Starting the New Year Off Right: Clean and Organized

Guest post by Lisa at Blog Content Guild

Just when the holidays are coming to a close and we're coming down from the whirlwind of preparing meals, buying gifts and figuring the logistics of hosting two sides of the family under one roof, it's time to figure out how to pack everything up. If you take the time to pack well in January, next time you have to get the decorations out in late November, you'll be ready to go.

Start with carefully placing each item in a clearly labeled box. It may seem tempting to just dump your lights in one tangled ball into a box and throw some ornaments on top, but in about 10 months you'll be thanking yourself. You might even consider investing in some inexpensive see-through plastic tubs to help you see exactly what you’re grabbing.

Now, if your attic inevitably turns into a sty when left to its own devices like mine does, this might be the perfect time to do some cleaning up. Before you delete this page from your browser and pull the cord from your computer, hear me out! What better time to start a new, clean system than the beginning of a year? You're going to be going into your attic or basement a lot to put up your old decorations and you'll want to have a clear path. If you’re struggling to even see the ground, you know you're in need of some cleaning.

Nate Berkus recommends recruiting your kids for help with a messy post-holiday house. You’ll find that the job goes a lot faster when you have more people working. Throw on a little Christmas music, and you might just have a brand new family tradition!

Just because your family tore your house apart at the end of the year doesn't mean you have to carry that over to the new one. Bite your lip, enlist some help and get moving on getting the house ready for another year.

Lisa is a guest blogger on the subjects of home décor, interior design and Brooklyn storage.