Put Everything Somewhere

You don't have to go out and buy a lot of fancy stuff to get organized. But, you do need to have a place to put things and you need a place to put EVERYTHING you want to keep. By that definition, if you can't find a place for something, it might need to go to the "get rid of" pile.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking for places to put things:

*You want things accessible - don't pack tight and stack as little as possible - the more layers you have to go through, the less likely you are to use what you have. If you have to stack, stack deep. It's better to have a long thin line of shampoo, canned goods, or paper cups that is the same all the way back, than a grouping of any other kind. Stacking deep helps you see how much you have and makes everything accessible.

*Make it hard to pull everything out at once (like toys) - this is especially if you have kids. Try not to keep all the toys in exactly one spot - especially if you have younger kids. They tend to get dumped more often than they are played with. I have games in 2 different closets, toys in 3 different closets and the stuffed animals hidden in another closet where no one can find them unless they actually think of them. That means that unless all the closets are opened and emptied, I don't have all my toys out at the same time.

*Put things that are the same together. It used to be that whenever I needed a pen or pencil, the only thing I could find was a pencil that needed to be sharpened. So one day I walked around my house, gathered up all the pencils, sharpened them all, stuck them all in a pencil box and put them in a drawer. Now whenever I need a ton of pencils they are ready and waiting. (I also opened a package of pens and restocked my house with them.) There are tons of things that are better when they are put together - craft supplies, scrapbook supplies, food storage, new supplies (pens, crayons, clothes, Christmas presents, etc.). Keeping everything together helps you see what you have and remember where you put it!

*Contain it. Containing stuff doesn't have to be expensive or fancy - you can use apple boxes (free from the grocery store), baggies, and rubberbands. If you have the money and desire for more, you can buy storage containers (but don't overdo it - they can take over your house) or other containers. I really wanted a chest for our dress-ups, but I couldn't rationalize the money for it. So I asked for it for Christmas and got it. Containing your stuff gives you an easy place to put things. I like to save toilet paper tubes, juice can lids, cards that can be cut up, and all kinds of "doodads" like that. I have one container set aside for that kind of stuff. I know I can keep whatever fits in that container. If it gets too full, I have to go through and get rid of some stuff. It gives me an easy place to put things, but also a limit. Another favorite container place is underbed containers. I can fit 4 big (but not the huge ones) under bed containers and 6 small containers under my bed. I love them because they are very accessible, I don't have to dig deep to get to them, and they are utilizing a part of the house that is usually an organizational disaster. Under my bed I have a container for craft supplies, sewing supplies, unused cards, scrapbook supplies, computer supplies, ribbon, cassette tapes, and tons of old pictures. One more important container - binders or file folders - depending on what papers you are saving and where you hope to keep them. We all have papers we have to save and we've got to have a system for it. I think I'll talk about this one later in more detail.