This Week’s Tip Sheet: Simple Ways to Keep Books and Magazines Tidy

Hello beautiful friends and welcome to Week 17 of the Simplified and Organized Home Challenge.

This week we’re working to declutter and organize books and magazines.

And as I’ve shared many times, I love everything about them from the smell of the pages to the sound of the paper as you turn the page.

I love seeing parents bringing their kids to the library for the first time, the excitement that fills the room when someone is telling you about a book they just finished and the sounds of quiet chatter in the bookstore while sweet treats and coffee wafts through the air.

Books and magazines aren’t simply part of my job, they’ve also helped to shape my identity and environment.

Since they’re such a big part of my life, over the years, I’ve learned to set boundaries about what comes in and what goes out to keep them from taking over.

I hope these ideas will help you too.

Now on to this week’s Tip Sheet!

This Week’s Tip Sheet…

Quote of the Week:

“Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” ~ Plato

This Week’s Big To-Do’s:

• Declutter and organize books and magazines
• Learn how to reduce, reuse and recycle in honor of Earth Day
• Start a new book in honor of World Book Day
• Plant a tree in honor of Arbor Day

This Week’s Tidy Tip:

Books and magazines can bring a wealth of joy, but they can also quickly take over our favorite spaces if we’re not careful.

Here are a few ways we combat clutter and keep them tidy…

• Declutter and donate books and magazines on a regular basis.
• An easy way to do this is to place them in a designated box so once you’re finished reading them you can donate them to a charity shop, neighborhood book library or pass them on to family and friends.
• Add an appointment to your calendar so you’ll remember to declutter and donate books and magazines each week or month or use the one-in-one out rule to declutter books and magazines as you bring new titles home.
• You can also designate a specific day in your week to drop off donations.
• Keep magazines organized in magazine holders, baskets or bins.
• If you’re someone who likes to make a vision board at the end of the year, select a specific bin or basket so you can keep those magazines separate yet organized throughout the year.
• If you’re short on storage or are looking for a more ecofriendly way to enjoy books, consider using a reading device such as a NOOK, a reading app like Kindle or listening to a book via Audible.
• Create book boundaries in the areas you read most.
• Honor your book boundaries once they’re filled. For example, if your book boundary is a shelf in your living room, you need to let go of some of the books you have before you bring in more. Same with your nightstand, desk or coffee table.
• If you don’t have a desk or nightstand, place your books in a bag that complements your room. That way, they’ll be easily accessible no matter when or where you’re reading.
• Incorporate reading lamps and lights where possible to create a cozy reading experience.
• If you have trouble focusing and have the extra space, consider reading a specific topic in a specific room. For example, I use my office for reading professional and business-related topics, the kitchen table while reading recipe books and the living room for home décor and diy books. It not only helps me focus but it also provides inspiration for the related topic when my eyes need a break from reading.
• In addition, if you’re someone who likes to underline text, quotes and passages fill a small pouch with reading essentials from highlighters to sticky notes to magnetic page holders so you’ll always have them handy.
• If you’re short on time, travel to work or need a way to relax consider audiobooks. They’re a great way to decompress, catch up on topics you’re interested in, and they give you something to share with others. Audiobooks are especially good if you’ve looked at a computer screen all day and simply need to give your eyes a rest.

Wellness Tip:

Reading is a powerful form of self-care.

It can help you learn a new topic or skill, travel to another world, create something special, imagine something different, de-stress, unplug, and escape. 

Reading can bring joy, laughter, motivation and inspiration.

It can also help with brain health, overall wellness and even sleep.

So, if you haven’t incorporated reading into your morning or evening routines yet, give it a try.

There are so many fabulous writers just waiting to be discovered!

As always, I hope this week’s Tip Sheet has helped.

Cheering you on as you settle into your favorite spot and crack open a new book.

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo

PS: You can find last week’s Tip Sheet here if you missed it.