1. Docking Station
Have kids in school? Create a “docking station”. This is a station close to a door that is a place to hang backpacks and lunch pails. Possibly put your shoes and jackets or any “extra gear” from the day. This does not have to be an expensive piece of furniture! I love the one to the left because after painting the lower half of the wall, she put a border on it and bought hooks. Hung a cute calendar for the month above, a mail slot, and done. Simple but effective.
2. Organization Bins
Let us talk Linen/Bathroom closets. Especially in small places. The clutter! Am I right?! Before you know it, you open the door, and lotion bottles and hair dryers are falling on your head! Immediate frustration. BINS ON BINS ON BINS ON BINS. The dollar store has clear bins like these that you can label. If you do not have a label maker or don't want to pay to have some made just get a sharpie! Once again, a simple thing that can take away so much stress.
3. Matching Bins
Speaking of bins. Let us talk bins. Rule #1 if you are going to go the bin route, make sure they MATCH. Nothing screams chaos more than when opening a door, seeing 10 bins but all being different sizes and colors. We are trying to eliminate stress not create it. Places like Home Goods, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx are great places to find similar bins like pictured but at a discounted price.
4. Organized Pantry
Because who doesn’t love an organized pantry. We spend a ton of time in our kitchen as a family. One of my boys is always wanting a “snack”. An organized pantry not only looks good and feels good, but it teaches my boys independence. It helps them learn to get their own food which then frees up (a little) time for me. Clear bins are good for things that come in boxes, foods that you can take out of a box to eliminate the mess. Think cereals, goldfish, pasta, etc. Bins with labels are good for packaged items. If you can see all your food, you are also not wasting your food because you now know what you have so you don’t overbuy!
5. Clear Bins
Your refrigerator! This is a place that can get real dirty real fast. Foods spoil, they leak, they go old and stink. Say no more! Run, do not walk, and begin organizing your fridge TODAY. As the place that houses all the food that we put in our bodies, it's crucial we keep it clean. These clear bins make it that much easier (my favorite is the clear egg bin). This is going to keep your food fresh and from you having to throw out so many products. Again, if you can see it, you will eat it.
6. Laundry Room
As a woman, I dream of the day where I will have 2 washers, 2 dryers, and ALL the space in the world to do laundry. Having a family laundry is something that can get really overwhelming really fast. SO hard to keep up, right? As someone who has a small laundry room, we recently took off the bottom drawer to our front loaders and added a wooden top similar to what you see on the left. This made all the difference in the world having such a small space. I now have somewhere to fold my laundry! I purchased similar bins to what you see (at Home Goods) and we built shelves. Now everything has a place and it's much more enjoyable when I am getting the mud stains out of my boy’s clothes! (hang in there Mommas!)
7. Little Makeup Bins
GIRLS!!!! If you aren’t organizing your makeup and products you are missing out on the beauty of all the things! I love a good makeup brush and by just tossing it in my makeup bag all those years, I found myself getting frustrated at how dirty they would get. NOT ANYMORE! The dollar store has some great little bins that you can use! Add them to a drawer, a closet, or create a space for you! YOU ARE WORTH IT!
8. Drawer Organizers
Tight on space? No worries! Too many clothes? It's fine. Drawer organizers are key! And they have TONS for you to choose from. Get on Amazon and go to town!
9. Everything In Its Place
Whether it’s a child’s playroom closet or your craft closet, find its place! In these types of scenarios especially when dealing with children it's good if you can see what you have. Think markers, crayons, playdough. This stops them from making a huge mess and learning where things go, which then, in turn, helps you.
10. Pull-out Drawers
An area that can typically get overlooked is under the kitchen sink! It can become a store-all-junk-cabinet if you are not careful, and then before you know it, one of your kids is trying to drink the Windex! Pull-out drawers are great for these areas to store trash bags, sponges, and even cleaning supplies.
The key to organizing is not trying to do it all in one day. It's taking a project and completing it. It's little steps that will allow you to have peace of mind and not so much stress, because every. single. time. you open a door, you are terrified what will come out of it. It is knowing everything has a place. It's finding a system that works for you and your family to help make your days run a little more smoothly. At AWay Home Loans we know the value of a home. We know the joy it can bring, and we hope this helps make yours a little easier to manage.