Ideas: Give it Five!

If yesterday's blog left you feeling overwhelmed about where to start, here are a few ideas (by style) that should take between five and fifteen minutes:

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• I know I put it somewhere: Find a home for the surprises you found while considering what's neat and what's not.
• I need to see it: Go through any clothing left on the floor (or dresser or chair or ...) to determine what's dirty and what's clean. Dirty clothes should be put in the hamper or brought to the laundry room. Have a hamper that's sitting there taking up space, but not being used? Open the lid or replace it with a laundry basket. Consider installing hooks on a door for repeat clean clothes offenders (bathrobes are a commonly tossed across the furniture item).
• Drop and run or I like to be busy? Take five minutes to put away items left in your wake. You may stop after five minutes are up, even if there are items remaining to be put away....unless of course you really want to finish -- but stop when you feel yourself running out of steam.
• Cram and jam: Removing one item at a time, sort through one overstuffed drawer and get rid of anything that is outgrown or no longer wanted. (You may need to set a timer for this one, depending on the size of the drawer. Please don't begin by dumping the drawer because that's almost a guarantee this will take more than fifteen minutes).
• I love stuff: Make a preliminary list of ways to weed your stuff. Throwing things away is not the only available option. Can you donate or hand down a once-beloved item, or perhaps consign it or sell it at a yard sale?  More later on alternatives to throwing things away.