Monday, December 26, 2016

Let's Talk - Home Tips and Tricks (organization, Cleaning, etc.)

It's ironic that this post is today considering that my house is currently a hot mess and I wasn't organized enough to think about delaying this post until a day that wasn't the day after Christmas :) 

That said... here are a few of my favorite organizational tips and tricks.

Tip 1: CHEAP Acrylic Drawer Organizer

I picked up some acrylic drawer organizers a few years ago and they are the BEST!

You can find the acrylic drawer organizers below...
.  They're inexpensive and have held up beautifully.



They ended up fitting PERFECTLY in my makeup drawer and I was THRILLED!

Tip 2: Flip Top Containers

These CD cases are awesome because they hold a lot and stack neatly in my linen closet.  I also use these for storing game pieces, Legos and other little bits and pieces around the house.


They're PERFECT for nail polishes and I love that the lids don't get lost (because they're attached).  And you can get a pack of 12 for less than $15 on Amazon!
And if you order the CD size, you should probably order the shoe box sized ones for kids toys as well :)



Tip 3: Glass Baking Storage
I love to bake, but HATED how cluttered my cabinets were with half bags of chocolate chips, oats, powdered sugar,etc. so I picked up these glass containers at WalMart.  I think the smaller ones were $4/each and the larger ones (for flour and sugar - which I apparently need to replenish!) were about $5.  It is so nice to have the things I use most often visible and accessible and not buried in a basket filled with half empty packages.



Tip 4: Repurpose Containers You Already Have
I am a total sucker for little boxes and containers for organizing drawers and shelves.  I love to be organized - and love to do it on the cheap. Or for free.  In our old office, this drawer was organized with a silverware box (super sturdy) and a little vase from several years ago.

In closets (especially my "craft closet") I like to repurpose boxes and jars to keep supplies tidy.


The top shelf has old photo albums and yearbooks and such and the rest of the shelves house party supplies, crafty things, etc.


When I'm done with a candle I'll pour boiling water into the jar (to get the wax to separate from the side) and use it to store smaller items.

Tip 5: The best trays ever!

These trays have made clean up soooooo much easier and they're great for coloring and play doh.  The raised sides keep crumbs on the tray and they wipe clean super easily (and can go in the dishwasher as well). We use them multiple times a day and can't imagine not having them!  You can find them HERE.



Tip 6: Find a planner you love and will actually use :)
I've ben using the Day Designer for a couple of years and can't imagine switching.
The paper is thick, the binding is heavy duty and the tabs are substantial and there's A TON of room.  It's perfection.  You can read more about it (as well as the pens I use in it) HERE.

Tip 7: Daily Laundry
We do laundry on the daily.  The kids have a hamper upstairs, but every night it gets emptied straight into the washer (or they take off their dirty clothes and throw them straight into the washer when they get home).  I wash and dry everything (EVERY THING) on cold every night no matter how big the load is.  Typically we'll fold it before bed and Dave puts it away in the morning (he goes in later than I do).  When we skip a day (or 3) things get crazy so this system works well for us..

Tip 8: Prioritize and give yourself some grace
Being out of my house from 7 am - after 4 pm five days a week doesn't leave much time to get a lot of the little things done... but teamwork plays a BIG role and Dave is the best partner EVER.  We used to have a cleaning service (#allthepraisehands), but after we moved we decided to get a pool service and lawn service instead.  As much as I work, Dave works even crazier hours and I hated that in his "free time" he was mowing and trimming and all of that.  We decided to handle the inside together and hire help for the outside :) and so far it's been great.  We try our hardest to pick up at night and tackle a couple of cleaning tasks every day (i.e. bathrooms a couple of nights a week, vacuuming upstairs and down a couple of times, etc.). 

So.  Grace  This one is hard for me.  In our house there's probably going to be a basket (or three) of unfolded laundry, I'm probably going to forget a dentist appointment, and I probably won't get to vacuum my stairs as often as I'd like.  But that's okay.  It doesn't have to be perfect to be perfect, right? :)

So... Erika and I have LOVED hosting Let's Talk this year and we have fun new plans in store for 2017 (details coming soon!!!).  I'm excited to read all of your awesome organizational ideas so link up below or share in the comments!

Happy Monday, Friends!

PS - This post contained affiliate links.  Thank you for reading and shopping the blog! :)

22 comments :

  1. So...now, I need those trays. Like yesterday.

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    1. Yeah you do. And they come in a set of four! #perfect ;)

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  2. It's been a fun year! Looking forward to 2017!

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  3. These tips were soooo good. I just love the glass jars. Can you please come organize my house.

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  4. Great tips! I did #1 when you blogged about it before and my make-up drawer is now awesome. :) Going to try several of your other tips soon! Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Since you was on cold then do you not separate the darks and lights? I really love this tip if that's the case! Thanks for sharing :-)

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    1. Nope! I just throw everything in together. Stinky soccer socks, Matilda Jane dresses, all of it...

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  6. My resolution is to be more organised so this post is just what I need! I need to get some of those drawer tidy trays. If I can get organised I'm convinced my life will all fall into place!

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    1. That's a great resolution!!! I organize when I feel like things are crazy :)

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  7. I have always thought about trying your laundry tip and I think I am going to have to take the plunge and just do it! Also, thank you for posting the link to your kids' trays again! I always have such a hard time finding them on Amazon! I ordered a set for my mother's house last time we visited her and just ordered a set for mine...and I am emailing the link to my MIL. :)

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    1. Try it for a week and see what you think! It definitely works for us so I'm curious to know if it works for others. and YAY for the trays!!! Aren't they the best?!?!

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  8. Thank you for these amazing tips!! I love them Chelsea @ http://thewilliamsjourney1.blogspot.com/

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  9. I have been working on organizing my pantry. I have had large tupperware containers for my flour and sugar for almost 25 years and they have finally bit the dust. I love your large glass containers (so you can see what's left), do they keep seal pretty good?

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    1. The large containers aren't sealed super great (it's just glass on glass), but the smaller ones are. ;)

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  10. Love these tips! I bought the small and large flip top containers one of the last times you blogged them...game changer! I was digging through the cabinets looking for things I could put in them!

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    1. Right?!?! I don't think you REALLY understand the containers until you have the containers. hahaha They're the best!

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  11. Great post! Do you have a cleaning schedule? Or just try and do little things everyday?

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  12. i have a bajillion candles in glass containers i want to recycle. the boiling water doesn't break the glass??!? i'm sure it doesn't since you do it {duh}, but it makes me nervous. my candles come with pretty lids so i'm loving the idea of using them with the lids!

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