The Summer Organizing Challenge
The Summer Organizing Challenge
Fall in love with your home again this summer.
Today, we’re announcing our Summer Organizing Challenge!
Ahead of the official launch of summer, we’re inviting you to participate in 13 weekly challenges of dedicated categories to purge, organize, and clean your home. These challenges are intended to be somewhat quick and satisfying to get the ball rolling on other purge-fests; our hope is that with these attainable weekly challenges, you’ll feel inspired to tackle more challenging areas of your home, too (after a little practice)!
Loving your home starts with being intentional with what you allow and keep in your home. In any relationship, it’s important to let go of things that are no longer serving you and the relationship. Maybe you’ve been in your home for just a short while, or maybe you’ve lived in your home for years, but let’s decide today to treat it like it’s the beginning of something new. With that being said, it’s time to address the physical baggage in your home. You know what I’m talking about–all the clutter that’s been getting in the way of enjoying your home, things that no longer work or things that you have been holding on to as place holders.
The time you spend purging, organizing, and cleaning will hopefully give you some appreciation and new eyes for your home. From there, use that momentum to establish some moments in your home to keep you feeling centered and more “at home.” I believe anybody can love where they live if they really want to, and one way to really love where you live is to spend some time doing things that bring you comfort and joy in it. I’m naturally a bit of a homebody and I think that’s because I really try to make the mood in my home special by doing little things that make the every day moments feel special. We’ll talk about power of at-home rituals another time! For now, we’ll focus on loving your home by being intentional with what you keep in your home.
The Summer Organizing Challenge Schedule
Week 1: June 5th-11th
Soaps, shampoos, lotions
Week 2: June 12th-18th
Makeup
Week 3: June 19th-25th
Expired or unwanted food
Week 4: June 26th- July 2nd
Condiments
Week 5: July 3rd-9th
Medication
Week 6: July 10th-16th
Nail polish
Week 7: July 17th-23rd
Clothes you haven’t worn in over a year or two
Week 8: July 24th-30th
Clothes that no longer fit.
If you expect to fit into them again, at least store them.
Week 9: July 31st- August 6th
Gift bags and wrap
Week 10: August 7th-13th
Markers – Have your kids test all the markers that no longer work!
Week 11: August 14th-20th
Tupperware (especially ones that are missing their match)
Week 12: August 21st- 27th
Cords (the ones you NEVER use)
Week 13: August 28th- September 3rd
Kids’ Toys
We’re sharing some insight to reference during the purging, organizing and cleaning processes throughout the challenge.
Purging
Keep what is beautiful to you.
I think William Morris had it right when he said… “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
After all, who wouldn’t want to be surrounded only by the things they love the very most? Such a good thought, and I really try to keep this in mind when I’m making decisions. But in all honesty, I’ve been guilty of hanging onto things I don’t love. A lamp that’s not quite right for an end table because I don’t have another. Curtains that are just meh. Even art that feels “just okay.” It’s time to be a bit ruthless though. If it doesn’t make me swoon, then it’s not coming into my new house. In relationship terms, this is about respecting your home by not overcrowding it or filling its empty corners with just stuff.
No more placeholders.
I used to hold onto things as place holders (okay, I still do this sometimes haha) — almost-there substitutions to hold me over while I hunt for the PERFECT frame/vase/plant/chair. In my last house I had these vases sitting on the shelving in the office. They were taking up space, collecting dust, and I feel like moving really gave me the permission to let them go since they didn’t make my heart sing. Think of the space in your home as precious real estate. You’re going to be leasing out space in your home to rugs, furniture, lighting, art, not to mention all the non-decor items, and you should think of that space as precious. Your home already serves you so much by providing you with comfort and a place to live your life; Don’t overburden it more than it has capacity for.
Give yourself permission.
Sometimes you feel like you need permission to get rid of something you’ve been holding onto. Moving really did that for me, but I realized I had the permission all along. If you’re worried about being wasteful, remember, the waste was made when you bought something you didn’t love, NOT when you decided to get rid of it. Regardless, you have permission to pass on something that you don’t love–even if it’s was a gift or an heirloom (in the case of an heirloom, reach out to family to see if someone else would like it “Hey! Grandma’s dresser isn’t working in our house anymore, would anyone else like it?”) If it’s not enhancing your life or serving a purpose then it’s time to toss, sell, or donate. And you know what they say… “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” or as I like to say, “one woman’s ‘trash’ is another woman’s Facebook Marketplace treasure hunt!”
Keeping things because you don’t want the money you spent to go to waste, shouldn’t be a reason to keep them around. Especially these days where selling things has never been easier, but for as long as we’ve been married, I’ve been selling things we no longer love, want or need to help fund our next purchase.
Organizing
Organizing is the thing that if you do it once effectively, then it’s going to make cleaning a breeze every time. It’s, honestly, the gateway to a clean house. I get asked all the time how we keep things so tidy all the time. Well first of all, I do this for a living, but second, everything in our house has its’ own home. I can tidy a room in 5 minutes because I know where everything goes, give it a little surface clean and it’s photo-ready. Junk drawers and catch-alls might feel unavoidable, but make a routine of going through those things.
Another word of advice I’ll give is to rethink where things typically go. Your life and home is different than anyone else’s, so customize where things go, based on how you live your life.
Set some clear expectations with yourself and your family about putting things back when you’re finished with it so it doesn’t become clutter.
Be sure to check out our organizing articles for support on specific types of projects!
Cleaning
Cleaning is the physical touch in the relationship. It’s not everybody’s favorite, but it’s essential in building a strong connection with your home. There’s typically two types of cleaners: surface cleaners and deep cleaners. I’m more of a surface cleaner and focus more on the every day wiping, while my husband does the deep cleaning. You don’t have to do it all! It’s okay to delegate things you don’t want to do, or don’t have time to do. Hire it out, or teach your kids how to pitch in.
Once you have a home for everything, cleaning becomes easier when you do a little bit every day and have rules and systems around it–dishes need to be washed and loaded every night before you enjoy a show and a snack, or bathroom sink gets wiped down every night after you brush your teeth.
Everything’s better when you make it fun too, am I right? Light a candle, put in your airpods and listen to your favorite podcast or audiobook to keep your mind occupied.
Shop Organizing Favorites
Some essentials to get you started.
Reach out, and let us know how you’re doing on the challenge! Need some support? We love hearing from you.