{OrganizedHome} Day 31: Staying Organized

Today is the last day of my series 31 Days to an Organized Home, and I want to leave you with some tips to help you stay organized.  How do you keep those spots you've worked on looking tidy and functioning well? Here are some ideas:

• One in, one out.  Come home with a new package of socks? Get rid of all the old ones with holes. Come home with new toys for the kids? Donate the old ones they don't play with.  Assuming you already own enough (or too many) things, you can stay on top of clutter by disposing of the old when you bring home the new.

• Have a place for donations.  And visit the thrift store often to drop them off.  Things left sitting around the house waiting to be donated have a way of never actually getting donated.

• Label things.  It keeps you accountable to your own organizing.  If you have a basket on the counter with no label, it will probably soon be holding some mail, a spare key, some legos and a loose button.  If it's labelled "mail", there's a good chance that you (and those you live with) will only put mail in it.

• Have less stuff than you have room for. A great sale at the grocery store shouldn't throw your pantry into disarray. 

• Don't lose sight of what organizing is really about. It's about allowing our homes to be what we need them to be: refuges, sanctuaries, venues for epic Wii bowling show-downs, and so much more! 

If you're eager for more, here are some of my favorite books that deal with Organization and simplifying.

Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Rooney Doland

This book is largely written for people who work in an office setting, but I love it anyways. I especially love that she has the reader identify their learning style (visual, auditory, tactile)  and then gives tips on how to organize your clothing accordingly!

Favorite quote: "If you've never read the complete works of Shakespeare, and you never plan to read the complete works of Shakespeare, get rid of the complete works of Shakespeare."

Real Simple: The Organized Home

 This is the kind of book you set out meaning to read and just end up drooling over the photos.  I have the hardcover edition, which would make a great coffee table book if it weren't for the fact that my kids are inclined to destroy anything I leave on the coffee table.

Favorite part:  The very practical but pretty section on kitchen organization

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living

Tsh Oxenreider (a.k.a.SimpleMom) has written a guide that really speaks to my passion for a simpler, more organized home.  This little handbook is a great resource for those who want to simplify, not just their homes, but their lives.

 Favorite quote: "But I wanted more...intentionality in my life.  More conviction. More certainty about the why behind the decisions I made as a home manager.  I didn't want life to happen to me; I wanted to happen to life."

 This series is over, but the tips aren't.  I intend to keep blogging regularly (but not every day...goodness no.) And I'm excited to talk about some things other than organizing (like parenting and baking and cleaning!)  So please keep visiting often and leaving your lovely comments!  And if you have something in particular you think I should blog about, connect with me on my facebook page and let me know!

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