An organized life sounds quite glorious, right? When you absolutely need a rubberband, it is SO nice to walk right to the rubber band jar, pop one out, (pat yourself on the back for being organized), and carry on with your day. Opposed to rummaging through several jars, drawers, checking the car, your purse, your husband’s nightstand, cursing the house-ghost for moving the dang on rubberbands. Have you been there? It is frustrating and more importantly for me, it wastes precious time.
Time is money as they say. Actually, my time is more than money. Time is the most valuable thing we have. More on that in another post! And have you noticed – the older we get, the faster the clock seems to move? Christmas time comes around faster and faster each year!
The Experts Agree
Marie Kondo and my girls at The Home Edit (I don’t know them but I feel like I do haha) both agree that organization is not a destination. You don’t organize your pantry, dust yourself off, and walk away from it. It is a process. Meaning, it requires maintenance. Just like your health/mental health, just like your hair, just like your skillset at work.
Even Drew Barrymore Struggles!
The Home Edit helped Drew Barrymore organize her test kitchen in one episode of ‘Get Organized’. Drew asked about maintaining the organization she has set up after it is no longer picture-perfect. She mentioned that over-time she begins to feel like a failure because things don’t stay ‘picture perfect’.
The Answer
The answer is the same for her, me, and you:
Short and Sweet:
1. Choose a system
2. Maintain that system over time
3. Be kind to yourself
Sentences are nice…:
1. Find a system that works for your brain, your life, your energy level
2. Maintenance is required. It is a big pill to swallow, I know. Once you have a system that works for you established, the maintenance part gets easier!
3. Kindly and gently remind yourself that some days will be better than others, you are human and therefore imperfect, and even Drew Barrymore is a human and struggles with organization!
My System
Getting organized can also require some trial and error. What works for one may not work for the other, and that is okay. What works this year may be outdated next year, and that is okay! Our lives are complex and ever-changing. I can tell you though when you do find a system that works and you’re living in that sweet spot – oooooooh weeeee! It is niiice! I feel real capital G Golden on those days!
Here is the system I’m using now and some things I’ve tried in the past:
IPHONE NOTES
Everything starts in my iPhone notes. Like everything. Grocery lists, recipes, baby name ideas, memory journal entries, Baby O’s drawings (from iPad), a random poem I wrote in 2014. Everything. You can check out my Notes App categories here.
You are able to organize your notes using folders & subfolders. See this post for a list of the Category Folders I use in my notes app.
Why it’s a winner:
- You can organize notes using folders and subfolders
- I always have my phone on me – usually
- I can access and edit from my phone, ipad, and computer (PC not Mac)
- Newer features like checkboxes, indentation options, etc have improved the experience
MICROSOFT TO-DO
It sits on my taskbar, constantly ready for action. I am on my computer a lot, so it is convenient. I mostly use this one when I have a random thought that is unrelated to what I am currently working on but don’t want to forget it. I’ll quickly type in enough info to jog my memory later. When I have time, I’ll add it to the appropriate iPhone Note List. If I don’t make it to that step, I can also access this app on my phone and iPad which is super dope!
Why it’s a winner:
- Quick access when I’m on the computer
- Also accessible via phone and iPad
- It makes a nice little ‘ding’ noise when you check something off your list, and that just feels really accomplishing 😊
TRELLO
I’ll be honest here. Trello has been on my radar for at least a year. I’ve tried to start using the program 4 different times and couldn’t make it work for my system. Alas, I gave it another shot because I love the idea of boards and lists – it is just up my alley. Trello is my favorite thing to keep my blogging lists organized! I’ve also discovered this nifty Chrome Extension that allows me to have more than one row of boards. I am a multiple-page, tab, program-open kinda gal, so that is big for me. I don’t have time to scroll to the end of the one row of 18 boards 4x to find the one I’m looking for.
Why it’s a winner:
- I mean, it’s a list-making program. Come on!
- The customization for each list and board is bonkers! With options to add checklists, due dates, and images for each item.
MASTER LISTS
This one isn’t a program or app. It is what I call my catch-all list. For example, my packing Master List has everything under the sun, separated into categories. Let’s say we’re going to the beach for a week. I’d copy and paste my beach/outdoor list, road tip list, and my Airbnb/VRBO lists ( and of course, my regular must-pack lists- toiletries, clothes, baby stuff etc.). Instead of spending time every time we go somewhere making a new list, I life-hacked that ish and I’m better for it ha! You can get a free copy of my packing lists here.
