January 2011 Home Organizing Checklist

Get Organized for the New Year. Here is your January 2011 Home Organizing checklist.

___ Jan 1 Have you made a list of goals for your home for the year? Sit and write out 1 goal for your home for each month of the new year. Then, tackle one goal per month.

____ Jan 2 Mark your 2011 calendar with birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and ongoing tasks and appointments.

____ Jan 3 Clean out one drawer in your bathroom vanity today. Each day you can add another drawer to clean out.

____ Jan 4 Give your linens a once over and see what needs replacing. Shop the January White Sales to replace what needs replacing.

____ Jan 5 Check store ads for sales to help plan your menu for the coming week. Most ads come out on Wednesdays so it's a perfect time to plan your menu based on what is on sale.

____ Jan 6 Start a bag for charity. Clean out a dresser drawer and start putting aside items for donation pickups.

____ Jan 7 Make sure you have plenty of ice melt if you live in a snow/ice prone area. It keeps your walkways and outside steps clear and slip free.

____ Jan 8 Try a new recipe today. Be adventurous and start trying out those recipes you've been clipping. Not only will you have a new meal time adventure, you'll actually know what you really like and want to keep to re-use.

____ Jan 9 Do you save up ironing? Take time today to tackle some of the pile. Set a timer for 30 minutes and work steadily. If at the end of 30 minutes you want to continue, by all means, do so. But if you've had enough, then stop.Chances are you'll have worked through a good portion of your pile.

____ Jan 10 Go through magazines and tear out or scan articles, coupons and/or recipes. Then recycle the rest.

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____ Jan 11 Take time to figure out how much you spent on gifts this past holiday season. Make plans to save that amount in the coming year, a little at a time. At the end of the year, you will have all thec ash you need for your holiday shopping.

____ Jan 12 Change your furnace filter and check your water filter. Your furnace will run much more efficiently if it has a clean filter. Make a note on your calendar, three months out, to change it again.

____ Jan 13 Put a magnetic pad on your fridge door to make not of what you need to pick up on your next shopping trip. Let the family know that if they use the last of something, to write it on the list to make sure it gets replaced.

____ Jan 14 Did you have a lot of company over the holidays? Time for a carpet cleaning. You can either rent a machine and do it yourself, or hire it done by a local company.

____ Jan 15 Washing your hands a lot? Make sure every sink has a bottle of hand lotion nearby to remind you to moisturize after washing.

____ Jan 16 Evaluate how effective your bill paying station is. Adjust as needed to make it function efficiently for you.

____ Jan 17 Go through your medications and supplements and toss any that are expired and replace them. Contact a pharmacist to find out if they have a safe way to dispose of them, especially prescription medications.

____ Jan 18 Clean out your dishwasher. Run it empty after pouring a cup of white vinegar in the bottom. You'll be amazed at how nice it will look.

____ Jan 19 If you haven't yet, set up your files for 2011. Be sure to set up a file to hold all tax related papers so that come tax time you have everything at your fingertips.

____ Jan 20 Start gathering tax related receipts and paperwork into one file for this year's filing. Starting now relieves the stress of finding things at the last minute come April.

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____ Jan 21 Does your oven have a cleaning cycle? Give your oven a good cleaning, but make sure you are at home to monitor it to avoid any potential problems.

____ Jan 22 Clean the top and front of your fridge. It's surprising how quickly a layer of dust gathers on top of it!

____ Jan 23 Spend at least 30 minutes sorting though photos, both digital and hard copy. Toss those that aren't in focus or you don't absolutely love. Offer duplicates to relatives or friends.

____ Jan 24 Make annual dentist and doctor appointments for you and your family, and also vet appointments for any pets.

____ Jan 25 Is your desk looking a bit crowded? Clear off the surface, putting things where they belong. It's amazing how much easier it is to concentrate when you have a clear surface to work on.

____ Jan 26 Do you have a wood burning fireplace? Save the ashes in a container (make sure they have no live coals in them before dumping in the container) to be used in your garden in the spring before you roto-till it. Your garden will thank you

____ Jan 27 Has it been a hard winter? Put up a bird feeder and keep it filled with high fat seeds like sunflower seeds to help out our feathered friends.

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____ Jan 28 It's not too early to start planning your summer vacation. Make a tentative plan of where you'd like to go and start checking on when reservations are needed, especially if you are going to be traveling around the 4th of July or any other holiday.

____ Jan 29 Tired of being stuck indoors? Try renting cross- country skis or snowshoes and get out for an adventure with the family.

____ Jan 30 Do a walkthrough of your home and note things that need to be repaired or cleaned. Pick one item each week to take care of.

____ Jan 31 Use a disinfecting cleaner to go over all door knobs, light switches and cabinet fronts and pulls inside your home. This should help keep colds to a minimum.

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!  FREE Idea-Pak and E-zine filled with tips, ideas, articles and more to help you organize your home, your office and your life at the Get Organized Now! Web site!