In case the new year has you in organizing mode like me, I wanted to share some easy tips I came across to help you get and stay organized. These are all things I plan on starting and implementing to keep things in order around here. Pinterest is also a great resource for organizational ideas. You can see my organization pins here.
- Create an evening routine to do before bed and do it each night. Think about what would get your morning off to a good start. Is it waking up to a clean kitchen? Is it setting out your workout gear for the next day? Create a list of things you want to aim to do each night before bed. Mine are going to bed with a clean kitchen and tidying up the downstairs.
- Laundry- If you loathe doing laundry like I do, make it so you are not so overwhelmed. Try washing, folding and putting away one load a day. Or come up with schedules like whites on Monday, darks Tuesday, bed linens and towels on Wednesday and so on. Better yet, have your kids sort their own laundry and once it’s been washed, place it in a bin for them to put away.
- Find somewhere easily accessible to place 2-3 bins, boxes or baskets and label Save, Donate and Sell. This way, when you come across something you no longer use or that your kids have outgrown, you can toss it into the correct box until you’re ready to address it.
- If your home is more than one story, have designated baskets at the bottom of the stairs to put things in that need to go up. Ask that each family member take their items up at the end of each day.
- To create more space in the pantry and for a streamlined look, remove everything from their boxes and use baskets or plastic containers to house your pantry goods.
- Invest in a label maker. You would be surprised how often you end up using it.
- Deal with mail right away. Sort it and toss the junk. Establish a designated mail zone so things don’t get lost.
- Keep an ongoing grocery list near the kitchen and ask family members to add to it as you run out of things.
- Make an a.m. and a p.m. bag or container with all the products you use for your morning and nightly routines. This makes it easy to pull out your a.m./p.m. box, get ready and then place back in the drawer to minimize counter clutter. It also makes packing for travel easy and keeps items you use daily together.
- Use decorative boxes with lids by the bed to hide remotes, chargers, etc. for a clean nightstand.
- Never leave a room empty-handed, always grab at least one thing to return back to the proper spot.
- Staple receipts to the tags of items you buy until you know you’re keeping something, so the receipt is easy to find.
- Use lazy susans in the pantry and fridge to see and reach things easily.
- Plan to go through your house at least twice a year to purge things you no longer use.
- If you need a plan to get started, find an organizational challenge on Pinterest and follow it week by week until every room in your house has been completed. Another great source for motivation and tons of organizing ideas The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals
- Get a pretty tray or bowl and use it as a drop zone for your keys and phone. If you make it a habit to leave them in the same spot every day, they will never go missing!
- Every time you have a few minutes of “wait time” somewhere (ex: car-line), before scrolling through social media, do a quick task like scheduling the dental appointment that’s been on your to-do list or cleaning out your wallet, handbag or glove box.
- Have everyone create a “tomorrow spot” where they can lay out their clothing, sports gear, etc. for the next day.
- Create a daily or weekly to-do list and stick to it.
- Finish one task or project before moving on to the next. In my house, I call this “turn-key”. Don’t start another project until you’ve completed the one prior and make sure that when you finish a project you put everything away before starting something else.
- Stick to the “one in, one out” rule. If your child gets a new toy, have them pick one they no longer play with to donate. If you get a new pair of jeans, find one thing in your closet you no longer wear to get rid of.
- Have a family calendar posted somewhere easy for everyone to follow/add to or create a family calendar that you can all share on your phones.
- Make your bed every morning. I do this every day for several reasons. One, I hate looking at an unmade bed. Two, if the bed’s made, you are not tempted to go back to sleep lol. And if your bed is made, you are way more likely to want to tidy up the room and keep it that way all day.
- Not feeling very motivated? Force yourself to complete one small organizational project (like cleaning a junk drawer). Usually, once you start, you will be more likely to continue and even if you only get one task completed, it’s one less task left on your to-do list;)
- Hate organizing? Find a good audiobook, playlist or podcast to play while you work. It will make even the most boring tasks more enjoyable.
HAPPY Organizing!