Doris Puls

Who thinks about organizing and decluttering in the middle of summer when the weather is beautiful and there are so many activities happening? With family and friends coming and going all summer, it is the last thing we want to think about doing.

One group that does think about it are those who have family and/or friends coming to stay with them. All of a sudden they look around and realize they don’t want anyone to see their messes. Time to get to work either hiding it or decluttering it. Time to call in the organizer before the guests arrive.

Another group who thinks about it is those who have children home for the summer whether they are “big” kids home from college or visiting home from where they have moved out of town; or “little” ones whose rooms have not been organized recently. For those who no longer live at home, parents may want to set aside time to see if their child(ren) want(s) their stored “stuff”. You may be amazed at how much they have moved on with their lives and don’t want their childhood “stuff” anymore.

For little ones, it may be going through toys and resurfacing “lost” toys which may spark interest and keep them busy for hours of fun. It is also the time to donate toys they have outgrown.

With the weather so beautiful, it might be the right time to clean out that garage clutter. Enjoy a gorgeous summer day and take everything out, putting back only what you use. You might even make it your goal to store your vehicle in the garage.

One year-round reminder is: Don’t be hard on yourself! Organizing and decluttering are continuous jobs, and yes, we are busy with our lives and don’t always put everything in its place immediately. This leads to clutter in our homes. But, as long as we don’t let it get out of control, it’s okay to leave messes for a short time as long as we have plans to clean them up on a regular basis. Sometimes that’s when a professional organizer is called to freshen up our living spaces.

Whatever you do this summer, enjoy it while it’s here but don’t let your living spaces get so messed up that you are overwhelmed and not enjoying the great outdoors.

Doris Puls, of D & O Decluttering and Organizing, is a professional organizer whose mission is to make a difference in the lives of the people she works with in homes and businesses. Contact her at organizealpena@gmail.com or at 989-356-9545.