Our lives are busy and it’s not easy to stay organized. As someone who has been a busy single mom, and now a business owner, I offer the following tried and true 10 easy tips to stay on top of it (or as best you can!)
1. THE DONATION BIN - Having a strategically placed bin or basket in your home for ‘DONATION’ attracts cast-offs of clothing, toys, books and other household items not longer needed or used. A monthly trip to your local donation drop-off organization puts those items to good use – for someone else to love. Only keep items you love and actually do use.
2. CLOTHES CAPSULES – How much easier it is when your wardrobe is pared down and everything goes together. This reduces morning stress when deciding what to wear. Both children and adults can use this concept. Start by working around your favourite colours and items to keep it simple and easy. There is plenty of information online to get you started.
3. A FAMILY AFFAIR – Involve everyone in keeping your home clean and tidy. It's important for kids to learn how to respect and manage their stuff too. Have a monthly ‘tackle day’ with the family to organize and stay on top of clutter. Make it fun. You may even locate missing items (such as socks!) along the way!
4. CLEAN THE KITCHEN – A great habit to start, and maintain, is to tidy your kitchen each night so it’s ready for you in the morning, fresh for the new day ahead.
5. SUNDAY FOOD PREP – A little prep work before a busy week gives you a head start and sets you up for a smooth week ahead. Pre-chopping for meals, lunches and snacks for the week and planning ahead for theme weekday meals. Once again, get everyone involved, don’t be afraid to delegate!
6. HAVE A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING – It goes without saying that you should have a spot for everything as it makes life so much simpler. Create go-to spots for keys, purse, and easy access to hang coats and put away shoes. Make sure your spaces are categorized, its hard to stay organized when you have a mish-mash of items together that don’t make sense.
7. MAKE YOUR BED – It takes 30 seconds to make your bed in the morning and it’s something you’ll really appreciate at the end of long and tiring day.
8. THE 10 MINUTE WEEKLY FILE – Managing paper and mail in the home is important to stay on top of. Have an inbox where you put mail when you get home. Then have a place for both pending and "to file" items. Keep your file system categorized, school/health/business/etc. Spend 10 minutes at the beginning of each week doing a quick file and addressing any pending items.
9. SIMPLY GET RID OF STUFF! – Minimalism is growing in popularity and its approach requires some serious stuff restraint, while providing a reminder to evaluate what's really important in our lives. Our kids learn a lot by watching what we do and what we value. Managing your stuff now will give you more time with family, and save you time and money in the future.
10. HIRE AN ORGANIZER – This is one of the best ways to get serious about clutter and setting your home up for success. A professional organizer helps you recreate your space so that it functions best for you and your family. Book a consultation to get ideas that you can do yourself or have them work with you. You'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner!
