Organization for the New Year

This year one of my goals was to get more organized. Yes, I know it's March and I am just getting started, but better late than never! :) Last week when we had a few days of sunshine the spring cleaning bug hit and I decided to use the sudden burst of energy to organize a few things that have been bugging me for the last few months! By the way, their is something therapeutic about organizing and cleaning out clutter!!

First thing on my list:

1. Pantry problems

One of the problems I realized was that the older kids had a hard time reaching and getting their own snacks/cereal. On most occasions after they climbed on the counter and raided the pantry I would find tore open cardboard boxes or left open boxes that eventually become stale. They also would get into food items that were only for lunches or special occasions. Well, thanks to a recent Wal-Mart trip where I saw these really cool canisters I decided to organize the kids snacks/cereal within their reach. It was so easy and the kids love it! I found the wire basket also for loose snacks and baby food items that I grab quickly. I've had it organized like this for about a week and it has stayed neat and the kids are no longer climbing on the counters searching through the pantry.

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2. Mail clutter

This is one of my pet peeves!!!! I hate seeing mail strewn across the counter with junk mail and important mail all mixed together. I never know what is what and end up with a big pile that I sort through each week making sure I didn't miss any bills or important papers. Well as it usually goes we lose some important paper or forget to pay a bill. I've actually had this organizer for awhile, I just never found the time to put it to good use. Now, bills that need to be paid go in front, important mail that needs to be kept goes in back, coupons on the side and odds and ends in the bottom drawer. It makes me sort the mail every day and helps me have a visual reminder of what needs to be paid or sorted later in the week.

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3. Pen drawer

Such a silly problem, but everyday when the kids come home and start homework we are always looking for a pencil that's not broken with an intact eraser. When someone calls and I need to take a note I search through the pen drawer trying at least 3 pens before one finally works. Why in the world do I keep pens that don't work?? LOL :) I finally tackled the pen drawer and threw away every pen that didn't work. I sharpened the pencils and got rid of the broken ones. We will see how long this lasts, but it has made homework time a bit easier lately!

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4. Bathroom clutter

This is one thing that I was forced to address when every body started getting sick this winter. Before then we kept everybody's toothbrushes and toothpaste on the counter near the sink. When all the sickness hit, I decided to give everybody a different drawer to keep all of the mouth germs separate. This worked, but over time the kids had smeared toothpaste inside the drawers and they were a complete mess. It took me forever to clean the dried toothpaste out of the three drawers. On the same day that I found the kitchen containers I found these drawer organizers. Now mind you I've used drawer organizers before, but they were usually cheap and broke easily or slid around every time you opened and closed the drawer. These rubbermaid ones are thick and seem very sturdy. They also have rubber grips on the bottom keeping them from sliding around. They have been wonderful for containing all the bathroom clutter and each kid loves the fact that they have their own box to keep their stuff in!

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I guess that ends my two day efforts at organizing. The weather has turned back cold and I have lost all motivation to do anything but lay on the couch wrapped in a blanket. I still have fifty million other projects I want to organize and might make this a regular once a month post. It will keep me motivated to keep organizing! Let me know if you have any good tips or ideas for my next organizing spree!!

 

 

 

 

 

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