Welcome to Day 26 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
I have another quick little project for you today. Do you have a lot of keys? Do you misplace them or have a hard time finding the one you need? These ideas have helped me and I hope they will help you.
Start by having an exact place to hold your keys. This will probably be different for everyone, but it just needs to work for you. We have these keys hanging by the entry into the garage: mailbox key, bike lock, gate lock and electronic garage door opening. I have duplicates of some of these keys on my key ring but these also need to be available to everyone in the family so they are kept in a place that is convenient for everyone. You can even go a bit further and attach a little label to each key. I don’t feel the need to do that since we all know which key is which, but it’s a good idea if you don’t.
Welcome to Day 25 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
Do you have a donation box set up somewhere in your home? Today’s task is to have a box or bag ready to place things in that you are going to be donating. It’s easier to be aware of making donations when you have a box or two easily available.
Place a box or two in places where you have space and that are convenient to you. The master closet, hall closet, or coat closet are all great places. It can be a cardboard box or you can place a garbage bag in a plastic box for convenience and easy removal. Depending on how fast your boxes fill up take them to be donated every week or two.
Welcome to Day 24 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
Today’s organizing task is going to be quick and easy. Basically you’re just making sure your Cleaning Supplies are where you use them. Just like everything else, having your supplies close at hand will be an extra benefit when it comes to saving time.
I saw this on the internet a few weeks ago and it’s pretty true in my case. This wasn’t exactly how it was worded but it was something like, “Organized people are just lazy and don’t like to hunt for things.” This is so true in my case. Being organized helps save me time and I like not having to hunt for things.
I like using a caddy with a handle to hold all my cleaning supplies. It’s easy to take room from room and I can get the jobs done faster having everything I need with me. Just make sure to replenish the caddy once you use things.
Welcome to Day 23 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
Today we’re going to spend 15 minutes and organize the car. I realize you probably won’t get through the whole car so we’re going to focus on the front area today. Grab a garbage bag and get ready to toss out things you probably haven’t seen for years.
There’s not much extra room in a car so only keep things in there that you actually use. I use a desk organizer up front to hold things I need easy access too. There’s also a clipboard and a pad of paper I keep in the organizer. We travel a lot so this is the perfect place for all the cords we need for our electronics and other things.
Welcome to Day 22 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
Does the room you’re in feel relaxing or cluttered? One of the easiest ways to organize and declutter a room is to clear a horizontal space. It will make a huge difference and only take a few minutes. So set your timer for 15 minutes and get to work clearing as many horizontal spaces as you can.
It’s easy to place things on top of a table, on the counter, or on any other flat surface but it can also look cluttered unless you have a way to contain those things. If you find yourself placing things in the same place turn it into a drop zone but contain it in a basket, bowl or pretty box.
Welcome to Day 21 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
Get into the habit of a Night time Clean Up before you head off to bed. Set the timer for 15 minutes and get the house back in order before you hit the hay. Involve the whole family and the task is even quicker and easier.
Here are a few tips to get your house in order as quickly as possible:
Make it a contest – Give everyone in the house a basket or bin and have them collect all their things and distribute them where they belong as fast as possible.
Play your favorite music – Everything’s more fun with your favorite tunes playing in the background. Turn it up and sing and dance as you straighten up.
Assign tasks – Assign everyone in the family small tasks such as: straightening up the couch and fluffing the pillows, putting all the movies and games away, turning off the computer and straightening the desk, and so on. Assign what tasks need to be done in your home.
Welcome to Day 20 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
Today is another really easy organizing challenge. Set the timer for 15 minutes and get ready to shred the papers you no longer need. Sometimes it’s hard to decide when to shred papers so I am sharing a simple plan I follow. If there is a question about any paperwork you possess I would error on the side of not shredding.
I use a cross cut shredder for security reasons. My files are always fuller than they should be. By shredding the papers that are no longer needed it leaves space for the paperwork I need to keep. It also makes it easier to find what I need quickly and easily. Don’t add another file drawer, just shred what you don’t need. Another thing you can do is go paperless on as many things as you can: utilities, credit cards, bank statements, direct deposits, etc. I try to limit the amount of paperwork coming into my house as much as possible.
Welcome to Day 19 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
Today is all about Purse Organizing. It’s time to clean out the deep dark crevices in the bottom of your purse and get it organized once and for all. When your purse is organized you can find what you need in seconds. Raise your hand if you like spending time looking for things. I didn’t think so!
Purse Organizing
I made purse pouches to divide items inside my purse and make it easy to find what I need. The little burlap pouches are only $1 each then I added the details with vinyl. By having a place for everything it makes it nearly impossible for my purse to become a dumping ground for random things.
Welcome to Day 18 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
I made a Weekly Menu Printable for you to use as you plan your dinners for the week. No need to grab the garbage can or donation bin, today’s task is really simple. Use your free printable to plan this week’s menus.
Print it off and get busy writing down dinners for next week. Or print off 2 and plan the next 2 weeks menus. I plan meals for 2 weeks at a time then make a grocery list based on the meal plan. My family likes to see what dinners are planned and you don’t have to hear “what’s for dinner?” every night. There was also a time when each of my kids had a night when they prepared dinner. This was an easy way for them to learn how to plan and carry out meals for the family.
Welcome to Day 17 of 31 Days of 15 Minute Organizing
Today we’re going to be organizing books and magazines. Set your timer for 15 minutes and grab a box or bag for donations. It’s time to cut through the piles of clutter and only keep what you really enjoy.
Organizing Books and Magazines
I love reading and looking at pretty pictures in magazines but I’ve realized I can’t keep everything. Magazines were a bit of an addiction for me, so the first thing I did was cancel subscriptions to all my magazines except for my favorite. I have another rule I follow: if the new publication comes and I haven’t read the old one I’m probably not going to, so it goes in the recycling bin whether it’s been read or not. If you have articles or tutorials in the magazines you’d like to keep I would suggest getting a binder and adding page protectors. You can add or take away from the binder easily as your interests change. I also keep a few magazines on hand for school projects.
