There is no better way to start the new year than to declutter and organize your entire home. As our homes have an important influence on how we feel, it’s only natural we extend this “out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new” attitude to our homes as well.

After all, nothing says “Hello, New Year” like a house that’s clean and free of clutter. And, as the end of the year is upon us, now is the ideal time to organize your home. 

Today, I’ll share home organization tips so you can get on a fresh blank slate for the year ahead.

So, to get us started, let’s get something out of the way: ‘Cleaning is not organizing.”

Keeping that in mind, let’s dive into ten home organization ideas you can use today to get your home organized and clutter-free before the new year.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

1. Planning Your Home Organization

Get Yourself a Planner

While many of us became great fans of all things electronics, I’m a firm believer in the combo electronic + paper planners.

I suggest getting the kind of planner that comes in the form of a book where you can write down your lists of things to do.

The act of making a list of your home organization chores and scratching out each task as it gets done is so much more satisfying than using an electronic planner.

Make a Decluttering Checklist

A decluttering list is a to-do list to help you determine what you need to do to create spaces you love.

Here’s how to make a decluttering checklist:

1. Pick a project area – this could be a drawer, a linen closet, storage space, or even your home office.
2. Brainstorm and write down everything you must do to achieve your goal and create a great place you love. Now is the time to write down that great idea you spotted online to create extra storage for your cleaning supplies or kitchen cabinets!
3. Break your list down into small, manageable tasks, considering the time it should take for each of them. This will make a massive difference in understanding each space’s unique challenges. For example, in your home office organization, it could look like:
   • Declutter desk drawers,
   • Declutter office space,
   • Declutter storage area,
   • Declutter the closet or coat rack.

2. Cleaning

Do a Deep Clean

Organizing an entire home is hard work, but it becomes daunting if your home is very dirty and covered in dust.

If that’s the case with your house right now, I encourage you to give yourself the gift of a whole home deep clean by hiring help. It will also save you valuable time and energy when you get to organize your belongings and

Whether you are a DIYer or an outsourcing kind of person, this step will instantly change how your house feels. If you have family members, this is the time to engage everyone.

A deep clean includes sweeping, dusting, mopping, scrubbing, vacuuming, removing cobwebs, cleaning window sills and glass, wiping baseboards, door frames, and the works. The best way to approach this step is to create a checklist, so you don’t skip a step and tackle specific areas separately.

Here’s one way of going about it:

1. Dust in high and low places to eliminate the old year’s vibe and grime. While you’re at it, get rid of any cobwebs and dust the fans as well. If necessary, buy an extendable rod to be able to reach high areas and chandeliers.
2. Vacuum the floors and carpets.
3. Vacuum and clean the upholstery.
4. Remove bedding, pillow covers, and throws and put them in the laundry.
5. Mophttps://amzn.to/3S36K1A the floor.
6. Consider opening the windows and letting in some fresh air and light.

3. Repairs

Attend to Minor Repairs You Have Been Putting Off

An essential part of having a home that works and requires little effort to maintain is staying on top of your home organization and repair projects.

They can also become negative self-talk on how “you never take care of…” If there’s one thing we don’t need, it is a nagging negative voice in our heads.

Remember that leaky faucet you keep promising yourself that you will take care of? Now is the perfect time to attend to that and other repairs like:

1. Burnt-out light bulbs
2. Squeaky doors
3. Leaky faucets
4. Roof repair
5. Clogged garbage disposal
6. Caulking jobs
7. Painting jobs

4. Decluttering

Clear Away Clutter

Start small and get rid of clutter. You can deal with one drawer or a closet at a time until you make your way through the entire room.

I suggest you create a drop zone where you’ll place all the clutter you will remove from your home. Once that space is full, it’s time to make a trip to your donation center, where you can get a receipt for your donation. Each trip will clean up the floor space and give you a break to tackle a new area.

Not everything you’ll find in a room that needs to be removed is clutter.

Often, things that belong to another room end up in the space you’re working on, and instead of coming and going from place to place, use dollar store bins to create “move out” containers for these items.

This will make a massive difference in the speed of your work and give you easy access to these items once you’re ready to organize them.

Tackle All Storage Areas

When decluttering your home, you might focus on the junk drawer or spaces like the dining room or the master bedroom and end up forgetting about attics, lofts, and storage rooms. If you have this kind of space in your home, include them in your planning.

Take out all the old storage boxes and go through every item, old paper records, letting go of anything you can.

Storage Organizing Ideas

Get Everything You Want to Dispose of Outside Your Home

An essential part of finally decluttering your home and getting it in tip-top shape is getting everything you don’t want anymore out of it.

