Organization...a few notes from one un-organized blogger

Keeping it real...people think I have it sooooo together. I don't. Shhhh.....don't tell anyone.

This is my desk area. It is a converted coat closet between my kitchen and laundry room. It is quite neat. Very organized. And an excellent use of space in my small house. I love it. I know where everything is and where it goes. Up on these shelves, I am a Filer.
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This is also my desk area. Think of there not being a break between these two photos and that is exactly what it looks like - those organized shelves directly above this mess. I spend a lot of time here. Note the cordless phone, cell phone, check book, glass of water, hair bows, stacks and stacks of paper, the kids extra art supplies.
Here, I am a Piler.

I just stumbled upon this article about organizing and found it to be very insightful. I don't have time to read books about organization. I don't follow thru with so many plans I know would work well or have worked well for others. But this article made sense. You can't fight your personality. You can't turn a piler into a filer. I would venture to guess that I am a hybrid - closets and kitchen cabinets must have "a place for everything and everything in its place" (filer) but my desk, counters, top of the dryer, etc. all fall into the piler category. Anyway, just thought I might share a few take aways I learned in this quick read and othr random thoughts. I probably should be taking care of some of my hot spots right now but I blog about them instead. Typical time not well spent for me! But I guess it kind of keeps it on the brain and I might tackle some of the bad spots around my house!

My mental notes from the article and comments and other notes from my brain:

-Don't fight your style - I know I am a hybrid filer/piler and my perfectly filed places don't make me nuts. My piles do so I need to not fight myself - these areas have been pile hot spots forever and I need to work with it. Oh my gosh - if I wasn't a hybrid filer/piler and I had to be careful every time I opened a cabinet for fear stuff will fall out on me, I would go seriously batty! At least some areas give me sanity. Before I had Kate, bought boat loads of Sterilite basic white basket bins that I have used in every cabinet in my house. They were $1.67 at Wal-Mart. I have my whole pantry/cabinet organized in these. Basically, like the article says, piles contained in containers instead of loose on shelves. It is perfect for me. You could use shoe boxes but that would require buying a bunch of shoes since I had no boxes hanging around...hmmmm...that may not have been such a bad strategy! :) No, the bins were cheaper than shoes. :(

-Find hidden areas for systems (like dead space behind doors, etc.) I put up built in shelves behind a bedroom door and it was the best storage idea and has been used for books or toys or craft items, depending on the way the room was configured. I hung an over the door towel rack in my laundry room for all swimming suits/towels/pool gear we always use so it is not piled on the floor or in all different rooms. We took out the builder basic single shelf in our laundry room and put in stock Home Depot cabinets. Quadrupled our storage space in there.

-Neatly contain your piles and sort thru regularly. I know this is an area I need to work on. The in box for school work still has some of last year's stuff in it!This year I did stop saving school papers though - I give the kiddos a high five on a job well done and into the recycle bin it goes! (Or occasionally on the fridge for a special test or project.) I just still need to pitch stuff from last year...

-With the above stated, put limits on what you will store and keep. My friend Maddy told me she just got rid of all her baby toys. Only first children actually play with baby toys. Subsequent kiddos just want to play with what the big kids have. It is so true. I am going to go thru our baby toys - Kate will be chewing on My Little Ponies and not a bunch of teething toys whether I have them or not. We will keep a few, be mindful of age appropriate (if they are tiny enough to put in the mouth) things from the big sisters but I think we need to pass the baby toys on. Also, as I am going thru my Halloween things and fall decor, I have so many things I am storing and don't put out. Gone!!!

-Regarding limits, set limits for pile-free zones. I need to do this. I just need to decide that the pony wall/ledge between my kitchen and great room is NOT for stuff. Period. Then I won't have to look at the piles when I stand at the sink. I think I need to put something pretty there instead. I have had an idea brewing, I just need to do it.

-Clear storage is often better than solid - you can visually see what is in a bin. I think solid bins look neater but clear bins help you always know what is where with a quickie glance.

-Sometimes you do need to invest in lovely storage bins if you need to live with them all the time. I have found great ones fairly inexpensively at Ikea, Home Goods, Ross/TJMaxx/Marshall's, etc. I think I would have a heart attack if I went someplace like the Container Store - fantastic useful things but too spendy! Even a bunch of cheap $2, $4, $6, $8 bins and boxes do add up though so be prepared for the investment.

-Actually use your furniture for storage. My friend Kristin recently moved to a smaller home and lamented that she had to actually store stuff in her cabinets and armoires and such because she didn't have as many closets in the new house. I have to do this - no furniture just to look pretty here! My friend Danika recently posted a picture of an armoire she got off of craigslist - it is pretty and sits in dead hallway space - it stores boxes of cereal and cake mixes and other pantry goods.

OK, so now I am inspired to work on the piles and make them work for me instead of working against them and being frustrated all the time. Maybe I will start tomorrow. Or Wednesday. Did that article say anything about procrastination?