This week’s January full moon is the wolf moon, reflecting transition and completion of projects and initiatives begun since the new moon at the end of the year. Now is the time to take advantage of the momentum typically established every year on January 1st, the conscious intent for improvement in all aspects of life, which tends to include relationships, organization and maintenance. Environmental influences are an important component of one’s sense of well-being and directly influence health, happiness and productivity.

To ensure a positive start to the New Year, make the organization of your custom-built home a priority, which will bring a variety of benefits throughout the year. Proper organization brings an immediate sense of relief. It basically implies having a place for everything and putting those things in its place, without the need for completely re-designing the space. There are some key areas to pay attention to, most of which are common sense or even obvious, but easily ignored.

Clearly defining the proper “home” for miscellaneous items that accumulate is the first step, and, once this is identified, it is easy to then restore order to your home after two months of neglect. The most carefully planned luxury homes can easily fall out of order; here are a few ideas that may help:

  • Designate closets or cabinets by season, person or contents (i.e. gifts & wrapping paper; sports; luggage)
  • Have storage spaces make sense based on its location
  • Eliminate “junk” drawers and closets
  • Create a sorting system the entire family understands
  • Use labels for bins/ shelves

Areas in the home that easily fall into disarray include:

  • Command Central – the home or kitchen office where the family is scheduled; keep it up to date and clean with a universal calendar
  • Drawers – everywhere in the house, especially in bathrooms
  • Closets – check those shelves on the top and find hidden treasures
  • Garage – throw away broken plastic toys; make sure items are kept together by season and purpose (bike pump & helmets with bikes; snow shovel with sleds)
  • Pantry & freezer – toss and straighten and make mealtime a breeze
  • Game room/ toy room – here is where labeling bins can really come in handy, making clean up time doable without supervision

De-cluttering goes hand in hand with organization, but many in post-holiday haste go through the motions of tidying up without eliminating unnecessary things that lead to clutter. Old clothes, broken toys and many other items take up valuable storage space and hamper proper organization efforts with their accumulation. Look in the garage, closets, drawers, cupboards and pantry to identify culprits and, aside from outdated clothing, consider the following to give or throw away:

  • Outgrown toys, games & books
  • Make-up and toiletries
  • Expired canned goods
  • Outdated magazines
  • Linen closet – old towels and sheets
  • Broken items that will likely go un-fixed
  • Old electronics – stereos, television, iPods
  • Office files, calendars, correspondence that can be shredded

The goal towards creating harmony in the home can be spread out over the month to prevent being overwhelmed by the process. Consider making a list of the areas and spaces most in need and prioritize; momentum is gained with each freshened space and sense of accomplishment. An organized living space is the perfect way to celebrate living in your custom-built home in 2017.