The turning of the calendar solicits a lot of different responses in people. For some it means a new diet or work out regiment; don’t worry that’s not what this post is about. It’s also not what I personally do. It might be the New Year, but it’s the same old me. Personally, I get the urge to clean out and purge. Nothing is more satisfying than getting rid of a bunch of stuff we don't need; it makes everything just feel lighter (pun intended). I’m going to cover some of my favorite organizational hacks, systems in my house, plus places to dispose of your unwanted items. I have gotten asked a lot to cover some of my best mom hacks and how I keep my house neat with 4 kids. This blog post covers all of that and more.
You can shop all the products I use to organize my home, HERE!
KITCHEN
My pantry is the single most used cabinet in the house. I’ve shared my pantry organization before and the system really works for families with young (and hungry) kids. I have bins for different categories. For example, I have a baking bin that holds all my baking supplies. Another bin for dinner items. And being an Italian household I have a bin for pasta and tomatoes to make sauce. But the key part to my pantry is the snack bins. They are at eye level for my kids to grab. They also are the bins that turn over the fastest. They are at a low height so my kids can be self sufficient but also so I can see what needs replenishing. Lastly, our very sweet treats are very high up. Out of sight out of mind, right? Well that works for both the kids and I.
New Years Purge - I go through the bins and get rid of any expired dry goods. I also go through our sweets bin and do a massive purge. After the holidays I don’t see a need to hold onto so many sweets.
Where to get rid of it - If there are items that are unopened or still within their expiration date, I donate to a local food pantry. If they are opened or expired you will need to dispose of those. Or as my mom used to do, feed the wildlife.
MUDROOM:
Our mudroom is right off the kitchen and is a huge landing spot for all the kids things. One of my biggest accomplishments as a mom is the routine I set with my kids and my expectations around what they do with their stuff. After school chaos is enough to send me over the edge as their backpacks and lunch packs explode onto the counter. I have setup my mudroom to have a large basket for each of my kids to put their backpacks and coats in. Its a simple system that doesn’t require a lot of effort on my kids part and for me it contains the mess and lowers my after school anxiety. They come in, unload their backpack and shove everything in the bin; mess contained.
New Years Purge - I empty all the bins to clean out any scraps of paper and rogue papers. I also clean out spare jackets that may be hidden in there and are no longer in season. Also, it’s gloves and hats season which means there are always lonely gloves lurking. I go through matching up everything and purging the solo gloves.
Where to get rid of it - If you find yourself with jackets that no longer fit your family you can donate to local ambulance companies or churches. In addition some animal shelters may take warm items to line the crates (most take old blankets sheets and towels).
CLOSETS:
Our closets need to have a strong organizational system, for my sanity. I need my kids to be self sufficient as well as everything have it’s own place. Laundry included. With the boys sharing a space, they each have designated spots for their stuff. This prevents sizes from getting mixed up and the boys can easily get themselves ready without much assistance. Also, it may feel like an extra step but I organize our closets by color. This helps the little ones figure out what matches and it makes it easier to find that blouse you want to wear. It may seem like a big undertaking initially but maintaining it is very very simple.
New Years Purge-New stuff means more space and in this house one item in means you have to take one item out. Since we have children of varying ages, almost everyone gets a hand me down. So if the clothing is in good condition it goes into size bins in the attic. But if I’m cleaning out my closet or the item isn’t going to be reused I remove it from my house.
Where to get rid of it- Landfills are full of articles of clothing and the unnatural materials don’t break down. I keep that in the forefront of my mind and I don’t throw out any clothing. I use ThredUp as a way to responsibly purge my closet. You do get paid for items that you dispose of however don’t expect to get rich doing this. The payouts are very low. For items they don't take to resell they will dispose of responsibly, for me this is a win/win! For items I want to make some money on I sell on Poshmark, EBay or the Facebook Marketplace.
BASEMENT
I am a lover of bins. I love that they hide all the crap. But also easily accessible for my kids. I’ve organized the basement in a way that my kids can easily clean up their mess but also find their toys. Each bin is a different theme; dinosaurs, trucks, nerf, dress up etc… I love IKEAs systems since they are functional, inexpensive and look nice. The bins make it easy to rotate toys keeping things fresh and exciting.
New Years Purge - the bins make it easy to tackle clean outs without overwhelming yourself. I go bin by bin l and purge as necessary. Pro tip: if you’re purging save the money toys in a black garbage bag. If the kids don’t ask for the toys in that bag for 2 weeks then you’re probably safe to dispose of it.
Where to dispose of it- I love the Veterans pickups. It makes it very easy to schedule a pick up and I don’t have to cart the stuff to locations. For stuff I’m looking to make some money on I prefer eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
BATHROOMS:
Fortunately, my kids aren’t old enough to need their own beauty supplies so the kids bathroom and powder room are pretty empty under their sinks. I do have bins and drawer organizers that keep the items contained. My most favorite hack is the storage bin for bath toys in the kids room. It’s pretty to look at and highly functional. It acts as storage, a seat and a stool. I also love that it doesn’t scratch my vanity and is easy to clean.
New Years Purge - My bathroom sink is a different story, it is a graveyard for all the products I tried and didn't use or didn't like. I go through the cabinets and purge products I don’t use.
Where to purge it - If it’s open you can only throw it out. But, unopened items can be donated. Did you know Women’s sanitary items can’t be purchased with food stamps? Crazy and so wrong! So if you have these items that are unopened, please donate them. Also if you ever see them on sale it’s good to grab these products and drop them off at your local food pantry or shelter.
One final reason that I love organized systems housed in bins, is if we ever move again. These systems make packing and unpacking super easy. If you’ve ever had to pack a house (with kids or not), you know it’s an immensely daunting task in every direction. If you stay on top of the clutter, plus if the stuff is already stored in bins, you can easily pack those in moving boxes. Think about how easy it would be to open up those boxes and just unload already organized storage bins. If you’re considering moving or are planning on going cross country I suggest checking out Muscle Movers LLC Las Vegas. They are experts in long distance moves and will take the guess work out of such a big life experience. If you’re starting your move from Nevada or plan on moving there, check out Las Vegas long distance movers.
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