I am a big lover of hacks; household hacks, food hacks, life hacks, I think they are so great! Why not make life a little easier right? Recently, when school started again, I was feeling a bit disorganized. So I decided to try and do a few things to feel more organized. And out of that came these 4 Simple Organization Hacks for the Family.
I actually put a little video together to show you how the organization hacks actually work. Hopefully you find that helpful!
Organization Hacks Video
4 Organization Hacks for the Family
1. Backpack Bin
When the kids get home from school, do they have a a special place to put their backpacks? Somewhere that is easily accessible for them and stays tidy and out of the way? If not, I would would definitely invest in a sturdy backpack bin.
I bought a rectangular one so that both my kid’s backpacks could fit, but you could buy one square one per child as well. This way they put it in the bin right when they get home, no excuses. If they have library books or other things that need to go to school, they can be placed in the bin too so that when the kids are packing their bags in the morning, nothing gets left behind.
(I bought mine at Dollarama for $4)
2. Planner Tray
Do your kids have a planner and get lots of notices from school? Between their backpacks, the fridge and the counter, it’s probably hard to keep track of everything. Buy a large legal sized plastic tray and put it on the counter. (Mine is again from Dollarama.)
Implement the rule that when the kids come home, they put their planners and notices right into the tray. Then it’s there when you are ready to look at, read and sign. The next morning, the kids will know where to go to grab it and put it into their bags.
3. Baking Stuff
If you like baking, you probably have lots of baking pans, muffin pans and cake pans etc. They do take up a lot of space and are hard to keep organized.
Then I came across this kitchen organization tool. It’s a stand that keeps your pans all vertical, so it’s easy to store and easy to access. I bought mine from Dollarama for only $3, totally worth it!
4. Clutter on the stairs
Do you have things that just seem to pile up on the stairs? It’s things that need to go up but they just stay there and become a big pile until someone (usually me) does a big clean up.
Instead, I decided to get each family member a small bin. Whenever there is something of theirs that needs to go up, it goes in the designated bin. At the end of the week, if everything is not already upstairs, the person who’s bin it is will empty it.
Those are just a few organization hacks and ideas I had for the house that are helping me feel less scattered. I also implemented a few organization hacks for my closet for things like scarves, belts, jewelry etc. If you’re interested in that, click on this LINK.
If you’re thinking of going deeper with organizing and purging, a little while back, we successfully implemented some aspects of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I’ve summarized how it works, in this post.
What some some organization hacks that you use and works great for you?
Awesome tips Salma. All of these ideas will be implemented in our house! I’ve been meaning to put baskets on the stairs for ages and if you say it works – I’m doing it 🙂
I bought some small clear plastic trays to help compartmentalize my bathroom cabinet and stop things from falling over. Small tricks can really make a big difference. I also got a long slim one to corral my nail polish in the fridge. I was so pleased with myself. 🙂
Great tips. I struggle with these same clutter issues. Thanks for sharing.
Great ideas Salma! We have put hooks up for the kids coats etc. inside the entrance closet where they also hang their backpacks (just like at school!). Even our 2year-old can reach and hang up her coat herself! I also read “The Life-Changing Magic…” and she encourages storing thing upright to save space so you might switch your notes basket for a magazine holder. Have fun! Look forward to hearing more.
Such fantastic tips! I need to get a backpack bin.