New Year, New Projects
I don’t make New Years’ resolutions but instead, I tackle small projects in January. Last
year, I reorganized Christmas decorations into consolidated bins with detailed
labeling—making this year SO much easier.
This January, I decided to tackle my closets. My motivation was that I had just finished
a 10-month home construction project that was blocking the storage of all my kitchen
linens, dishes, and housewares. I could only dig out things as I needed them and
couldn’t re-store, resulting in frustrating piles everywhere in the mud room.
First, I measured and purchased organizers on Amazon, always choosing ones that
maximized my storage. I also created labels, either with a label maker or printed them.
As new organizers arrived and labels piled up, my motivation was furthered.
After completing the mud room, I decided to tackle the dreaded guest room closet. I
began by emptying it entirely, enabling me to see what I needed: storage for suitcases,
blankets, pillows, and some garments. I had also collected clothing to donate here too.
I discovered that, regardless of what you organize, the key is to easily see what’s
stored. Whether that’s folding t-shirts in a basket so you can see each one, or placing
like items together, the same principle applies and is particularly true for clothing. If you
can’t see it, you don’t know what you have, so how are you going to wear it?
My motivation led me to do almost every closet in my house—ridiculous sounding, I
know! Now I wonder what I will do on my snow bound days, given I live on a mountain
top…
Tammy’s Truism: If you love a specific type of organizer, figure out where else you can use it, since you already gravitate towards it. Clear containers and good lighting are key.
