Was getting organized one of your 2025 resolutions? If so, it's not too late to get started or even to cross it off your list. January is GO Month (Get Organized), so it's the perfect time to do just that!
Pro tip: start with a small, easy project; do NOT start with family photos or your home office that is full of so much paper you can't see the floor or the closet that is too cluttered to enter.
Ready to be successful, build momentum, and make the most of a cold afternoon? Here are six quick afternoon-sized projects to try:
Tackle the linen closet. Dump out all the sheets and towels, toss any torn or orphaned sheets, old towels, stained linens, etc. Match flat sheets with their fitted sheets and fold them up together with their matching pillowcase inside OR insert the whole sheet set into the pillow case. (Some companies very kindly include the sheet size on the tag. If your sheet set is missing the size, figure it out and use a sharpie to label it and avoid being frustrated in the future).
Dig into the makeup drawer: Empty the drawer(s?) onto the counter or a table, tossing unused and really old makeup. (Makeup guidelines recommend keeping anywhere from 6 months - 2 years. Use your judgement. A change in texture or an odd smell is a clue that it needs to go). Use drawer organizers to store the items you're keeping and prevent the drawer from becoming a jumbled mess.
Say goodbye to single socks: This is a great tv-watching activity. Take all the socks out of your sock drawer and then grab the singletons in your laundry room and start playing this version of the matching game. Remaining singletons, if they don't belong to other family members, can be bagged up for textile recycling, unless you want to grab some googly eyes and make some sock puppets:)
Have a coloring party: If you have a million markers in the playroom or pens in the kitchen, grab a piece of paper and start testing them. This is a great activity for kids. Toss the inkless ones and decide how many you need. If you have too many, check with your library or school; teachers are always running out!
Go for the gold: Go through all of your jewelry and decide what you still enjoy wearing. Sort the remaining items into two piles: donatable and meltable. (Gold and sterling silver prices are at all-time highs right now. If you're never going to wear that gold necklace, or you lost one in a pair of gold earrings, turn them into cash! Reach out to learn more.)
Take a video home inventory: If you set up your Nokbox, you may have already done this. And as we watch so many families lose their homes in the wildfires, we are reminded of how important this is. Grab your phone and walk around your entire home, narrating and inventorying everything you see. Include the art on the walls, open every drawer, and don't forget the basement or the attic. Upload your video to a jump drive or to the cloud and keep it safe. You never know when it might come in handy.
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Don't forget to take a “before” picture so you remember what your space looked like when you began tour afternoon project. Then play some music, hunker down, take timed breaks if you need them, and get started! As always, let me know how it goes!
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