Project Clean Up 2025...Week 4: Organize Gift Bins

 

I always love this week of this cleanup since it requires organization of my notebook. Gifts Organization and let me tell you....

 

 

 Gifts....Gifts Everywhere! 

 

 

Let me let you in on what my gift bins are in case you haven't read my Project Cleanup for this specific week before:
I buy all year long. I begin the day after Christmas and watch out all year for just the right gifts. You never know when you will find that "ultimate" item (and at a great price too) It really saves money and time as you get closer to Christmas.

So, here is my system. Each member of my family has an 18 gallon Rubbermaid type bin that I keep in my garage (younger ones have 2 due to sizes of toys)

 

 

 

 

 Each bin has their initials added to the end. Simple black marker written on an index card and attached with packing tape or get your own self stick labels...you know your storage space, do it the way you like!

 

 

 

I am lucky. My four car garage is a mecca of bins so watch out!!! Could you imagine if the kids were able to get to them? They are stacked 4 bins up just to be on the safe side. Who knows what they may do, but I keep a close watch. They won't get away with anything...

I keep a notebook of all items bought. Just a 70 sheet spiral notebook written in pen. Example of my pages:

Pg 1: Mom
Pg 2: Dad
Etc...

One of these will suffice. 

 

 

 After Christmas, the gifts used have been crossed out and others need to be written if purchased after Christmas. I love to get it written down immediately and put away, but sometimes I have to do a quick run to the garage and items do end up out of place so this week is an imperative week of organizing.

If you would like to have a gift system (and save money in the long run) here are your instructions:

**1 Bin per Immediate Family Member

-Label each end with their initials (index card with marker, tape on with clear packing tape)
-Store all gifts per person in their designated bin (includes gifts and clothing)
-Keep a large Ziploc bag in each bin for smaller items so they don't get overlooked (stocking and basket stuffers, jewelry)

I also have one bin for my extended family (all go in this one together...Mom, Dad, Sisters, etc...) and my husband has 1 bin that covers his extended family.

In the notebook: 

One page per person.
List all gifts on the front of one page.
List all Clothing on the top part of the back side of that page.
List all small stocking/basket stuffers on the lower part of the back side of that page.

Keep notebook and pen in a place in the same area as your bins so you will remember to immediately write down and stay on track.

My notebook seems to go on forever so gifts can get moved around a bit to other people or even knocked completely off if not used in a reasonable amount of time. If that happens, I determine whether to keep in extra bins (*read about these a few paragraphs down) or it goes into a yard sale box.

If you already have this system, simply go through and make sure all items are written down and placed into their designated bins. Be sure to check what you currently have and make sure it still falls under that designated person. Example...are they still within range for a board game waiting in their bin to be gifted, etc...

Be sure to shop all year for Christmas, Birthdays, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and any other holidays!

I also keep extra bins; Women, Men, Girl's, Boys. When I come across nice items for a great price, they are roaring and ready to go for a last minute birthday party, host gift, etc...Also, a place I put items that I choose to keep on hand that were originally purchased for a family member and then never gifted.

Happy Organizing!

I am now in week 5...Great Room cleaning and organization. See you next week!

 

 

 

 

Project Clean Up 2025...Week 3: Organize Personal Items

 

For Week 3, Bill Clean out! This week is all about the personal stuff. I put my hubby on this job every year because he is the one who takes care of all of that stuff. 

 

 

 Find a place to store all of this; paid paper bills and receipts. Label file folders with each month. File per month. Keep in a place where you can get to it once a month so bills do not build up and become clutter. Whether you use a file cabinet, a bin...always have a place to store. Might be important to get a fire proof safe as well for the really important personal papers. 

                        Rid the old stuff. If you no longer need, shred. Not have a shredder?

 

 

 

 

JUST GET RID OF IT! 

Granted, our yard is full of deep snow and it will take a one horse open sleigh to make it to our burn pile, but when we really want to get rid of it, that's where it goes. 

Organize Your Personal Information

Decide where you would like to store this information. Store on computer or write it down on index cards and keep them in a small box. If on your computer, be sure to save a backup copy to a disk or jump drive (store this in your fireproof box) Make sure to completely remove from hard drive if you ever get rid of the computer. 

