Mission Organization: 6 Brilliant Ways to Manage Chaos

Though January is typically the month many choose to start new routines, get organized and throw out old junk, spring is also the time of year to clean. Spring Cleaning is about more than wiping down the baseboards (I still need to do that…) or pulling out a colorful duvet from your closet to make the room look brighter, it is also a great time to take a step back, consider which messes need to be cleaned up and how to get organized – ultimately saving you time and money in the future. Get ready for Mission Organization. For parents, the toy bins and playrooms can be challenging. For parents and everyone else, the garage and pantry prove to be places that can easily stack up junk – from old baseball mitts to half-empty boxes of stale cereal and everything in between…if we don’t sort through this and find a new solution, we can waste a lot of money buying items we already own, or lose a lot of time running back and forth from stores because we thought we had something we actually needed to pick up. So take the time now to get organized before summer creeps up on us and you can spend more time with family and friends outdoors and fewer minutes rummaging through your cupboards looking for that damn sunscreen. ( Stay Organized When the Kids Outnumber you... ) I turn to several bloggers and magazines for inspiration when it comes time to cleaning and organizing and once in awhile a light bulb goes off in my own mind and I can share my advice with others. Here is an AAR (after action report …that’s military speak) of my own mission to organize. I hope it helps you clear some clutter too... The Toy Closet While it isn’t the picture perfect shelving system I dream about, complete with matching labels and fabric bins…it has changed my life. I choose to invest my money in nice clothes, vacations and lessons for the children, such as dance class. So, when I need to penny pinch…it usually shows in projects like this. I didn’t want to buy all new bins, so I stuck with these from a big box store (each bin with a lid was just .97) that I purchased years ago. Then I simply removed the plastic drawers from a 3-drawer organizer I already had and placed them on the shelves. While I love all of the printables available online right now, I wanted to save every penny…so I just downloaded images from the internet and typed in a boring font (Times New Roman) to label each bin. The pictures help both our young children and babysitters find items in no time…and now there is no excuse for the children not knowing where things belong. Those Shoes! For years, I’ve tried organizing my shoes differently. I’ve tried keeping them in their boxes, putting them in an over-the-door hanger, lining them against the wall in my closet…but this has been the most enjoyable arrangement yet. I’m sure the space could be utilized better, but I love having my shoes displayed on these shelves. They’re up high so the kids can’t reach them for dress-up. Since they are displayed above my shirts and dresses, I can easily see which shoe will complement any outfit. I love the idea of a closet having that retail store feel to it. When we get to our “forever home” (base housing doesn’t allow for many structural changes) I’d like to have my jewelry displayed on an island in the middle of the master closet. Getting dressed is more fun when you feel like you’re shopping your own closet…and this small change to my shoe collection has certainly made a difference in how I feel each morning. The Kid's Clothes As a working parent, every minute of every morning is precious. When you have to be to work by a certain time, the clock is always ticking. I’ve found the best way to save time in the morning is by hanging the children’s outfits up the night before, so those who are old enough can dress themselves. I like to plan outfits out in advance, so I’ll pair the outfits up on Sundays and either hang them together in the closet or fold them, so I can quickly grab an entire outfit and prep it for the following morning. (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/2294649731/in/photolist-4uLFqp-bYwZUS-9eZJ4s-5kziRn-mVaM2F-4VEo5y-8HapUi-UpxsN-eitsch-2YxwUL-7eZJLG-aDLzzs-8CraAz-69s6R4-5J8A8N-eKqPmS-4MXXqi-8yAoL3-VSGfE-8L77iG-8L43he-8L42SF-7cuHqc-4t7jhp-52proj-6EwUZB-4MgqZg-4MgqYF-4kYmqA-4VA8Gr-5cCxj9-67XchQ-7uGu9j-5HYcfJ-4KfLhE-dZjmLK-9GNkiG-5844kP-bSk6TT-2RGqUz-5bAa6g-6EwUYT-4G5Qky-7Hcekw-dZpXXh-4ojWSU-4MhCNK-7uGuKE-db7dA7-dUFnZ5" target="_blank">photo credit ) The Military Uniforms Those uniforms sure look handsome on men and sharp on the ladies, but why on earth do they have to be so bulky and heavy? After years of letting them take up too much room in our master and guest closets…it was time to move them somewhere else. I found