Every January, thousands of us promise ourselves this will be the year we get our homes(and lives)organized. January has even been designated as National Get Organized Month! The question is, how many of us actually succeed? Let’s face it, getting organized can be frustrating, time consuming, and difficult to commit to.
On the other hand, GFWC-WV Williamson Woman’s Club First Vice President Alisha Toler, is an organization fanatic. She says, “Organizing is my passion! I love to organize, and I always have-- since I was little. I loved to organize my Barbie’s clothes, shoes, purses, and those little plastic hairbrushes.” She’s even considered making a job of it. “If I could make a living organizing people’s stuff, I would in a heartbeat.” While Alisha isn’t currently in the business of tidying other people’s messes, she has plenty of handy tips for those of us who are a little less than passionate about organization.
Start With Decluttering
“My number one tip would be to declutter duplicates and things you don’t use anymore,” she says. If you’re worried about if you will need it later, think about whether it’ll be easy to replace or not. If the item can’t be replaced for cheap, or it’s hard to repurchase, you might want to hold on to it! Otherwise, feel free to donate it or pass it on to someone who needs it more than you.
After going through your things, she recommends taking an inventory of what you have left and how you’ll organize it. Alisha says, “After decluttering, I look at what I have to organize and determine what kind of container would work best for the item. I am all about using containers to corral items like items.”
Trying to organize the kids rooms? Don’t worry, Alisha has tips for that, too. “Kids’ toys are my favorite things to organize. They are so colorful and fun to look at.” She recommends buying large clear plastic containers, and sorting your toys by categories, like games, play sets, and plush toys. “I’d put at least one item from each category in every rotation bin and bring out a new bin of old toys every so often. Some might stay out two weeks, some three, or a month. It’s like they have new toys again.”
Focus On Function
Alisha says it’s important to remember your organization system needs to suit your needs. “Part of organizing is making it easy for people to maintain and use. All organizing systems aren’t going to be Pinterest-worthy. They might not look beautiful, but they work and make things easy to find and put away.”
Remember, organizing your home doesn't have to be an expensive project. “You can organize on a budget using Dollar Tree bins and baskets. You can also use a sturdy box. Add a pillowcase inside the box, or cover it with contact paper to make it pretty and match your decor, if you want,” Alisha says.
We hope that these tips help you have a productive National Get Organized Month!
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