November is a great time to organize and clean out your attic or basement zone. It is not so hot or yet too cold for comfort. Also, many of us store our seasonal decorations in this zone.
As you prepare to organize this zone, make a list of all items you store here. The list might include:
Seasonal decorations
Seasonal house items like fans/heaters
Extra furniture and household accessories
Toys or items to pass on to children or grandchildren
Out of season clothing
Suitcases
Sports equipment
Archival paper
Plan where you want each of these categories to live. Items that you do not plan to use in the next year or more should be stored the farthest from the entry. This might include the extra furniture, accessories, toys, and archival papers.
As you place items into their areas, if you come across broken or unloved items or multiple items (how many suitcases do you really use?) that have been hanging around for years, now is the time to let them go. You will feel so much lighter when they are gone and next year, when this zone rolls around again, it will be a much easier task.
Leave space between each zone so that you can safely maneuver to get or store items.
Label all containers. Use large labels that you can see from some distance so that you know what is in each container. Even if a container is clear, it is hard to see what is in it if the lighting is dim. It helps to locate holiday items if you use colored or themed containers to store your decorations, but still label the container with the primary items. This keeps you from having to dig through multiple boxes to find the advent wreath or crèche you want early in the season.
Your organized attic or basement will make decorating and undecorating a much easier chore.
Happy Holidays!
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer