Organizing Checklist for July

Avoiding overheating becomes a concern in the hot summer months and good organizing strategies can help keep you cooler.


• Deal with clutter. Cleaning around it adds to housekeeping time and energy.

• Remove as many stored items as you can from the floor. Bags and boxes that sit on the floor or against walls for months or years can harbor mold and mildew, especially in hot, humid summer months.

• Make the most of local fresh vegetables and fruits. Process them as soon as you purchase or pick them to maximize flavor and nutrition.

• Change the filter on the a/c unit. Spring and summer pollen can accumulate quickly as doors and windows are opened more often.

• Clean around the refrigerator and other major appliances to keep them running cooler. Try not to store items around or over them that would block proper ventilation for their motors.

• Run the dryer late in the day or evening if it is located in the house. Better yet, use clothes lines if you have them for larger or heavier items.

• Schedule outside activities or workouts early in the day or after sundown. Better yet, begin an indoor routine. Malls open early for walkers.

• Begin or continue indoor hobbies during scorching temperatures: scrapbooking, reading, computer programs, sewing, etc.

• Set a goal to clean/organize one drawer a day, one closet a week, one room a month, etc. Put it on your calendar.

• Keep notes and records of vacation tips you learned from experience this year.

• Keep a happy attitude. Remember we were looking forward to July last January.

Organizing Checklist for June

School will be over for the summer; the children or grandchildren will be around and now is the time to prepare for the summer months ahead.


An avalanche of school papers may be arriving for you to handle this month. My best advice is to let the child decide which to keep. Keepsake boxes or binders can be used for these. My daughter has those special papers for the year inexpensively spiral bound by a local printing company.

This is the beginning of hurricane season. If you live in an area affected by hurricaines, high winds or rising waters, you should review the list of necessary emergency items and secure those now.

Outdoor furniture can become havens for insects. Check over each piece every time you use them.

Consider using a leaf blower to clean debris from patios, decks, porches and outdoor furniture. It is fast and effective.

Keep outdoor umbrellas closed when not in use. It will extend their usefulness and prevent damage during high winds or thunderstorms. I have personal experience with this one.

Evaluate your outdoor art and keep it to a minimum. Too much is clutter. Colorful flowers are the best accent to the outdoors.

If you are gardening throughout the summer, consider replacing gardening chemicals with safer and more environmentally friendly choices.

If you will be travelling with kids while school is out this summer, create a permanent travel kit with activities for them. If it is only used for travel, the items will appear to be almost new to them.

For your travelling convenience, create a permanent supply box or bag with items you always need. Some of these may be duplicates of items you use everyday at home.

A permanent travel checklist that you keep on your computer or in a convenient notebook is a great strategy to prevent forgetting items you always need. I keep one just for quilt retreats, my favorite travel experience!

Organizing Checklist for May

Flowers are blooming, birdsare nesting and most of the pollen is gone. Now is the time to take care of those things we put off during the winter.


Clean and organize the garage. During the winter it often becomes a temporary dumping ground for items. Plan ahead so you can make room for the car if you have not already done this. Your automobile is probably the second most expensive investment you have made so take care of it. Take advantage of shelving and hooks that will allow you to organize your items off the floor.

Make a final check of clothing to be sure the heavier items are moved so there is room for the lighter weight summer clothing to be convenient.

Have a yard sale before the weather gets too hot to stay outside all day. Now is the time to unload all the things you removed during the past few months.

Plant flowers or hang flowering baskets. I vote for perennials although many do not continue to bloom through the summer months. Since they will come back each year, it saves time and money.

Update garden accessories. Remove rusted, broken or stained plant containers, stepping stones and other garden fixtures. Add outdoor furniture and children’s outside toys to the checklist.

Change the a/c filter and have a routine inspection of all its components before the scorching days of summer arrive. Clean ceiling fan blades and give other fans an inspection.

Clean the carpets and floors. They were used and abused all winter and deserve a thorough cleaning. If piles of clutter or stacks of items are on them, consider moving the items to shelving, cabinets or tables. Floors are easier to keep clean when only furniture is on them.

 

Organizing Checklist for April

With warmer weather definitely replacing colder days, it is time to finish up all indoor activities so there will be nothing keeping us from enjoying the outdoors.
• Organize your wardrobe so spring and summer clothing is more convenient to reach and use. The back of the closet, a spare closet, attics, basements, garages or under the bed are all options for temporary storage. As you do this, check clothing for repairs or necessary cleaning. Move out all the items that are no longer useful to you. If you are unsure of moving it on, pack it in a dated, labeled container and if you need it in the next year, you will know where it is. If you don’t use it in a year, move the contents of the container to a higher use or purpose by donating or selling them.
• As you change over the clothing for children, pack the too small clothing in containers that label the sex, size and season of the items in it. It will be easy to identify for a younger sibling later on or for a family member or friend who can use them.
• Organize the foyer or coat closet in the same way as your wardrobe. Lighter jackets should replace the heavier coats. Be sure the coats are cleaned and ready for use next fall.

