Marie Kondo’s bestselling how-to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up can offer advice for dwellers of small spaces such as condominiums and apartments. To KonMari a 215-sq.-ft. apartment, one of The Kissters bloggers discarded everything she didn’t need and #decluttered entire categories (i.e., clothing, books) of stuff instead of areas (i.e., hall closet, dresser drawer). Figure out what still “sparks joy” and thank the rest for their contributions, she says. And finally, learn to look at your home as a sanctuary in order to keep things #neat and #tidy long after the initial #purge and #oganization is done.
Tag: home organization tips
Purge, Organize and Store Extra Stuff
If your space is stuffed to the gills with junk, a ruthless purge is the first step to a new, more #organized you, says Living Well Spending Less. “If you don’t love something, if it’s broken, if it doesn’t fit, or if you don’t use it, get rid of it!” Then, make an assessment of your storage space: Does it have room for a new set of storage shelves, hooks or bins? Deep-clean the area and invest in a uniform set of bins or boxes; then, reassemble the space, grouping all like items together. “Once you’ve organized your storage space, commit to keeping it intact,” the story says, and you’ll be able to find things when you need them while keeping #clutter to a minimum.
6 Tips to Help Busy Parents Stay Organized
1. Clear the clutter: Before implementing any new strategies, take time to remove the excess from your home. Sort through a drawer or two at night and create a place for everything. Use baskets to organize kids’ toys, games, etc., and while you’re organizing be sure to toss out the things that are damaged and donate the things that you no longer use, but that are still in good condition.
2. Create a cleaning chart: Since you may not be used to cleaning and organizing your home on a regular basis this chart will work well because it will give you some structure. If you can’t find enough time to clean during the week, consider moving some of the chores over to Saturday and/or Sunday. If your children are old enough to help, then by all means, delegate those tasks!
3. Make a weekly meal plan: Each week plan out what you will make for dinner and create a shopping list of the ingredients you need. Here’s an excellent template.
4. Tackle the kids’ rooms: Start by organizing their toys, these 5 tips will help.
5. Get the bathroom in order: First take inventory of your products and throw out medicines that have expired and anything you no longer use. Next, organize the items you plan to keep: get a caddy for bath products, use drawer dividers for items, such as make up, hair ties, brushes, etc., if you need extra space, this terry-cloth tidy is an excellent option and this magnetic strip is great for small items. Store your child’s bath toys in a mesh bag, or in a corner basket and put the toys away after each bath. Save space in the bathroom by donating the toys your child has outgrown.
6. Simplify things: Create go-bags for your home so that you’re always prepared when you leave the house. Fill the bags with snacks, coloring books, crayons, and whatever other goodies your little one likes to have while out and about.
Getting started will be the most difficult part, but once you have a plan in place it will be smooth sailing! Share your organization tips with us on Facebook and on Twitter at @clodonations.
Written By: Natalie Martin
Elliot’s Room by Amy Gizienski Licensed Under CC by 2.0