It's All About Being Organized

I have been an organizational enthusiast for longer than I can remember.  My parents were both highly organized individuals and my Mom kept a very neat and tidy house.  So, I pretty much came by it naturally.  I do not even give it a thought any more, it's just as natural as breathing for me to be organized.  I think an organized life is a more productive life and a less stressful life.  But, to be organized or not is a personal issue and it truly does not matter to me if anyone else is organized  or not.  Well, that is unless their lack of organization adversely affects me. ~smile~ To each his own. 

I have done a few organizational presentations over the years and I love sharing tips with others that might be helpful to them.  I've had a few folks ask me to share some of my favorite tips on my blog. It seems that folks think more about getting organized at the beginning of a new year than any other time.   I do hope that you will find a helpful tip(s) from what I share today.  And, perhaps you already do some of these, but maybe there will be something you've never tried or known.  Okay, let me get started.......... AND, just so you know, this is a longer than normal post. 

I hope that you can see that this is 3 separate pictures of 3 separate drawers in my kitchen.  I love keeping my ziploc bags and various wraps in drawers that are easily accessible.  You may not have enough drawer space to do this and if not, just do the best you can with the space you have.  I have a spice drawer that has a rubber runner in it to keep the spices straight and neat.  Any drawer could be made into a spice drawer with these runners.  Any space can be organized no matter how large or small.  Many have the idea that it takes more space to be organized but such is not the case.  The less space you have the more important it is to be organized.  And, the more space you have the easier it is to be lax and messy, so it's important to be organized in either case. 

Top left: This is a divided basket container than I use on my kitchen counter as sort of a "catch all." It keeps it easily accessible and neat. Top right: This is a triple divided utensil holder that keeps them very handy and I have them sitting on the counter near the stove.  I have seen these holders at Tuesday Morning many times.  I love the dividers in it and it is really big. This sure beats trying to find a utensil that's just been thrown in a drawer. ~grin~  Bottom left: I have a heavy duty flatware holder and some other organizing trays to keep the other items organized and not just laying loosely  in the drawer.  Right bottom:  This is where I keep all things "coffee."  I'm sure you all have seen the coffee pod holders and then I found this cute wire coffee cup at Tuesday Morning to keep more pods in.  I'm always on the look out for items that are cute and would be usable for organization, especially if the item will be in clear view. 

Top: That is my kitchen "junk drawer." Just because it's a junk drawer doesn't mean it can't be organized.  There are sooooo many different trays that one can use to organize drawers and that's what I used.  You can see the various sizes.
Bottom left: This is a picture of a few of various containers I use for organizing. You can find them at Wal-Mart, Target, Dollar Tree and a host of other places..
Bottom right: This is a cabinet in the laundry room where I have light bulbs and various other items stored in larger containers .

I'm pretty sure most all of you know about these dandy little pill containers.  I use these for both our medications and our vitamins.  Who are earth wants to take the time to open medicine and vitamin bottles everyday when you can use these.  I do mine and Hubby's once a month and then I place them in one of the little rectangular containers with our names on it. 

Top: That is a divided laundry hamper on wheels that I keep in the laundry room.  I've used one of these  for years and years.  I love having our laundry sorted when I go to wash it.  There are 4 sections and that's all I need.
Bottom left: This is a larger container that I use to put kitchen towels and cleaning rags in until I'm ready to wash them with a load of towels.  It sits on the counter in the laundry room. 
Bottom right: I found this awesome basket type container at Tuesday Morning several years ago and it's the perfect size to hold clothes hangers and sits on top of our dryer.  I do have a nice hanging bar in my laundry room but having the hangers in this are far more convenient when I'm needing to hang something up when I take it out of the dryer. ~convenience is important and a time saver~

Okay ladies, if you do not store your jewelry like this, you may want to after reading this. ~smile~  I keep all of my jewelry in small ziploc type bags.  They are actually bead bags that come in various sizes that can be found at Michael's, Hobby Lobby or any other craft store.  I put my necklaces in the larger bag, my bracelets in a smaller bag and my earrings in an even smaller bag and then I put the bracelet and earrings in with the necklace. Then I have the entire set together and I can pull it all out of the drawer together and talk about easy when you travel.  It's ready to go because it's all together. ~again, convenient~ I also write "short" or "long" on the bag so I know if it is a short or long necklace. There are times that I need a larger bag for the 3 items so I use a sandwich ziploc bag.   I had the guy who did all the cabinet work in our new house build me a jewelry drawer that is divided  and I stand all my bags of jewelry in it.  If I have odd pieces then I put them in a bag by themselves, but all my fashion jewelry is in these plastic bags.  In the bottom right picture is a small clear acrylic  case where I keep my watches.  I can see in it, grab it and the case keeps them neat and dust free.  Tuesday Morning usually has a lot of these in various sizes. 

Top left: this is my makeup drawer with 2 clear acrylic trays that I pull out of the drawer and set up on my vanity area when I'm "putting on my face."  It keeps it all neat and easy for me to grab.
Top right: This is a clear acrylic tray with a handle that holds all my makeup cleansers and facial creams and lotions.  It stays in a drawer until I use it every night and I can just grab it and sit it by the sink while I'm doing my "nightly ritual."
Bottom left: This is a bamboo storage container for essential oils and I have all mine put in it alphabetically so I can easily find them.  Again, it's all about convenience. ~smile~
Bottom right:  This is a taller woven basket that holds all my shower/bath items and sits on the end counter of the bathtub near the shower.  It keeps it all neat and easily accessible.

My home office.......
Top left: I use folders like they grew on trees.  These are not file folders, but the folders where, when opened, you can slide papers in each side of them.  I have them labeled with what is in them and then I keep them lined up (Top right) within easy reach of my desktop computer.  I also keep all our vital computer information (passwords, banking info, etc) in a notebook near the desktop (bottom left). Just in case you are wondering, we do have a safe place we keep this when it's not in use. ~smile~ And, (bottom right) is a nice desk organizer where I keep our current travel plans and a host of other info.  It's easily accessible and neat and organized.  FYI, I used the smiley face to hide some private info. ~sorry~

AND, if you do not own one of these dandy label makers then you need to run right out and get yourself one.  I probably use this thing 3-4 times a week.  I have labels on some of my containers, my files, my folders and the list goes on and on.  I have owned one of these since they first came out probably 20+ years ago.  It really helps with organization.

This is my office closet where you can see that I have used all kinds of containers, trays and such and I've used the label maker a whole lot on items in here.  This is where I keep my supplies, our tax and financial records.

We had two storage rooms built in our new house and one of them is full of shelves that are adjustable to hold all of my Rubbermaid type containers with my seasonal decor.  I use the clear frosted type and then I use my trusty label maker to label them with what is in them  

I'm just throwing this hint in as something extra.  It's not really about being organized but I always put the date that we get new routers, modems and the such on them.  That way if something goes wrong I can easily know if it's time to replace them or another issue.  I'm not sure why I didn't use my label maker for this one but it isn't out in clear site so I guess the piece of tape will work. ~chuckle~

Now, you have probably read more than you cared to but I do hope you found something useful in this post.  The sky is the limit when it comes to containers.  They come in all shapes and sizes and in plastic, acrylic or woven and they can be found all over the place.  So, if you are wanting this kind of organization for your home then go get your various containers and get busy. It will make you happy, I promise!

 HAPPY ORGANIZING!!!