Episode #143 - Celebrate Your Wins – Wrapping Up January with a Fresh Start.

Welcome to Organizing with Ease, where we simplify and organize our lives for the better. I'm Diana Moll, your host, ready to lead you on a journey towards a more organized and enriching life. Together, let's explore practical strategies, inspiring stories, and expert advice to simplify every aspect of our lives. Let's declutter our spaces, free our minds, and cultivate genuine happiness. Are you ready to embark on this journey with ease?

Let's get started. Friends, and welcome to organizing with ease. I'm your host, Diana Moll. And today, we're wrapping up our January series. Fresh beginnings start strong in 2025.

With episode one forty three, celebrate your wins, wrapping up January with a fresh start. If you're joining for the first time, welcome. You've picked the perfect time to tune in. For my returning listeners, thank you for being a part of this journey to clarity, calm, and transformation. Throughout January, we've tackled physical and digital clutter, created functional zones, and adopted habits to set the tone for an intentional year.

Today, we're going to reflect on the progress we've made, share some stories of wins, mine as well, a client's, and hopefully yours, and look forward to what's next. We'll also highlight some remaining areas you might consider organizing, like the laundry area or cabinets, cleaning supplies, and even donation bags for those unused items. Let's celebrate the steps you've taken and set the stage for continued success in 2025. So as we wrap up January, it's the perfect time to tackle areas that often go overlooked, like your laundry area and cleaning supply cabinets. For the laundry area, take a look at how you're using the space.

Are your detergents and stain removers and supplies organized in a way that makes them easy to grab and to find? Consider these quick tips. Use clear containers or label baskets to separate detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets if you still use dryer sheets. Dedicate a space or an area or basket for those stray socks. I don't know about you, but for some odd reason, they just seem to have a mind of their own.

You still put them together in the wash and then in the dryer. But then for some odd reason, when you take them out the dryer, they're not there. There's always that missing sock. Do you know what I'm talking about? I think you do.

And if not, you're probably laughing at me wondering why I have socks mismatched and or missing socks. So that in any event, that is why I still have a little box that a basket that says lost socks. Just sharing that with you. Happens to me in my household. And then you also wanna also dedicate some space for laundry accessories that need some attention.

Keep your tools like your lint rollers, clothespins if you still need them, or an iron in a designated spot to avoid any clutter. My iron and my ironing board is actually vertically up on the wall, which makes it a great space saving. Now Now let's talk about your cleaning supplies. This is an area where items accumulate quickly and often. We just don't realize what's expired or unnecessary.

So you do need to go through the supplies and discard anything that is expired and no longer effective. Yes. Even supplies do have an expiration date, so you definitely want to take a note of that. You want to consolidate similar items. Do you really need five bottles of window cleaner?

But if you really do, then set them aside. You might maybe wanna take one inside your home underneath your sink and maybe place the other ones maybe in another area just to kinda divide it up. Right? Once you go through all of your supplies, you definitely want to discard anything that's expired or that is no longer effective. You then wanna consolidate similar items.

Do you really need five bottles of window cleaner? And let's say that you really do. Then you just bring, like, one inside the home, place it underneath the sink or where you have your supplies, and then have the other ones outside, possibly in the garage where you might have your other items. Restock your essentials, like all purpose cleaners, sponges, and microfiber cloths so that you're prepared for the months ahead. As you sort, consider creating a donation bag for any unused items that are still in good condition.

You can actually do that for cleaning supplies or any extra tools. I have a donation bag in my closet, actually. The donation bag is in my closet so that I can actually place any accessories like belts or scarves and or clothing that no longer fits me, no longer serves my purpose. Maybe I've outgrown it. I actually place it in my donation bag, and once it's full, I bring it back I take it out of the house, put it in the trunk, and off it goes to donations.

Many shelters and community organizations really do appreciate donations of host household items. That's why I'm mentioning it. If the again, if they're unopened cleaning supplies or extra tools, consider donating them. Now let me share a personal story about my own organizing journey this month, specifically my kitchen remodel. Now if you've ever lived through a renovation, you know it's chaotic.

