Organizing Tips - Plano,TX

I went to Dollar Tree and got some really cute green bins that are open topped. I got three. One for color books and crayons, one for play-doh stuff, and one for arts and crafts. I stick them all on top of the fridge so that they can't reach it, and it's all organized for when they want to play it.
We also have a ton of little people stuff in the playroom, so I bought a clear plastic bin that will fit underneath the train table to store them in while not in use.
We have plastic drawers in my 3 y/o's closet with labels on them for socks, shorts, games, etc. and we also got a toy organizer bin. One for legos, one for doll stuff, one for dress up, one for tea set, one for little animals, etc.

Declutter first. If you do not use it, do not store it. If I haven't used something in my closet (clothing or appliance etc. ) for a year, I donate it. Make sure everything in your house has a home. You should always have a place to store everything. The kitchen counter does not count:0)

Purge the home of things you haven't touched in 6 or more months...being 31 weeks pregnant - i don't think you would WANT to have a garage sale in order to get the extra $$$$ but in case you do - start there....use the money from the garage sale to:

purchase bins and baskets for things you have kept.

Put like things (DVDs) in one location
if you have an XBOX, Wii, etc. buy a basket to put ALL the controls into - then they aren't just laying around.

My boys have Nerf guns - we bought two large bins (the long ones) to put their guns in.

Their backpacks have hooks to hang on so they are not on the floor.

Winter jackets have been washed and put in a space saver bag for the summer....on the off chance the jacket was going to be too small for the next season, it was either sold on ebay or donated.

Take a chair and sit down in front of closets - have two baskets in front of you - one to keep and one to donate/sale....some people only have one basket - but I've found that you can just keep pressing on with two....

I have a 4-drawer plastic "cabinet" that I have my kids coloring pens/crayons, tape, scissors, paper, etc in...if I find the stuff anywhere else - I throw it out....I give me kids warnings...if they can't pick up their stuff they obviously don't want or need it.....

GOOD LUCK!!

I have started useing the plastic bins also. I have the boys toy cars and such in like 3different bins, that slide under their beds. They each have a 3 shelve, shelving unit. I always keep an eye out at Ollies. They always have some pretty good storage stuff. I bought 2 ottemans there, that the boys put their toys in for downstairs. When it gets filled they take it upstairs and empty it. (which needs done today. :) ). Plus they double as seats. I do have some of those vaccuum seal bags. That I had used for baby clothes, but are now being used for winter blankets.

I'm not sure of your house's layout, but in our house the kids bedrooms are upstairs. So, I bought some plastic drawer towers on wheels for our family room. I kept frequently used items that I didn't want to run up to their room for, like diapers, wipes, cream, pjs/sleepers, bibs, receiving blankets, ect... Even as they are older, I still use them for pjs (we don't have a tub upstairs), socks, underwear....

I agree with using clear plastic bins, I just started organizing my son's toys in them along with our stuff in the basement, with them being clear you don't need to label them because you can already see what's in them. Just organizing the toys, one for cars, one for dinosaurs, one for blocks, etc. has made such a difference at playtime...they can actually find what they're looking for where before it was just all tossed in the same toy box.

well my answer is more to do with meal organization. I precooked ground beef & froze it in amounts to quickly throw in spaghetti sauce or beef tortillas or anything else you use ground beef in. I also cooked chicken either cubed or in strips to use in stir frys or salads. With a new baby & very little time to prepare meals I found this allowed for very quick supper prep.

Plastic bins and containers work great for everything. And then my trick is, when it gets too full, I know its time to clean it out.

It's actually flylady.net. Someone gave us the book when we got married and it's made a huge difference in how we live. We keep up the house with small routines in the morning and night and once a week cleaning, have our weekly dinner menus planned so there's no question about what's for dinner when we're busy and tired. Our routines change as our lives change but the basics the book/website has given us gave us the freedom to organize our life to take care of all the basics for our family without a lot of extra stress.

get your supplies ready - markers, ziplocs, feather duster, trashbags, paper towels, windex, furnture polich, and a pen and paper and post its all in a tote or bucket. Get 4 or 5 empty boxes - like 2 foot by 2ft.
Go to one room. Don't get sidetracked. stay in that room! start in one corner and work your way out. Take everything that doesn't belong there and put it in an appropriate box or inthe trash. You may have 1 for each person in the house, or one for every room in the house. Put little stuff in the ziplocs - for instance when you run across random batteries. As you think of things you need - like - oh that bulb is out, ill just run to the laundry room and get one - instead write it down and put a post it on the lamp. Write down things you need to buy like - oh, i need a plastic bin right here, ill just run to the dollar store. That way you only make one trip to the laundry room and 1 trip to the store. As you clean off shelves, clean out drwaers, etc, clean with your windex, furniture cleaner, feahter duster. Once you have all the clutter out, divided, everything clean, step back and ask yourself what is working in the room and what isn't. If the same pile of shoes keeps ending up n the same place, no matter how many times you've put them away - write it down that you need a shoe rack right there or move a huge piece of furniture there so that noone will put shoes there anymore. Once that room is running like a machine, move on to the next. make sure everyone in the house is aware of the changes to the system in place so they will comply. you may have to leave post its for a few days - no shoes here or batteries have been moved to ziploc in the garage.

I am a Professional Organizer here in the Richardson area. My website is www.GetOrganized.ws.

We offer to go into clients homes for 2 hours.. giving them tons of solutions, systems, product ideas and more. The cost is $150 but so worth getting the ideas from a professional as to what works and what does not.

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Hi,

I have not read the other posts, but have you looked at flylady.com? They send you daily organizing and cleaning "missions". It actually helped me organize and get through cleaning a big house a little at a time!

Wishing you all the best!

With working full time and raising 2 children with one on the way, taking care of the house is definitely a challenge for you! Just like we call a plumber when the sink needs attention or the mechanic to repair an oil leak, if you would like some expert help with organization, I'd love to help. I'm a professional organizer servicing the DFW metroplex; my company is called Organized Chaos. You can check out my listing on mamapedia, or call me directly @ ###-###-####. I look forward to helping to organize your chaos!

For "junk" drawers and bathroom drawers, I use empty tuna cans, thouroughly washed, of course. They are perfect for proving a little cubby for all the loose odds and ends in those chaotic drawers.

I also use over-the-door hanging shoe organizers, the clear ones to keep my miscellaneous but often used items close at hand. For me, the hall closet is the best. I have a small hammer and nails in one slot, batteries in another, flashlights, umbrellas, the dog leash, my spare keys, a sewing kit...

I've been on various organizing kicks before (and am again - with kids,are we ever really done?). What has worked the best for me, is to start with something you have control over, and can keep organized - bonus if it's something you see every day. The cabinet where you keep your everyday dishes. Your sock drawer. Your bathroom counter. A little bit of consistent neatness among the chaos helps with the motivation.