Best organizational tips

[~*Alexis*~]

Ladies,
I am looking for some new tips and tricks for organizing my stuff. Everything from my closet to my make up.

What do you ladies love?!!????

 

[VRBeauty]

I got a vintage straw dispenser for my makeup brushes -- like the one shown below. I wanted something that would keep dust off my brushes (especially since there is a litter box in the bathroom) but still allow me to get to my brushed easily. This fit the bill, and I love using it!

 

[Haven]

I keep only the makeup I use regularly in our bathroom. I put my eyeshadows, lipsticks, and powders in little white ceramic dishes, one for each type of makeup. I keep my brushes in a glass jar from a chicken mole sauce, I believe. It''s the perfect size. Everything has it''s own little container that keeps things contained on my one little shelf. All of the makeup I don''t use regularly is in a plastic organizing drawer set that I keep in a hall closet. (That set also holds all our first aid stuff, extra toiletries, sunblocks, etc. Each drawer has a theme, of course.)

I rotate clothes in and out of my closet seasonally because I don''t like it to be overcrowded. I keep the out of season clothes in bins under our bed. Moving things also helps me keep up with weeding pieces out that I don''t wear so I can donate them regularly.

I have a tall filing cabinet in our office for all of our paperwork, of course. I imagine this is standard in most homes. (Bills, important documents, product information booklets, etc.)

I have a bill drawer where I keep bills before they go into the filing cabinet. The drawer has three file folders in it--"To Do" "To File" and "To Shred"--and I put our mail into the folders as I sort it each day. I also keep our stamps, return address labels, envelopes, checkbook, and a pen in the drawer. I sit down once a week and pay bills out of the "To Do" folder, then file everything from the "To File" folder, and shred everything from the other one.

I like organizing--what else do you want to know about?

 

[TooPatient]

Flour, sugar, rice, etc. goes into food-grade plastic (see through) buckets and then a bit goes into canisters in the kitchen (which get cleaned and refilled when empty). Keeps the moisture out (no clumps) and is easier to fill out of than a bag that was torn open. (plus we buy this stuff in 50 pound bags...)

First aid stuff is in a plastic bin (shoebox size). Easy to keep track of, keeps cat fur out, and very convenient to grab when we go camping.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I use lots of baskets and bins. Not so much out in the open, but in drawers and cabinets.

 

[Puppmom]

I use stackers like this in my pantry and I love them! Other than that, I''m pretty much a mess. Laundry never gets folded, mail never makes it past the kitchen counter, medicine cabinet is stuffed to the gills. I could use some advice too!

 

[shimmer]

Date: 7/1/2010 2:04:16 AM
Author: Haven



I have a bill drawer where I keep bills before they go into the filing cabinet. The drawer has three file folders in it--'To Do' 'To File' and 'To Shred'--and I put our mail into the folders as I sort it each day. I also keep our stamps, return address labels, envelopes, checkbook, and a pen in the drawer. I sit down once a week and pay bills out of the 'To Do' folder, then file everything from the 'To File' folder, and shred everything from the other one.


I like organizing--what else do you want to know about?

Haven, this is a pretty lame question but how do you determine what to shred? Monthly statements--file or shred? Or is it just junk mail that is shredded? I am asking because I want to buy a shredder but don't want to get too shred happy

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Steel]

Paper/mail: I keep everything for a year and anything that I have claimed for tax for either 3/5 years in case of audit. Utility bills and the like are kept for 6 months only. Junk is opened and thrown straight in the shredding pile or fire bin if it is wintertime. Receipts only make it home if there is a return or guarantee then they are filed under household (appliances) or my or DH''s name; depending on who bought it.

For make up I keep open top baskets for eye, foundation, skin, fancy skin treatments, lips, bronzer or fake tan and nails. I find it easier to rotate my colours and actually find stuff. They are hidden away to be tidy.

I am ruthless with clothes. If it is not worn in a rolling year unless it is verrrry expensive it goes to charity. I keep tops and bottoms on different rows and colour shade. My nemesis is the underwear drawer. I stuff panties in a drawer. They dont roll or fold so they get stuffed in and the drawer is a mess

.

