Canadian Home Trends Colour & Trends 2014 | Page 78

Hellen Buttigieg’s practical ways to BANISH CLUTTER Is clutter preventing you from feeling at peace and truly enjoying your home? Deciding it’s time to de-clutter can feel overwhelming, but putting it off just makes the task all the more daunting. You don’t have to organize your whole house in a day. Have a look at the Top 5 Offenders below, choose just one to tackle each week, and you’ll be well on your way to a more organized home. Text Hellen Buttigieg An excess of toys Having too many toys in the playroom overwhelms kids just as much as parents. You can cut down on excess toys by rotating them. Get a large plastic storage container, label it Toy Library and place a selection of toys inside. Put the container in storage for several months. Every so often, exchange the stored toys for current toys that the kids are getting bored with. Organze your Closet Put aside about half an hour to step into your closet and pull out any items you have not worn in the past season, while it’s still fresh in your mind. If you didn’t wear it this summer, you likely won’t wear it next, so let it go now rather than store it for another year. For the off-season items you are keeping, remove them from the closet and pack them in under-thebed containers or storage bags. Gifts Your thoughtful family members, friends and co-workers had great intentions when they generously gave you that gift, but if it's not right for you or your home, return it soon after receiving it, and get what you really need; otherwise it just becomes clutter. Does the thought of returning, giving away or selling gifts make you feel guilty? Consider that the gift-giver wouldn't want his gift to become a burden - to be a gift that keeps on taking space and energy. 78 CanadianHomeTrends.com