Why it’s a winner:
- MAJOR time saver!! Time is money, y’all!
- Can be used for packing lists, cleaning lists, birthday lists, grocery lists,etc!
- Decreases my ‘I’m forgetting something anxiety’ because these lists have been being perfected for years!
HOUSE, PURSE, CAR, DIAPER BAG
Is it giving ‘she is forgetful vibes’? It should be, because she totally is! I am she, she is me, we are her. We have the anxiety and ADD. Again, make life easy. Work smarter, not harder. All those good cliches. Have you kicked yourself in the butt because you switched purses and don’t have your hand sanitizer now? Baby needs a pair of socks but you put them in your purse and you only have the diaper bag? Kill. Me. Huge pet peeve, because I have 83680374 pairs of socks for her little tine adorable wittle feet, and not one pair on me. Now, I have to stop and buy another pack of insanely expensive itty bitty socks from WalMart. Read: Go InSiDe wAlMaRt: KiLlLlLll. MeEeEe.
Solution: Have multiple of the one thing and put it in all the places. I have car scissors, kitchen scissors, bathroom scissors, husband’s car scissors, office scissors, Kid’s Room scissors, and outside scissors. I realized that I constantly need to cut something. Don’t get me started on packaging. OMG and kid’s toys packaging – what the literal heck fire?!? So, scissors, are everywhere. I have 83 pairs because I always needed a pair and couldn’t find one.
Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t fool-proof. I have literally left the house without diapers. I had one left in my car stash and Daughter squirted her veggie pouch on it (who knows how long ago) so it wasn’t an option. Yes, I’d just gotten my Amazon diaper delivery. Yes, I hated paying (probably above) regular price for diapers. Yes, I rolled my eyes at myself and replenished my stashes when I got home. HOW SO AND EVER, this would happen much more often without my systems in place, as I have lived that life, girl.
Why it’s a winner:
- Decreases chances of spending money on the go, on something you already own
- I feel prepared=less anxiety
WALMART DELIVERY
Walmart delivery is well worth the 12 ish dollars that I spend per month. I started this during the pandemic and have continued it since. If you can remember to get your groceries off of your front porch before it rains, you will be golden. My only issue with the service is the customer service. If there happens to be a mix-up or mess up on your order, Walmart has been good about refunding, however, back in September 2021 I had to jump through hoops. This may have changed since I’m not sure because I haven’t needed to reach out.
Why it’s a winner:
- So very easy, saves time
- I also love that the items that you order are saved in your frequently ordered items list making it easier to shop for those things in the future
AMAZON SUBSCRIPTIONS
This nifty program is offered through my monthly Amazon account. Amazon Subscribe and Save offers products that you use on a regular basis at a discounted rate when you set up a subscription for that item. The discount ranges between 5% and 15% when you have six items total being delivered.
LABEL EVERYTHING YOU CAN
During my first pregnancy, we moved to a new home. As I was setting up the kitchen, I labeled what was in each cabinet (it was supposed to be until we got familiar with the new placements. It lasted far past familiarity. I liked having the sticky note reminders (not to mention, not having my husband ask me where everything was). Like I said, I was pregnant with my first, and working from home during Covid. I was in nesting mode 10,000. I knew family and friends would be at my house helping out once my baby girl arrived and had the idea to label most things in my home to make things easier for them, but also me. You know when someone puts your dishes away for you and you can’t find your favorite spatula for a month? Not fun. Since then the black dry erase label and chalk marker companies have made a small fortune off of me. These are my preferred labels. They also sell great ones at Dollar Tree. The only thing with that is they don’t keep the same shape in stock at all times. With the labels from Amazon, all the labels in my house can match! They aren’t super big, so a fine-tip marker works better. I used these to label:
- Food containers, shelves, medicine boxes, craft room storage boxes
I label everything in my kid’s room. Whose diapers go in which basket, where the extra wipes are, where the lotion is, what needs to be donated to Goodwill. Even at my bottle station, I use these nifty hanging labels. I use closet hanging labels in the kids and my closets. My husband does the laundry, it makes his life easier 😉
