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We’ve officially reached Spring, which means SPRING CLEANING!! For some, those words sound like torture…but I look SO forward to decluttering, reorganizing drawers and closets where clothes are falling out at you when you open the door, and deep cleaning the house! Spring is in so many different ways a new beginning, a fresh start, and I love feeling that way in my heart AND in my home.
I often have to remind myself of these organizational tips I’m going to share with you, because for some of us (hands raised over here!), it’s hard giving items up that you “think” you “may” use someday in the future. But I’ve found for me, most of those items just give me anxiety by the cluttered feeling it gives me by keeping it around for too long and it most often will not be used anyway.
My husband and I started out in an apartment when we were married and then bought a home that seemed so spacious. I was so enthusiastic about the closets, wooden storage shelves my husband built, and bought a million bins and totes to keep everything in their place. It seemed to work out well for a few years and then we had two boys and the items just continue to pile up! Not only are their a lot of THINGS, toys, baby gear, and clothing that come with having kids, but also a lack of time to keep everything organized. Also, has anyone tried reorganizing a closet while you have two kids running around undoing your work for you! I haven’t by any means mastered organization and I DO have to reorganize closets and drawers that have lost my attention for a few months and therefore, become a disaster. But I love starting fresh and having everything back in their place. Each time, I have tried to improve my ability to keep it organized and find better ways of doing it. With all that said, I’ve rounded up five tips that I’ve found the most helpful for keeping a home organized and clutter free with some items I think are great for helping you reach those goals!
- Keep your kitchen/countertop clutter free– this is so HUGE for me! I always feel overwhelmed and like my house is out of control on Sunday mornings when I’m rushing around trying to get everyone ready for church and out the door on time. This is the day I feel our kitchen is a disaster. It’s the worst and I don’t know why it happens EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. but I’m trying to get better at that! I do know it makes me feel stressed and that the rest of the week, when I’m keeping up on my kitchen and putting things away as I go through the day, I’m more at peace… as crazy as the rest of my house may be. The kitchen is typically the center of the home, where everything takes place, so if you can keep this area clean and clutter free, it really helps your sanity.
Some ideas for keeping a clutter free kitchen/countertop:
- Have a place to sort the mail– There’s ALWAYS mail on the counter, right?! It was like that here, until I decided I couldn’t handle it anymore! Now, the junk mail goes right in the trash and bills or other important items are filed into their appropriate folders in a great wall filing organizer I found at TJMaxx. There are so many options depending on what you want for your own home. You can get a mail holder to hang on the wall to save space (always a yes, here!) or a desk organizer to put in an office or somewhere that works for your family.
- Build a command center – This doesn’t have to be anything crazy. It’s just a nice way to keep the family organized. Something functional that works for your family to keep all of those loose papers that need to be sorted handy. Until you’re ready to tackle those papers (i.e. bills, filed), they’re handy and all in one spot but out of the way. For our family command center, we have 1) a hanging file organizer with folders labeled for bills, filing, and coupons 2) a calendar, 3) a cork board I made with clips to hang important memos, preschool calendars, party invitations, etc., and 4) a saying that’s basically our family motto. ❤ Simple but keeps everything organized and in one place. I’m sure I’ll be redoing it once our kids start school, probably giving each one their own basket for school papers and homework!
- Miscellaneous bin – This goes against all organizational tips… but I’m no Marie Kondo, just a mom of two little boys and trying to keep it together! And I’m going to be real and honest with you. Sometimes life gets crazy and you have 13 different things to do the moment you walk in the door. So, I HAVE to have one basket to put those “loose” items in. Ours is kept on our dryer because we have a first floor laundry. It can be for keys, pens, or anything else that would otherwise be left on the counter. Nothing too big that there’s so much stuff it piles up out of control. A simple basket that will hold a few items is fine so when it is full, I make myself go through it and toss or put items away immediately.
2. Give everything a “place” using bins and totes – When everything has a designated place, it’s so much easier to then keep things organized. Even though you may have to reorganize a closet or drawer every once in a while just due to things building up over time, you have a place to organize it all when there are containers and bins!
Some ideas for keeping closets and drawers organized:
- Drawer bins – These interlocking bins are great for desk and junk drawers. All those little random items (i.e. rubber bands, push pins, etc.) have a place. I have bins under all the sinks in my house as well, to hold things together (e.g. one for cleaning supplies, extra towels/washcloths. Use a magazine file holder or something like this to hold your saran wrap/aluminum foil/baggies. It’s nice to keep like items together to keep them organized and then you know where everything is!
- Linen closet bins – Sometimes you can find decent quality ones at Dollar Tree if you’re looking for cheap. I’ve found a few that hold things like extra shampoos, deodorants, soaps, etc. and they don’t snap into pieces after using them twice. Or if you’re looking for a Pinterest worthy linen closet (who doesn’t love a color coordinated, perfectly organized closet!), these ones are nice! Someday I’ll upgrade my basic, unmatched ones and do something like that, because they’re perfect!
- Cube organizers – These are SO great to have with kids! We have three….or four! Not even sure at this point. Basically, they’re all over my house because they work for every area of the home. Small toys, closet organization, book shelf, TV stand for a bedroom PLUS storage! I mean what CAN’T these do. Here’s a great price on a 6-pack of the foldable storage cubes that go with them.
3. Keep your bedroom neat and tidy – Another one that’s VERY important for me. A cluttered home can be very stressful and overwhelming for those of us with OCD. I try to always make sure no matter what my kid’s bedrooms, playroom or basement storage may look like (I won’t even go there!), I can go to my bedroom at night and feel at peace. For me, that means making my bed every day! It makes it feel tidy and I love starting my day knowing one room is put together. Putting away shoes, jewelry, and clothes at the end of every day. And however high the clothes may be piled up on the other side of the bed from the hubby (any ladies with me here?!), I can’t see from my side, so I leave that mess alone until laundry day!
4. If it takes less than a minute to do, do it right away! – I read this somewhere a while ago and it has stuck with me. Sometimes, I would see so many tasks that needed to be done and would just say, “I’ll do that later.” However, it all piles up and then you have a huge mess to deal with later in every area of the house. Putting the clean crockpot away, bringing a pile of clean laundry up to the appropriate bedroom, wiping down the bathroom counter/sink. Those are all things that can be done in a minute or less and help keep a tidy home so much easier!
5. 15-minutes a day rule – Another tip that I love and read awhile ago. Once you’ve used the other tips to organize your home and every item has a “place”, use just fifteen minutes a day to keep on top of it. It’s time specifically designated to “declutter” and “organize” your home. Take care of the pile that has built up on the counter, put away stacks of clean laundry, clean the bathroom. If you do this everyday, it’s SO much easier to keep your home tidy. This works great for if you’re trying to declutter your home as well. If you’re like me, there’s so much to do everyday! It can seem like you’ll never get through the house with the little free time that you have available. So, use the fifteen minutes a day rule to tackle one small area of the house. I’ve done this before by making a list of all the areas I needed to go through. For example, one day you use that fifteen minutes to re-organize a bathroom drawer. The next day you use the fifteen minutes to organize one area of your closet. This little time every day adds up and can make a huge difference!!
Finally, give yourself some grace, Mama! It’s a lot of work being a mom…raising kids (some while working full time) is exhausting and amazing! Don’t miss out on those special moments with them. However, sometimes being unorganized and having a cluttered home can make you feel like you can’t ENJOY the time with them. I know… I am like that and the clutter overwhelms me at times. Use a designated amount of time every day to declutter and tidy your home, but also give yourself some relaxation and time to enjoy your family!!
XO, Stephanie
Life with a Latte 