When I tell people I am a Professional Organizer I am often asked if my house is “perfect”. The answer is “of course not”! I live in a small-ish home with a fiance, a teenager, 3 dogs and 4 cats. I love them all dearly, but no, my house isn’t ‘perfect’ with all of us living in a small space. It is a HOME – full of love and life – just the way I like it! And it is organized and clutter free. This doesn’t happen magically. It takes effort. Like everyone else, I am busy with work, family, friends, and less enjoyable activities like grocery shopping and laundry. This means I need to maintain my organization on a daily basis. Luckily, I’m a multi-tasker. While I’m waiting for the cookies to bake I clean out my handbag. While I am coloring my hair I declutter my drawers. Some days I may set aside a few hours to purge my closet or files, but this still saves me time in the long run.
I want to spend time with the people I love. I do NOT want to waste time looking for things. So basically, I am organized because I am lazy! Sounds like a paradox, but hear me out…
Being organized has MANY benefits:
- LESS to clean. That’s right! Clear floors and countertops = less things to vacuum and dust around. Having a small Cleaning Bin in every bathroom makes daily wipe downs super fast. A weekly meal planner makes meals and shopping faster and easier. Less clothing means less laundry.
- FEWER decisions to make. Morning routines can go very quickly and smoothly once you purge your closet of all the things you don’t wear and set up breakfast & snack stations for the kids! It makes shopping less stressful too, since you know what you need and when you need it.
- MORE time for the fun stuff. Don’t waste time taking care of all your stuff. Having organizational systems in place will allow you to go to the park with your kids instead of cleaning out the car or looking for that matching food storage container lid. (BTW: if it doesn’t have a matching lid – toss it!)
- SAVE money. Knowing what you have, and where to find it, stops you from repurchasing items you already have or don’t need. It is also much easier to keep an inventory of what you have. For example, I buy OTC medications when I need them – so they never become expired because I have too many scattered around the house. If I find the ‘perfect gift’ on sale I add it to the Gift Bin and make a note of the recipient’s name and item on a list I keep in the bin. This way I do not overbuy – especially around the holidays!
- MAKE money. Donate or sell those unused dishes, games, clothes, etc! See how much you can make and save for a future family night out. Get the kids involved too! They can pick one toy a week that they no longer want and donate it to another child. The holidays are a great time to start this tradition and instill a sense of organization and charity in our kiddos.
In this New Series, Organizing My House, I will show you all the little ways I stay organized. From my junk drawer to my garage, I will show you my favorite ways to keep things clutter free. NEWSFLASH: No expensive organizing systems here! I will show you some of my favorite products, but I will also show you how you can get organized using things you already have around the house. Hopefully I will inspire you, guide you and help you create a happier, healthier life for you and your family!
Oh! And along the way – I would love to hear your own stories about organization! Have a question? Ask! Have a suggestion? Share! Organization is not about having the perfect showroom home. It is about facing our ‘clutter’ and making the decision to get back to the things that are really important: our children, our family, our friends, our relationships!
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