I would absolutely LOVE to be a professional organizer. What a joy to go into people's home and help them get organized so they can remove some of the stress from their lives. I believe it is a ministry and one I am praying about working toward.
But in the mean time, I thought I would share a few tips and even a few spur of the moment pictures from my own home.
I love boxes, bins, and baskets. I also love hooks, hangers, and ((HUGS)).
Tip number one is to do something everyday. Unless you have lots of time to spare it is usually too overwhelming to tackle a huge project like organizing your home. I suggest taking 15 minutes each day to tackle one small item.
Day 1 - Clean out your 'junk' drawer - yes, you know the one. Here is a picture of mine. Using small drawer trays really works to help keep everything in it's place.
Day 2 - Declutter and organize your laundry cabinet. In here I use bins for small light bulbs, shoe cleaners and brushes and extra laundry needs.
Day 3 - Spend 15 minutes going through your clothes closet - get rid of as many items as you can that you have not worn in the past year - oh, I know you have lots of those - so did I. I use a shoe cubbie in my closet and a shoe rack in the entry closet for sandles. My husband also added a shelf above the closet door for some of my purses.
Day 4 - Clean out one cabinet in your bathroom. Get rid of all those lotions and potions you NEVER use. I use bins in here also but I have purchased may plastic and wire shelves to get extra use out of 'shelfless' cabinets.
Day 5 - During the commercials of that program you are watching - clean out each section of your refrigerator. It only take a couple of minutes to do each shelf. Who needs to watch all those food commercials anyway.
Day 6 - Go through all the mail that has piled up on the table or in some other place it shouldn't be. Make sure you recycle all that horrible junk mail. Better yet - it only takes a couple minutes to go through you mail everyday - I go through my mail each day and keep an in box on my desk for things I must attend to that week. I toss everything else.
Day 7 - REST!!!
I have so many other tips and ideas so here's the deal. If this is something you are interested in reading and seeing pictures about just leave a comment and if enough people out there in blogland show and interest I will add posts like this one more often. It will help me really get more organized and learn how to take better photos.
By the way, though I love organizing, my home is not always in perfect shape and is sometimes even a mess. I suppose I should post a few of 'those' photos someday.
Considering Organization A Joy!!!
Cindy
I love this idea. I think it would be neat for others to follow and share what the did. Maybe pick the same day each week to post. I want to do it. Fun post!
ReplyDeleteCindy
Cindy--thanks for this post. I am going to follow through with your plan for the next week! Keep it up--I need all the help I can get!
ReplyDeleteSome really great ideas.
ReplyDeleteI'm the neat freak and my husband, well lets just say he collects paper:)
thanks for letting me know about national organization day...going in my calendar right now!
ReplyDeletethanks for the great tips...I just love to organize too...my kids call it OCD, lol!
Great practical, do-able post!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to get your organized self into my crazy house. You can use me as pro-bono work to shoot off your new organization ministry....shoot....maybe you'll get to do it for a living one day. Weirder things have happened!
Cindy, I'll let you use space in my Uhaul if you help me organize my closet. Heheh.
ReplyDeleteNo seriously I love this post, it's easy and doable. I'm not organized, I've tried but it's just not in my make up. I even had a poster my dad gave me when I was little that said A clean room is the sure sign of a sick mind. He was extremely organized, and career Army, I think this was how he cooped with a messy kid. :)
Can't wait to see more.
Love,
Carol
Wow, Cindy. You aren't kidding when you say this is a ministry. It is so true that disorganized stuff stresses me out! I am not a neat freak, but my main problem is those three members of the household with the XY chromosomes. Those guys just don't see it. Sigh. But I am so blessed with their messes. Maybe that's a future post over at the Wellblog. Hmmmmm...
ReplyDeleteGreat Idea Cindy..... but where did you get the shoe cubbies? That's what I want.... I would actually then have space above my clothes on the shelf to organize more...
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing that trips me up...organizing all the paperwork from bills, etc that has to be filed.....
I put it in a bin and then one day when it's full to overflowing I sort it file it, burn receipts...etc...
SO MUCH PAPER......
I think your tips are awesome!
Julie
These were great encouragements, small, doable ideas. I don't work outside of the home and I'm still overwhelmed by CABINETS and all that hide in them. I do need to take the attitude of one at a time. More of these posts would be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHooray for this post! I am not great at this, some areas being better than others, but not successful at LONG TERM organization. Hmmmpf!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am ENERGIZED and ready to go (again) on some of these "problem" areas that you have exampled right here!