Once you have a big pile of everything you want to discard or donate, it’s time to move it out as soon as you can.

1. First, because more often than not, people feel tempted to “visit” those bags and boxes, thinking of creative ways to find good places for what was junk a minute ago.
2. Second, your home will look much cleaner and tidy once all the clutter is out.

You will also have a better view of every room of the house, what space you have left, and how you can best use it.

You can hire a junk removal company to get rid of everything – a reliable removal company will ensure all your junk is disposed of safely – or you can make trips to your donation center.

4. Organizing

Give a Place for Everything You Own

This truly is an essential rule of home organization: every item in your home must have a designated spot. That means socks with socks, and all socks go in a bin or drawer. The “socks” are the “family,” and the “bin or drawer” is the “home.”

Having an address to everything you own makes it infinitely easier to keep your home organized.

Clutter happens for various reasons, but in many cases, it’s because people don’t know where to place things, so they pile or stash them somewhere, hoping they’ll find a home for them someday.

Once every item in your home has a designated address, you’ll be inclined to put it back after you use anything.

If you are too attached to an item but don’t have space, look for a less-loved duplicate or similar object.

And from now on, before you buy something new, stop and think:

• “do I have room for this?”
• “what can I let go before I make this purchase?” or even better,
• place that item in your cart and get back to it in a couple of days. I find most people give up on their purchases by doing this. 😉

Get the Kids Involved

Get your kids to keep their room organized by teaching them

1. What it means to have an organized space and
2. By teaching them how to organize their bedrooms.

I have worked with many families that expect to have their kids clean and organize their spaces but have not invested the time to teach the children how to clean and organize their rooms.

Without this step, this can become a frustrating battle where parents have high hopes, and the children feel they can never achieve.

Provide them with the teaching and the supplies they need to clean and organize. Organizing products like bins, wire baskets, shelf risers, and other storage solutions helps contain and organize their belongings, considering their age.

Remember that organizing is a skill we can all learn, and your positive participation as a parent is the most crucial part and motivator in this process! Their age will dictate not only their attention span but also their ability to follow your instructions.

If your kids’ closets are bursting to the brim or their storage bench won’t close because of the number of toys in there, encourage them to give away clothing and toys they don’t use, want, or have space to keep.

Having a play space free of clutter and decorated the way they like will be an excellent reward for their efforts.

Craft Organizing Tools

Craft supplies are a real clutter magnet, so keep an eye on these, too.

Use bins in the laundry room for laundry products and miscellaneous items like mismatched socks. You can use storage bins in any room to store just about anything.

Craft Organizing Tools

5. Back to Square One

Our final tip is to keep track of all your home organization chores in your planner.

Have a command center to keep a binder with all the lists and papers you need to manage your home.

Strike off each item/chore as you complete it. Once it’s all done, don’t get rid of the planner. Use it throughout the coming year to keep your home organized and clutter-free through the year.

If you want to simplify this process, you can get your Home Decluttering Planner right here! It includes lists, checklists, and forms to keep your home clean, decluttered, and organized easily.

New post Home Organization Tips To Start The New Year On A Fresh Note on A Personal Organizer by Helena Alkhas

Nothing gets me in the “home clean up” mood as a party or guests coming over!

If you are like me, or maybe the days went by, and now your family is knocking at your door, read my tips on last-minute holiday prep for your home.

The holidays are here, and it’s time to wrap up all of our preparations for the season. You can still prep ahead for a few things that will make your holiday celebrations more enjoyable and relaxing so you can enjoy your company when they arrive.

1. Stock up

You may have already had a few early holiday gatherings by this point. As the impromptu guests and out-of-towners continue to arrive, now is a good time to restock those items in your home that may be a little depleted.

Start in the kitchen. Stock up on pantry items like coffee, tea, and sugar that you will use regularly.

Now is also a good time to restock your bar items. Here is an excellent resource for stocking your bar for the holidays.

2. Bake something

It’s a lovely touch to offer your guests a home-baked treat over the holidays. If you love baking or want to get everything ready to bake with your guests, check out this post on how to set up the perfect baking station.

Short on time or don’t like to bake? Pick up some pre-made pastries to keep at home for when unexpected guests drop by.

3. Add fresh greenery

Fresh flowers add so much life to your home. Whether you choose greenery or bouquets, your guests will appreciate being greeted by these lively touches.

Here are a few ideas for using fresh greenery around your home:

• Use greens in vases, lying flat, or draped on your mantle.

• Add fresh greenery to a basket in your entryway.