My cabinets were emptied. My countertops became makeshift, not even storage zones because there was no way to do that because I had to have all of my cabinets removed due to mold. But I have to tell you that my dining room table was definitely stacked and organized with all of my kitchen items. Even with my organizing skills, it was still a challenge to adapt. So I really needed to create temporary zones.

Of course, I needed to have one for coffee, for breakfast, for the utensils, for the plates. But these small steps kept things manageable, but it wasn't easy. What I learned from this experience was that what I could and couldn't live without. For example, I did need to have five types of spatulas or dozens of mismatched coffee mugs. So when the remodel is going to be completed, I am going to be definitely deciding very carefully what is going to be belonging into my new kitchen because everything is going to have to have a purpose and a place so that when I walk into my kitchen, it's going to feel like literally a fresh start every day.

And it does remind me that even during messy times, small intentional steps can lead to big transformations. Now it's your turn to reflect. Think about what you've accomplished this January. What spaces did you declutter or organize? Which small changes have made the biggest difference in your daily life?

Here is a relatable stat. You ready? A 2024 YouGov survey showed that sixty two percent of Americans set New Year's resolutions, and getting organized is one of the top three goals. However, only nine percent feel successful by the January. But that's not you.

But again, that's why we focused on small, manageable steps all month because progress, not perfection, is the key to lasting change. So I wanted to share a story with you. My friend Lisa, her entryway was actually a constant source of stress for her. It was actually the piles of the shoes, the backpacks, and other miscellaneous sports items from kids left behind. So what we had to do really was we needed to get everything sorted out.

We really did. We needed to take all those shoes, all those bags, all those miscellaneous items to see actually what was being used and why it was still being left there by the front door. So what we needed to do was we had to go through all those shoes to see whether or not those are shoes that were being currently worn. Are they still, you know, good shoes? Did the kids outgrown them?

And what else was there? There was There were backpacks that were no longer being used by her kids. They were actually just there. And so these other items that were being unused, we actually had identified them. And so we were able to let them go.

Some we were able to donate, but the majority we had to actually toss them out. What we did was we added a shoe rack off to the side and we actually made it more aesthetically pleasing. So if there's anything that needed to be hung, we actually used vertical wall space for the backpacks to be hung and for the shoes to be placed underneath. Now this was the space that was utilized. This was in her entryway.

We needed to make it aesthetically pleasing because of the space. This was the only area in her home that we were able to actually create this for her. And now she resets the space each night to keep it functional. The result Lisa said, quote, unquote, I didn't realize how much stress that cluttered area was causing until it was gone, and now it's organized. By the way, did you know that donations to goodwill increased by 45% in January as people decluttered their homes?

So if you donated this month, you're part of a movement towards simplicity and generosity. So please take a moment to reflect. What space are you most proud of for transforming? How has decluttering improved your routines or mindset? Who or what has supported you through this journey?

I love the quote by Melanie Beattie, Gratitude turns what we have into enough. Write down your wins and share them with somebody. Better yet, please share them with me. I would love to hear and inspire others as well. As we move forward into February, our focus will shift to love and renewal.

I know that's a really good topic to talk about. We'll explore ways to refresh your spaces, deepen routines, and embrace new opportunities. For now, celebrate your January progress, whether you tackled your kitchen, your entryway, a single drawer, organizing your linen closet, refreshing up your bathroom drawers and or cabinets. If you took on all thirty one days of the decluttering challenge, I praise you for sure. And remember, every small step does matter.

Progress is progress, and it's worth celebrating. Again, I would love to hear about your January wins, whether it's a functional zone you created, a digital detox, or a new habit that you embraced. Let's inspire and support each other as we move into the twenty twenty five year. Thank you for joining me on this final episode of our January series. It's been a transformative journey, and I hope you feel proud of what you've accomplished, not just in your spaces, but in your mindset and routines.

Remember, every small action adds up step by step, little by little. You're creating a life of clarity, calm, and intention. Until next week, wishing you a week of celebration and gratitude. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe to Organizing with Ease podcast on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners like you who are passionate about living their best lives.

And remember, a new episode comes out every Thursday at 8AM. So mark your calendar and join us. Until next week, take care and keep shining bright.