Label each category so it can be easily referenced. Here are some examples of what to record in each category:

A. Finances

__Your credit score

__Your credit card number(s) and the phone number to call if your card is lost or stolen (do the same for debit/check cards)

__Your bank account numbers and the phone number to call if your checkbooks lost or stolen.

__A budget for your income, expenses, savings and personal goals. 

B. Health

__Allergies (to food, medicine, animals, etc..)

__Your blood pressure

__Health issues that run in your family

__Your cholesterol level

__Your blood type and those of your family members

C. Safety

__Emergency Contact Numbers

__License plate number and VIN

__Current photos of every member of your family labeled with their heights and weights.

__Photocopies of your passport and the passports of your spouse and children.

D. Just in Case:

__Your measurements and clothing sizes.

__Your partner's measurements and clothing sizes.

__Your children's measurements and clothing sizes.

Purchase a Fireproof safety box if you don't already own one. Important documents that should be stored in here may include:

__Marriage certificate                                  __Wills

__Birth certificates                                       __Death certificates

__Adoption papers                                       __Household inventory list

__Automobile titles                                      __Valuable contracts

__Stocks and bonds certificates                   __Passports

Once you have originally completed this system, you just have to check it all for next year. Not so much work. On my end, I use this time to go through and clean out texts, the notes on my phone, unfollowing tik toks influencers I no longer watch...you get the drill.

Week 3 is kind of a break for me as my guy really does his thing. Week 4 though, is Gift Bins. Do you have gift bins? You know, bins that hold gifts you buy for people ahead when you find good deals? Not do this? You need to! Saves so much money! See you soon with details on that! 

I am also pulling Christmas down at this point AND I am painting! That's right. 2 of our older boys have been out of the house for a while and our 18 year old is ready to move into his older brothers' old room. Lots to do in there! Removing everything including large shelves nailed into the walls which means some putty and sanding, paint, wainscott, throwing out things, purchasing new things...the whole shabang! 

 

Will I stay on track or start to fall? See you all next week! 

Project Clean Up 2025...Week 2: Organize All-Occasion Wrap/Gift Bags/Greeting Cards/Stickers

Week 2 is finished and boy did I go in different directions! It's supposed to be Organizing my All-Occasion Wrap/Gift Bags/Greeting Cards/Stickers...and I did, but ran all the way around in circles to do it. 

 

 

As my husband would say, if you give a mouse a cookie....I'm the poster child. I start a project, then think about another one that should be done first, eventually getting back to the original. 

 

 

Onto the list....

The first part hit is always the wrap. I have a big container of rolls of wrap because I do still prefer wrapping over throwing into a bag (don't think I nix the bags though, they have a place as well) In this area, I make sure all rolls are rolled tightly and secured. If I find any torn, I cut it straight and roll. I had just enough this year so, none to get rid of. 

Next is the gift bags (see, I wasn't playin') I still have a ton of these as well. You tend to gain a lot when you have 8 kids with birthdays. These are just all-occasion bags and do not include Christmas (those were cleaned out in Week 1 and made their way to our other garage) I go through these and put in order by occasion; Birthday, Valentine's Day, Easter, Solids, etc...Toss out any that may have come apart and detach any tags on the handles that have been written on and this bin is finished!  

Next is my wrap cabinet. This cabinet is full of little gift boxes, gift card holders, etc...I organized this one really well last year so this year, it was all about making sure I still needed everything and adding things to the bins I created to hold everything that may have not been put away. I am the same with all-occasion as I am with Christmas. I use all kinds of containers to gift. Mini buckets, gift card holders, jewelry boxes, netted bags, wine bottle tubes, etc...

My biggest bin, aside from my greeting cards bin is my tissue paper. I have it separated by color and design. Have you ever noticed how much more expensive colored paper is than white? So, yes, I am that mom who folds her tissue paper after use.

 

 

Hey, no shame in my game. I would rather use that money for something I need. So, a nice color coordinated stack is what I deal with each year.

Next is the Greeting Cards. I usually keep all cards because I do send out quite a bit to various people; family, friends, strangers, but if I am just not feeling a certain card or haven't used and it has been sitting for a while, it goes to the sale pile. These are my files of cards. 

 

I did rid a few this year that have been around forever and not used...

The one thing I did not really get to is my stickers, but I can do those somewhere along the line at night when I am watching a movie. It's piddly, but needs done. I just need to make sure they are in my file box and in the correct areas. I use a lot during the year. 

On this work bench are also a few other fabric cubes. One holds spools of paper ribbon that I use for gifts and gift baskets. There is also one for fabric ribbons. One other for bows. Those stay on the neat side, but I did rid a few spools. 

Check out that fabric one. What am I...80? 

That is all for Week 2. Up next Week 3: Organizing Bills, etc...

See you soon! 