• Replace heavier bedding with lighter weight items. Some quilts or comforters need only to be put through the “air” cycle on the dryer to remove dust. This is a good time to organize the linen closet and move out the towels, sheets and blankets that you no longer use.
• Set the crock pot aside and get the outdoor grill ready for use. Pull out your favorite grilling recipes and your favorite grilling utensils and put them in a convenient location.

• When the heavier pollen season has ended, clean the windows so you can enjoy the beauty of the spring flowers and birds as they arrive.

Organizing Checklist for March

Spring arrives this month, at least on the calendar. For those living in 4 season zones, it may be too cold to think about outdoor activities, but when the warm weather does arrive you want to be ready.
• This is the time to get indoor tasks finished so you can enjoy the outdoors as soon as the warm weather is here. Whatever the project, do not let it drag on or remain unfinished until next winter.  You may want and wait on cleaning windows until after the spring pollen has subsided.
• Review the attic space and determine if any items can be removed to sell, donate or pass on to family or friends. The rush to clean up after the holidays is usually not a good time to purge that space but you should do it before the summer sun makes it impossible.
It is best to store items in air tight containers in order to discourage pests from getting into them. Do not store photographs, candles and some plastic items as the attic heat will ruin them
• Clean out the garage. Hopefully you have made room for probably your most expensive investment other than your children or house—the automobile. If not, consider a renovation that includes space to park it there.

Create zones for the items you store in the garage and keep as many off the floor as you can. Separate sporting equipment, gardening items, cleaning supplies, tools and other hobby equipment.
• Get your summer furniture clean and ready to use. As soon as warm weather arrives, you want to be able to enjoy it. If you do not have a covered deck or porch, cover it after cleaning in the event an early spring storm should arrive.
• This is a good time to consider the possibility of having a yard or tag sale. It is never too early to plan and prepare for one. As you clean these areas and move out winter items later on, you have the opportunity to sort and price items that would be good to sell. Any items that remain after the sale can be donated to a local charity or thrift store.
• As the the month comes to an end and days are longer and warmer, remove the heaviest clothing, bedding, etc. for summer storage. This may mean to the back of the closet, to another closet or storage area, or out of the house permanently. If they will be part of a future yard sale, store them in the area set aside for that.

Organizing Tips for February

After the holiday clean up is past, it is time to look forward to the new year.  Here are some tips for this month.

• After gathering tax related papers, store necessary papers from last year and remove all of previous years that have been updated.
• Create a filing system that is easy to use and keep updated.

• Update the home inventory. Take pictures, a video or checklist of everything in your home.

• Update the yearly budget.

• Make the most of indoor time by finishing up indoor decorating projects.

• Remove never or rarely used kitchen utensils and equipment.

• Clear the bookshelves of fiction you have already read and reference books. It is unlikely you will reread fiction and reference books become outdated quickly. Use the Internet to keep up to date on those topics.

• Cull the cookbook collection and consider online sites for new recipe ideas.

• Begin planning for early spring activities. Buy seeds, sharpen garden and lawn tools.

• Make preliminary plans for spring or summer vacations. Early reservations are usually less expensive. Insure all travel tickets.

Organizing Tips for January

A new year and decade has come with lots of challenges.  You probably have lots of ideas and goals swimming around in your head.  Here are some tips to get them organized.

• Take time to write down the things you would like to do this year and then break those down by months.  You have a better chance of them getting done that way.
• After the holiday clean up, you will probably find lots of things that were misplaced in the busyness of the holidays.  Take time to put those items back where they belong.
• Get rid of all the trash and recycle items that accumulated during the holidays.  Remove the catalogues and sales flyers that were in abundance.
• Pick out a calendar, planner or time organizational tool that you like and commit to using it.
• Make paper management a top priority this month.  Clean out your files, prepare your papers for tax filing time, set up an incoming paper sorting system and update your reference files.  This could take the entire month if done properly.
• Learn to use the slow cooker if you haven't already.  It will cook your food while you get the other items done.
• Update the chore chart so that everyone in the house takes part in its management.
• Pick an indoor maintenance or decorating project.  Do it while the weather prohibits outdoor activities.
• Try one new recipe each week to prevent the Winter blues.
• Clean, add or replace light bulbs to make the shortened days seem longer and the evenings brighter.
• Invest in yourself by taking a class, reading a book or learning a new skill.

There are chapters devoted to paper management and organizing time in my book.  If you need more ideas or detailed information on how to get started with simple and easy strategies, you can order it from Amazon.com or my website through PayPal.  I would be happy to answer any questions, and read your ideas or comments.