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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Get me organized....

So all of you organizational guru's out there, this one is for you.... I would love for you to give me your best advice on how to get organized. I love a clean house, but I think I spend more time cleaning it because I can't seem to get myself organized. Whenever I try to organize something it seems I go so overboard that it would be impossible for me to keep it that way. What do you throw away... what do you keep... how do you store it.... papers, nick knacks, keepsakes, kids toys....... husbands stuff... you know what I am talking about, that pile of stuff they empty out of their pockets every night onto your dresser..... and the thing in the corner that they are working on. This is for anyone, and everyone who has that special trick that helps to keep you organized. Please share!!

13 comments:

Kandice said...

did you get one of my packets that I made that one time for all the enrichement nights I did....if not, let me know, I will email it to you.

Josh and Kristen said...

Um, my idea of organizing something I don't know what to do with is shoving it in a drawer somewhere that it can't be seen until I can decide what to do with it. Sorry no help. I am excited about the progress on your house!! It looks so neat! McKay misses Easton. We'll have to get together sometime!

Wish upon a Starr said...

When Kevin and I first got married, one of the biggest problems I had was getting him to get his dirty clothes into the hamper. I tried, and tried to train him. I even moved the hamper right next to the bed were his pile usually sat. Still, no success. So, at this point in my life, two kids and a husband. I've just accepted the fact that my house won't be clean again, until my kids are much, much older.

I have no helpful tips for you, except, to enjoy your kids now, you can clean later.

Anonymous said...

I have never convinced Chris to clean up after himself. I just get in the habit of moving things to where they go myself. As I pass by on the way somewhere I'll grab stuff and carry it with me until I make my way past where it goes.

I labeled some baskets in our laundry room, and two of them are labeled "put away" and "deliver". If there is something that needs to go downstairs, in the shed, or into a storage box I put it in the "put away" box and then once it's full I carry it around and put everything away. My "deliver" box is stuff that I need to return to people or take to the post office, etc.

My baskets really help me stay organized.

I have tried to give Chris his own little basket on his dresser for his phone and change and stuff, but he fills it up with CRAP and leaves his other stuff around the house. I also have a shoe racks by the back door, and Harli and I take our shoes off and leave them there. Does Chris? Nooooo... he leaves his in the living room, the kitchen, dining room, wherever he happens to think about taking them off. I've just given up on that too and I do it for him. *sigh*

Once you get in your house it will be fun to get organized, and will probably be easier for you, too, since you can start out organizing your stuff instead of having to RE-organize your stuff.

Janice {Run Far} said...

Well you need to hurry and learn some tips so when you come out in a month you can show me. ;)

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

ok, so my mom isn't neat, at ALL, and i think it's sort of had the opposite effect on me. i'm not terrific about it, but i have a system sort of like stephanie- baskets. I have baskets of stuff on shelves, and the baskets themselves don't necessarily stay organized, but if you can keep stuff in the right general area it helps a lot. Also, if you have stuff that needs to be taken care of in some way shape or form, try to make a specific place for those things so you remember to do it asap. I know about the "pocket pile" you're talking about, and about the best i've been able to do is designate a specific place on the dresser that i want Matt to put stuff, and got him a little man-jewelery box for things that don't go in his pockets everyday. that's about all i've got- hope it helps.

ksreynolds said...

If I can't find somewhere to put something a just usually end up throwing it away. Which is not the best idea because kelly usally needs it after that and then we have to buy another one.. And yes I have a junck dware. If you try to keep things in the same spot every time that makes things easier to find and less cluttery. I think if our husbands would learn to keep track of their junck it would be easier for us to keep organized. Gotta love them!!!

Ivy Lou said...

Kristi,
I have some info for our Mom's Night Out in October. Will you please email me and I will forward the email abou it. Thanks, I don't have your email address!
Ivylmnm@gmail.com

Ivy Lou said...

About the organizing. Have you ever hear of Marie Ricks? She has some awesome organization ideas. I have purchased some of her stuff. You can check it out at Mom's Night Out or next time you are going to be in town let me know and I will get the rest of the stuff from my mom's and show you. I don't use all of the stuff from Marie Ricks but I do use certain things that work for us; the chore box and the information binder and the recipe binder. It has actually really been helpful in keeping the house in order so that when we want to have fun...we can...and I am not worried about doing this or that!

tonandboys said...

Wow! Organization? I used to think I was organized...that was before 4 kids. Is anyone really organized to keep up with 4 little whirlwinds? I love your blog! Your pictures are so amazing...BEAUTIFUL! You are really an artist with photographs. It is so fun to see your house. You would think I could drive to the other side of town and take a look. It is really coming along so quickly. I sent you an invite to my blog...even though it took me a day or two or three. Let me know if you don't see it.

Rob & Emily Willardson Family said...

Hey-
I just found something that works for all the papers that lie around waiting to be filed or that I'm not ready to throw away, some that are important etc. So, I got folders for Rob, Me, Maggie and Liv, one for shread, one for file, one for misc stuff. Then, when Rob gets something important that he wants me to keep, I put it in his folder and the same with the girls. I have found it works great. Then, I only have to file once a month! For the memorabilia, I went to IKEA and got their cute boxes. Each person has one and I put the stuff from the hospital, their blessing outfits, the one we brought them home from the hospital in etc. And then I put it up high in the closet. Hope it helps. I have a love/ hate relationship with paper! Love school supplies and cute stuff, hate all the junk you are supposed to keep around for 7 years! Entropy!

Tera said...

Hey Kristi ~ I don't know if you are still interested in organizing but I have LOTS OF TIPS. In October of last year I hired a professional organizer. It was the best thing I EVER EVER did. Here is a website that may help.

http://www.tips-to-organize-life.com/

If you want more information I would be more than happy to share. It totally changed everything. My relationship with my kids, and husband, because I had more free time. I wasn't always cleaning, and/or organizing.