Getting Organized for Spring

I am so excited to introduce you to our guest blogger today! Meet Jen from IHeartOrganizing! She is a mom to three beautiful boys and is an organization extraordinaire! Her blog is completely inspiring and has tons of spoon-friendly ways to stay organized! So definitely pay her a visit when you get the chance! Today she is sharing some easy organization tips just in time to get Spring cleaning underway!

We all know that sometimes creating a more simplistic and streamlined lifestyle may mean saying goodbye to the clutter.  Clutter and extra items lingering around the home can slow you down, yet it can also grow at incredible speeds!  Here is my easy organizing equation , “Less Stuff = A More Fulfilling Life”.  Simple as that, and giving true meaning to the saying, “Less is More”.

So where to begin?  Tricky question right?

I would recommend to start small.  Learning to let go of things is definitely not easy for many.  There is absolutely no need to start out by saying goodbye to Aunt Edna’s floral vase, maybe focus on an old magazine that has never been opened instead.  Once you see the benefit and great feeling that comes with the “Less is More” purging, it will become easier to let go of more substantial items that aren’t benefiting you or your family.

Here are a couple of quick and easy places to start in each room.

• Donate outdated or unused cookbooks
• Purge down duplicate cookware pieces
• Place all kitchen utensils into a box, and as you use them place them back into your drawer.  After a month, whatever wasn’t used, can be shipped away
• Toss out expired food items from your fridge and cupboards

Living/Family Room:

• Sell old CD’s or DVD’s on eBay if they haven’t been used within the last year
• Cancel magazine subscriptions that you no longer read and recycle the giant stack on the coffee table
• Pair down living room accessories by picking one or more items that were purchased on an impulse that never really worked in the space

Bathroom:

• Toss out expired makeup
• Combine Shampoos, Conditioners and Lotions and recycle the extra bottles
• Say goodbye to that hair crimper circa 1986
• Donate old towels to an animal shelter

Bedroom:

• Donate clothing that no longer fits or isn’t being worn unless you have no other options
• Toss orphaned or torn socks
• In kid’s rooms, toss out old games/toys/puzzles that are missing all their pieces

Office:

• Recycle that stack of statements and go online and switch to paperless statements
• Take pictures of your kid’s artwork {even with them in the picture holding it} and after it’s been on display, toss it out {it really is ok, only keep your absolute favorites!}
• Toss dried up pens, stretched out rubber bands, crumbling erasers and other non-functioning desk supplies
• Donate old books to your local library

When it comes down to deciding what to Throw, Sell or Keep, it’s all really about personal preference, however, here are a couple things I keep in mind:

Throw: Anything completely outdated, expired, unusable, broken or missing any necessary pieces

Sell: Aside from knowing the quality and condition of the item you are considering selling, make sure that you are only listing anything that will actually be worth your time.  Selling on eBay or Craigslist or having a garage sale are all time investments.  Group smaller like items together and sell them together as a “lot”.  Bigger ticket items such as electronics, furniture or higher valued items, are worth the extra time to list individually.  

Donate: Everything else.  Don’t be afraid to kick furniture to the curb with a “FREE” sign.  Anything that may be taking up your precious space still may hold value to another, and handing things off also creates less waste.  Load up the back of your car and drop it off at your local donation center.  Just make sure to snap a picture and itemize your donations for tax purposes.

Thanks again for having me today!

Having a spoon-saving idea you would like to share? I would love to have you guest post! Topics can range from organization, home decor, fashion/beauty, and quick meals! Just shoot me an email!