We could all do with being a bit more organised, right? Chaos in your house can relate directly to the chaos in your brain, which is no fun. And when you’ve got kids, work, family commitments and other stuff all swirling around in your head, every little bit helps. Try these quick and easy tips and start to feel better – fast!
1. Store sheet sets – including flat sheet, fitted sheet and pillow case inside one pillow case so that when you see it in your linen cupboard, you can tell which sheet set it is without having to pull it out, and you know you have the entire set handy.
2. In your home office or behind the TV, label cords close to the power point so you can easily tell which cord you’re pulling out.
3. Freeze food flat in zip lock bags (labelled by date), then once they’re frozen, file them vertically in baskets or plastic containers so they take up less room and they’re easy to flick through.
4. Use cutlery drawer organisers in the bathroom to keep your toothbrushes, makeup and other bits and pieces organised.
5. Use plastic shower pockets in your car to store all those things mums need on the go: hand sanitiser, sunscreen, first aid kit, hair brush, sewing kit…you name it. Simply hang them behind the back seats and you’ll be prepared everywhere you drive.
6. Keep a shopping bag in the boot of your car. Any time you come across clothes in your wardrobe you no longer wear, put them straight in the bag. When the bag is full, drop it off at your local op shop.
7. Keep track of all your product manuals and warranties by putting them into a clear plastic sleeve as soon as you get them, and putting them into a large ring binder. That way, no matter which paperwork you’re looking for, you’ll know exactly where it is.
8. Glue a magnetic strip to the inside of your bathroom cabinet and you need never lose your bobby pins, tweezers, nail clippers or scissors again.
9. Use a different coloured washing basket for each family member’s laundry. Use that basket to take the clothes to the washing machine, then the washing line, and then to bring them in and fold them. That way nobody’s clothes will get mixed up.
10. Use an old CD holder (you’re not using that any more, right?) to store plastic container lids. Just lie it on its side in the cupboard next to your containers and you can easily see the lid you need, every time.
11. Stop clothes slipping off their hangers by coiling a pipe cleaner around each side of the hanger.
12. Leave a shoe basket by the front door or near each child’s bedroom door to avoid the excruciating daily shoe hunt.
13. Use a bedsheet to contain kids’ play time. Put out toys on the sheet and then, when play time is over, pick up the sheet by the corners and dump the toys back in the toy box. Easy!
14. Cut up a PVC pipe and paint it pretty colours to convert your undie drawer into an organiser’s paradise. With one pair of undies to each slice of pipe, you’ll be able to see every pair you own instantly.
15. Work to the ‘one in, one out’ rule and teach your children. That means any time you get something new, you donate something to charity. New jeans? Give someone your old ones.
16. Use shower curtain rings to store your scarves. Simply feed a bunch of rings onto a coat hanger and add a scarf to each ring.
17. Add spice racks to the side of your children’s drawers to add storage for plenty of picture books.
18. Put a waste paper basket in every room in the house to avoid rubbish being left all over the place.
19. Photograph your children’s artwork and keep the photographs together in a file instead. If you want to you can have a photo book printed at the end of each year.
20. Create a few weekly meal plans and then rotate them to avoid having to come up with a new plan every week. The more you create, the more variety you will have.
