I’ve been slowly working towards creating a home that I really love and for me, getting organised has been key. I’ve noticed that when my house is in order, my life feels more in order. I tend to spend more time doing the things that I enjoy, like cooking or creating crafts with the kids.  When clutter fills my house, it weighs me down. I can’t find things, feel overwhelmed and no longer enjoy doing these activities. What I want, is a home that lifts and inspires me…

A few weeks ago, I was cleaning and, I’ll confess: I discovered that I own eight pairs of scissors… I have no idea why I would need eight, nearly identical scissors – but I imagine that I bought each one, no doubt frustrated, thinking I had lost the previous pair. Not very green of me and actually, a little bit crazy. So, I broke out my labeller and got serious about organising. I now have a container, labeled “scissors” which, can I just tell you, I get this intense satisfaction, to open the container and find… scissors. It’s the little things, right.

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I’m on a roll and have a few projects that I want to tackle. In my house, what I’m dealing with is a small budget and almost no storage space –  so, here are 10 clever & easy solutions, that have inspired me to keep my home in order. I hope that you find some inspiration here too!

Laundry room & cleaning products

One: Create more space by adding hooks on the inside of your cupboard doors
Two:  Use curtain tension rods to hang spray bottles
Three: Keep cleaning products organised in labeled baskets
Four: Keep everything contained in one bucket

The bedroom

One: Take advantage of under the shelf space to hang items and keep them off the floor and easy to reach
Two: Use teacups and dish-wear to organise & create a pretty display for  jewellery – a great way to re-purpose them if you have an incomplete set.
Three: Use the space behind a door. Can’t find the image source, but I think you get the idea!
Four:  Keep your bedsheet sets complete by folding them inside of a pillowcase. I love this idea so much more than my current folded pile of sheets… I’ll be doing this one – today!

Kids

(how you get your kids to co-operate, is another thing. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try!)

 

One: If you have a little girl in your house… then you have a million barbies. I love this idea for keeping them contained in one place.
Two: Kids toys can take over the home, so make it a part of the house that you love. Get pretty baskets, that contain their stuff and add a decorative touch too!
Three: Organise toys in containers by type. My daughter’s Montessori had a great system – one that I’ve been trying at home – let your child play with one type of toy at a time. When they get tired of it and want something else, they first put everything away back in its container, before they can grab for another. It really does work, but you have to be relentless!
Four: Keep a dedicated box for items to be given away or donated. Kids outgrow their clothes and toys so quickly and unless we have a system for clearing them out, they just take up space, or worse,  get thrown out in the garbage. What would be great, is to get your kids involved by letting them put items away in the donation/gift box that they no longer want, for another child to receive.

What I’m keeping in mind is that organisation is not a destination to reach, it’s a journey that you maintain. I’m sure that soon enough, some of my “systems” will break down, but I’ll just remember how free and creative I feel in a de-cluttered home. I’ll dig out my labeller – and start all over again. No biggie.

 ps -If you like watching youtube videos, I’ve been getting great tips from this professional organizer, which you might like too. Check out Alejandra Costero’s youtube channel:  www.youtube.com/user/HomeOrganizing

 

3 responses to “Organise your way to a green & happy home!”

  1. Great organisation tips ! Is that a picture of your kitchen (the one under the quote) ? May i ask where you got those glass jars ?

    • Hi Nicole – it’s lovely isn’t it! It’s from Martha Stewart, but if you live in Singapore – you can find jars like that in Ikea, Muji or Tangs at the homeware/kitchenware section.

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