It is 2016-new life, new start, new everything...but something has been left behind from 2015 that we all need to clear up before we can begin that clean slate we all want will have to wait for another day to make time to clean to holiday clutter. Yes, last night's celebration was fun and memorable and we are excited to start anew. Don't worry; with the help of LA Times and organizational experts, we have a way to clean holiday clutter with 12 month's worth of tips.
January
Discard all the gift-wrapping and unbox everything. Organize. Check what you need, which items are needed to be returned and consider donating the ones you don't to charities, says Regina S. Lark, certified professional organizer and owner of A Clear Path in Los Angeles.
February
This is a time to unclutter your conscience but not in the way you think, says Rachel Isgar, owner of Please Pass the Manners. If you were the designated photographer of the events you have attended to or organized, it is time to send out those photos. Your family and friends may have been waiting and they just did not want to nag you about it. Your reward? It is a gesture that would be greatly appreciated, according to
March
Letting go is the advice of Nonnahs Driskill, owner of Get Organized Already! in Los Angeles. Think of the things that no longer serve you and if you do not have a need for them anymore, get rid of them. Forget about the cost it took to get, de-cluttering is a liberating feeling.
April
Four months after the holiday and it is time to assist the kids "edit" the loot, says Lark. Her best advice is to limit the access and switch toys and favorites every few months.
May
It is the time for a garage sale. Check the items you want to let go and the ones you want to keep. Organize, put prices, clean the merchandise. If a permit is needed, get one then once ready, put a listing-you may want to consider Craigslist.com. Remember to negotiate.
June
We are halfway through the year already. If you haven't started de-cluttering or organizing, time management is a problem, says Beth Penn, founder of Bneato Bar, a team of professional organizers in Los Angeles. How to start this late? Keep a record of your activities then make a schedule-a realistic one. If you don't start NOW, it is not going to happen. Make it happen.
July
Think about those home office paperwork and your head would probaby spin. Penn says to get a cardboard box and categorize, say bills, taxes, etc. It will help sorting easy. Filing for shedding and recycling should be ready. Check if there is a way to go paperless in any of the categories already organized. There may also be a chance to scan and digitize some documents-consider it.
August
Inundated with photos? Clean up your digital life. Katherine Macey, owner of Organize to Excel in Los Angeles. Next says the firs thing to do is delete the ones you do not like then upload the rest to storage sites such as Dropbox, Flickr, Apple iCloud, Amazon Cloud Drive or Google Photos. You may want to tag those who are part of the photos, too!
September
Macey suggests to start digitizing your to-do list. Excellent apps you may want to consider include Trello and Toodledo. Other: Todoist, Asana, Any.Do, Evernote, TickTick and Google Keep.
October
It is time for virual desktops to be cleaned. "It makes it difficult to find things," says Macey, "and it's distracting ... I recommend people don't keep files on the desktop unless they are accessed all the time." Check out online tools such as Fences (for Windows) or Desktop Groups Lite or HiddenMe (for Mac).
November
Time to prepare for another holiday! Start on your gift-giving plans now. On your part, Lark suggests requesting experiential gifts from family and friends (if they ask) instead of stuff. Sharing time is way better than sharing clutter.
December
Throwing a party? Set a budget and think about what you can afford, consider the guestlist. If you are splurging, book the caterer and bartender right away and mail invitations ASAP. Do not ever forget to set realistic expectations and definitely accept help when offered.
There you have it. There is no way you could go wrong with your organizational skills this year!