And I am with you...will mark it on my calendar for next year!
It would be more fun if you were here, coaching me as I go. :)
Looking forward to less clutter and less stress!
I love to organize too. If I lived by myslef I could do it. My husband brings things home he buys at estate sales and auctions. I have to throw out things on garbage collection day while he is at workl LOL I told him if he went first I would have the biggest pile of trash out by the next collection day; I changed it now I told him I was going to sell it all on eBay. LOL LOL
ReplyDeleteYou've done an excellent job at this. I feel I'm organized but maybe not quite this much. I did clean out my bathroom drawers a couple weeks ago. I like organization for sure. I've got many plastic oranizers for drawers...make up drawer, vitamins.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, thank you sooo much for this post. I am in the process (as always) of organising my home. I have to admit that with being at work all day the last thing I want to do when I get home is keep on doing things, but I need to so that I can run an organised home with my daughter. I love your suggestions and and going to implement them here. I have found that doing little bits every night for about half an hour does alleviate having to do everything on the weekend, like today here and with me not feeling well today, it makes the job more massive! I need inspiration to be more diligent in my organisation, and I've found it here. Thank you again! Paula :-)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, you would cry if you came to my house. I totally agree that organizational skills are a gift. I do not have that gift.
ReplyDeleteOur house is clean mind you (I get no credit for that, I pay someone to clean it), but organized is another story. I know it sounds crazy, but my mind just doesn't work that way. I just can't look at a cluttered mess and think, oh, if I used binders or bins or whatever it would be neater. I remember being at a friend's house not too long ago and noticed she had binders for recipes. Binders -I would have NEVER thought of that. I have recipes scratched on all sorts of paper and cards just scattered about a cabinet. I'm a smart person, but not when it comes to organizing!
So, that very long-winded comment was to say, yes, I would LOVE to read more posts like this!
P.S. If you ever go into the business of organizing people's homes, you've got a client in Houston!
I saw your comment at "A View From the Mountaintop" and of course, being a Cindy myself, I had to check out your blog. I also love organizing so I would like to hear more about your experiences with this. My favorite organization book is "It's All Too Much" by Peter Walsh.
ReplyDeletep.s., I've added you to my blog list if that's ok.
ReplyDeleteCindy....first off, I love the new family picture on your sidebar. Lovely!!!
ReplyDeleteNow, you are my hero when it comes to organization!!!! This past week I've been trying to de-clutter from Christmas and organize my home too. I LOVE being organized.
One room however has become the "catch-all" and I was joking with my family this week that I should take a flare gun in with me in case I get lost in PAPER and I'm never seen again!!! Our office/computer room is a scary room. I need help!!! I did purchase a large bin to hold some things that could go into storage, but I need help organizing this room. I took a "before" picture and if/when I get it cleaned up, I'm looking forward to posting this success story, but for now I need ideas. Do you have an office and if so do you have any pictures or ideas to share? I'm not good in creativity. I purchase magazines to get ideas. Once I see what I can do, then I'm great at following.
Keep these posts up. They are a real encouragement. Ok....I'm heading back to the office...wish me luck....
Love & prayers,
Joy
I love these organizing tips.
ReplyDeleteI would like to hear more of them.
Wow! I'm all about hooks and baskets. I love to organize, but between the kids games and work, let's just say the 15 minute/day would be doeable. Thanks for the great tips!!
ReplyDeleteYour home looks sooo organized. Mr P would love this!
ReplyDeleteI stumble into your blog today while googling "National Organize Your House Day" I'm organizing the pantry and will follow your recomendations on getting the rest of the house organized. In a couple of days I'll probably post a picture of the pantry before and after. I'm looking forward to more ideas. Carmen W
ReplyDeleteYou so inspired me here, quess what I did all afternoon? That's right! I cleaned out cupboards under the bathroom sinks. Using your photo's as direction, I went out and purchased some little containers and some wire shelving and I'm so thrilled with the result. Still have one more to do, but I need a couple more little shelves - didn't purchase quite enough. I took "before" and "after" pictures, and I'm amazed at the result.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the motivation. I'm so thrilled to have this cabinets tidy!!!!!!
Keep these posts coming!
Love & prayers,
Joy