As the country starts hunkering down and limiting social outings during the novel COVID-19 pandemic, you may find yourself wondering what to do with the extra time you have at home. These DIY Home Organizing tasks will help you funnel your coronavirus angst into productive & creative outlets around your home without having to spend a penny.
Rehab Your Junk Drawer
For an immediate gratification boost, start with the junk drawer. Discard trash, old receipts, expired coupons, business cards, extra pens, pencils, random screws, rubber bands, shopping lists, etc.; relocate any items that shouldn’t be there to their proper homes. Use this time to rethink how you are using this space before deciding what you want to put back in.
Junk Drawer to Drop Zone
We turned our “junk drawer” into my husband’s daily “drop zone”. He keeps his keys, wallet & sunglasses there along with a few other misc. items like pens, sticky notes and receipts we may need.
2. ORganize Family Photos
What better way to spend a few hours (or days) than by reliving fond memories with loved ones? You may be practicing social distancing, but you can engage with friends through texts and social media when you post those unearthed gems from your childhood (Why, hello there 1995. I blocked out that fashion era altogether!)
Tips for Organizing Photos
1. Discard duplicates, out of focus images and photos of people/places/events you don’t recognize
2. Discard photo sleeves and negatives (it’s okay, really)
3. Consider grouping by life phases or categories (childhood, high school, family gatherings, holidays) rather than chronologically
4. Create a “Best of” pile to put in an album, photo book or display
3. Swap Out Your Seasonal Clothing
Spring is right around the corner, so let’s swap out your Fall & Winter clothes and set your sights on the brighter days ahead.
For more tips & tricks read my previous post: “The Case for the Seasonal Swap”
4. Sort Your Holiday Decorations
If you need a little something to cheer you up, pull out your holiday decorations, sort them into categories (Fall, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc.) and discard anything that is broken, missing pieces, falling apart or no longer brings you joy. Neatly pack the items you decide keep and label the bins.
Storing Holiday Decorations
Tip: If you are trying to minimize decorations, determine how much space you are willing to devote to each holiday (one bin, two shelves in the garage, etc.), pare down until the amount meets your space parameters
5. Create Your own “Power Spot”
A “power spot” is an area of the home that inspires you and reminds you of your core values. It could be a favorite chair with a book of your favorite poems nearby or a shelf with your favorite photos, quotes or figurines. This is where you go when you need to calm your mind and reconnect with yourself.
Personal Power Spot
My “power spot” is in my office & it includes my KonMari Consultant Certification Course badge, a quote I love and a picture of my dad and his best friend working on a home remodel, reminding me daily to work hard & be resilient.
6. Organize Your Hobby/Craft Supplies
These storage areas of the home can quickly become difficult to manage. Purging any supplies you never use or that have expired (paints, markers, etc.) will free up space for the items you do use.
Hobbies & Crafts
Visibility and accessibility are key for hobby/craft supplies: the easier it is to find what you need for a project, the more likely you will be to spend time doing it.
7. Complete a Creative Project
Put those newly organized supplies to use by completing unfinished projects or beginning one you have been putting on the back burner. Focusing your energy on a creative task will give your brain a break from compulsively checking COVID-19 updates on your phone or television.
8. Get Caught Up on Paper Filing
Okay, so this one may not be joy-sparking at first, BUT you will feel a sense of pride when you finish filing and shredding that last piece of paper.
Paper Filing
For a major paper filing operation, use the floor or a large table to sort each piece of paper into categories. Be sure to have a “shred” and a “recycle” category for papers you no longer need.
9. Check off Your Reading list
For book lovers especially, you likely have piles of books stashed all over the house. Now is the time to gather, assess and get those piles off the floor. Create a special area for books you have been wanting to read & start enjoying them.
Hit the Books
Reading is a healthy way to break away from reality for a bit and get lost in another world, dive deeper into a topic of interest or learn a new skill. .
Discard books you 1) already read and do not want to read again or 2) you started and did not like (spend that time reading something you do like instead!).
10. Reorganize the pantry
If it’s been awhile since you have seen the back of your pantry, go ahead and pull everything out. Check expiration dates. Take inventory of what you have. Search online or browse through your cookbooks to find recipes using what you already have “in stock”. When you are ready to put everything back remember that just like with all organizing tasks: visibility and accessibility are key.
Pantry Zones
Creating zones in your pantry can make finding what you need easier. Pictured here are zones for coffee & tea, cooking oils, dry goods, & “on-the-go” items
This list should give you plenty of tidying tasks to redirect some of that cooped up or unsettled energy you may be feeling. If you decide to tackle one of these projects, be sure to email or tag @seasidestyling on social media with before and after photos— I love to see the transformations clients and readers make in their homes!
Most importantly, be safe. Be cautious. Be kind to one another.
Until next time,
