Here’s my plan of action on how to get organized:

Step 1 – Create a plan
Mentally go through the list of things that need to be stored away. Think about how the best way to store them might be and where you want to store them.

Clothes: For maternity clothes and baby clothes that no longer fit my little man, I bought some space saving bags where you remove the air and I plan to store them in the closet. I thought about getting plastic bins but the bags were a better solution since we have limited closet space.

Baby Gear: For larger items like the infant swing and bassinet, I plan to take them apart as much as I can and put them in large plastic garbage bags to protect them from dust. I will wash and store any removable cloth separate in an inside closet.

Paperwork: Decide on a file system and come up with a designated spot for important documents/action items, papers that need to be filed away and documents that need to be shredded. I try to get rid of junk mail immediately so it doesn’t pile up.

Step 2 – Start Sorting
Before you actually get to packing clothes away or filing paperwork you need to sort through and decide if it’s something you actually need/want to keep. Make 3 sorting piles: keep, donate, trash. Once you have your items sorted it’s a good idea to immediately throw out the trash items and actually take that box to drop off at the donation site.

Further sort through the keep items:
Baby Clothes: Sorted by size and will be packed in separate bags for each size: Newborn, 0-3mos, 3-6mos, 6-9mos etc.

Paperwork: Sorted according to your filing system and categories. Action items go to their location, shred documents go to a pile by the shredder, documents that need to be kept are separated into their respective filing categories (credit card statements, bank statements, utilities, mortgage documents, taxes, etc).

Step 3 – Take Action: Pack, File & Shred
After planning and sorting you can now start to pack things away. Purchase the bins/bags or other supplies you need to pack or file items away. Once items are packed and clearly labeled, put them in their designated storage spot. File away papers and shred those documents! 

Step 4 – Keep it up!
When new documents come into the house don’t wait until they pile up, take care of them right away. Every so often, go through clothes, toys, and items that come into the house: Plan, Sort, Pack, Repeat!

Hopefully at this point, you can look around and sigh with relief at how clean and organized everything looks! I’m just starting with this process so I’m looking forward to getting it done and enjoying a clean and organized home!

Tips:

• Remember to work on a certain task a little each day. Don’t feel like you have to finish it all in one day.
• Once you complete one task, move on to the next until you have gone through the entire house.
• Start with the things you can see and then move on to closets, cabinets, drawers, and boxes that need to be sorted. This way you can see that you are making progress and will be more motivated to keep going.
• Try to keep piles of paperwork from accumulating by getting rid of junk mail immediately and filing or shredding documents. Go through magazines weekly and get rid of any you don’t use. If you see a recipe, article or coupon you want to keep, clip it out right then and have a designated spot to put it, then toss the magazine.