Hello Everyone, Angie from Architecturally Organized here!
Spring has sprung and I love it!!! We already talked about spring cleaning… and we discussed cleaning out your garage…. What’s another thing that comes with Spring… Earth Day!
Earth Day is Friday April 22nd and was founded over 50 years ago!
I remember grade school – on Earth day our school would take a long walk to a park for a picnic. Before the walk took place we would each be handed garbage bags and gloves and along this walk we would all pick up as much trash as we could.
We would toss all our garbage and then go run and play on the monkey bars – as a kid – it made for an AWESOME day!!! And – on top of all that – we would usually be in some poster contest where we would color and make a poster with the famous words “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”.
It really is a simple phrase isn’t it?? And, it is just as simple to say them – as it is to follow them!
How does this phrase coincide with being organized? I am glad you asked…
Reduce
When we talk about Reducing – we are talking about reducing the trash we create. Reducing our footprint…. How do we do that? One way we achieve this is by not buying things that we don’t need/already have. So where does organizing come in??
Think about it…..When you are organized-everything has a home. And when everything has a home-this allows you to keep a better inventory of your items and you will know what you have on hand and won’t end up buying more than you need or multiples of items.
And-to take it a step further, you can always Borrow, Rent or Buy used instead!!
Reuse
Reusing items is the next “R”. It is exactly that – Reusing things you have..
There are a lot of ways to reuse items, be it repurposing or repairing. What do I mean? Let me tell you!
Repurposing an item, which is using an item for a completely different purpose than it was initially intended. Reuse an old ratty t-shirt for a dusting rag. Reuse a lazy susan for your makeup, Reuse shoe boxes for Receipts, Organizing cords, crayons – the uses are endless! Honestly-you can go on to pinterest and find a million ways to reuse a toilet paper roll!!
Before throwing out an item try repairing it before buying a new one!
Recycle
We all know we should recycle – but we definitely don’t all follow along. Find out how your town handles recycling and set up a system that makes recycling become second nature.
When we hear the words “recycle” what do we think of?? Paper…Cardboard boxes… Glass jars?? But there is more to it than just that. The definition is to “convert waste into reusable material” and “to use again”…. By donating your clothes – you are recycling them. You are giving them another chance at life – I know that sounds super cheesy – but it is true! When you have a garage sale, donate to a charity, list something for “curb pickup” on facebook groups – this is a form of recycling
Before you decide to just throw out an item-think about recycling it and allowing someone else to make use of it!
There are many ways to follow the 3 R’s. Some other websites to look into for selling and donating are:
Facebook marketplace
Craigslist
Nextdoor
Goodwill
Consignment Shops
Salvation Army
Local area Church
Bestbuy
So there you have it…Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!! What do you do to follow those R’s? What have you repurposed that has made your life easier?
As the Quote says… Let’s make Earth Day – Everyday! Till Next time!!
Hello Everyone, Angie from Architecturally Organized here!
Well… March isn’t exactly going “out like a lamb” as these last few days have been frigid!! I do look forward to the April showers and all the May flowers!!
That being said – Now that the weather should be warming up – it is time to tackle your garage!! April is the Official Month for Organizing your Garage!! Yes -they really do have a designated day and month for everything!! But really-it does make sense… Think about it-there is usually still a little chill in the air (so you won’t be working out in the hot summer sun) -and possible showers- you are still outside but you are sheltered… April is the best month to do it!
So let’s do it? Where to begin?? Take a look around you. What is your garage filled with?
Is it already neat and tidy with your car parked in it and ample room to maneuver around your car? Totes or boxes neatly stacked? If so – good for you!! If not-well, that is where I come in!
Start by Separating
Start going through the items in your garage and separating them into piles. This is where the fun starts!! You will have a few piles- Keep, Toss, and Donate. However, the Keep pile will not just be one pile-while we are separating our items-we are also going to separate our items to keep.
You will break down your keep pile into different groups. What is your garage stored with? Camping/fishing items? Sports items? Tools? Gardening Tools? Leftover Pantry items? Pool supplies? The categories are endless-it all depends on what you keep in your garage (remember-every person and project is different!!).
Purge it all out
You made your piles… now what?? Now it is time to get rid of the items that you no longer need, use, and/or want. Now you can get all your garbage bags tied up, and your donation boxes itemized and set aside. Take a peek at your garage.. Does it feel more open? Do you have more space?? Unless you kept everything you went through – I bet you do!!
Now we get down to the real business.
Organizing all your stuff!!
How many keep piles do you have? Can some of them overlap or work together? How much storage space do you have in your garage? We are going to create work/storage zones within your garage. Take a minute and go grab a sketch pad-I’ll wait! We are going to lay out your garage zones….. it will make this a little easier-especially if you are a visual person! (I suggest grid paper if you have it-it will help you put a scale to your drawing)
Ask yourself these questions regarding your items and your garage:
Once you have answered these questions it will help you layout your garage zones. You may have a workshop/bench area, a storage area, holiday decorations area…and that’s just to name a few.
By identifying the items you use the most vs the least – it will help you decide where to store them, obviously things that you use the most and need the easiest access to will be stored in an area that you can easily get to – while items that only get used 1 or 2 times a year can be stored on a top shelf or in another area that is out of the way.
See how this works?? Things you need/use the most will be in areas that are in your viewing and reaching space… and the less and less an item is used – the more out of reach it is in the storage.
