After the Holidaze. No New Year Resolutions. Only Declutter Solutions
It’s a new year, and a new you.
And this new version of your best self is going to be devoid of clutter.
Say it with us: I will declutter, I will simplify my life!
OK, we’re not some sort of new age self-help gurus, but you can make simplifying your life a goal in 2022 and beyond, and Trash & Stash is here to help.
Making New Year resolutions is apparently falling out of favor. Fueled by the last couple of years of uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer people are making them for 2022 according to CBS News Poll.
Alright, that’s an easy mental hurdle to scale – just call them something else. How about some New Year Notions?
Better yet, let’s morph those resolutions into SOLUTIONS.
Conjure up a notion to get your decluttering plan in motion, starting with holiday decor and the stuff that’s now obsolete because you got new stuff to replace it for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa.
Some people start packing away the tinsel, ornaments and lights on Dec. 26, then there’s others that wind up turning their Christmas tree into a Valentine’s tree…and then a St. Patrick’s Day tree…and then an Easter tree.
If you’re one of those procrastinators who still has Christmas and winter wonderland decor up around the house and in the yard, take note.
– Jan. 6 was National Take Down the Christmas Tree Day – so you missed an excellent incentive/opportunity to let go of the holidays and get on with your new clutter-free life.
“If you’re one of those people who simply can’t seem to get around the depressing chore, National Take Down the Christmas Tree Day may present you with the perfect opportunity,” according to an excerpt from nationaltoday.com.
😔 Have no fear, you have another opportunity to channel those motivational vibes, because January is also designated as Get Organized Month – so what are you waiting for?
Let’s get organized, get rid of clutter and while we’re at it, make a resolve to recycle and upcycle items that you’re getting rid of too – to keep stuff out of local landfills.
As we’ve discussed in previous blogs, knowing where to start with decluttering is half the battle – and that’s certainly the case after the stresses and excesses of the holidays.
Download Trash & Stash’s free decluttering checklist: https://trashandstash.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Declutter-checklist.pdf
Go Micro
Organizing experts suggest setting very specific goals when tackling clutter.
And Trash & Stash has a very specific solution for a very common problem: what to do with all of the holiday decor you’ve been putting off taking down and putting away?
Shove it back in a closet and forget about it until next year? Throw it in some boxes and clutter up your garage, basement or attic? Drive yourself crazy by commingling your holiday gear with your everyday stuff, creating a maddening sea of alphabet soup in your home? Get rid of a lifetime of memories and keepsakes that make the holidays special?
Wrong answers! All of them.
The right answer is Trash & Stash’s Microstorage service.Organize and store your gear in our customized crates (or we can do it for you), then we take those containers and stash them in our Fort Mill storage facility.
*UPDATE: We are no longer offering microstorage.
When you need your stuff back, give us a holler and we’ll deliver it to your doorstep within a day. This beats a traditional storage facility because you don’t have to lug your stuff back and forth or rent a truck – Trash & Stash does the lugging for you. There are no extra labor or delivery charges, it’s all part of your monthly subscription.
For more details about Microstorage and how to sign up for it, click here.
Microstorage is the perfect solution for storing holiday-related items and decor that you only use once a year. It’s an on-demand solution to decluttering your life without having to purge cherished belongings.
Out with the Old
Let’s say your honey bought y’all a new bedroom suite for Christmas. What happened to the old bed, nightstands, vanity and dressers?
How about that spanking new 78-inch flat panel TV that makes your old one look like a big, fat clunky box?
Maybe your wife gave you a wardrobe makeover, with stylish new pants, shirts and shoes.
A good rule of thumb on reducing the amount of clothing that clutters up your closets and dressers is for every item that you receive as a gift, get rid of a similar item…
For Example…
Maybe Dad received a six-pack of new socks from Santa – that means he should pick out a half dozen old pairs and set them aside to donate, trash or repurpose.
Do not, REPEAT, do not, however tempting, store any of this stuff in the garage because you think you’ll get around to making it useful for your household again. Or that your offspring might need your old furnishings and appliances when they’re out on their own.
If you insist on cluttering up your garages, basements, attics, storage sheds, etc., we’ll be glad to come and clean them out. That’s what we do.
However, we have an alternative solution: don’t let that stuff even get into your non-living spaces in the first place – put it on the curb and call Trash & Stash – or, the other way around. (If there is stuff you want to hold onto, like the heirloom items example we just mentioned, Microstorage is a great option.). In keeping with our community focus and commitment to environmental sustainability, we’ll make every effort to recycle items we haul away.
For more details about Trash & Stash’s curbside option, click here.
Evergreen Green
Make sure you recycle that dry-cut/real Christmas tree, too.
If you don’t put it in the curbside pile that you want Trash & Stash to take away, here are some green-minded tips for responsibly disposing of your tree.
If you have a pyromaniac streak and are hell bent on seeing your fir go up in flames, have some restraint there Fire Marshall Bill. Do not throw it in the fireplace.
Why?
First off, it is highly flammable, will go up in flames extremely quickly, causing smoke to pour out into the living spaces in your house and potentially spit out sparks that can catch your furnishings and carpet near the fireplace on fire. Also, typical Christmas trees – pines, firs and spruces – contain high levels of creosote which can damage fireplaces, chimneys and flues.
Considering its flammable nature, it’s a good idea to get your tree out of the house as soon as possible as the more it dries out the more a fire hazard it becomes.
That being said, chopping up your tree and using it as a firestarter in your outdoor firepit or chiminea is perfectly acceptable – and quite effective.
More eco-friendly options include grinding your tree to make mulch, taking it to a recycling center that is designated as a grinding spot, or if you have a pond or lake on your property, you can submerge portions of the tree to serve as habitat enhancement for fish and other aquatic creatures.
