Rainy Days Are Made For Organizing 

 

Organizing.

 

It’s the last thing on your mind as you hang out next to the lake right? But eventually, it will rain. And then just like that–your stuck in the house again surrounded by all of your stuff. So, why not take that time to organize a little? This way, during that next sunny day you will actually be able to find that beach towel and sunscreen. 

 

But where to start? Think of it like this, would you load your dishwasher before emptying it? Probably not. It’s hard to organize your stuff, when the place you want to organize is not organized.

 

Say that 10 times fast! 

 

With that in mind–start with your storage areas. Garages, basements, attics, and junk drawers are usually the last place you think to be organized, so let’s change that. Create store, toss, and donate piles and tackle one area at a time starting with the smallest. Don’t stress and take it a little at a time, breaking the the big work into smaller more managable tasks.  

 

Next, it's time to take a good look at those shared spaces; high traffic areas like the kitchen, entryway, bathrooms, and livings room. Remember that old saying, a place for everything and everything in its place? Well, there is actually something to that one. Think of this as you declutter–things that you live with everyday should have a home that everyone in the family can agree on. Have the kids help find “homes” for their toys, and make sure they find their way there every night. After a while, it will just be expected that these areas are organized and keeping it this way will be easy.

 

Now, eventually we have to get to the really tough spots, like bedrooms, closets and home offices. These areas tend to be very personal so letting go can seem tougher, but fear not, you got this! First, trash or store the clutter. This is the easy part. Outdated paperwork, old water cups, or really anything that shouldn’t stick around needs to go.

 

For other closet and home office items you will need some time to really take a look at each item.

 

For closets–take it out, take it ALL out. Does it have any flaws or damages? Toss it. Does it still have tags on it from last year? Donate it. If you haven’t worn it in the past 2 months (except seasonal items) there is a reason. Items that are hard to let go of can stay for now, but going forward as you wear things, turn the hanger around. This way you can see exactly what your not wearing after a couple months and make some additional cut backs. 

 

We all hope it doesn’t rain so much that this gets done all at once- so take your time! Tackle one area and then the next, and make friends with Google! There are so many great organizing tips and tricks out there- so have fun with it! 

 

Find more organizing tips for rainy days at www.thespruce.com.