What's your favorite organizational idea/technique/tip?

Last edited by rosey on Sun, Jun 19 2011, 7:26 am; edited 1 time in total

PLEASE!! We're moving and I'd like to be as organized/prepared as possible even before we get there, but I really need tips on how to organize once we're unpacked!!!TIA

Posted: Sat, Jun 18 2011, 10:43 pm Post subject:

Well for me, the hardest part is getting started.
If something really needs to get done and you have no patience to do it, put a limit on it. Like set a timer for ten minutes, clean and when the timer rings, take a five minute break. Then set it again. Or, if you only had ten spare minutes in the first place, you're ten minutes closer to an organized home.

It also helps to organize it into chunks. I decide to do just five things, for example 1. Put away shoes 2. Pick up toys etc. Usually by the time I finish, I'm all revved up and ready to do five more things. And if I'm not, again I've at least done something.

Gold Member Joined: Oct 10 2010 Posts: 1580

Buy a pack of circled color coded stickers. Label each room in your new house with a color. Put that color sticker on the box that will go into that room. When the movers bring the boxes, you just direct them to the right color room.

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 28 2005 Posts: 4656

Similar to the color coding, we wrote on each box which room the contents belong in (dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, etc.) and we also wrote on many what was inside (dishes, sefarim, toys, linen, etc).

Platinum Member Joined: Feb 20 2009 Posts: 7641

Don't throw random stuff into the same box- make sure they are packed according to final destination (room), as well as specific place (top drawer, etc).

Label boxes according to room, and what is in them.

Once you make the move, don't let yourself hide unpacked boxes in closets. Keep them out so they annoy you every time you pass, and you'll be a lot more motivated to unpack quickly.

If packing or unpacking overwhelm you, set limits- I will un/pack 3 boxes, then I get a break. Make it manageable.

Flylady has a great page on moving. Look for it on Flylady.net .
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thanks for the moving tips! those will be used! But I REALLY need general home organizing tips. Half the reason the stuff is in boxes is not having an organized set up to put them in our home!! Any thoughts on general home organization?

I read in a thread here how someone uses shoe holders (the kind that hang on the back of a door) to organize things (like crafts in the children's room). That's a great idea and I thought there must be others out there.

Active Poster Joined: Aug 22 2007 Posts: 73

I use tons of clear covered boxes from the container store. Every type of item gets an appropriate size box. The toys are sotred in these boxes too. I use them in the living room for cds and for office supplies. They stack well on shelves or in a closed sloset. It is also easy to see and find whats inside.

This may seem obvious but each type of item should be in only one place in the house. For example any hardware should all be found in the same container or drawer - if you find a loose screw around you always know where to put it, similarly you'll know where to find the hammer when you find it. A container full of haribows, and one full of gifts I never used that can be recycled. etc..

Executive Member Joined: Dec 01 2010 Posts: 392

When packing, if u haven't used it for the last year... (junk) throw it out!
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