Smart Tips for the Holidays | Central Arkansas Movers

It’s never too early to begin planning for the holidays. As the season approaches, why not take a few easy measures to make sure things go off without a hitch? The less stressed you are before, during, and after the holidays, the more you will be able to enjoy this special time of the year with family and friends.

Brandon Moving & Storage of Central Arkansas has a few smart suggestions for organizing and stowing your holiday decorations at the end of the season. If you are getting ready to move to a new home, these tips will be especially helpful by showing you ways to safely store your decorations and other fragile items for transport.

First, think about donating unneeded items. As the season of cheer approaches, it’s a good idea to take an inventory of your holiday decorations and other items you might be pulling out of storage. Don’t be afraid to let go of older decorations that are deteriorating, or decorations you don’t have a spot for. Goodwill and the Salvation Army are great organizations that will accept these items and get them to those who are in need. You can even get receipts for your donations and list them for tax credits!

Save wrapping paper to use for packing material. After your family opens a bunch of presents, why not save some of the torn wrapping paper to use as padding for decorations? You can shred the paper into smaller strips and tuck them around your breakable decorations as you place them in boxes. This method is especially good for Christmas lights, ornaments, and other decorations that might break during transit.

Save egg cartons and cardboard shipping boxes. Empty egg cartons are great for storing smaller fragile items such as Christmas ornaments. Shredded paper or other packing material can also be stuffed in around your ornaments to provide extra cushion. You don’t need to hang on to every shipping box from Amazon.com or wherever you shop (these can be recycled), but it’s good to keep some smaller cardboard boxes around to safely store fragile decorations.

Label everything! Use your boxes and egg cartons to organize your decorations by room (or by item type, if that’s easier to pack). It’s helpful to label boxes that contain decorations for a specific room—you’ll thank yourself when the time comes to bring them down next year for decoration, or when you are unpacking everything at your new home.

Getting an early start to holiday prep and following these tips will help you keep the stress away and enjoy yourself during this special time of year. Even if you are busy moving during the holidays, it’s important to devote time to enjoy the season with those closest to you. Following these tips will help you maximize your time to do so! Ready to plan your move? Contact Brandon Moving & Storage of Central Arkansas for all of your moving, packing, and storage needs!

Clutter Removal Tips

Once you decide to start decluttering, taking it one room at a time makes tasks more manageable.  Choose one room to begin cleaning out and organizing – don’t start multiple projects at once.  You will likely be much more productive if you choose one task to tackle and complete before moving on to the next.  The most common places with a lot of clutter are closets, pantries, garages, and kitchen drawers.

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The first step in decluttering your closet is to sort through your clothes.  Get rid of, or donate, any clothes that you have not worn within the past year, any clothes that make you uncomfortable, or any clothes that do not fit.  Next, do the same with your shoes.  Get rid of any that are too worn out or are not comfortable to wear.  All of those clothing items you no longer need can be donated at a local second-hand store.

In the kitchen, begin by getting rid of food you think you will never likely use. Non-perishable food items can be donated to a local food bank or homeless shelter.  Clear out unnecessary items in kitchen drawers, and reorganize frequently used utensils and cookware.  Many people have junk drawers in the kitchen – this is also a good place to clear out clutter and reorganize commonly used items.

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In the garage, extra space can be used to store organized items to reduce clutter. You can start by sorting items—beginning with items that can be thrown away, items that can be donated, and items to be kept and organized. If you have room, organize the items you must keep into boxes or onto shelves, making more convenient to access particular items such as tools when needed. As you begin to sort through your garage, as with other rooms and closets in your house, you may find that you have accumulated things that you have forgotten about and no longer need. Throwing away or donating such items will help maximize the space in your home and will certainly make moving easier.

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Keeping your home decluttered will help if you are preparing to move. Many people find that the smaller items in their homes take the most time to gather and pack than larger items.  You can save time by keeping smaller items in organized spaces and getting rid of excess. This will also make it easier to avoid accumulating unnecessary items that cause clutter.