Preparing for Baby: Keeping an Organized and Tidy Home

Thankfully, as a pregnant woman, I experienced a “nesting period”. This is a time where I felt a sudden burst of energy and motivation to get organized. The beginning of any organization can be overwhelming, which is why formulating goals and a step by step plan is the most important of any organization.

The first thing I needed to do was set goals. This provided me a clear idea of my overall organization schedule and identified my problem areas. Clutter can build up very quickly and in a variety of areas within the home. For me, my biggest trouble spots were surfaces, cupboards and drawers, closets, and paper/document organization. These areas had been neglected for quite some time, and I felt that these areas would give me the biggest overall feeing of tidiness or neatness.

Next, I needed to create a timeline in order to meet my goals. A timeline will help to gauge the duration of the organization of each area and will help to achieve the goals previously set. For example, “I will have all of my paper documents filed and sorted in the next 5 days.” This has identified a target area, established how long it will take to achieve the goal, and set a target date for completion.

In order to proceed through the organization of any area, it is important to separate the items into keep, throw away, or donate. Purge all items that have not been seen or needed for a year – these items are typically leading factors to the clutter of any area. We tend to hold on to things because we think we might need them in the future, but commonly these items are never used again. Purging can be a painless task, as many donation companies will pick up items from your home free of charge. I found that this process dramatically reduced the amount of items within my trouble spots.

One of the largest opportunities in many homes is the use of flat surfaces. In an organized home, all flat surfaces, such as counters and tables, should be clean and clear of clutter. The use of containers or baskets may help you to organize your belongings into an orderly fashion. Each container should have like goods within them, for example “This container is for assorted photos; this one is for writing materials.” This designates an established home for miscellaneous items strewn throughout the living space. The use of baskets or boxes dramatically reduced the amount of clutter within my home.

Moving forward, it is important to address why these areas became trouble spots in the first place. Ask yourself, why were these areas troublesome for me? What can I do daily that will help me to organize these areas in a timely fashion? For me, it was important to establish daily activities that would help keep me organized. I decided my daily activities included emptying garbage, doing one load of laundry, running the dishwasher, setting a meal plan, listing my errands, cleaning as I go, and keeping a to-do list to keep track of chores. This became a set daily routine and helped me to manage everything coming in and going out of my trouble areas, as well as setting organization guidelines for the long term.

Finally, enlist your partner, family and friends for support. Let other family members know of your organization goals. This will help you to achieve your overall plan and ensure that items are only organized once. It is impossible to stay organized unless all parties are involved and held accountable.

Stop ignoring the mess and clutter in your home and start your organizational plan today!

For more information and resources, please visit http://moms-probs-odds-and-jobs.blogspot.com

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