I’m spending the month of January expanding on my goals for 2018. Today, I’m talking about my goals for my home and how I plan to get rid of clutter this year! You can check out my complete list of 33 goals on my post, New Year’s Goals For 2018.
Yes, I realize 33 goals may be overkill, but I say… Goal hard or go home. *Slaps knee at how hilarious I think I am*
1. Organize & implement storage solutions throughout the house.
So, I’ve gotten really tired of clutter under the kitchen sink, the top of the nursery dresser staying piled with diapers, the lids to all the various thermoses falling out of the cabinet, and pieces of toys going missing. And please don’t get me started on the cabinet where I keep all the bottles and toddler utensils. Sigh.. But it’s my fault I’ve been dragging my feet on fixing things like this because the solution is so simple: storage containers.
I guess I’ve just found it difficult to let go of money for a bunch of fancy boxes just so I can group like things together, but, with baby #2 fast approaching, my nesting urge is telling me it’s time to give in and buy some dang boxes.
Sound like something that would fix half your clutter problems, too? Here are some of my favorite storage ideas I’m going to be integrating this year!
Hiding the Flats & Sandals from Curly Girl:
Corralling the Wrapping Paper from Pinterest:
Bathroom storage ideas from Row House Nest:
Drawer pulls for the kitchen chalkboard wall from Dimples & Tangles:
And that’s just a few of SO many ways to get your storage act together. You can find these and many more ideas on my Pinterest board, The Storage. It’s the little things, ya know?
2. Work through The Complete Book of Clean.
If implementing storage solutions is the organizing portion of my clutter kick, working my way through this book one task at a time is my way of getting the grime under control. The Complete Book of Clean is essentially a list of 252 tasks to help you clean your entire home. Think Martha Stewart’s Housekeeping Handbook (another favorite of mine), but WAY more simplified. And with lots of colorful and inspiring pictures–a must, if you ask me.
I’m taking it one task per day and taking Sundays off. So far, I’ve spent the first couple of weeks assembling my cleaning caddy and trying to make it super cute so I will actually use it. Not gonna lie, it’s already making cleaning a little bit fun. Just a little bit, though.
3. Have spring & fall yard sales & donate what’s left.
Finally, the classic yard/garage sale. I’m hoping to have two this year in addition to the one I had last summer. Whatever is left, I’m going to donate because, with two kids on the scene now, I don’t have the free space to store unused items.
If you’ve never braved having a yard sale cause it seems intimidating or not worth your effort, I want to encourage you! Before dropping off all your unused items for donation, try a yard sale. It’s a great way to make a couple hundred bucks in a few hours on a Saturday morning. Just make sure to do your research and do it right!
Here are a few tips to help maximize your efforts:
- Advertise! This is a must if you want plenty of traffic at your yard sale. You can advertise in the local newspaper, although, it will cost you money. Better yet, advertise on Craigslist and definitely put out signs at the end of your street.
- Don’t price things ahead of time. One mistake I see a lot of people make when hosting a yard sale is putting prices and stickers on everything ahead of time. First of all, that doubles your workload when setting up your yard sale and, second, it all but closes the door to negotiating with customers. Sure, think ahead of time about how much you want to charge for certain items, but don’t advertise it. Seeing a price tag can discourage yard sale goers from asking about items and negotiating. They are more likely to see that price and believe it is set and not try to bargain with you–which is bad for you because then you sell less stuff!
- Be willing to bargain. Speaking of negotiating, be open to it! There may be a few items you want to get a certain amount on, but if you want to sell more stuff, and therefore make more money, you should stay flexible. Just remember, $1 is more than you were going to make on it if you gave it away for free!
- Start early. Yard salers are notorious for getting out early. Be prepared to open your sale as early as 6:30 or 7am. That’s when you will get the bulk of your traffic. Also, think about running your yard sale on both Friday and Saturday morning instead of just for one day.
Check out more of my posts on getting organized:
The One Thing That Made All the Difference in My Home Productivity
How to Streamline Busy Mornings
6 Things to Do Every Day if You Don’t Do Anything Else
How to Keep House With a Cheerful Heart
(Note: This post contains affiliate links.)
Glad to see someone else is a book nerd like me. I also got this book for Christmas, (I bought it for myself) and plan to work my way thru it. Working your way thru something like this makes my efforts seem so much more rewarding. I can actually look back and see what all I’ve accomplished, kinda like a checklist. Keep us updated on the progress you make. Love hearing about other’s accomplishments!!