​So how do you manage items you need to store? 

Yes, free boxes are appealing but are not good for long-term storage.  Preserve your memories—do not destroy them. You can’t imagine what I have seen being done to family heirlooms.  Think rodent destruction, standing water, and moisture from damp basements. 

My husband and I learned the hard way when a three-generation photo was destroyed by leaving it in the frame too long. The picture stuck to the glass, and we had to pay to get this photo restored. Things like this can be avoided by removing these pictures from frames and storing in proper photo boxes.  If these frames are no longer needed, just donate them.

Plastic storage is for long-term memories, pictures, family heirlooms, seasonal décor, and extra party supplies. Cardboard boxes allow dust and sometimes critters to get into these them. Make sure you label each container so it’s easily identified. 

Mapping out basement space

A room can have multiple purposes, especially the basement.  My basement has a TV section, which includes my son’s Xbox. Another part of the basement is an area for my daughter’s make-believe classroom where she can teach her dolls.  We store games and puzzles on the other side of the room. Another section in the basement is used for darts and other in-the-house games. 

The important part of having multiple functions in a space is to stick with the sections and not junk up the area with unnecessary things. If you have a workout area, keep workout equipment in an organized space.  Do you have a lot of weights, and do you have a weight stand? If the answer is NO, then use an empty bookshelf or shoe container. You can use a canvas bin or empty plastic tub for all the other loose equipment.  

What about a toy area? Don’t let the toys creep into the other sections of the basement.  Rotate toys to allow the new and exciting feeling to come out every three to six months. Create toy organizing systems like the child’s school for simple following through with clean up.  Have toy storage that works for the type of toys that your child plays with. Remember, if there is an overabundance of toys, the child will feel overwhelmed and not play with all the toys.​

Hello!

Are you ready for a five-minute challenge that could transform your home?
Yep, you read that correctly. In just five minutes, you can take one huge step in decluttering your home. Wanna know the best part? You can get the kids involved too!

You should be able to enjoy the items in your home without feeling bogged down by the clutter. And in five minutes you can create habits that will tidy your space and ease your mind!

Your home should be your sanctuary, a safe space where you can relax and get away from it all. But if you live in a space with no order, it can be difficult to actually unwind, even when you’re within the walls of your own home.

You should be able to enjoy the items in your home without feeling tense when you spot clutter. It’s about time to make space for the things you love!

Quickly glance at the surface areas in your home. Are there items that you like but don’t love? Do you have a beautiful picture of your family with no place to put it? Are all your surface areas covered with things?

Congratulations, you just conquered phase one of decluttering!
Now it’s time to put on some music, grab a box or a bag, and set your timer for five minutes.

Pick a room, look at the surfaces, and ask yourself this: 

• Do I use these items?
• Does this item work?
• Do I love this item?

If you answered no, it’s time to donate these items and let them go to someone who will make better use of them!

It’s not always easy to comb through your belongings, but when you have a common goal in mind, it makes it a lot simpler.

If you have a gift from someone you love, take a picture of the item and cherish the memory, not the item! Before you buy more ‘stuff,’ ask yourself, "will I use this?” And before you buy multiples of something, consider if you have a place to store them? Can you maintain them, and do you really need two?

The key to success is finding a home for the items that you love!

​- Schedule 5-10 organizing days on your calendar.

- Have an accountability partner.

- Work when you have the most energy.

- Don’t tackle the whole space. Tackle one pile or shelf at a time.
​

Having a tween or teenager can be very stressful on many levels. This is especially the case when trying to keep them (and you) organized at home. What was once toys taking over all the space is now electronics and sporting equipment. What can you do to keep your house under control while raising tweens and teens?

Strategies to Use With Your Teen

I asked my sister, mother of two teens, for advice. She had two valuable insights:  

1.  Have open communication with your child about their clutter.
2.  Have a home for everything and minimize whenever you get the opportunity.

Open Communication

My son, now almost a teenager, is used to the regular decluttering sessions we do in his room, which includes the open communication of what works and what doesn’t. One struggle we deal relates to the laundry. He forgets to put away the clean clothes in the wash basket and then dirty clothes get thrown on top, making extra work for us.  Many times, this results in him having no clean clothes to wear to school. 