• Fresh greens can be added to your bar, buffet, or table settings.

• Use fresh greenery in guest rooms.

7 Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas For Your Holiday Table

4. Spruce up your main living spaces

Replace the candles and inspect the condition of the throw pillows and throw blankets.

Add a basket of magazines, light reading, and coffee table books for your guests to enjoy while they relax, wait for other guests, or while you prepare meals for them. 

Check your lighting as well.

No one wants to sit under super-bright or harsh lighting while they are trying to relax. A simple way to soften the lighting in your home is to replace your clear bulbs with frosted opaque.

5. Neaten and freshen up focal points and most used areas

Take a look at your entrances, gathering spaces, and bathrooms. Declutter these areas by going around with a basket and removing items that do not belong there.

Fluff your pillows, adjust your throw blankets, and replenish any items that need it.

Don’t forget to clear those areas that gather clutter throughout the days and weeks, such as coffee tables, islands, desks, and entryway tables.

Clear coats and bags that are not used often should be placed in a closet.

Make your guest rooms cozy

Whether you have scheduled guests coming to stay at your home over the holiday season or not, it’s essential to prepare for guests either way.

Freshen linens and restock any toiletries.

You will also want to think of those extra warm and cozy touches to make your guests feel at home while they stay with you.

Make necessary amenities easy to find and use by creating a hospitality basket. Keep internet passcodes on the nightstand, leave a tray with water and snacks, and include any notes you think they may need while staying in your home. 

Guest Room

Even if you don’t have a designated guest room, it’s a good idea to prepare a basket for guests with linens, pillows, and a few toiletries, so it is easy for you to make overnight guests feel at home.

Conclusion

These tips on how to prepare your home for the holiday season should have you feeling ready to relax and enjoy your family and friends.

Need help with your last-minute preparations for your home this holiday?

Need some more tips for prepping your home for the holidays? Check below our favorite tips

New post The Last Minute Holiday Prep Checklist on A Personal Organizer by Helena Alkhas

Moms and dads are always at the top of everyone’s list, except, of course, when you have kids 😉 But still, they are a priority, and I personally take great pleasure in keeping an eye out for gift ideas for moms and dads throughout the year. Yes, I’m a “year-long gift shopper”!

Since my parents live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I buy their birthday and Christmas gifts whenever I see something special and bring them with me when I go to Brazil to speak at the annual Personal Organizer Conference or when we go on vacation with the boys.

This year, for example, I gave them a Hoka (the most comfortable tennis shoe you’ll ever wear!) among other gifts.

Whether your parents live far, far away, or you’re super lucky to have them close, here are some lovely gifts for moms and dads that will make them feel like the special people they are!

Something Special For Mom

My daily wardrobe consists of very basic and classic items that I can mix & match easily, but when it’s time to dress up, I like to have fun!

Here are some items you’d find in my “date night” closet.

If your mom is using the “same old, same old” pieces to get dressed up when she goes out, I bet she would love a gorgeous new dress, skirt, or blouse to add to her go-to pieces.

Something beautiful to carry, some added sparkle around her neck, or a bold new lip color would all be very welcome gifts.

Something special for mom

For The Mom Who Needs A Break

Some moms are constantly on the go. Between taking care of the house, the kiddos, and working a full-time job, they never get a break.

If that’s the case, treat your mama with a soft robe, a gift certificate for a spa, a subscription for ready-made meals, or even better, monthly cleaning services to lighten her load!

Consider subscriptions like HelloFresh, cleaning services, or a monthly wine delivery service. Mom will love these gifts that will make her life easier throughout the entire year!

Gifts For The mom who needs a break

Gift Ideas For Dad

Some people feel finding the perfect gift idea for dad is hard. But it doesn’t need to be!

Finding the perfect gift for a dad is sometimes as simple as thinking about what they like. Do they like to travel? Do they love shoes and accessories? Do they enjoy a smart cocktail at the end of the day?

No matter what the dads on your list are into, you can find the perfect gift for them. Remember to keep it personal to their tastes; they will love what you gift them.

Gift Ideas For Dad

Wrapping It Up

Gift-giving doesn’t need to be complicated or extravagant. At the heart of a great gift idea for moms and dads is the thought you put into noticing what your mom or dad would love to have that would make their day and their new year a little brighter.

Are you looking for some more holiday inspiration? We’ve got you covered! Check out our gift guide for the organization fanatic on your list, our tips on throwing a fabulous holiday party, how to host a brunch for friends, and grab our holiday organizing checklist!

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New post Gift Ideas For Moms And Dads on A Personal Organizer by Helena Alkhas