my day the night before. I use this free printable to help me keep things organized.

13. Get your family involved.

Even small children can help — and most times, they will be more likely to KEEP things organized if they are involved in the process. Make it a game and offer rewards. Here are a few more ideas for getting kids involved.

14. Keep a basket in your car for car clutter.

I keep a small basket in the front seat of my car and carry it in the house every time I get home. I empty out the trash and clutter and then fill it with anything that needs to go back into the car the next day.

15. Barter with a friend.

Make organizing fun by working with a friend. She helps you, you help her, and then you both go out for coffee afterward!

16. Use organizing containers you already have.

Organizing does NOT have to be expensive. Get creative and think outside the box… literally! You probably have a bunch of unused organizing tools lying around your house. They just need to be re-purposed.

17. Create a place for all your tax papers.

This does not have to be anything fancy. Simply designate a box, bin, drawer, or file for ALL this year’s tax papers. Then, when tax season comes around next year, you’ll be prepared!

18. Don’t let junk mail come into your home home.

Put a recycle bin in your kitchen…or better yet, in your garage and purge all junk mail BEFORE you set it down.

19. Deep clean one room each week.

Part of my spring “organizing” routine involves spring “cleaning”. I find that the easiest way for me is to go through one room or area each week. I dust, vacuum, move furniture, purge, and refresh the entire room and then I’m done for the week. Unless you live in a massive house, this should only take a few weeks!

20. Clean out your wallet and purse.

I actually just did this last night — and I almost always try to keep my purse very organized. It’s so nice to be able to find everything I need without digging and searching for several minutes.

21. Utilize your freezer.

During this busy time of year, it’s even harder to find the time to cook a meal every night. So I tend to rely on my freezer even more.

There are so many different foods you can prepare ahead and freeze, which will save you a bunch of time {and money} and still allow you to eat a healthy meal as a family.

22. Vow not to procrastinate!

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Ok, it’s your turn. What are you going to do first??

{top image credit}

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