Thanks to Cindy Bernstein of Aim4Order for this episode of Tips from the Pros on ”beat the heat” ideas.

I regularly hear people tell me about “Snow Day” projects that are waiting for them when they’re stranded at home. Now that it’s topping 100° in the coming days, this is a GREAT time to do some in-home projects that involve letting go of accumulated ‘stuff.’ I would NOT venture into the attic right now. However, I would venture into the basement and closets and drawers throughout your home.

After speaking to a group at the Myerberg Senior Center, I found myself suddenly motivated to tackle my accumulation of stuff. I tore apart my closet and found the willingness to get rid of a lot of sweaters (it’s always easier to get rid of sweaters in the heat, I find). I rearranged my shirts, shoes and pants so that the summer items are now easier to reach. The winter items are pushed to the deeper part of my tiny closet. I don’t have the luxury of a walk in closet which has its good and bad points. 

Purging

It’s especially easy when I find things I forgot all about it. I am able to reason with myself that I will not miss it, especially if I didn’t remember having it. This happened with a couple of purses I found hiding in my closet).

This morning, I dove into my cabinets in my office. There are a lot of “OH, I MIGHT NEED THIS ONE DAY” items. I finally found the courage to recycle wads of paper with ‘valuable’ information that I can live without. Yes, I took a bunch of classes and courses over the years, but do I really need the souvenirs of stacks of information that I haven’t looked at in far too long? The answer (this time) was a resounding NO! 

There have been times in the past when I wasn’t willing to get rid of certain things. BUT – the motivation of visiting children is a wonderful incentive to getting rid of more. Among the items found this morning was a stack of photos from a trip we took with my parents and in-laws in 1992 and am delighting in showing them to my children and parents this weekend. Once I show them again tonight, I am seriously considering tossing them because I believe they are duplicates and my husband has the photo album among his stuff (which is a whole other story!). 

As promised, here is a list of “Beat the Heat” Activities for you:

1. Go through water bottles and thermal cups and let go of as many as you can. Sentimental ones can go up high or low or to a special friend or family member.
2. Go through your closet and rearrange your clothes by season. Bonus points for sorting clothes by type and color (sleeveless, short sleeve, mid sleeve, long sleeve…then jackets)
3. Go through your T-shirts and decide the ones you will never wear again and say, bye bye or turn them into a memory quilt by cutting out the logos and sewing them together. 
4. Go through your desk and home office and take your old electronics to Staples or the dump for e-cycling.
5. Start a bin for shredding and either call a shred company who will come to your house (email me if you need a referral) or take it to Staples or Fed Ex. You can also search for “Free Shredding Events Near Me.” You don’t need old statements, especially when you have online accounts.
6. Try on a few pairs of pants and get rid of the ones that don’t feel comfortable.
7. Try on a few pairs of shoes and get rid of the ones that hurt.
8. Go through your pens and donate the overflow in a large zip lock bag. Many non profits use pens at their events and would love to discover a nice bagful at a local thrift shop.
9. Dump some old cosmetics and toiletries that are past their prime, especially if they are open. Unopened items in good condition make a nice donation to shelters.
10. On the night before trash day, go through your fridge, freezer and pantry closets to toss expired items.

Give yourself time

Would I dare suggest that you do this whole list today or this weekend? NO WAY! Would I dare suggest that you take 10-15 minutes per day and work your way through your stuff gently with music in the background and plenty of water to drink? YOU BET!

Happy DeCluttering and Organizing and I promise you will feel much cooler and lighter when the first 10-15 minute spurt occurs! (And in case you don’t, consider giving us a call – we love bringing joy to our clients).

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Additionally, if you are thinking about buying or selling your home, contact Gigi today. Oh by the way, I’m never too busy for any of your referrals!