Got to love snow days in the South. As long as you stocked up on essentials, and work and school are closed, there is no need to leave the house. Admit it: We are not people who know how to drive in snow. These days are made for sleeping in, cider sipping, sledding, binge watching and snoozing. But after day No. 3, even the hygge (look it up) admirers among us need to get busy and feel more productive. If you’re looking for a quick organizing task, here are a few ideas that might inspire you to get off the couch and get something done!
Junk Drawer: I love a junk drawer and think everyone needs one. But this spot requires maintenance. Empty it out, sort it all, toss the trash, and put it all back into neat and tidy containers. (Small jewelry boxes and egg cartons make great ones in a pinch.) This 15-minute task will make you smile each time you open that drawer in the months to come.
Spices: This is my go-to organizing chore on snow days. Yes, I keep my spices flat in a drawer, and yes, they are alphabetized (they don’t call me the Neat Freak for nothing). But this drawer can get messy, and spices spill. Remove them all, give it a wipe down and get your “Sleeping with the Enemy” on by alphabetizing them again for organizational bliss (this is a good kid activity if they’re claiming to be bored!).
Bathroom drawer: We access this drawer every single day, and it shows. Again, remove all contents, toss expired medications or cosmetics, clean out that toothpaste residue, and containerize everyday items so they’re easy to find. Your 7 a.m. self will thank you!
Linen Closet: Perhaps you’ve seen the Pinterest pictures of neatly folded fitted sheets tucked into their matching pillowcase. My closet does not look like that! But it is a good annual task to remove all items, toss the towels that have gotten a bit crunchy, match up sheet sets and refold everything so it’s easy to see what you have. The animal shelter will gladly accept old linens that you no longer need. Win-win.
Kitchen utensil drawer: This is another kitchen spot that gets heavy use and needs a touch up from time to time. Assess all kitchen utensils, get rid of duplicates (or triplicates!), store like with like and give the drawer bottom a good wipe down.
Under the bathroom sink: This out-of-sight, out-of-mind spot is famous for clutter accumulation. And it’s also a spot ripe for leaks so it’s a good idea to empty it out at least once a year and look for potential water damage. Once everything is removed and expired items are tossed, consider using stacking containers or plastic drawers to house regularly used bathroom items. Plastic baskets make it easy to remove items and wipe this area down.
School supplies: We’re about to hit mid-year for school kids, so it’s an ideal time to go through school supplies, note what you might need to restock, and neaten up the supplies for the rest of the year.
Sock drawer: Orphan socks are given a three-month window at my house for their mate to be found. After that, they are moved to the dust rag bin or tossed. Take a quick zip through your sock drawer to make sure everything has a match, check for socks that have seen better days and get this drawer in tip-top shape in just a matter of minutes.
Receipts: Post- holidays we often have stacks of receipts from gift purchases sitting around. If a gift was a hit and there is no chance of returning it, go ahead and recycle or shred it. If an item was fairly expensive and may have a warranty, take a moment to staple the receipt to the manual and tuck it away in your filing system.
Each of these nitty-gritty organizing tasks is quick, easy and can be done in an hour or less, leaving you plenty of time to get back to your fuzzy sock-wearing relaxation on a snowy day.
Keep Neat!
