“They’s organized.” ~Chicken Run
I have a confession – I am addicted to organization. I drool over the storage tub aisle at Wal-Mart. I browse Staples for fun. I clean out a closet and then open the doors a dozen times after just to soak in the organizational afterglow. This addiction can affect my life – when I am faced with a stack of dirty dishes and a cluttered cupboard, the cupboard wins!
But time management is also part of the allure. Functioning out of a home where everything has a place is just easier. I rarely have to waste time digging through the house looking for something – I know where things are. So OCD tendencies aside, I am going to share a few of my favorite organization principles.
1. Don’t marry yourself to a method. What works for someone else may not work for you. Good organization is ultimately about practicality. Don’t be afraid to change an organizational method when it isn’t working!
2. Life has seasons and stages – and so does organization. How a home looks with an infant isn’t the same as with toddlers, elementary, pre-teens, teens, empty nest, etc. This goes along with point #1 – don’t be too stringent with keeping it the same when it is no longer working.
3. De-clutter! We Americans collect stuff like dogs collect fleas. And then we get bit. My Rules (and again, do what works for you) are:
a. If I haven’t needed/used it in a year, get rid of it!
b. If I haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it!
c. If I “might” need it “someday” and it costs less than $10, get rid of it.
Otherwise, you are just paying for space used.
Exceptions:
a. Baby stuff if you are planning on having more kids. That stuff is pricey! I DO limit myself to one tub per size of clothes – my kids never needed more than that.
b. Seasonal stuff – you may not use all Christmas decorations every year. And many of those are sentimental. But DO occasionally go through those and clean out broken/junk/extras/stuff you just don’t want anymore.
c. Sentimental items: pictures, scrapbooks, baby books, kids’ art, etc. I DO recommend limiting yourself to the most sentimental and not assigning emotion to something not worth saving.
I know there are “collectors” out there who now want to hang me by my toes. But I am just making suggestions to help you organize. Totally optional.
4. Give everything a place! This will help you to de-clutter too because if you are out of room, it’s time to get rid of something! And don’t be legalistic once you’ve placed everything and you find some things aren’t accessible enough. It is supposed to make life easier – so be flexible about adjustments.
5. Invest in some storage devices! This can look very different for everyone, but I personally LOVE plastic storage tubs! Particularly for kids’ toys. Also, packing tape – one piece on the side of a tub, sharpie labeling, and then another piece on top. Easy labeling means easy finding.
I have been known to lament our “spending money on stuff just to use it to store/organize our stuff.” But time and money are closely linked in our culture, and sometimes we spend the money to save the time.
Well, that is a lot to process! Part 2 will be coming soon with more specific organizational tips and some examples of how I’ve done it. In the meantime – happy sorting!
I have a confession – I am addicted to organization. I drool over the storage tub aisle at Wal-Mart. I browse Staples for fun. I clean out a closet and then open the doors a dozen times after just to soak in the organizational afterglow. This addiction can affect my life – when I am faced with a stack of dirty dishes and a cluttered cupboard, the cupboard wins!
But time management is also part of the allure. Functioning out of a home where everything has a place is just easier. I rarely have to waste time digging through the house looking for something – I know where things are. So OCD tendencies aside, I am going to share a few of my favorite organization principles.
1. Don’t marry yourself to a method. What works for someone else may not work for you. Good organization is ultimately about practicality. Don’t be afraid to change an organizational method when it isn’t working!
2. Life has seasons and stages – and so does organization. How a home looks with an infant isn’t the same as with toddlers, elementary, pre-teens, teens, empty nest, etc. This goes along with point #1 – don’t be too stringent with keeping it the same when it is no longer working.
3. De-clutter! We Americans collect stuff like dogs collect fleas. And then we get bit. My Rules (and again, do what works for you) are:
a. If I haven’t needed/used it in a year, get rid of it!
b. If I haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it!
c. If I “might” need it “someday” and it costs less than $10, get rid of it.
Otherwise, you are just paying for space used.
Exceptions:
a. Baby stuff if you are planning on having more kids. That stuff is pricey! I DO limit myself to one tub per size of clothes – my kids never needed more than that.
b. Seasonal stuff – you may not use all Christmas decorations every year. And many of those are sentimental. But DO occasionally go through those and clean out broken/junk/extras/stuff you just don’t want anymore.
c. Sentimental items: pictures, scrapbooks, baby books, kids’ art, etc. I DO recommend limiting yourself to the most sentimental and not assigning emotion to something not worth saving.
I know there are “collectors” out there who now want to hang me by my toes. But I am just making suggestions to help you organize. Totally optional.
4. Give everything a place! This will help you to de-clutter too because if you are out of room, it’s time to get rid of something! And don’t be legalistic once you’ve placed everything and you find some things aren’t accessible enough. It is supposed to make life easier – so be flexible about adjustments.
5. Invest in some storage devices! This can look very different for everyone, but I personally LOVE plastic storage tubs! Particularly for kids’ toys. Also, packing tape – one piece on the side of a tub, sharpie labeling, and then another piece on top. Easy labeling means easy finding.
I have been known to lament our “spending money on stuff just to use it to store/organize our stuff.” But time and money are closely linked in our culture, and sometimes we spend the money to save the time.
Well, that is a lot to process! Part 2 will be coming soon with more specific organizational tips and some examples of how I’ve done it. In the meantime – happy sorting!
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