Organizing Your Home Before the Holiday Daze

Getting Your Home Ready Before the Holidays Hit

Raise your hand if your house becomes a mess every year during the time between Halloween and Christmas?  If you did, you’re not alone. Your Blogger is there right with you. What if though, you had a handful of tips and tricks to tackle this holiday season without losing your mind, the gifts you’d bought, and every square inch of space in your home? Well, that’s where today’s post comes in. 

First up, the general things. 

Courtesy of Alexa

-Use Bins and baskets around the home to contain mess and clutter. Sure it’s a cheat, but if you have designated spaces to put things, they’re less likely not only to go missing but end up scattered over every other available surface. 

Courtesy of C.M. Zijderveld

- You can also use bins and baskets to sort gifts if you purchase as you go through the year purchasing. We like having a row of baskets at the top of the closet. It looks good all year long, and so long as you don’t label the outside, you’re the only one that knows that you’re hiding gifts and not your out-of-season clothes. 

-Clean stuff up! Get rid of stuff and do a pre-holiday donation blitz. 

Go through and trim stuff down. Do you hate that ornament? Donate it. Is a wreath falling apart? Either deconstruct it for craft materials or send it to the recycling center. 

Essentially, if you don’t love it, don’t keep it. 

Have a plan! 

Whether you’re breaking down your decorations from Halloween, setting up for Thanksgiving, or getting organized for Christmas, having a plan saves you time and headaches. 

Play Tetris! 

When it comes to storing things away, unless it’s breakable, it’s better to store smaller things inside larger things. Two examples here. 

This would be a very bad example of storing things inside one another. The only reason nothing is broken is because it’s cardboard.

• A good example would be storing small details like tiny skulls, potion bottles, and bats inside a larger fake pumpkin. By doing this, you maximize the space that the pumpkin is taking up, and you ensure that you don’t lose or break the smaller items. 

• Storing glass ornaments inside your grandmother’s trifle dish without wrapping or protection. Doing this means that you’ll end up with shards of glass given enough time and movement. 

-Think about where you’re going to store things before you go shopping. If you already know exactly where it’s going, it’s more difficult to lose it in the holiday daze, and you know if you have the space for it. 

Store the specifics together. Don’t just toss everything into 1-2 boxes and call it done. Put together like with like and protect the things that need it inside that storage. We will always suggest storing everything in totes that are labeled on the outside and the lid. 

- Also make sure to make a list of everything that’s inside the tote and tape it to the inside lid of the tote. This lets you ensure that you know exactly what’s inside them. 

-Separate out your Halloween decorations, store your costume pieces in their own plastic sealable bags, and those organized into totes. You can also store all of your decor in totes as well.  (You can also do the same with fabrics for other holidays, but we’re still thinking about Halloween and Halloween costumes here at ARS.) This is to protect your papers, plastics, and fabrics from moisture, bugs, and other rodents. 

What about Christmas? That’s a lot of very specific items that need careful handling. 

-Glass ornaments? Wrap them in paper towels before storing them in an ornament carrier (even if that is just  a photo box.) 

-Egg cartons and cupcake boxes are also great for storing ornaments of all shapes and sizes.

-Loving on the Christmas lights? Turn a sheet of cardboard into cord storage, keep them all separate, and put them into their own bin. 

- Fake Christmas tree? We haven’t figured out anything more straight0forward than the totes made just for this, but let us know if you do. 

- What about wrapping? Do you love it or loathe it? 

Try setting up a station for gift wrapping. Have a container for wrapping papers and keep all of them in that container. 

Keep everything sorted so that it’s close to hand. That can mean a large tote box that has everything inside it in trays that you only pull out when you need it, or it can be a table in a corner with everything stored away.
Your Blogger’s setup contains the following. 

Tape

Sharp scissors

A flat open area

Wrapping paper

Notecards and pens

Power cable, an outlet, and the phone (for entertainment AND wrapping help.) 

Rounding out our tips in the kitchen, let’s get sorted!

-Store your baking supplies together. It is a fantastic way to keep your kitchen organized and your life nice and easy. Plus, when you pull out the baking supplies every year, you’ll get excited knowing that all the fun of the holidays is just around the corner. 

-Sort and store cookie cutters in photo boxes. The small boxes with their labels on the outside make it easy to find just the ones you want and store them away when you’re done. 

