A home is all about creating an environment to make you a better person. I’m lucky enough to call Alberta my home. You should feel welcomed, loved, calm and safe. Your surroundings make a lasting impact on you and your family, what you think for the day down to your stress level.
Do you look around your home and see piles and piles of items that you said last week, last month, or even last year that you were going to organize?
HOW DO YOUR SURROUNDINGS MAKE YOU FEEL?
· Chaotic
· Stressed
· Overwhelmed
· Cluttered
· Depressed
· Stuck
It’s time to change those words. Today I am going to share with you 4 tips for creating an organized home before winter. Fall is the perfect time to get organized before the winter weather hits. Here in Alberta, you never know when winter might show up. Get ready before Christmas explodes in your house.
Winter means more things come into your home. Besides all the new gifts from Christmas (and let’s agree that some of those gifts you don’t need to begin with); you now have hats, mittens, gloves, snow pants, scarves, winter jackets, and boots. More items to find homes for.
Oh and let’s not forget all those beautiful Christmas decorations that you will be bringing out and getting all set up for. Let’s get your house ready for the Christmas spirit by organizing it before it busts (or at least feels like it will) at the seams.
CREATE AN INVENTORY OF ALL THE AREAS OF YOUR HOME
To avoid feeling overwhelmed with this step. Break it down by room and space and get into detail. Even the specific rooms you can have separate categories so that you break it down even more. For example, categories for your kitchen can be junk drawer (we all have one), cupboards, drawers, and pantry. This allows you to take smaller and more manageable steps to help you through the moments when you feel (and YOU WILL) overwhelmed.
· Master Bedroom (Closet)
· Entryway
· Kitchen (Junk Drawer, Cupboards, Drawers, Pantry)
· Bathroom
· Ensuite
· Living Room
· Playroom
WALK THROUGH YOUR SPACE AND ASSESS WHAT’S WORKING AND WHAT IS NOT WORKING
This step allows you to truly look at your space and know what you love and what you don’t about your home. There will be spaces in your home that just aren’t working. You can even add this to your inventory list above. Create a list of wants and needs in certain areas.
Create a plan of what you will need to do when you decide to get rid of items. If you are donating, know ahead of time where you are going to donate to. This takes away the headache of last-minute decisions and holding onto that bag of donation items longer than you want. If you are throwing things out, ensure that you have extra garbage tags, if you need them in your area, so that your garbage isn’t sitting around and taking up space. Release and let go on the day that you are organizing to avoid changing your mind on the items that you are releasing.
DREAM OF WHAT YOU WANT THE SPACE TO BE
You know your home better than anyone else does. Put that to use and begin to fall in love with it. Look to Pinterest for examples of what you envision. Create a beginning roadmap of what you envision that space to be. This will help you get a head start on where things will fit and things that won’t fit your vision.
TACKLE ONE SPACE AT A TIME
Create separate piles for your items. Donate, junk, keep and sell piles. Organizing your home isn’t meant to be a race. It will take time and effort. Start small if you need to. Take breaks often. Don’t hesitate to walk away for a bit when you begin to feel overwhelmed. Go for a walk and come back when you are feeling refreshed and ready to tackle more items.
Invite a friend over to help. Set up guidelines so that they do not try and talk you out of your piles. They are more than welcome to take any of the donation items you no longer want or need.
CONCLUSION
There is more to organizing than just throwing items in piles and bins. The process allows you to play around with what you envision and to grow as a person. Organizing isn’t easy, but the end result is worth all the struggles.
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