Happy Thursday friends! I'm really excited to be linking-up for the first Every Girl Link-Up and I'm looking forward to reading all of your posts! I am so happy to be co-hosting this link-up with Rachel of Floral & Fudge. She's got the kindest and sweetest heart, and I'm so thankful for our friendship, even if we haven't met one another in person! Maybe one day!
To share your post with us, grab the button code (located on my sidebar), add it to your post, and link up with us at the bottom of my post! You can also link-up on Rachel's post!
Today it's all about getting organized, because isn't that what you do at the start of a brand new year?! After lots of attempts at getting organized, some successful and some not, I've discovered that organization is such a habitual thing. If you make it a habit, you're more likely to stick to it and your life will thank you for it. You space feels clean and tidy, your daily activities are well planned out, and you aren't overwhelmed with all the disorganization.
While it's sometimes hard to take the leap and get organized, I can definitely say that it is SO worth it. Start small and the bigger stuff won't be quite as daunting. I've found some tips and tricks along that way that help me, and I'm excited to share them with you. Maybe they'll inspire you to get organized or find the ways you stay organized best.
Our master is the place we dump all of the clutter when we have unexpected guests. It's where the dirty laundry somehow never makes it in the hamper and ends up right in the place it was removed. Somehow our master always feels cluttered with odds and ends. That is until the very start of this new year.
We started by making a very adult purchase..matching dressers. Then husband installed another rack of shelving in our closet, and we purged the clothing that we never wear and just doesn't fit (no it won't fit next year either, so toss it!). We've been organizing machines in our master.
And here are my tips for sticking to it:
Making the bed, such a simple task, but one that rarely happens. So this year, I'm aiming to have the bed made EVERY SINGLE MORNING. And I have been pleasantly surprised with how neat and clean it makes our master feel. The blankets are back in place and the accent pillows are off of the floor. If you aren't a bed maker, I encourage you to try it. Do it for a solid week and you won't go back.
Speaking of the closet, I highly recommend using velvet hangers. You can find them at TJ Maxx for a great price. The velvet material keeps your clothes on the hanger (no more clothes that have fallen off of hangers on the floor), and they take up less space! It leaves your closet feeling super organized and neat.
Another closet addition is a coat rack used to hang scarves. I've got over 20 scarves hanging there. This rack is behind the closet door, keeping it out of the way, taking up no needed space, and holds my scarves perfectly. I found this particular coat rack at Target several years back.
Jewelry can be such a cumbersome thing to store sometimes. I am a firm believer that if you must store things out in the open then they should be stored in an aesthetically pleasing way. Which leads me to my favorite cloches.
My jewelry cloches have been hidden away in my closet for a year now. Not because I didn't want them displayed, but because there was no prior surface space besides the closet. With the addition of another dresser, these pretties are now out and accessorizing our master. If you're looking for a way to store your jewelry and also a way to add accent pieces to your room, I highly suggest these from Pottery Barn. They're beautiful and are great storage!
One ring cloche and two bracelet/watch cloches have been the perfect combo.
If you have a dresser that offers additional jewelry storage, then use it! It is so nice to have all your jewelry located in one central place, and so tidy too. I have loved having velvet-lined drawers specifically for my jewelry. While this doesn't give me all the storage I need, I put all the pieces I wear the most in the dressers drawers and in the cloches. The others are stored in my closet for now.
Our bathroom doesn't have a whole lot of space. So we've come up with a way to make it work. We try to keep the cabinets tidy and with the items that are used daily but just don't belong out on the counters, like hairdryers and such. We have found that keeping out the small items used everyday really keeps the cabinets cleaner. Plus, it allows us quick access to our go-to items.
This tray was a Target find and I have loved it. Some of these are twice-a-day items, and the Clarisonic needs a good spot to air dry after it has been used. This gets the items off of the countertop and in an enclosed space. Because I know this is where they are stored, they don't end up all over the counter after use, which was what typically happened before the tray came along.
Apothecary jars are the best kind of storage! Not only are the beautiful accents, but they offer ample amount of space to store things. I use mine for cotton balls and q-tips, which get used every day in my home. Having them a fingertip away makes getting ready in the morning and prepping for bed at night so simple. And when you can organize your stuff in a pretty way, well why not?!
Oh my, the office is probably my least favorite place to organize, especially when I've let it go. But, husband and I are putting a new practice into place, starting with the two-drawer filer you see above. The top drawer is known as our "To Do"storage. This is for menial tasks that we need to complete. The bottom drawer is for the items that we need to file away. Fingers crossed this system works because we need to keep all the "to be filed" items off of our dining room table. Anyone else have that issue??
A filing cabinet is a great investment. Husband and I made this filing cabinet from an old four-drawer shelving unit. We made the adjustments needed, sanded it like crazy, and for $30 we have a place to store our files, along with baskets of office supplies. p.s. baskets are the best thing for storing items in a pretty way. It's like an accent piece to the room, but it holds all the clutter in an organized way. Our baskets are filled with paper clips, stamps, computer cords, and other office goodies.
For items you keep on your desktop, I suggest finding neat ways to make things tidy. You can keep it on your desk without it being a mess. This bowl (from Target) holds some paper clips, bull clips, and washi tape. It's a nice pop of color in the office while also having a specific and utilized purpose. Win, win. (Target has quite the selection of color and patterns in these dip bowls)
My everyday needs organization to function. That's where a planner comes in. No matter what type of planner best fits you, I suggest getting one. There's no way you can remember everything in a day. PLUS, PLANNING AHEAD SAVES YOU SO MUCH HASSEL! I can't say that enough. I plan ahead for blog posts, the groceries and meals for the week, appointments, etc. If I didn't have somewhere to write it all down, I'd be lost.
Speaking of groceries, I use this sticky pad of the weekdays to write down the meals we are having throughout the week, and stick it to my fridge. The stickiness doesn't last all week, so I secure it with a couple of magnets. This has been a great tool for remembering the meals, and allowing me to see what kind of food is happening that day, husband too. Keeping it in the kitchen where it can be seen easily has been really great and makes remembering meals a breeze.
I found this pad in the dollar bin at Michael's. No matter how you may do it, I really do suggest having the week's meals displayed in the very place where they are made. It allows your whole family to see what's being cooked in the kitchen each day.
And how do I write all of that planned stuff down? With my VERY favorite pens. These Stabilo pens are perfection. They're great for color coding or just sprucing up your page. Add some washi tape to your planner pages to really catch your attention for something important. Plus it never hurts to have a little extra pretty. If you have go-to places for finding washi tape, let me know please! I'm always looking for new patterns!
And once I've completed something I highlight it, giving me the visual that it's done. I found this pack of highlighters at Target a while ago. They've been great because they're small and the pack offered a variety of colors (I like having options).
I use this zipper pouch (another Target find) to hold all of my pens and highlighters. It's small and I take it everywhere with me. It fits in my purse like a charm!
And there you have it, my tips and tricks for staying organized! I'd love to hear yours, so link-up with Rachel and I and share away!
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