-Baked Gift Supplies can also be stored together. If you keep everything you need in one box or tray, it’s all there when you’re ready to pack up the cakes and cookies. Bakers' twine, cookie bags, cupcake liners, and tags, everything is right there for you. 

Thanks to Bernadette Wurzinger

And there you have it! Our tips for how to make the holidays run more smoothly and keep you from pulling your hair out this winter. Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page how you make the holidays easier on yourself. 

If you wound up here because you pushed the dreaded button (no, not that one, the one on your oven labeled ‘Self-Clean’,) we’re here to help. First up, step away from the oven. Next, set up an appointment with us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). We’ll work with you to select a time and date that works for your schedule and send one of our technicians to get your oven working again. In the event it’s not because of your oven but instead one of your other major appliances, it’s ok; we can still help. For any of your major appliances, Appliance Rescue Service is here to help get your home running smoothly again. 

Clearing Out Clutter

How to take all the clutter down.

Table of Contents

Groups

Labels

Give It A Home 

Cunning Storage Solutions

How many times a month do you end up looking around your house and wondering where all of this clutter came from? For us, it's about once a week. Especially after the last two years of living in quarantine, it's a bit much! It's time to start cleaning and busting that clutter. We've got three 'general' tips that can and should be applied everywhere in your home. Then we'll take a look at different areas of your home where you can sneakily hide things that no one will suspect. Let's get started and get clutter busting. 

Group Like With Like

Technically speaking, this is all grouped together.

Photo by Dimitry Anikin from Pexels

When it comes to keeping things organized, you want to group like with like. Books with books, dishes with dishes, pop tarts with pop tarts. (We can't be the only ones whose children insist on having every flavor.) This root concept is really simple, and the great news is that it doesn't have to make sense to anyone but you and your household. (We're adding that caveat because getting kids to use a system they don't understand is surprisingly difficult.) Having everything together means that when you want something, it's easier to find it. So long as it's with other things "like it" you'll know where you need to go. 

So, think about how you sort things. Do you have games, books, and out-of-season sweaters all together on one shelving unit? Could you separate them out so that your clothes go elsewhere, leaving the books and games together as 'entertainment' and the sweaters go with other clothes? This is just us though. 

Labels

This one can be intimidating to start, but once you're going, it's easy to maintain. We'll break it down with you to give you some ideas of how you can use labels to make your life easier. Once it's complete you're under self-applied pressure to keep everything on forward momentum to maintain the system. We'll also point out that labels don't have to be just boring black letters on a white strip of paper. You can get very creative with how you want your labels to look dependant on where you're using them. 

  -Kitchen

In the kitchen, you might consider labeling which shelf is for what inside of your refrigerator. Think about all of those pictures you seem in home decor magazines with the perfectly organized fridges. 

- Pantry

Yup, your pantry can be labeled too. Start by sorting things out (there's that 'like with like' concept again.) Then group it together. Some things to consider might be labelling surplus flour, sugar, types of beans etc. Or if you keep a lot of canned goods, you might attach a  note that the newest cans should go at the back.  This one really is only limited by how in depth you want to go. (Your Blogger is dreaming about the day she has a pantry large enough to warrant this.) 

- Laundry

When you have a large family, or a large closet, you almost always end up with different types of detergent for different purposes. Why not label them? 

- Living room

Yup, you can label your living room too. Break down your DVD collection between "kid friendly" vs " Not" for when you have family over. Or you could seaparate out the different games into different cabinets. 

- Bathroom

Does your SO have towels that are only theirs? Or maybe you have a set of towels that you want to keep for when guests come, and keep your kids from using? Label where you keep them. You could also apply a sorting and labeling system to the underside of your sink, keeping things from getting lost or shoved in haphazardly. 

-Bedrooms 

Whether it's your space or your child's space, labels can be very useful. We advise talking about a system before you implement it into your kids room though, this way they know what you're expecting. 

Not only means you know exactly what you’re looking at, they also make it easier to find what you’re looking for. Begone clutter!

Give It A Home

That last point leads right into another key organizing concept. Remember how we were talking about having your books and your sweaters together? Take a look at that same idea, and takes a closer look at why you're putting things in certain places. Do you always put on your comfy sweater while you're reading? Or maybe you come in the front door and go straight for your mugs to pour yourself a cup of tea, and you end up with your keys and mail on the counter. These are 'homes' that we unintentionally create for things. 

