From the Desk of Clearissa’s Command Center/Divinely Organized
Hello! I hope you are feeling relaxed and peaceful today. I hope you’re excited and wondering what we are going to organize today. I can feel the anticipation. It’s not as messy or cold outside today so instead of hot chocolate, let’s grab a cup of green tea and get started. Today is day ten of our 21-Day Home Organization Challenge, but if you have missed any of the earlier challenges, you can find them all here.There is always time to catch up so on to day ten!
The concept is that I will suggest a 10 minute assignment daily for the next 21 days. You read that right I am only asking for 10 minutes out of your day to spend on each area/project. I guarantee you will see a difference when the challenge is over. The challenge begins on January 6, 2015 and ends January 27, 2015.
Yesterday’s challenge was a bit serious but today we are back to fun and lightening up our spaces. Do you have favorite magazines? Do you like the feel of a magazine in your hands instead of a Kindle? Do you pay the ridiculous magazine prices just to get your favorites into your hot little fingers? Me too! We are one. 🙂 The problem with that mindset is that once I pay the $4.00 + for an O or Southern Living magazine, I do not want to just throw it away. Even after I have devoured it and read it cover to cover. There is always an article I promise to get back to and with my decorating magazines, there are always ideas I want to keep for later. Guess what happens after about a year of that? I’ll tell you what happens…you end up with stacks of magazines that you never go back to. So today, we are going to find a more organized way to deal with this issue. Today we are going to settle in and organize/dispose of and organize our magazines.
Remember to set your timer or alarm on your cell phone so that you do not get involved and spend more than the allotted 10 minutes (that would be a disaster). Just kidding, I realize sometimes organizing can become addictive.
- First step, gather all of your magazines into one place. Don’t cheat, get the ones you have hidden in the bathroom as well.
- Let’s get our thinking process into place. We have to decide on the criteria we will use for disposing of a beloved magazine. Do not start the timer until you have decided on the criteria.
- if you are saving a magazine because there is a recipe you want to try or a room with a style you want to duplicate, tear out the page(s) you want to keep and start a scrapbook/binder.
- If you are saving a magazine because you think it’s going to become a collector’s item…well I don’t want to tell you how to invest, but do you know how long you will have to keep that magazine. And besides, we can now read magazines online. I’m just saying.
- Finally, if you are keeping the magazine for sentimental reasons – don’t! Let it go!
- The only reason I can fathom to keep a magazine over 2 months is because you are going to share it with someone else.
- Now you can start your timer.
- Separate your magazines into three piles, the ones that are in horrible condition and are good for nothing except the recycle bin, the ones you that are in good condition and can be donated to hospitals, doctor’s offices or, depending the subject matter, schools, and finally, if you think there is a market for it in your area, the ones that are in great condition that you may want to try to sell for less than you paid for it. No you will not make a profit; but you will get something back. My neighbor does this every time she has a yard sale and I thought she was nuts. But recently I read a blog where someone suggested the same thing. So there must be something to it. I’m game.
- Okay so the rest is simple. Pull the pages you think you want to keep. I hope they are tagged in some way, or this project could take a bit longer than 10 minutes, and place them in the recycle bin.
- Put the good ones in a basket and place the basket in your car. I am betting that if the basket is in the car and not in the house, you are more than likely to drop them off sooner at the hospital or doctor’s office. I do this, they will be so grateful. 🙂
- Finally, the ones you have decided to sell at a yard sale should be placed in another basket. But please set an “if not sold by date” and if the magazines are not sold by that date, you will share them with a non-profit as well. I would suggest a month because by that time, you are purchasing a new magazine. As an idea, you could advertise them on Instagram, Twitter, or one of the other sites that can help you get the word out. Some folks won’t mind at all being a month or so behind if the price is right. 🙂
There you have it…another 10 minute challenge under your organization belt.
Note: Do not keep magazines under the guise of selling them just to keep them in your possession. Be honest with yourself or this challenge will not work. Of course there are so many cute ways to organize magazines like the pictures I’ve included in this post, but please, do not keep all of those old magazines just because you can. Keep a couple and gift, recycle or sell the rest.
On another note: as I go through this 10-minute per day challenge, I am also keeping a journal. Today’s journal entry – Although I love the pages of a magazine I will read more of my favorites online and save those special pictures I want to archive on my computer, cloud, Pinterest, Endnote, etc. You see, the possibilities are endless. I will also set up a rotating system so I don’t forget to keep the cycle moving along on schedule. Perhaps something like the photo below. My goal is to only have 3 months of magazines physically in my home at any given time. We can do this!!
Enjoy the rest of your day…Enjoy your 10 minutes of organizing and remember…A place for everything and everything in its place.
Visit my site tomorrow for your next 10-minute challenge. See you there!
#cccc #divinelyorganized #organization #allthingsarepossible #day10, #21daychallenge
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