I know it was popular to shun New Year’s resolutions this year, but I shared mine this year. I really like setting intentions and goals for myself and putting them down on paper (or in this case, screen and sharing them with all of you). I like that I can check back throughout the year to see how I’m progressing. I also like to start the new year by decluttering and organizing. Like a lot of people, I like to use it as an excuse to have a fresh, clean start and to get my headspace and life cleared for all that’s to come in the year ahead. To help, I’ve invested in some products that are helping me to stay organized so I thought I’d share them. I don’t like an overwhelming list, so I’m just going to share 5 ways to stay organized that I’m using to get my life (and house) in order in 2024.
What I love about these 5 ways to stay organized is that they’re not just about making your drawers or cabinets look all pretty and Pinterest-y in the moment. They’re actually helping me stay organized and that’s key. I hate wasting time organizing and overhauling my systems for things to end up looking like a tornado zone a week later. I want to implement organizational strategies that will help us declutter, feel better about our space and make life easier. That’s the whole point, right? Plus, with a new baby on the way, I know I won’t have time to continuously organize and clean stuff out, so I’m hoping the things I’m doing right now will keep us organized … until we move. Here are 5 ways to stay organized that I’m using to make our lives run smoother during this already crazy year.
Magnetic Menu Planner
I use this menu planner to plan out all our meals for the week, and to create our grocery list. I order all our groceries online because it’s just plain easier and charting out our meals has been life-changing. This way, I know we have enough planned for breakfasts, lunch (including the ones I pack for James and Charlotte), and dinners. It also helps me to know that our family is getting a good variety of foods because I can see it all laid out. As a working mom, I am not serving every meal to our kids, so this also helps me ensure that whether I’m feeding the kids or our nanny is, they’re getting healthy, nutritious meals. I love keeping it on the fridge too, so I’m never staring into the fridge debating what to feed the kids and so that as soon as we’re out of something I can write it down.
Family Calendar
With all the kids’ activities and Andrew and I’s busy schedules as working parents, I found setting up a family calendar to be really helpful. Otherwise, I find myself carrying the mental load of worrying about where and when everyone has to be somewhere even if I’m not the one taking them there. For 2024, I invested in a magnetic fridge calendar where I keep all the kids’ activities (color-coordinated by kid) so that our nanny and Andrew and I all have it. Bonus: James loves seeing it too and knowing what he has on which days (might take after his mom, might). I also put on any family plans so we know if we’re going to be skiing or at the lake or on vacation certain dates. I have my own paper planner as well as my digital Outlook calendar that I use to organize all my obligations. That’s where I put in everything I have and anything that the family has that impacts my schedule. For example, if I need to take Charlotte to the doctor or do pick up one day or keep one evening open because Andrew is playing paddle. I also include all my work meetings and work and personal appointments, my to-dos, and anything else impacting my schedule each day.
Clear Toy Containers
I mentioned this on my IG stories, but I did a big organization of our playroom closet, and it’s been life-changing for everyone. I ordered these clear containers in various sizes to house all the kids toys. I separate everything into its own bin so we have a lot but that way we’re only taking out one toy/toy set at a time and I find if everything has its own home, it’s easier to clean up and keep organized. The clear containers are key because the kids can see what they are and therefore, are more likely to play with their toys. This method also helps me enforce the rule that you have to put one thing away before taking out another. It’s manageable to get the kids to help clean up because they’re not taking out the entire play room contents at once and they can easily put things back in one box in order to help us keep the playroom and toys organized.
Pantry and Snack Organizers
I have never been good about organizing our kitchen, but recently, I have been on a kick. I’m so sick of getting hit with a food container or one of the kids’ plates every time I open a cabinet and the snack/pantry cabinet was a disaster and made it so hard to know what we have and to make lunches in a rush. I recently invested in a bunch of clear organizers to help corral the snacks and containers for dry food and I’m so glad I did. I’m not kicking myself for waiting so long. It makes it so much easier to put away groceries, know when we need more, cook and just gives me a sense of peace when I open a cabinet.
Crazy Ruthless Decluttering
This is my final and most important tip of the 5 ways to stay organized. You can’t organize clutter. Seriously. Sounds so trite but it’s so true. The more stuff we have, the harder it is to keep it organized. I have been ruthless this year about tossing things I don’t love, wear or use anymore. I don’t let myself feel guilt because it was a gift, or maybe I’ll use one day, or I don’t want the kids to miss it. I am very diligent about getting rid of things we don’t need or use and it’s helped so much. It’s been life-changing for my closet, and helps us keep the toys under control and minimize the need for things like a junk drawer. I have had to take a ruthless approach and forget the sentimentality, and honestly, it helps. I’ll be sentimental about memories and photos, but there is no need to hold onto extra crap just to hold onto it. It clutters up your spaces, mind, and makes it impossible to stay organized. Doesn’t matter what type of organizational system you implement or how many times of year you organize, if you have too much stuff, you’ll never be able to keep it organized.
Alright, so those are my top 5 ways to stay organized. Anything you would add to the list? I am all about organizing right now, so bring on the tips and product recs!
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