5 Ways to Organize Your Home This Winter
October 29, 2024
As winter rolls in and the days grow shorter, it’s a perfect time to shift focus indoors and tackle some organization projects. Organizing doesn’t just make your space more functional—it also enhances comfort during the chilly season. Here are five effective strategies to organize your home this winter.
1. Declutter Winter Gear
Coats, scarves, gloves, hats and boots can easily pile up near the entryway, creating clutter and making it harder to find what you need. Start by setting up a designated area for winter items. Use hooks, cubbies or baskets to store essentials so they’re easily accessible but kept tidy. You can hang hooks for coats and scarves or place a bench with storage bins underneath for hats and gloves.
It’s also a great time to evaluate each item; discard worn-out gloves and recycle or donate anything you didn’t use last year. Keeping only the gear you use frequently will free up space and reduce clutter.
2. Refresh Your Kitchen Pantry
With more cooking and baking happening indoors, winter is a great time to clean out and organize your kitchen pantry. First, take everything out and check expiration dates, discarding expired items. Once the shelves are empty, give them a good cleaning.
Use clear containers to store pantry staples like flour, sugar, rice and pasta, which keeps food fresh and makes it easy to see when supplies are low. Label containers for easier access, and organize items by category (i.e., baking supplies, canned goods, snacks). A well-organized pantry can save you time while cooking and make it easier to maintain throughout the season.
3. Optimize Closet Space
Bulky winter clothing like sweaters, jackets and boots take up more closet space. To make room, consider using vacuum-sealed bags to store out-of-season items such as summer clothes and linens, freeing up closet space for thicker winter garments. Organize your clothes by type and color to make it easier to put together outfits.
Consider adding a shelf or rack in your closet specifically for winter footwear and accessories. Stackable bins or clear storage boxes can help keep everything from scarves to winter socks neatly stored and easily accessible.
4. Create a Cozy Living Space
As we spend more time indoors in winter, the living room often becomes the heart of the home. Organize your space by decluttering surfaces like coffee tables and shelves, leaving room for seasonal touches like candles, blankets or decorative books.
Invest in a few storage baskets or bins to hold items like blankets, magazines and remote controls. Fold or roll blankets and keep them in a basket for easy access. This setup not only keeps things organized but adds a cozy touch, making it easy to settle in for a movie night or evening with a good book.
5. Tackle the Home Office
If you work from home, winter is an ideal time to reorganize your home office. Start by sorting through your paperwork; shred or recycle old documents and file away what you need. Utilize desk organizers or drawers to store supplies so that your desk remains clutter-free.
Digital organization is just as important. Clean up your desktop, organize your files and delete unnecessary emails. A tidy, well-organized workspace will help you stay focused and productive, even on the coldest winter days.
Winter organization doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By focusing on key areas and creating designated storage solutions, you can make your home a welcoming and functional space all season long. Whether it’s decluttering winter gear or creating a cozy living space, these tips will help you enjoy a more organized home this winter.
As we move into the second quarter of another exciting year, I want to take a moment to reflect on our accomplishments and share some of the new initiatives we are implementing in the realms of sales, marketing and community engagement. Over the past year, GBU Life has reached significant milestones thanks to the dedication and hard work of our team and the trust and support of our members. Our sales department has exceeded targets, and we have expanded our reach to more communities than ever before. We have launched several successful marketing campaigns that have not only increased our visibility but have also strengthened our brand's presence in the industry. For this year, our focus will be educating potential new members on the importance of securing their financial futures through life insurance and annuity products while serving their communities as part of our great Society. Looking ahead, we are committed to enhancing our sales strategies to better serve you. We are introducing some tools for our agents to enhance our products. One new tool is our Defined Benefit Annuity program which combines the Future Flex Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) with a software tool that can help determine retirement savings needs and break them down into contributions over time to help you meet your retirement goals. Be sure to keep in touch with your GBU agent to review your plans and products to see how adding an FIA to your retirement planning can help boost your savings efforts
GBU members between the ages of three and nine years old can enter their colored page in this year's contest, which is themed Pawprints on My Heart. Three age categories will be judged as follows: Category I: Ages three and four Category II: Ages five and six Category III: Ages seven, eight and nine Entrants may use crayons, colored pencils, markers or watercolor paints. Entries will be accepted through Monday, August 18, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. The picture on the next page can be reproduced, or copies can be obtained by calling the Community Engagement Team at the GBU Home Office (800-765-4428) or by printing the image above. Cash Prizes for Each Category First prize: $75 Second prize: $50 Third prize: $30 How to Enter Send the three- to nine-year-old GBU member's coloring contest entry with their name and address on the colored page to: GBU Life ATTN: Member Benefits 4254 Saw Mill Run Boulevard Pittsburgh, PA 15227-3394. Or email contest@gbu.org with "Coloring Contest Entry” as the subject line. General Information Judges reserve the right to accept or reject any or all entries. Their decisions will be final. Artwork will be handled at the GBU Home Office with the utmost care. GBU reserves the right to reproduce entries for whatever use it wishes, provided proper credit is given. Permission does not include the sale of such work.
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