Organized Spaces

It is a brand new year, a fresh start that often brings lots of well-meaning intentions to get organized. There are countless tips, books, and professionals to help you get organized. So many in fact, that even deciding what advice to follow can be overwhelming.

Since I love organization I thought I would share my personal top 5 favorite organizational tips. These are five simple things you can do that may improve the function of your home too.

1. Everything needs a place. Stock up on clear totes. Years ago I felt great about getting a bunch of colored totes, but they have caused frustration over the years and I have been transitioning to all clear totes. Despite my best efforts of keeping like items together, there always seems to be some items that fit into multiple categories – clear totes eliminate to need to remember. Also, stick with the same brand of totes to ensure they will stack on top one another.
2. Recycle or file immediately. The mail comes in and anything that is considered “junk” is put into recycling on the spot. Bills have a special place on the desk and should there be anything “fun” in the mail that goes into a basket. Sorting the mail immediately is a simple step that takes only seconds, but doing so means there is never an over-whelming pile to wade through.
3. Keep cleaning supplies in the bathroom. I used to keep a bucket of bathroom cleaning supplies in the basement, but it only came up when it was cleaning day. Now I keep glass cleaner, dusting spray, microfiber towels, and bleach wipes in each of the highly used bathrooms. That means when I have a spare moment and the toothpaste splatters on the mirror catch my eye I can quickly make them disappear without making any special trips or taking extra steps – and that means it gets done more often.
4. Don’t buy anything that doesn’t fill a need or that you absolutely love and have a place for. Less is more. We tend to accumulate things. Things that we don’t really need or have space for and before we know if we have too much stuff collecting dust. Before buying something I ask myself, do I really need this/do I really love this? If I’m not sure, I don’t buy it. This is both budget friendly and clutter busting.
5. Choose being present over being perfect. Home is a place to be lived in and enjoyed, and that means it may not look like a magazine photo. We all have demanding schedules these days and when you have time to spend with your family take it. It is better to enjoy play time with your kids than wage combat with dust bunnies.

Hopefully, these five tips can help you keep the new year feeling fresh throughout the months ahead.