7 Tips to Get Your Home Organized This Year

Planning on having a more productive, healthier year? It all starts with an organized environment to clear your surroundings and mind of clutter. Start by trying these 7 tips.

1. Clean Out Your Closets
Shoes and clothes you haven’t worn in years are not suddenly going to make it back into your daily rotation. Not only will this save you tons of space by getting rid of the clutter, but also will save you time getting dressed when you don’t have to wade through all the clutter to get to the good stuff. Oh, and make sure to donate your old clothes to a good cause!

2. Organize Your Pantry
Getting items in order will make meal prep so much simpler. Not only will it save you tons of time, but also it will help keep products visible, so they don’t end up getting thrown away. Try setting up areas of your pantry (and cabinets) specifically designated for types of foods - cans, pastas, chips, breads etc. This may also stop you from buying that 8th box of mac and cheese when you discover your stash!

3. Get and Give
Clutter often comes in the form of having too much of the same thing. Try this – every time you get something new, you must get rid of anything that performs the same function. Works great for clothing, and especially kitchen items. No one needs three potato peelers, Kathy!

4. Buy Beauty
Buying beautifully packaged items (like No.2 bamboo toilet paper) will help you put them on display instead of cluttering up your closets. Even better, subscribing to beautiful bulk items (again like No.2) will help you cut down on trips to the supermarket, saving you time and gas!

5. The Main Offender
I’ve been in enough kitchens to know that the main offender of clutter is food storage containers. For some reason, people hate getting rid of these space-takers. A nice Chinese takeaway container? Perfect! Empty margarine? The exact size I need for leftover pasta! As time goes on, they just keep piling up, and piling up until you have a mess of lids and containers. Store bought kitchen storage containers are inexpensive and uniformly all fit together to save space. Make the investment!

6. Rack it up!
I have shoes. I have LOTS. OF. SHOES. Every floor of every closet was covered in shoes. That is, until I got smart. I bought shoe racks. Now my three closets of shoes fit into a single closet stacked four levels up. Not only did this remove the chaos of clutter, but I no longer have to search three closets to find that perfect pair.

7. ‘Tis the Season
Do you wear a winter jacket in the summer? Shorts in the winter? I bet not, so why leave them accessible year round? Once the beach months are behind us, pack up all of your summer gear into boxes/containers ready for next year’s seasonal action.

Try these 7 tips and you may just find yourself with a more clear head, more time, and maybe even $$$ to start the year off right!