Saturday, January 21, 2012

Happy 2012!

The time of the year to reflect and set new goals for yourself.  Time to unclutter and get organized which can give you a feeling of freedom, accomplishment, and feeling in control after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.


Pinterest -delightfulorder.blogspot.com

Our goal this year is to purge our closets, office, kitchen and garage!  A daunting task, but a resolved determined goal.  We are going to get Ruthless, Ruthless, Ruthless!  This is the year to pare down, make life simple, and put everything at our fingertips.  Here are some tips to help you on your organizational journey in 2012.

Follow the golden rule of closet organizing:  If you haven’t worn it in a year, toss it!  Schedule in a couple of hours for each closet.  Pull everything you own out of the closet.  Go through everything piece by piece and only put back in your closet what you use or wear!  Have garbage bags ready, one to throw away items and one to fill with unused items.  If it doesn’t fit you, get rid of it and treat yourself to something  when you are at your ideal weight. If you can’t bear to part with an item (and we all have some of those things), then flag with a sticky note on the hangar and if at the end of the season you haven’t worn it, discard it.  

                                          Elfa System - The Container Store

Design your closet space.  Measure the space, including all interior walls, floor, and backs of doors.  Have your measurements in hand when shopping for closet organizers to fit your space using every square inch your closet. They range from the inexpensive to custom organizers.  Find the best system for you and your budget.
                                                

Make sure you invest in the right type of hangar that suits your item.  (No wire hangers allowed.)  Slim velvet, plastic and wood are best suited for your closet. The slim velvet hangers come in all colors and hold up to 10 pounds.  Remember to fold T-Shirts and sweaters so they do not lose their shape over time. 


                                                  Pinterest - bhg.com

Label all boxes (clear plastic boxes are great so that you can see what is inside of them) and baskets with cute little labeling tags. 

 thechampagnewishes.com
                                
Coordinate your wardrobe to save time finding items.  Sort all items by color and likeness (i.e. skirts, pants, jackets, tops, etc.) Keep all items that you use regularly at eye level and items that you rarely use higher up.

Pinterest - iheartorganizing.blogspot.cc
                                
Linen closets usually become a disaster.  Roll your bath towels for more storage space.  Fold sets of bed linen sheets inside of the set’s pillowcase.  Label each sheet set with attractive tags to mark the sheet set size.  Table linens should be cleaned and ironed after use.  Tablecloths and matching napkins should be stored on plastic shirt or skirt hangars in your closet and tagged together so they are ready for your next event.


                 Pinterest -The Container Store              

Cleanse your kitchen cabinets and pantry.  Throw away all expired food products and old spices that have lost their aroma.  Organize and clean your drawers and cabinets getting rid of anything that you haven’t used for a year.  Chances are you will not use it again.  China and crystal can take up precious space in your kitchen.  Move them to another spot in the house and store them using coffee filters between plates.  


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The garage is a daunting task.  This will take a day or weekend so budget time on a nice sunny day.  Pull out everything, we mean everything.  Then purge what you do not use.  Again use the golden rule, if you haven’t used it in a year, part with it.  Have boxes ready to pack any unused items, so as they do not go back into the garage and label them garage sale or donation.   Implement the storage system that works for you!


Elementally,


Linda and Michele

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