It’s that time of year — for reflection, resolve and renewal. If one of your goals this year is to (finally corral the clutter in your house, pull up the left side of your brain and take note. Here are some tips to help you tame all those wayward whoosie-whatsies that pile up before you know it.

Toys, Toys, and More Toys

Birthdays, holidays, and visits from Grandma can add up to a whole boatload of toys in nothing flat. Store toys with lots of small parts in clear Tupperware-type containers. Small parts won’t fall out and get lost, and kids can see at a glance what’s inside. Another good toy-storage option is a shelf of open bins. Balls, cars, dolls, and blocks can live with their mates in each bin. This keeps toys organized and can turn clean-up time into a fun sorting activity that might actually keep kids interested until the room is picked up.

Store away books, crayons and other play things in a designated bookcase like the Pottery Barn Kids Schoolhouse Storage Cubby ($249 each shown above.

What to do for toys that migrate all over the house? Designate a toy basket in the rooms your kids like to play in — some can slide right under the coffee table — to toss toys into for a quick clean-up.

Then, once you’ve organized the toys, “Make a practice of weeding them out with your children once or twice a year,” says Sue Mathes, a mother of two in Chandler, AZ. Before a birthday, a toy-focused holiday, or the change from winter to summer, are great times for a clean out.

Little Helpers

If your little one is eager to help out, or if you’re eager to give them a kid-size job to do, try letting them make their own bed. Instead of a full set of sheets, try using just a fitted sheet and a comforter, which will be easy for them to pull up all by themselves.

Tub Toys

Tired of tripping on rubber ducks and plastic boats every time you shower?
A mesh toy hammock with suction cups keeps toys from ending up underfoot, but still handy at tub time. Plus, tossing toys into the hammock at the end of the bath makes for good clean-up time fun.

Little Masterpieces

From those first finger paintings to class projects involving countless popsicle sticks, our kids amass an enormous body of work in a given year. What to do with those little masterpieces once they’ve done their rotation on the fridge? Try buying an artist’s portfolio or a 3-ring binder with plastic sleeves for each of your kids. Toss drawings and schoolwork (with the date of creation penciled in on the back into the divided pockets throughout the year, then at the end of the year, go through it together. Throw out what no longer seems remarkable, and file away the keepers. Store 3-D projects in divided boxes like the ones designed to save Christmas ornaments and decorations.

The Curse of the Parent Paparazzi

Digital cameras allow us adoring parents to be completely snap-happy, storing hundreds of photos on that tiny memory card. But when it comes time to download, what a mess! Get in the habit of downloading photos monthly (perhaps at the same time you sit down to pay bills. Then DELETE all those not-quite-right photos you took while trying to get the perfect shot. Once you’ve winnowed down to the shots that are really worth saving, transfer them to a photo website like shutterfly.com or kodakgallery.com, and create an album of the keepers by date or by subject. With just a couple of clicks, you can send the album to family and friends, or order prints of any photos you’d like to frame. Then, be sure to back-up your photos onto a CD or DVD a couple of times a year.

For film cameras, once you get your prints back from the photo shop, toss any flubbed pics and slide the keepers into a little album, or label the envelope by date and subject and file it in a photo file-box.

Who’s on First?

The more kids you have, and the older they get, the more complicated it is to keep everyone’s schedule straight. Try a dry-erase calendar — some are even magnetic and can stick to your fridge — and use different color markers for each family member’s activities.

Toss it!

The secret to avoiding paper pile-up is the one-touch rule. Handle the papers coming into your house just one time — to file or throw away — rather than letting them pile up to be dealt with later. Regina Leeds, a professional organizer, explains, “The key to organization is to immediately eliminate what you don’t need. Jot information on your family calendar and then toss the paper it came on.”

Same goes for mail — junk mail gets put in the recycle bin right away, bills get filed for paying, and notices get entered on the calendar and then tossed.

The Morning Rush

We’ve all been there. The jacket is on, the books are in the bag, the school bus has just turned the corner… but WHERE ARE THE MITTENS?! Create an area right by the door where jackets (with scarves, gloves and hats stuffed into a sleeve, book bags, and sports equipment go when they come into the house — every time they come into the house.

And fear not, if, try as you might, you just can’t get yourself to stick to your New Year-Organization Resolution, a little mess might just be good for you. Push that pile of stuff off your favorite armchair, sit back and read A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder by Eric Abrahamson and David Freedman.

Ahhhh, I always knew there was method to my messiness!

–Karen McMillen

Karen McMillen is a writer and filmmaker living amidst a moderate amount of clutter in the Boston area. Send her a note karen@themommytimes.com