Get Organized in February

It's been a busy month here in the Wilmi house.  We ordered some new family room furniture and our nursery funiture came in.  Yay!  More on that to come....

Here's what I've been working on off my prior organization lists:


May 17 - Open that mail right over the recycle bin. Handling mail sometimes leads to stacks here and stacks there. So when you bring it into the house, sort it immediately. Shred anything that has personal information on it and recycle the rest. Keep any bills or important mail in a separate file. (Still working on this one - we have the desk set up, but still to do some more organizing in the office area.)


July 8 - Straighten up your garage as much as possible. Then sweep it. (This might have to wait until it is warmer out. We've got 2 cars and a lawn mower and supplies all squeezed in.)


July 17 - Thoroughly clean the kitchen sink. Clean in and around the drains. Use a brush to scrub around the faucet and sprayer. (Done!  I washed with warm soapy water, sprayed with white vinegar, let sit and then rinsed.  Perfect!)


Aug 11 - Wash down outside patio, driveway or decks after sweeping. (Will do in conjunction with the garage cleaning in the spring.)

Sept 4 - Wipe your kitchen cabinets clean. Start from the top of each cabinet and work down.  (Done!  This was an easy one!)

Sept 25 - Make a list of all food/household items you normally use on a regular basis. Post this list on the inside of a kitchen cupboard. When you are making your shopping list, you can reference this list of necessities.

Oct 10 - Do a quick scan of your refrigerator. Remove any containers of unused food and recycle/wash the container. Open your vegetable and fruit refrigerator drawers and remove any old, unusable food

Oct 25 - Start preparing a 20-day meal rotation plan. Gather ideas from each family member and come up with 20 different dinner time meals that can be used on a rotating basis. Then make a grocery list based on the first 5 meals.

Nov 16 - How many hot beverage mugs do you need? Go through your supply looking for chips and cracks. Also, get rid of mugs that are not used or liked. Before replacing the mugs you love and use to the cupboard, wipe the storage shelf clean of dust and dirt.  (Done!  Mugs have been sorted through and discarded.)

Nov 18 - Sort and clean out your purse and wallet. First empty all of the contents, and then evaluate every item and sort. Try to make at least two sorting piles. One sorting pile will include items you need to put somewhere else or throw away. Another pile will include items you will return to your purse or wallet.

Nov 29 - Is it time to turn the mattress? To be sure you mattress has even aging, it is recommended that a mattress is turned every month.

Dec 7 - Sweep outside your front door. Clean the outside entryway of dirt, leaves and debris. Sweep off steps, the balcony and/or patio area that leads to your front door.

Dec 17 - Gather together items needed for overnight house guests. Make a basket/box of small toiletries, collect or purchase guest towels, etc. and extra bedding. 

Jan 3 - Take time today to be sure that your yearly calendar has events such as birthdays and anniversaries, appointments, visits, etc. entered for each month.

Jan 7 - Take down all holiday decorations. Store and pack neatly in containers that are well labeled.  (Done!  We purchased some green tubs after Christmas to pack away all our decorations.)

Jan 19 - Make a bird feeding area. Spread bird seed in an above-ground planting pot in your back yard.

Jan 21 - Today you can organize and sort through your coat closet. Take out any clothing etc. that has not been worn or used in over one year. Be sure that your closets are used for clothing and outer wear instead of a spot to place never or rarely used stuff.

 

Here is what I have on my list for February:

 

 

 

Feb 3 - Locate all income tax documents and papers and organize in one location.  Begin preliminary filling out paperwork (if not already completed) or call for an appointment for assistance.

 

Feb 8 - Clean your stove top with hot, sudsy water.  Remove burner trays or grills if you have them on your stove and either soak or hand scrub them in your sink or put them in the dishwasher if possible.  Flat surface glass stove tops can be cleaned very well with cleaning solutions for this purpose.

Feb 19 - Clean out your freezer of any outdated foods.  Pull out foods that have been in storage for over six months.  Foods that are well packaged can tolerate longer freezer periods.  Toss foods that show signs of freezer burn.  Be honest with yourself about what foods will someday be consumed.  Organize items so that the latest package dates will be used up first.
 

Feb 22 - If your fireplace has been used this winter, it could use a good cleaning at this time.  You can call a professional if the chimney needs sweeping.  Remove ashes as much as possible and wipe clean with a cloth the fireplace screen and glass doors.  Does your wood pile need restacking or need to be moved to a more convenient location?

 

I've got plenty to keep me busy this next month and year. As always, the full list can be found at the Get Organized Now website.

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