Instead of unintentionally doing it. try to do it intentionally. If you know you're going to go straight for the tea, consider putting a mail sorter and a basket underneath. This way when you come in, you can sort your mail, have a spot for your keys, AND still stick to your routine. 

For this concept you want to look at what routines you already have that you're willing to change and those that you're not. If you have other areas that you have clutter collecting that you're /not/ happy with, you need to start by understanding /why/ it keeps landing there before you can change it. Would putting a hamper in the bathroom save you from socks all over the floor? What about putting a tray for drinks in the fridge to keep from losing them behind leftovers? Or putting out of season clothing in clear bins so that you can know what you have in between seasons? So grab a pen and paper and check out where you have clutter piles and why they might be there. 

This beautiful pantry from Good Housekeeping is our dream. Look at how organized everything is!

Cunning Storage Solutions

How many places can we find to store things? The answer? Many. SO many. 

Mind the Gap! 

There are two options here, depending on how you're looking at things. A gap that exists already, say around furniture, behind door or above things. Or you might be looking at floorboards and the bottoms of cabinets. 

Do your cabinets go all the way down to the floor, or is there a gap where they rise about 3 inches? There are kits that can turn that into storage. It's great for stashing cutting boards, cookie sheets and cooling racks, as well as any strangely shaped plates you might not want to keep in the 'normal' cabinets.

You can also make use of the space between your cabinets and appliances, unless you're already reveling in a smooth, no-gap kitchen. If you're not though, consider having a custom built, pull out cabinet.

Watch it Stud! 

Behind your bathroom mirror is a great place to turn into a storage area. Some of us already have pop out cabinets, but many of you prefer the look of a flat mirror. Fortunately, you can carve out a space in between the studs and turn that into a set of shelves to get things off of your counters. 

Or you might take a look a full length mirror or piece of art that you have elsewhere in your home and do the same thing elsewhere. 

Doors Go Both Ways

 Look at your doors. Can you hang an organizer on the back of them? Whether you're creating an organizer (thank you Command Strips) or you have one already picked out from Crate & Barrel, doors are a great spot to store things and keep them off the floor.  

Use Space Wisely

We mentioned it before, but putting extra organization into cabinets is very useful. Whether that's stackable boxes or open sided bins, there's all sorts of ways to maximize the space within your cabinets that you might not have thought of. The same concept can be applied to drawers. The most common idea is using a silverware tray so that all of your silverware is sorted "like to like." (There it is again!) 

Avoid this! Put our tips to good use, and bust that clutter!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Are you starting to look at your home a bit differently? What about the open spaces versus the piles of clutter? Let us know over on our Facebook page, we'd love to hear from you. :) 

If you're here not because you need to declutter but because your appliances have gone on the fritz, we can help! Head on over to our contact page and we'll work with you to set up a time that works for you or you can call us at ((214) 599-0055 )! 

Additional Reading

Getting Your Home Clean, Month By Month

Making Cleaning More Fun

10 Crazy Dupes For Household Cleaning Supplies

Organizing Your Fridge For Efficiency And Safety

Decluttering The Kitchen

The Five Most Common Types Of Clutterbugs

Lightening the Load of Moving

Tips and Tricks to Make Changing Houses Easier

Whether you’re moving down the street, three states over, or to a new country, moving is a PAIN. We know it, you know it, and the moving companies know it. There are a few tricks that can make your life easier though. 

Make a checklist for before, during and after the move. 

This should be based on how you’re going to do things. What order do you want to get things done? The people over at moving.com have a fantastic checklist that breaks things down from 8 weeks prior all the way through your first month after. 

Start at least 3, if not 6 months before the move and go through everything. 

If you haven’t used it, if you can’t use it, or if you don’t care about it, donate it! Why waste time and energy moving it if you don’t need it or won’t use it? Better to get rid of it now! 

Yes, we do mean everything. From clothes, linens and toys, to books, appliances and furniture, there’s always someone out there that could use it. (We would say sell it via something similar to NextDoor but a) they’re not sponsoring us and b) selling stuff takes more time that you may or may not have!) Check out your local goodwill, habitat for humanity and your library to see what they can take and if they  can’t make other suggestions in your area. 