Project Clean Up 2025...Week 1: Organize Holiday Wraps/Stockings/Christmas Cards

Well, I flew through the first week of "Project Clean Up" 2025. My wrapping station is in my Master Bedroom and lets just say, it looks like a mixture of wrap, bows and boxes exploded all over my room. That's right! For an entire month, my room is the hideaway for all things Christmas wrapping. Bags, Boxes, Rolls of Wrap, Tissue Paper...oh my! What's funny about this sad scene is that it is my favorite place at Christmas! There is nothing better than taking my seat, turning on my fave wrap movie, The Family Stone and locking myself away for hours at a time. Kids...find your own entertainment for the night.

 

I just LOVE wrapping!! I do! It ranks right up there with matching socks. (Side note: I love to match socks too) Each gift is wrapped with that individual in mind. From the design of the wrap to how it's wrapped to the ribbon and gift dangle. I put as much time into my wrapping as I do finding just the right gift. Gift bags, gift card holders...they all have their own place as well. I love handing these gifts off to the recipient and see them unwrap! It's worth every second 💓

When January begins, so does my Clean Up which lasts 52 weeks. Week 1 is all about cleaning out, adding to and freshening up my gift wrap bins before sending them on their trek to the garage for the next 11 months. 

First is going through the rolls of wrap. I graduated from a tall box to a tall plastic bin this year. Unfortunately, I cannot fit a lid on this bin. Planning is always on the mind and one day, that bin will magically appear before me at a store. The first job is to look through the wrap and rid any rolls that don't have much left, are no longer a pattern I want to go with or just have not been used at all and won't be. If I have had a pattern for 2 years and haven't used, it goes to the sell pile. I also send wrap from the year that I only have 1 roll left of. I have certain patterns I like to go with per year and they do not always match for the following year. 

 

These rolls are heading out to sell. 

Gift Boxes: I do remove all pieces of tape, match with their bottoms and throw out any torn ones. I have many sizes, but they are all in a nice order. 

I had heck of gift boxes to get rid of this year. I didn't buy much last year, but used a ton this year so I stocked up big time the day after Christmas. Unbelievably, I think everyone gave me back the boxes to reuse and I ended up with an over abundance! 

 

Needless to say, selling off some...

 

Next, I go through my gift bag bin and stack in order by size. Just a few thrown out due to tears. 

 

Next is the gift card holders. I have sleeves, cards, tins, etc....Aren't some of these just adorable? Mini mailboxes, Sweaters and even Santa's wallet. 

 

 

 

Could you just scream in a baby voice?!! 

 

 

 

I do get rid of a few if they are not used over time or if I bought a large package and have too many. Off to the sell pile for these...

 

 

 

 Some fabric ones...aren't they so cute? 

 

 

 

Then you have the paper ones. These are all duplicates. I wouldn't give up all of the cute ones..trust. 

 

 

 

 

 These are my package dangles. You see Christmas tree ornaments, I see a beautifully decorated gift! I buy these on clearance the day after Christmas and watch out for unique ones here and there throughout the year. It's like giving a little gift...with the gift! I just love giving that extra smile, especially around the holidays. 

Sometimes, I don't use all of them and sort through what I have and put into the sell pile. Someone else may be able to use. Now sometimes, I purchase large bags of items and only want a few so what's left also goes up for sale. Here is my sale pile for this year...

 

 

 

 

I have to admit something right here and now. I am a gift tag hoarder. I said it. Not purposely. I always think I am out of tags so I pick more up. Then, pick more up. Then...well, lets just say, there are A TON. I purchase sheets of stick ons, but have also had the old fashioned ones you can tape on for years. I also cut old Christmas cards to use. Ok! I have a problem, I know. I went through my bin and got rid of a few. Here is the highlighted group I got rid of...a real blast from my past! 

I mean, I am 48. Probably about time to pass these onto whichever generation picks up our trends 💗

 

I actually ran low on Christmas cards this year and had to stock up. I only grabbed 2 boxes. Hope it is enough. We usually print a photo that we send out for our closer friends, but keep regular ones on hand as well.  

My tools tin is filled as well. Scissors, tape, pens, markers, ribbon shredders. No searching for anything come next year.

Normally, I pack all of this away and am able to enjoy my bedroom Christmas decor, but due to 2 of my sons getting married this year, I got way behind so the second floor, with the exception of the hallway, did not get decorated. To be fair, our house has 3 livable floors and 2 floors did get decorated (That's 10 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 halls decorated) That's one less floor to take down this year.

Week 2 is currently in full swing; Organize All-Occasion Wrap/Gift Bags/ Greeting Cards/Stickers. The good news is, I am able to do it in front of the tv while catching up on some Christmas movies during these snowy months.

See you all at the end of the week!