By laying out the zones on a notepad – you can get an idea of how much stuff will be stored and where. Now if you are using that graph paper – you can use one square to equal 6” – and you can guesstimate the sizes of totes, boxes, bikes, etc to allow you to sketch out a layout and really understand the amount of items you have as well as the amount of space you have-which will help you to decide if you need additional storage totes, shelves, etc.
Put it all back
Once you have an understanding of how you are going to organize everything you can start putting everything back in their new homes!! Get creative here!! Re-use your storage totes and shelving systems. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box……Peg boards aren’t specifically made for tools – you can use them to hang up other items you have laying around, Go vertical with your storage totes, Magnets are your friends, hang bikes on the ceiling instead of the wall.. A few ideas to think about!!
Have fun- and do what works best for you!
Hope this was helpful for you all and that it gives you the encouragement you need to tackle your own garage!! Until next time!
Hello Everyone, Angie from Architecturally Organized here!
In like a lion…out like a Lamb.. we’ll see!! It is the middle of March….The clocks have changed… and in just a few more days Spring will officially be here!
With Spring… comes Spring Cleaning!! Now I know that is not the same as “Organizing”… but the two really do go hand in hand with one another. Whether you are organizing or cleaning – start one room at a time… one task at a time… and don’t let it overwhelm you!
Now when it comes to cleaning there are a few different ways that you can attack it…. Start by room or by task….You could pick the Kitchen and just do all the cleaning for that room at one time, or you could choose the task – say Dusting. Go through the house and do all the dusting at one time.
Below is a room by room list of Spring Cleaning items to tackle!! Now open up those windows – let the cool breeze in and help air out your house… and don’t forget to have fun!!
Entry (Including hallways)
Dusting: wipe down crown molding, window trim, cabinet trim, wipe down cabinets, cabinet doors, and cabinet hardware, and base trim.
Glass-Clean all windows, Doors and Glass Cabinets.
Linens-Wash linens (Curtains, etc)
Surfaces-Wipe down all surfaces (Walls, Wall Switches, Countertops, etc.).
Floors-Sweep/vacuum and mop floor.
Kitchen
Dusting: wipe down crown molding, window trim, cabinet trim, wipe down cabinets, cabinet doors, and cabinet hardware, and base trim.
Glass-Clean all windows, Doors and Glass Cabinets.
Linens-Wash linens (Towels, wash cloths, curtains, etc)
Appliances-Clean all Appliances (Microwave, Dishwasher, Stove/Oven, Refrigerator).
Surfaces-Wipe down all surfaces (Walls, Wall Switches, Countertops, etc.).
Floors-Sweep/vacuum and mop floor.
Toss out any old or expired food items in cabinets and fridge/freezer
Living Spaces (Dining Room, Living Room, Family Room, Den, etc)
Dusting: wipe down crown molding, window trim, cabinet trim, wipe down cabinets, cabinet doors, and cabinet hardware and Base trim.
Glass-Clean all windows, Doors and Glass Cabinets.
Soft Surfaces-Vacuum Seating arrangements and rugs
Linens-Wash Linens (blankets, throws, Curtains, etc)
Surfaces-Wipe down all surfaces (Walls, Wall Switches, etc.).
Floors-Sweep/vacuum and mop flooring.
Bathroom
Dusting: wipe down crown molding, Grab bars, towel bars, cabinet trim, wipe down cabinets, cabinet doors, and cabinet hardware, and base trim, etc.
Glass-Clean all Mirrors, windows, Doors and Glass Cabinets.
Accessories-Clean toilet, sink, tub, etc.
Linens-Wash linens (Towels, wash cloths, shower curtain, curtains, etc)
Surfaces-Wipe down all surfaces (Walls, Wall Switches, Countertops, etc.).
Floors-Sweep/vacuum and mop floor.
Bedrooms
Dusting: wipe down crown molding, window trim, Base trim.
Glass-Clean all windows, mirrors, glass doors, etc.
Soft Surfaces-Vacuum Seating arrangements and rugs
Linens-Wash Linens (blankets, throws, Curtains, etc)
Clothes-Tidy up closets and drawers (fold/hang clothes, etc)
Surfaces-Wipe down all surfaces (Walls, Wall Switches, etc.).
Floors-Sweep/vacuum/mop flooring.
Keep in mind – this is a very broad list… It will get your house spick and span… but if you want to go a little deeper…try adding these items to your spring cleaning list:
Entry (Including hallways)
If you have an Entry Closet – go through it, empty it out and sort the items.
Apply specialty products to your flooring (if you have hard wood-polish, if you have porcelain or tile-check your grout, etc.)
Kitchen
Clean sink, faucet, garbage disposal
Set oven to “self clean”
Apply specialty products to your flooring (if you have hard wood-polish, if you have porcelain or tile-check your grout, etc.)
Living Spaces (Dining Room, Living Room, Family Room, Den, etc)
Clean window blinds/curtains
Shampoo rug/polish hardwood floors
Move heavy furniture and clean under it.
Bathroom
Check the expiration dates on items and toss what is expired.
Clean your showerhead
check your grout
Bedrooms
Go through your clothes- donate/purge items that no longer fit/you don’t like.
Flip your mattress.
Shampoo rug/polish hardwood floors
Move heavy furniture and clean under it.
You can get as tough and gritty as you need to – it’s all up to you!! Take it a day at a time and you’ll get it done!!
What are your favorite spring cleaning tasks?
Tell me about them!!
I’ll talk to you later!!
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