A Truly Organized House

It doesn't exist in my world, but a truly organized house is one of my favorite things. Unfortunately, it's a pipe dream right now for me. It's not that I can't organize my things -- it's just my other "helpers" around the house keep me from staying organized. Grrr.... It's super frustrating to me really. But I'm trying to stay relaxed about it. I want my children to grow up in a house that is nice, clean and tidy, but not so clean and so tidy they don't think that they don't live there (at this point I don't think this is a problem).

With all this in mind, though, I saw some great articles from REAL SIMPLE that I thought I'd share. They have some great ideas on how to organize belongings and reuse items that you already have on hand to get that way.

Here you go:

The Well-Organized Kitchen

Click on above link to read about organizing your kitchen

12 Organizing Solutions for Any Family

While I don't necessarily agree that all of these tips would work for any family -- here are my top two out of the twelve that I think would work great (at least for me).

File It

Loose-leaf binders in Lauri and Douglas's office hold schoolwork and drawings, organized by year, for each child. "My kids are prolific artists," says Lauri. "But when I walk into my office and there are stacks of papers, my urge is to chuck what's not brand-new. Having this system right next to my desk enforces discipline, so I make myself put things away. Later I go through the books with the kids and say, 'Do you want to keep this?' " A felicitous by-product of the system: The children can grab one of the binders themselves and instantly access work from last month―or last year―and celebrate the progress they've made. "It's nice to get perspective and feel proud of how much you've learned and achieved."

Think Commercial

Lauri found plastic cereal dispensers―"the kind you see at every breakfast buffet and college dining hall in America"―through a restaurant-supply company after a quick Internet search. She placed them on a low kitchen counter that the children can easily reach so they can serve themselves. They just grab a bowl from a stack on the built-in shelves, open the spout, and they're done, says Lauri. Meanwhile, she and Douglas get to steal the occasional sleep-in.

Cereal dispensers: For commercial units: $128 each, displays2go.com. For smaller ones: $30 each, kitchen-mart.com. 

Turn Clutter into Storage and Decorating Solutions

3 Clutter-Busting Concepts

These three key steps will get you on your way to making order in your home using basic everyday items.

1. Contain 

Enough storage space is, of course, the Holy Grail of any household. But solutions to the problem are probably littering your closets and cupboards right now. Use monochromatic boxes, wooden crates, berry baskets, and empty jars to stash anything from mementos to old files, paper clips to dried spices.

2. Repeat

Transform stray containers or collectibles into a decorative tableau by clustering like objects. Consistency produces a neater look than a random assembly does―and while one or two may look arbitrary, a group looks like art.

3. Repurpose

Although your lidless sugar bowl and your wobbly chair no longer serve their original purposes, they're far from useless. You can eke a second life out of idle treasures by assigning them new functions―and, in so doing, add style to the surfaces they grace.

Create Your Own Desk Organizer

Don't be limited by prefab desk organizers that don't have enough of the right-size compartments. Instead, use miniature loaf tins to design your own portable system.

To buy: Loaf pans, $1 to $3 at baking-supply stores.





 Well, this will definitely help me get started. I make little improvements here and there. It takes me a while to see what is the actual need vs what is really going on --- sometimes I'll have some clarity about a room when I'm in bed and just going to sleep (or waking up). It's like my own little AHA moment. From there I'm able to make the necessary changes. I've also gotten inspiration from friends and family members who have been over to my place. They're able to see it with fresh eyes (and no attachments) and are able to help me have a clearer vision about my place and my expectations.

I also really enjoyed the second article I posted (12 Organizing Solutions for Any Family) -- the mother gets a lot of her ideas from different stores. She came up with an idea for her family by noticing a display up by a cash register at a local boutique. Love that!

Well, as long as you don't expect my house to look perfectly organized you're more than welcome to visit. And if you do come over -- please give me some constructive feedback!!

Hope you enjoy!