The scary thing is that most of you probably don’t even know the trouble we’re in.  Oh, you think you have things to do this month, you know December will come before you are ready, and you think you are on top of what you need to get done.

But wait.  There’s something that should be done in every house in late fall, and most of us don’t think of it until it’s too late.

If you have a child, or children, and you exchange gifts for a certain winter holiday, have you given any thought to where all the gifts might live after they are unwrapped?  Take a moment to remember ten or eleven months ago.  How long before all those new toys found a home?  How long before they actually had a place where they fit and could be tidied away?  How long did you trip over them in the family room or on your child’s floor?

It’s time to be proactive.  Don’t wait until you have houseguests, meals to prepare, and a holiday to pull off.  This week, next week, as soon as you can, get going.

• Go through kids’ rooms and toy rooms, sorting and organizing.  Put similar things together, contain what you can, hang things up, and generally get things off the floor and get rid of piles.  You need to see what you have, and what you can get rid of.
• Get rid of anything that you and your kids know should hit the recycling bin or garbage.  The scribbled on notepaper that your preschooler took a pencil to?  If it wasn’t a first, and you have 27 sheets of the same scribble, recycle the extras.  The paper towel rolls, the used up bubble wrap, all the stuff that somehow was scavenged by your children – it all needs to go.  Get them to help by reminding them that they may be receiving something new that will need a new home.
• Hopefully by now you have had everyone try on all the winter clothing you were storing.  Go bag up all the items that didn’t fit and put them in your car to donate.  It’s cold, and someone else could benefit from a coat, extra mittens, or boots.  And you might need room in your closets.

Look for ideas that will work in your home to contain clutter and free up space.  You might be able to repurpose containers or crates you own, or find some used to cut down on costs.

I love these ideas:

–          Rustic wooden crates to suit a natural decor
–          Colourful totes and containers
–          Low storage for young kids
–          Under the bed storage for tight spaces
–          Toy cars need a home too
–          Hijack a closet and get it all out of sight, out of mind
–          Art supply storage for those crafty kids

And don’t forget, as you sort, you might need some toy organizing labels!

Good luck making room for what you know is coming in December!