 

[Haven]

Hi Shimmer!

We keep monthly bank statements and bill statements for one year, and like Steal, anything that is tax related we keep for 7 years. I can''t remember why it''s 7, but I just have seven folders for taxes going seven years back, and each year I shred everything in the oldest folder and then use that one for the new year.

We shred credit card offers, any junk mail that has our information on it (beyond name and address,) and anything else that we want to recycle that has our info on it. DH also shreds all of our receipts.

DH is pretty obsessive about shredding everything with our info on it because he was the victim of identify theft about five years ago. It took so long to clear everything up that he never wants to go through that again.

How does everyone organize their spices and herbs? Mine are all thrown together in a cabinet over our stove, and it''s a mess!

 

[Steel]

Date: 7/2/2010 11:11:45 AM
Author: Haven
Hi Shimmer!

We keep monthly bank statements and bill statements for one year, and like Steal, anything that is tax related we keep for 7 years. I can''t remember why it''s 7, but I just have seven folders for taxes going seven years back, and each year I shred everything in the oldest folder and then use that one for the new year.

We shred credit card offers, any junk mail that has our information on it (beyond name and address,) and anything else that we want to recycle that has our info on it. DH also shreds all of our receipts.

DH is pretty obsessive about shredding everything with our info on it because he was the victim of identify theft about five years ago. It took so long to clear everything up that he never wants to go through that again.

How does everyone organize their spices and herbs? Mine are all thrown together in a cabinet over our stove, and it''s a mess!

Umh,

I put spices on the left and herbs on the right with a gap in the middle.

That is it. Well I put them in use by order if I have 2 open of the same. I have no idea why there are multiples open but there always are. I think thoes cute racks are nice but I hate to have stuff ''out'' even if it is organised.

 

[Haven]

Steal--That's my problem--I don't like to have things out, so I don't want one of those spice racks. However, my spice cabinet is a DISASTER. I buy most of my spices in these short, wide plastic dishes from Garden Fresh. They're cheaper than those nice glass containers, and they're fresher, IMO.

I wouldn't want to spend a lot anyway for those glass containers because they always go bad before I use the entire container.

Then, I buy some in tiny little baggies if they're either very rare or something I won't use much.

But, I also have some of those glass containers because sometimes the grocery store doesn't have what I'm looking for in their fresher plastic containers.

So now I have all these different containers going on, and it's a mess.

Do people buy their own containers and transfer them? That sounds like work.

This cabinet is a source of frustration for me. DH laughs every time he comes into the kitchen and sees me standing on my step stool searching for something.

Maybe I just need a new kitchen.

The rest of my house is really well organized. I think that's why that cabinet drives me nuts.

 

[TooPatient]

Date: 7/2/2010 11:29:58 AM
Author: Haven
Steal--That''s my problem--I don''t like to have things out, so I don''t want one of those spice racks. However, my spice cabinet is a DISASTER. I buy most of my spices in these short, wide plastic dishes from Garden Fresh. They''re cheaper than those nice glass containers, and they''re fresher, IMO.

I wouldn''t want to spend a lot anyway for those glass containers because they always go bad before I use the entire container.

Then, I buy some in tiny little baggies if they''re either very rare or something I won''t use much.

But, I also have some of those glass containers because sometimes the grocery store doesn''t have what I''m looking for in their fresher plastic containers.

So now I have all these different containers going on, and it''s a mess.

Do people buy their own containers and transfer them? That sounds like work.

This cabinet is a source of frustration for me. DH laughs every time he comes into the kitchen and sees me standing on my step stool searching for something.

Maybe I just need a new kitchen.

The rest of my house is really well organized. I think that''s why that cabinet drives me nuts.

Alton Brown put velcro on his cabinet door and little round spice containers and just stuck them to the inside of the cabinet. (I don''t see how this could work with lots of different types of spices though)

Another thing I''ve seen suggested is putting spices into containers and then organizing them in a drawer. I suppose this might work with a big enough drawer and the right containers.