I don’t want to be overly involved in putting his clothes away, so I’ve learned to not worry about how he puts the clean clothes in his drawers. If he can’t find something, it’s on him. He is now realizing it’s better to roll the clothes so they fit better in the drawers. Finally, if he doesn’t put the clothes away when I ask him, then he loses his phone.  

Speaking of losing his phone, this consequence also occurs for other organizing matters. You would think that the home for his school bag and sporting equipment is right by the front door—but there is actually a place where he is supposed to put it. Instead, he comes home and just drops everything in front of the door. We’ve told him that we’ll only remind him once about putting them in the proper place. If he doesn’t do it, he loses his phone. This has worked for us most of the time, and he now has started to put these things in their proper place.

Proper storage solutionsIt sounds crazy, but more storage is key! You would think little kids need more storage and less when they get older, but that’s not the case. Older kids have books, slime, arts and crafts, electronics, make-up, hair products, and tons of clothes, shoes, hats, and purses that all need homes.

Think through what your tween or teen needs to keep their stuff organized and come up with systems that can keep your home tidy and clutter-free.

Why Is This Important?

Organizing is important to teach teens:

• Life skills
• A sense of respect to personal property
• Personal hygiene

10 Tips for Keeping Your Teen or Tween Organized

1. Talk to your tweens and teenagers and LISTEN to what they want and what doesn’t work for them.
2. Respect their things. Even if you don’t think it’s necessary to keep some things, they might have a different reason for keeping them. If they have a space for it, let it be.
3. Have a declutter session with your teen. Have them go through their things with you and throw away anything they say they no longer need or want.  Don’t give them the opportunity to change their mind. Have the trash bag handy, and as soon as you are finished, put the trash outside in trash cans. Put any clothes that they outgrew or that are no longer in style in a trash bag for donations. If there are any memories that they want to keep put them in a separate bin and properly mark them as memories.
4. Think vertical storage. This idea can free up space in a teen’s bedroom.
5. Use bins when possible. Bins can keep memories safe and can keep out-of-season clothes clean and neat.​
6. Label everything that you can.
7. Utilize a wall calendar to keep your teen’s schedule and due dates. Create reminder alerts in their cell phone calendar. Teach them to be prepared for the day. Create habits of packing school bags the night before. Have a designated place to do homework, where all the supplies are handy. Consider a floating desk in their bedroom.
8. Set boundaries for technology and have them turn it off when it will be distracting.
9. Set a good example with your own organizing skills and technology use.
10. Have a no food or drink rule in bedrooms to avoid unwanted messes. 

What is your word for 2020
​
My word for the year is Growth
I am welcoming 2020 with open mind

I want to help more people, teach others, provide more resources and to have my blog reach many more people who struggle with clutter

Growth is not only for my business but for me personally!  One can never stop learning and growing especially when you have a soon to be teenager!

What is your word? My Goal for you in 2020 is Simplify

Start Simplifying 

No more resolutions:

• Set realistic and timely Goals
• Walk through the house make a list of what needs to be repaired painted moved are decorated. Prioritize the list and set a time frame.
• Don’t try To change too much at once. set one goal for the month

Start good habits

• its lack of sleep is a problem set a new bed time and wake up time create a sleep Journal
• commit to going through mail at least once a week using the one touch system throwing out junk mail and prioritizing the other pieces of mail
• put your merge and see paperwork important documents in a fire safe box
• at your computer up for automated remote backup

 
Start the year fresh

• put a charity box or bag on each floor your house drop unwanted items in the bag or box and once it's full drop off at donation center or arrange a pick up
• the magazine rack should get purged now and if you haven't read it by now you're not going to decide which subscriptions need to be cancelled
• winter is a great time to clean out the pantry and freezer by only the staple goods like milk eggs and bread for a few weeks in use up the other items

Hope this is a year where you accomplish all the goals that you genuinely care about. And if not, I hope you have the tools to step back and adjust accordingly!
​
Don't Struggle we can help you out