Organize Your Home for Summer
The summer months are filled with activities, outings, and all around fun.However, sometimes we spend more time preparing for these activities than actually enjoying them. Simplify your summer routine by making the time to de-clutter and organize your home before summer begins. As a result, you will find things when you need them, you will spend less time prepping, and you will enjoy more time with family and friends. Here are 6 organizing tips that will give your home a jumpstart into summer.
Clean out the closets
This is the perfect time to clean out winter wear to make space for summer clothes. Sort through clothing, shoes, and accessories and only keep what you truly need, use, and love. Use plastic containers to store cold weather items like heavy jackets, coats, sweaters, and scarves. The rule for any closet is to place items used regularly at eye level and in the front of the closet. Seasonal items and less frequently used items can be placed on top shelves and in the back of the closet.
Organize the craft corner
Have craft materials ready to go in a snap. Clean out craft supplies and recycle or discard any items that are no longer used. Keep all craft supplies in one area of your home and use labeled containers to hold items. Baby jars, unused paint cans (found at paint stores), and plastic containers are inexpensive options for keeping supplies organized. You can store items in containers by type (beads, stickers, markers) or by project.
Prep the pantry and organize your refrigerator
With the kids on summer break, snack time needs to be quick and easy. Start by sorting through your food items and toss out all food that has expired or is no longer fresh. For the pantry, use labeled baskets or clear containers to keep snacks in one place so they are easily accessible. For the refrigerator, use refrigerator bins to keep food organized. Keep like with like, veggies together, meat together, sandwich items together, etc.
Clean out the linen closet
Use space bags or plastic containers to store heavy blankets and flannel sheets. This will open up space for summer items like picnic blankets and beach towels. You can use the same rule mentioned above, place items used regularly at eye level and in the front. Seasonal items and less frequently used items can be placed on top shelves and in the back.
Create summer go-bags
Having everything you need for a particular activity pre-packed and ready to go can save you hours of prep time. Grab a few tote bags and assign a purpose to each one, then fill them with everything you need for that particular purpose. A few ideas to help you get started; you can create a beach bag, a park/picnic bag, a day trip bag, and a going to a theme park bag. The possibilities are endless. Place your go-bags in a space that is convenient and makes it easy to grab as you are running out the door.
Organize your summer schedule
It’s not too early to think about summer activities. Keep information for camps, activities, registration forms, vacation ideas, and trip confirmations in one place. As information comes in, place it in a file folder or an accordion file labeled “summer”. You can go a step further by adding calendar pages for June, July, and August to keep a visual of scheduled family activities and vacations.
Diana Carlos is a professional organizer and owner of Uniquely Enhanced Spaces. She helps busy families organize their homes and home-based business owners create organized workspaces.
For more information or for a free phone consultation, contact Diana Carlos at (562) 833-4577 or diana@uniquelyenhancedspaces.com. Visit her website at uniquelyenhancedspaces.com