Make a moving folder, or binder. 

This should be both a physical file and a digital one. This way, even if you don’t have signal or battery, you still have access to all of the papers you need. This should include all of the following: 

New addresses

Rental or purchasing papers

Utilities - when you called, who you talked to, the dates for things being turned off and on at your different residences. As well as receipts. 

Any receipts from purchases you’ve made for moving and packing materials. 

Agreements with movers, or truck rental dates and receipts.  

If you keep hold of it, if anything goes wrong, you’ll have the answers to hand. This should stay with you at all times before and during the move. We suggest making sure you know where it is for at least a year afterwards as well, just to be safe. 

Invest in supplies ahead of time. 

The last thing you want while packing boxes or loading the truck is to have to run to the store. 

So stock up ahead of time on these things. 

Boxes

Tape - both colored and packing

Bandages

Paper towels

Garbage bags

Box cutters

Paper plates 

Furniture pads or covers 

Create a floor plan and color code it. 

If you already know where you’re going, that’s great! Grab a couple of copies of the floor plan and some varieties of duck tape. We suggest either bold primary colors, or wild patterns, a different variety of tape for each room.  

Now, every box that goes into a specific room in your new home should have a strip or square of tape on it that matches the room it's going to. This way as you’re unloading the truck it’s easy to say exactly where something goes without having to stop and think about it. 

You can also use a number system to organize your boxes. 

Using a notebook or a document on your phone, you can keep a breakdown of what each box contains. This makes things more organized when you’re unpacking. You can go through the list and pull only the boxes you need at a given time to unpack. 

Pack ahead of time, as far ahead as possible.  

Even if you haven’t found /exactly/ when you’re moving yet, and you just have a general time frame, the sooner you start packing, the sooner you’ll be done.  It also means you’ll have less to stress about as the date comes closer. 

Two places to start are out of season clothes/linens and items you won’t miss.  

Book early 

Moving services, rental trucks, professional movers, all book well ahead of time. The earlier you can book, the better. 

Pack and clearly label your LIFO box. 

Wondering what LIFO means? Last In, First Out. This is the box or suitcase that stays with you during the move , and should content all the things you’re going to need for the first day in your new place, or during a moving trip. 

A change of clothes for everyone, a toothbrush, must have stuffed animals, medications, paperwork, etc. 

When it comes to packing, there are a few rules to run through.  

Size should be inverse to weight. 

Use small boxes for heavier objects like books. 

This means that the boxes will a) be less likely to break open during transit and b) be easier to move. 

Use larger boxes for lighter things like pillows, bedding and the like. 

Put the heaviest things on bottom and don’t leave spaces.

If you don’t have enough for a box, or you feel it’s already heavy enough, use clothing, towels, bubble wrap or packing paper to fill the excess space. Not only does this keep things from shifting too much, but by going from heaviest to lightest, things are less likely to be damaged en route. 

Tape the way professional movers do. 

Use a couple of pieces across the top and bottom seams of the box. Then wrap all the way around the edges of the box, again top and bottom. This strengthens the edges where the most stress is. 

Be extra careful when packing your kitchen. 

We suggest watching videos like this one to learn how to pack plates. This one for packing cups, glasses and stemware. This one for packing pots and pans. And for everything else in your kitchen, we have this post from our archives. 

Know how to pack your TVs or Computer monitors. 

Plasma TVs and monitors require special boxes for shipping due to how wretchedly delicate they are. If you don’t have the original box and foam it came with, you’ll need to hunt down one of those special boxes. Whatever you do, don’t just wrap them in furniture quilts or lay them flat or you’ll be shopping for a new one once you get unpacked. 

How do you go about planning for a move? Do you have tips and tricks that we missed out on? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook! We’d love to get a conversation going to help out more people. 

Whether you’ve been in Coppell and the surrounding area for years, or you’ve just moved in, Appliance Rescue Service is here to help. Whether you need someone to take a look at a dishwasher that won’t drain, or a  fridge that isn’t working, we’ve got you covered. Or if you just want someone to take a look at all of your appliances to let you know how to keep them maintained, we can do that too. You can get hold of us at ((214) 599-0055) or by visiting our website.