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Spending some time decluttering and organizing your home right now will mean less time searching for sandals and sunscreen and more time having fun!
Summer is a busy season when kids are home, schedules are crazy, and backyard barbecues are in full swing. Get the most out of summer by organizing your home for the sunny season now, and you’ll have more time – and fewer headaches and hassles – to enjoy the warmer days that are on the way. Here are some top tips for doing just that.
Pack Away Winter
Those cold and dreary days are gone, and the real sunshine has arrived, hopefully for a while. There’s no need to keep all of that bulky winter gear in your closets when you won’t be needing it for the next few months. So now is the time to pack it all away, but in a sensible, organized manner.
Go through your closets and pack up winter coats, sweaters, hats, gloves, and boots. Place them in labelled storage boxes, like with like, so that they will be easy to find and add back to your closets in the fall. But don’t store things you won’t wear. This is the time to make those three piles – store, donate, trash – and get realistic – and maybe even a little ruthless – about which items should really ‘make the cut’ and head into storage and which should be retired from next year’s winter clothing rosters.
Your garage will probably need some decluttering as well. Swap out rakes and shovels for lawn mowers and gardening tools. If you don’t have extra room in your garage, storage shed or basement for these extra winter belongings, consider renting a portable storage unit where you neatly store all of these belongings during the summer months but access them easily when you do need them again.
Tackle the Pantry and the Fridge
Once the kids are home for the summer, that means there will be lots of meals and snacks made at home. In addition, you are likely to be staging more cookouts and backyard barbecues during the summer months, especially when home alfresco dining and staycations have become the norm, even post pandemic.
You’ll make meal prep so much easier by organizing your food storage spaces. Take time to clean out your refrigerator and pantry and throw out any old or expired food. As you put food back in, create special spaces for fruits, vegetables, meats, drinks, snacks etc. Use small baskets or plastic bins to organize items in your pantry and label them to ensure everything remains in its place.
Establish a Donation Area
Set aside a special space in your home for items you want to donate. It can be a box, shelf, corner, or small closet. Throughout the summer, encourage each member of your family to place items in the donation areas as they come across them. You will be surprised at how quickly it fills up with old toys, clothing, gadgets, or even tools that no longer get used.
Once the donation area is full, make a quick trip to your local donation center, or, if some items still have value, make a few extra bucks by selling them on eBay, Poshmark or Craigslist.
Create a Home Command Center
To tackle the clutter of endless summer to-do lists, grocery lists, recipes, and schedules, create a command center in your home. It could be a work space, office, corner nook, desk in your laundry room, or any other unused space.
A simple magnetic chalkboard, and small desk or table can turn this into a fully functional space where you can keep camp schedules, grocery lists, and weeknight recipes neat and organized.
Tackle the Toys
Summer is here and that means kids and toys!!! From playroom messes to outdoor activities, one thing is certain: your house can quickly succumb to toy overload (and quickly become a cluttered mess in the process).
The key to keeping all of your kids’ summer toys and equipment organized is ensuring everything has a place. Label plastic bins or boxes in the playroom, so your kids can put everything back in its place. Designate a special storage area in the garage or shed for bats, balls, helmets, and other summer gear.
Get Help If You Need It
Summer home organization can be a daunting task, especially if you really haven’t done a good declutter in a while. That’s where the Just Organized by Taya team comes in. We can help you declutter and organize all kinds of spaces, so you have more time to enjoy the summer this year in the way you’re hoping for. Book an appointment here and let’s get started before summer kicks off in earnest!
Working with Taya and her team is easy. You can book an appointment easily on her website, or contact her directly at 832-271-7608
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