As the weather warms and we dive into summer vacation planning and trekking in and out of the house for outdoor activities, having a clean and organized home can help you stay grounded and relaxed in between summertime adventures. Here are some tips to organize and de-clutter your space, helping you enjoy the time you spend in your home after fun in the sun.   

• Go room by room – Make a list of rooms or areas to tackle and focus on one area at a time, even if it’s just a drawer or a playroom. If you see progress, you’ll be motivated to continue the task at hand through short, focused spurts of cleaning and organizing.  

• Set a timer and put on your favorite playlist – Set a time limit of 30 minutes so you don’t spend all day organizing and cleaning. Accomplish what you can in that time and save the rest for another day. Then go enjoy the sunshine!  

• Create designated piles – Make “relocate,” “donate,” and “toss” piles. Use these piles to guide how you declutter or organize a space. Group like items. For example: how many flower vases or pairs of rain boots do you use at once? Keep the one or two that you love, and donate, sell, or give the rest to a friend. Consider donating gently used items to local organizations to give them a second life.   

• Get creative with storage – Repurpose household items to help contain like items. Have glass jars taking up cupboard space? Use them to organize office supplies. Extra laundry baskets that aren’t being used? They can house sports gear, shoes, or toys.   

• Encourage the whole family to help – Ask everyone in the household to help with little things, like loading dishes in the dishwasher rather than leaving them in the sink. Assign partners and kids one chore a day to help lighten the workload – something as simple as taking out the trash is helpful and one less thing for you to do. Have everyone do a quick pick up before bed – grab toys, books, and remotes and put them in their place.  

By following some of these tips, you’ll feel more organized and ready to tackle other summertime activities. Now, enjoy the beauty of an organized home as an oasis to relax, recharge, and enjoy time with family and friends.