5 Home Organization Tips to Streamline Your Day
Let’s chat home organization and efficiency! I am by no means an expert but ever since I was a little girl I have craved order. Organizing my own home is truly a JOY. I know many of you may not see it that way, but I hope what I share today gives you a sliver of excitement about how a few small changes can make a world of difference.
Let’s dive in!
1. Pantry Jars: I use these for organizing all of the foods that come in bags that are impossible to organize. I kept getting so frustrated at all the half full bags sliding around, falling out of the pantry and getting pushed to the back and forgotten. Then we started shopping at Costco and the bags got a LOT bigger! So these inexpensive jars from Ikea are the perfect solution. They come in a few different sizes, stack well and are airtight. Plus it looks nice! I reserve the top shelf of my pantry for all the refill bags. Once I empty a refill bag into the jar I add it to my grocery list so we never run out!
2. The entry/exit basket: I realize this is by no means a novel idea but man is it effective. It serves two purposes: it is the one and only home base for two things: sunglasses and car keys. So anytime we need one of those items we know exactly where to find them. The second purpose is to home all the little odds and ends that don’t have a home. I prefer this over a junk drawer because it’s a smaller space and it’s in view. This may seem counterintuitive but this helps ensure it never gets out of hand! Once it feels full I dump it on the counter and sort through it to see what I can toss and what I can re-home. The usual suspects are: lip balms, random nails and screws, outlet covers, coins, coupons, checkbook, measuring tape, pacifiers, cards, post its…
3. The Cleaning Supplies Bucket: I love knowing that if I need to clean something I can reach under the laundry room sink, grab my bucket and go. I don’t have to cobble together all the supplies I need, going back because I forgot something. Its quick, efficient and keeps the supplies organized. It also makes moving around the house to clean easier too. It helps that I use my favorite non-toxic cleaner: Branch Basics, for everything!
(If you don’t have a bucket that will work, a reusable wine bag like you get from Kroger or Total Wine works really well too!)
4. Receipt Basket! This is a minor one, and applies mostly to those who budget. But also, how often do you go to make that return and can’t find the receipt? Michael and I track each individual expense into a category on an app called Mint. We love it and it helps us stay in check all month so we can make the most out of our money and (try) not to go over budget in any given area. It’s really hard to know if a $50 Walmart purchase was groceries, toys, clothes or gas without that receipt! Having a place to put them all is really helpful for both of us. At the end of the month I go through them, toss the ones we don’t need and tuck away any I want to keep into an envelope organized by month.
5. The Shared iCal: to all my paper loving gals out there: hear me out! I get it, it took me YEARS to give up my paper calendar, notebook, color coded pens… you know, all the colorful, fun, pretty stuff. There is something so satisfying about writing something down, color coded for each family member… am I right? But here is the deal… I got so tired of having to relay plans to Michael (and inevitably forgetting), double booking ourselves, not knowing what he had going on etc. that we finally decided to make the switch. A trial period really… and after one week of having our calendars digitally synced, we never looked back. We add everything in there: when to put the trash out, when I have a call to be on, when we go to his parent’s house for dinner and of course all the normal appointments and things. Not only do I love that my Apple watch tells me what I have happening next (bonus points- saved my butt a few times) but Michael and I are ALWAYS on the same page with our schedules. My phone tells me when I need to leave for something depending on how traffic is looking, when we hop in the car for a birthday party Michael can open the iCal, grab the address and have it on his phone ready to GPS before I even have the boys strapped in because I put the address in the iCal event. If this feels “extra” to you at all ask yourself… is your current system working well for you? Does a friend try to plan something and you say “I’ll check my calendar when I get home” and forget to get back to her and 2 weeks goes by? That was me! Now I can make plans on the fly. It’s refreshing and glorious and organized. So give it a try!
(And yes yes yes for you non-iPhone users I am sure there is a way to sync your calendar with your spouse… right? Someone figure that out and let me know- I’ll add here!)
Give these a try and let me know how it helps. Do you already do some of these? What is your favorite home organization hack? I would love to hear from you in the comments!