P.O. Box 632 Findlay, Ohio 45839 Phone: 419-420-9327

Jodi Miller,
Out with the Old, In with the New
By Jodi Miller
Dec 31, 2007, 11:05

What better time to get organized than at the beginning of the New Year?  Now that your family has finished opening their new presents, it's a great time to make sure there is room in your house for all of those new toys, clothes, electronics, games, etc.

     - Divide and conquer:  Don't try to organize and de-clutter the entire house at once.  Do only one area/room a day.  You also don't need to do it every day in a row.  If you need to, give yourself a day off in between to reward your hard work.

     - Teamwork: Every member of the family needs to pitch in with the massive task of organizing.  With everyone helping, the job will also get finished in no time at all.

     - Simplify:  Do you really need 45 really short pencils or 15 pairs of white socks that have holes in them?  Try to clear out anything that is not truly needed, worn-out, or of course broken.
 
     - Great Rule to Live By:  For every new Christmas item, you need to get rid of something to make room for the new belonging.  You can make a bag of the unwanted items and donate it.  This will help you to appreciate your new things, make room for them, and help someone else in the process.

     - Make sure to try on all clothing items.  You might think that you still fit in your apparel only to find out that a sweater is too tight or a pair of pants no longer can be zipped up.  Don't forget to try on shoes and get rid of those pesky socks that no longer have a partner.

     - Have children open all board games, cards, and puzzles to make sure all pieces are accounted for.  If there are too many critical pieces missing, it is time to part with the game.

     - Sort through all of the gloves and mittens to make sure they all have matching pairs.  Also, check for any holes or tears and discard any that are beyond repair.

     - Make Organization a Habit:  Once your home is finally organized, make every effort to keep it that way.  Discuss as a family that once you are finished with an item, put the item away where it belongs.  Explain that this will ensure that the item will not become lost and will help it stay in good condition instead of accidentally being stepped on or broken.

By organizing your home, it will create less stress in the lives of your family.  With our busy schedules, I think we can all agree that we could all welcome a little less stress.  Organization will also save you time.  Minutes will be saved by not having to constantly search for needed items.  When everything you own has a "permanent home," time is no longer wasted for family scavenger hunts to locate the desired object.  Lastly, there will hopefully be fewer arguments among family members.  The phrase, "Have you seen my ___________ (fill in the blank)?"  will be a thing of the past.