this inexpensive clothes rack from ikea and wheeled my husband’s uniforms right out of our room. They’re currently in a storage closet and he just keeps one uniform in our closet so he can quickly grab it in the morning. But when the service member is often deployed or in the field, it doesn’t make sense to allow the uniforms to take up so much space in a closet when they’re not being used. ( Embracing Uncertainty in My Military Life ) Not to mention, many uniform items are seasonal, so this is a great way to get them out of the way without balling them up or stuffing them in a bin. The Garage Bins, bins, and more bins! Not only do bins allow you to secretly still have a mess, but they also help you find items quickly. The more utility bins, the better if you ask me. Find an organizing system that works best for you and toss items into the correct bin and place it on a shelf until you need it again. Our family chooses to organize by season (i.e. “Summer Toys” “Christmas Decorations” “Winter Clothes”) and then we put the bins on the shelf and forget about them until we need it. I suggest putting the bins you don’t need higher and then the bins you’d commonly reach for on lower shelves. You can rotate throughout the year as well…in the winter, keep Summer Toys on higher shelves, but move them to lower shelves in the spring/summer seasons. (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rubbermaid/5630536467/in/photolist-9zxYjX-LGS25-9tmZbt-q1Dugd-4RNbqR-aaZtKb-jqwAry-9F46AF-n5wXU-aGSvcz-54FJUZ-ihpFgG-c5YBrd-LdYav-87kGRk-bsJNfx-9CzrAe-in71Ph-7y76et-aYkWz8-o5SDKe-jhU85m-69GvfJ-6y4bXT-PbccZ-nkQT5P-aDzjdV-5uCrsS-oPgbt3-cjj9yj-eECKDX-qxKtJr-7ACCK6-4TqLsQ-aZa95c-faJQAf-2wbVvk-4pbi9e-ryeTKD-5fpxq4-buhZZY-9zxYt8-o9QBWh-6faHWd-7WcWET-g2H9dP-jFvzrD-NhcV7-8Bwr4Y-58VFcZ" target="_blank">photo credit ) The Pantry The pantry is my Achilles heel. I want to organize it, but I just can’t. I’ve even marked days on my calendar dedicated to organizing my pantry. Maybe now that I’m preaching this organizational mission, I’ll finally do it. I am inspired by I Heart Organizing blogger Jen. She decided to get her life in order after reading that the average person spends forty minutes a day just looking for things! Check out the photos to see one of the pantry makeovers she completed. I love this because not everything has to match. I already have baskets and bins from other projects that can be repurposed in my house and now I just need to find them a home and purpose in my pantry. Not only will this save people money on trips to the grocery store because it eliminates the chances of buying items you don’t really need, it just makes the pantry look so much nicer! I will do it today…you are my witnesses, please hold me accountable. I hope this quick read helps inspire you to organize your mess this spring. In fact, save yourself some time right now and run through this cheat sheet of quick tips to begin your own mission. Quick Tips to Get Organized Now! Filing Cabinets: Assign each person in your family a color, then color code your files with labels so you can easily find important papers (like immunization records or tax documents) in a pinch. Color-code your closet: Organize like items by color and you’ll save so much time getting ready each morning. I keep my tops on the higher rod and organize those by color and sleeve length. I keep all skirts and pants on the lower rod and do the same there. Use kitchen items as decorations: Display your cute coffee mugs by hanging them or use your fancy platters and bowls as decorations above your cabinets. You’ll always know where to find them and save money by avoiding buying items that inevitably just become clutter during your next PCS. Make a command center somewhere in our home: Keep track of appointments, practices, dates and important events with a command center. We keep a marker board and calendar hung above our office desk. We also use an organizer to keep track of incoming and outgoing mail, bills and important documents until we have time to file them away in the proper folder. Make a meal calendar: Planning meals in advance saves time and money, while eliminating the headache of trying to find a meal that pleases everyone in the house on the fly. Instill organizing skills in your children now: If you can teach them to keep their own toys, books and clothes in order you’ll save yourself countless minutes in the future and teach them discipline at the same time. Instill good organizing habits in your spouse: They know how to fold, label, and organize…they learned all of that in boot camp…now ask them to put the skills to practice on the home front too ;) Read Next: Four Fitness Trends You Can Follow at Home Connect with us on Facebook!

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