Lehigh Valley Marketplace

By Nancy Moffett

Here we are, smack-dab up against the holiday crunch. Gift shopping, parties to plan, decorating…the list seems longer each year. One way to help deal with the madness is to get organized before you even think about buying the tree and getting out the decorations. We asked local organization experts for tips on how to de-clutter your home without adding another impossible chore to your holiday list.

studies show the average person spends 55 minutes a day looking for things they can’t find

Colleen Warmingham, owner of Space Inventors, says you should give yourself permission to live with some clutter through the holidays. If you’re expecting guests and feel overwhelmed with getting the house in ship-shape order, concentrate on cleanliness. Thoroughly clean bathrooms and the kitchen, rooms where guests notice dirt. Then, separate clutter into things that relate to work versus things that relate to fun. For instance, find a place to stash piled-up mail and laundry out of sight. Do the dishes, put away anything that doesn’t denote having fun. Books, magazines, games, puzzles all mean “fun,” so they can stay. Even pet toys and a pile of knitting are not as disturbing to guests as work-related items.

One caveat: don’t mix important items such as bills with junk mail like flyers and catalogs. Do a three-to-five-minute pass through the stack and separate out what can’t be lost. “It’s all about prioritizing,” Warmingham says, “with cleanliness and meeting your obligations foremost.”

Diane Albright, Certified Professional Organizer and owner of All Bright Ideas, says studies show the average person spends 55 minutes a day looking for things they can’t find…adding up to 12 weeks a year! The last thing anyone needs during the holidays is wasted minutes searching for lost items. She suggests a nightly “clutter patrol” where every family member takes 20 minutes to pick up and put away their own belongings. Start now, and by the time the holidays arrive, that time should be down to 10 minutes a night.

Albright also advises enlisting the whole family in holiday preparations. “If there are four of you, make a four-column list with each person’s tasks in a column. Make two copies…a master for you and one you break down so each has their own list. Save the list on the computer under ‘Holidays and Parties’ so you can retrieve it next year,” she says. This can apply to any part of getting ready for the holiday, from de-cluttering to decorating to preparing for a holiday dinner. “This way one person isn’t stressed out over having to do everything,” she says, “and it makes for a calm, peaceful gathering.” For more suggestions on organization, including Albright’s five-box system for everyday clutter control and her “Shopping Made Easy” planner, go to www.dianealbright.com and check out the “Free for You” section on the right-hand side. (Print out labels for her box system at www.dianealbright.com/labels_household_categories.pdf.)

Bob Focht, president and owner of the Allentown-area Closet Factory franchise, says now is a good time to set up systems to deal with such things as mail. “Have a basket for incoming bills and a wastebasket or bin for recycling where you open the mail. The volume of flyers and catalogus is high this time of year, and it’s important to make immediate decisions about what to keep so it doesn’t pile up,” he advises. For instance, cut out flyer coupons and put them in a basket or post them on the refrigerator, then throw the flyer away. If you want to save recipes from magazines, clip them out, rather than saving the magazine. “If it’s thrown on a pile, the chance of you reading it again is zero,” Focht says.

Albright notes that January is the National Association of Professional Organizer’s “Get Organized” month, tying in to one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Focht agrees that post-holiday is a good time to weed through things and discard them. “Only put back items that you know you’ll use again. Don’t save good pieces for ‘someday,’” he says. Instead, donate these unused items for people in need. Warmingham concurs, saying you should assign a home for the gifts you’ve received and get kids involved in going through old toys and games to decide what to donate. “You’re helping teach values while not winding up with more clutter.”

RESOURCES

All Bright Ideas
217 Main Street, Emmaus, PA 18049
610.782.0636
www.AllBrightIdeas.com

Closet Factory – Allentown
7 Willow Street, Fleetwood, PA 19522
1-800-560-3633
610-944-1333
www.closetfactory.com

Space Inventors
P.O. Box 3056, Allentown, PA 18106
484-547-7304
www.spaceinventors.com

Nancy Moffett confesses to having had a “Bah, humbug,” attitude toward the holidays in the past, but her spirit revived with the arrival of her grandchildren.