Tag: tips for getting organized

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Professional-Organizer

Week 47 | Medicine | 52 Weeks To Downsize & Minimalize

Medicine

Have you ever reached for medication when you or your child was sick only to find everything is old and expired? Let’s be proactive this week and get rid of everything in the medicine cabinet that is useless.

Expiration Dates on Medicine

Going through the medicine cabinet is something that should be done on a regular basis. Twice a year is ideal. Things tend to expire at the worst times. Before you know it, you don’t have what you need on hand, in case of an emergency.

Cough, cold & flu, sore throat, and any type of children’s medicine are the expirations to watch closely. Those have clear dates that need to be watched closely. It’s generally best to buy smaller bottles of these items, since they are rarely used in completion before an expiration date hits.

This is a quick and easy task that you can complete in no time. And it’s a big one for safety. Get this done before cold & flu season hits and make sure your family is prepared.

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Professional-Organizer

Week 46 | Wrapping Paper | 52 Weeks To Downsize & Minimalize

Wrapping Paper

Wrapping Paper tends to find a way to get a little out of control at times. It can get excessive and before you know it, it’s taking up an entire closet or room in your home. Time to downsize!

Ways to Downsize Wrapping Paper

It may be tempting to keep every square inch that doesn’t get used. There comes a time when it’s appropriate to recycle the remnants that won’t survive another gift to wrap.

You may also have old paper that is faded, torn, or simply doesn’t fit in with anything you would use it for. That means it’s time to pitch it!

Beware of hoarding tape, bows, ribbon, and other supplies with the wrapping paper. Drop off excess gift wrap supplies to your local after-school youth or creative reuse program.

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Professional-Organizer

Week 45 | DVDs and CDs | 52 Weeks To Downsize & Minimalize

DVDs and CDs

Today, if you have DVDs and CDs sitting around your home, you are wasting valuable space. That space could be better utilized or simply kept clean and clear.

Downsizing the DVDs and CDs in Your Home

If you have shelves of old CDs and DVDs, what should you do? If you are looking to make a few bucks, try to sell them on websites such as Amazon and ebay. You may be surprised what you can get for some of the more rare ones.

Not quite ready let them go yet? Download the music and movies that you are about to get rid of and import the music from your CD’s to your iTunes or other digital music library on your computer. It’s simple and now you’ll be able to have these items wherever you go. You don’t need the hard copies cluttering up your home.

Ready to donate? Give them to a public library, Goodwill, Salvation Army, or other local charitable organization or school. Be prepared to gain lots of extra room in your home and you can also get a tax deduction for items that you donate.

No more DVDs and CDs cluttering up the space that you live in. And don’t forget to clean out your car, too.

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Professional-Organizer

Week 41 | Quantity | 52 Weeks To Downsize & Minimalize

Quantity

This week, cut the quantity of anything you know you’ve been excessive about in ways that don’t benefit you, others, or the planet.

Quantity Downsizing to Relieve The Stress

It can be a person, place, thing, perspective, a feeling or emotion, for example. What can you do without or can do with less of this week?

By taking things out of your life that are overwhelming you, you’re going to find yourself with less stress. You may not even realize how much things are stressing you out until you cut things out of your weeks. This is one that will benefit you long-term, beyond the home!

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Professional-Organizer

Week 21 | Kids Toys | 52 Weeks to Downsize & Minimalize

kids-toys-downsize-declutter-minimalize-bella-organizing

Join me this week to downsize and minimalize the amount of kids toys around the house. Tips:

  • When working with a child to declutter toys, let him/her know about all places they can donate to kids in need, such as to homeless shelters and toy drives. Pick a place to donate together and follow through with it. If not sure where to donate locally, ask the neighbors at nextdoor.com
  • Tackle clutter with the kids for as long as their attention can be held, they are having fun, and being productive with you.
  • Kids get overwhelmed by choice. Allow them to make decisions on what to keep and what to donate for only a few things at a time. When their interest starts to wane…
  • Set them free! Don’t get frustrated. It’s up to you, their mom/dad/guardian/caretaker, to continue sorting, decluttering, and putting things away.
Tackle kids clutter every few months. Declutter a little at a time together and instill great habits in everyone. Do not give up. Their clutter is your clutter. Set a regular schedule, find balance with the amount of stuff you are willing buy/accept/store/donate, and turn challenges into successes.

Bella_Organizing_Best_Professional_Organizers_San_Francisco_Oakland_Berkeley_silicon_valley_montereyIsabella Guajardo, founder and owner of Bella Organizing, is a San Francisco Bay Area professional organizer offering home organizing, interior redesign, and residential move management services throughout the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Call (510) 229-7321 or email info@bellaorganizing.com for more information. Gift certificates are available.

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