There are only a couple weeks of spring left and I bet you still have some cleaning and organizing to do. Here are a few organizing ideas you may not have thought of as well as a couple of easy to implement tips for staying organized while on vacation.
As you go into a new season, keep a bag in the closet or trunk of your car for items on their way to consignment and another for those to be donated. Having a place for these things to land makes it easier to get them moving on their way. This is especially timely when planning back-to-school wardrobes for the kids in a few months—anything outgrown goes right into the bag.
Most of us have too many cookbooks. If you have a bunch of cookbooks but only like one or two recipes out of each, do the unthinkable and rip them out. Put them in a file or binder. The rest of the book can be recycled. If you couldn’t possibly destroy a book, make a copy of the recipes you like and donate the books.
Summer is second only to the holidays for buying new gear. Label your cords. As soon as you buy a new device, with all its chargers, headphones and such, get out your labeler or some masking tape and a pen and label the cords. If they ever get lost in the junk drawer, you won’t have to wonder which device goes with which cord.
You should have checked your outdoor cushions and furniture for any needed replacement or repairs when you put it away for the winter, but give it another look-see as you put it back out this year. Make a list of things you need to purchase or have repaired.
For example, one year I bought and filled sand bags that drape over the frames of my pool chaises because I was finally tired of pulling the chaises out of the pool after wind storms. Now they stay put. What took me so long? What similar fixes have you not gotten to?
In your travels, it’s tempting to pick up paper “souvenirs,” But try to resist. Business cards, menus, brochures all tend to pile up in the car or around the house. Instead of taking it with you, input the contact information immediately into your phone. If you feel like it isn’t worth putting into your phone or address book, you probably don’t need the information.
If you are gathering bits of paper (menus and things) it for a scrapbook project, keep a gallon sized plastic storage bag in your suitcase and keep all the paper contained within it. Try to work on your scrapbook project within a few weeks of your trip, before motivation evaporates.
Paperback books that have been to the beach and are stained with sunscreen or wrinkled with salt water can also go into the recycling bin. Do charities a favor and don’t bother donating books that are damaged.
Deal with little irritations before they become a big mess. If a glue stick is dried out or a pen doesn’t work, toss it into the trash immediately and not back into the drawer. On that note, a trash can in every room is a must, and put one in the car for road trips.
Similar to the above, anything that doesn’t work or that you’ve promised to fix or have repaired that has sat around for more than a month needs to be rethought. Ask yourself whether all of the little tasks involved in getting something done are worth the trouble. The less expensive or precious the item, the less thought it require in order to make a decision to keep or toss. Examples: if you lit some citronella candles yet the mosquitoes still relentlessy bugged your guests at your last outdoor bar-be-que, ditch the candles. Next time just put out the Cutters.
But if your pricey and cherished Italian espresso machine needs a new part, examine why you haven’t ordered it and decide to either do it or let the machine go. Broken things sitting around don’t serve anyone and it’s one of the feng shui rules I use most to keep abundance and energy flowing in a home or office.
As the summer winds down, use up your sunscreen. Check the expiration dates and don’t bother storing anything that won’t pack its full punch the next time you need it.