New Year home organization - Boston Moms Blog

Now that the holidays are over, I sit here with anxiety. Facing the post-holiday mess — with so much more clutter than last year — I’m wondering how we got here? How in the world can a 5-year-old have so much stuff? The new year feels like the perfect time to reflect on how to keep ourselves from hoarding or living in clutter. So I’ve come up with 10 home organization tips to implement this year. Give them a try!

1. Participate in a no-buy month

Another blogger I know does a “no-buy January” every year, and she loves it. The goal is to avoid shopping for new clothes/toys/household items and instead use what you have. Wear the clothes that are already in your closet — and take some time to mix and match your existing items into new outfits. Empty your pantry and come up with a few creative new dinner ideas. I love this option. 

2. Donate — or sell!

We end up with so many clothes in our closets. Whether they’re from holiday and birthday gifts or times I’ve wanted to re-up the family wardrobe, we have way more than we need. Purging the items that never get worn feels so good! I typically sell using ThredUp or just donate to our local Savers. When you sell or donate items in your home that you don’t use, you’ll have more space for those newly received items!

3. Bins, bins, and more bins

Organizing everything into bins and baskets can make life so much easier. From beauty products in your bathroom drawer to odd-sized items in your freezer, sorting things into containers can help you more easily access what you have. 

4. Labels

There’s nothing like a label maker to help you get organized! You know all those bins and baskets you’ve started storing your things in (see tip 3 above)? You can label your bins so you — and even the kiddos — know where everything is supposed to go.

5. Tackle that junk corner/drawer

Keep only one drawer or bin dedicated to things you don’t really need or use often. That way, once it fills up, you know it’s time to purge.

6. Capsule items

You’ve heard of a capsule wardrobe, right? The same principle can be applied to other items in your home. Take holiday decor, for example. Many of your red Christmas items — think candles or cake stands — can be used again for Valentine’s Day. Using neutral colors helps. Then add a small pop of color for that holiday so you can reuse, reuse, reuse.

7. Repurpose items

I purchased some leaf-shaped trays from the Dollar Tree last fall. When Christmas rolled around, I spray painted the trays red and used them for candy, keys, etc. 

8. If it’s not accessible, you may not need it

Often times, items that aren’t accessible in our homes are not important or needed. Time to take a closer look at those hard-to-access things to determine if you truly need them in your house.

9. Create a schedule

Whether it’s a cleaning schedule for yourself or a morning “getting ready” chart for your kids, organizing the more chaotic areas of your life on paper is a great way to start your year.

10. Think minimal

You don’t have to be an official minimalist to live minimally. When you decide to live minimally, you’ll find less clutter makes its way into your home. Of course, some clutter is hard to avoid when kids are in the mix. For every one item you bring into your home or for your kids, get rid of something that falls into the same category (an unused toy gets donated when your kid gets a new toy, a tired old throw pillow goes to Savers when you buy something new for your living room).

New Year home organization - Boston Moms Blog

Jalisa Harris
Jalisa was born on the North Shore and raised 30 minutes North of Boston in Lawrence, Ma. She moved back to the North Shore in 2014 after her son was born in 2013 and loves every minute of it. She decided to leave her corporate job to become a stay at home mom when her son was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 3. She now lives her days with a toddler turning kindergartener, her blog and love for skincare and entertaining.