To ask for your top simple organisation tips that work

[caninecalamity]

If you're a naturally organised person or a procrastinating nightmare like me who has somehow managed to change, please help. I need you. I was also going to start a thread on cleaning tips that work after using a tip about cleaning my wood burner glass with ash that worked! I've had a tumultuous 2022 and facing change this year and Im looking to turn over a new leaf on my house and life. I think I might be another undiagnosed ADD person - I spent all 2022 chasing my tail, never knowing if it's PE day/ non uniform day etc and with a heap of laundry / overflowing junk drawers/ ad hoc meals and spending too much on top up shops etc.
i listened to a declutter podcast tonight felt for the first time that change might be possible with small steps. I managed to do my son's clothes without it feeling a bit effort which felt a big win. I just need to charity one bag and put others on Vinted. If anyone wants a mix of medium men's clothes look out on there soon! I've also done two bedroom tidies using the TOMM app. This might be enough for now tbh but was also thinking of ordering greeting cards for next 6 months - think I read that on here and seeing if I can find a meal planning app
Mental load is all on me - DH will offer to go to shop "if you make me a list" or run errands "if you tell me what needs doing" and I'm exhausted.

I really like a Slob Comes clean podcast, Dana hypnotises me and I find myself decluttering a drawer without even noticing now.

I also like Minimal Mom on YouTube, her earlier videos are great as she gives you permission to get rid of stuff and shows you how to do it without making a mess.

I had a massive declutter over lockdown and the house felt so much better afterwards. Now if someone is coming round I can tidy the whole house in 30 minutes with minimal stress where it used to take hours. And I don't have to hide things in wardrobes any more!

There's another woman who works with Dana and minimal Mom who I don't like but does have useful insight into organising styles (Cas?).

It made me realise why DH can't find anything he can't immediately see so I reorganised the bathroom cupboard so all his things were immediately visible at eye height as he opened the door and he has finally stopped ordering excessive amounts of shower gel and mouthwash as he has finally recognised his stockpile.

Organisationally we just have a family calendar and EVERYTHING goes on there. It's by my WFH desk and I check it every day for the week/ next day.

I'm not great at to do lists, still figuring that out.

Try whistle fish for cards. 12 for £10.

Just thought, I have a stash of birthday cards so I never have to buy one last minute.

Lots of alarms on my phone for kids activities, I finally got round to actually naming them so I could stop panicking why I had a 4.30 alarm on a random Monday! I sometimes have 15-20 alarms set but at least I'll remember where I need to be and will probably leave on time.

Sometimes it's just to remember to phone somewhere on a certain day and for activities I have a reminder to feed DCs early, one early warning to put shoes on, one to leave and one to pick up. My time keeping has massively improved.

Everyone has different coloured sock so no pairing needed.

We all have far fewer clothes so washing doesn't get out of control and it's easier to keep drawers/ baskets tidy. Plus DCs only have clothes that fit them so no more arguments with DS about the length of his joggers (capri length really isn't a good look on an 11 year old boy).

I've usually got a stash of things in my boot for the charity shop. As soon as I have a bag full it leaves the house, just takes me a while longer for it to leave my car!

Start on easy stuff, start on your things or household things, work up to sentimental things.

I never thought DH would get rid of anything but he voluntarily got rid of clothes 3 times, he finally realised he didn't need 5 identical, ancient, stained grey sweatshirts plus 23 ancient, ripped and stained t shirts, 400 pairs of ripped and sagging pants plus what seemed like a million holey socks. It took a couple of years of me decluttering absolutely everywhere else for him to get on board though.

I'm going to pick a basket or two from my understairs I think today. I've lost the charger for my Karcher window vac and it's ridiculous that I can't find it.
Then maybe clothes again.
I'm so so tired though. Maybe I need a 15 minute challenge or something. Something small is better than nothing right?

I think you mean ClutterBug. She’s on YouTube. She is a bit Marmite, but her method to find out what type of organiser you are really do work!

@caninecalamity I know that feeling. The chaos all just seems overwhelming! So what I do is I set a timer on my Alexa, for 15 minutes. Then I try to get as much done as I can in that time. But if I'm still tired after the 15 minutes, I sit down for 10 and then start again for 15 minutes.
I also try and focus on one room, and do it corner by corner, so at least by the end of it, I feel like I've achieved something.

Start with a consistent and good night's sleep. Less likely to forget things if you are not tired.

@Champere that's it, clutterbug. Something about her puts my teeth on edge but her organising types are helpful.

I think turning it into a project might put you off doing it. I found just doing a shelf when I went to the loo or a drawer while I waited for the kettle to boil made it much more bearable.

I would occasionally go mad and do an entire wardrobe but otherwise decluttered the whole house in 15 minute intervals. It made it much less scary somehow.

Family of 6. 4 Dc & our dog, me & Dh.

I don’t have have clutter and have been ruthless for years. Unless it holds extreme sentimental value if it has not been used or had a specific purpose in 6 months it is either charity shopped or sold. Less stuff means cleaning & tidying. People love to offload stuff on me or school love to send constant stuff home, endless junk modelling I refuse or worst case send it back. I don’t do apps, we have a family calendar in the kitchen that all appointments, clubs, events etc get written on as soon as they come in.

I have a plastic box with age suitable birthday cards & wrap in, I purchase these at the start of the year from Card factory along with several generic birthday presents (eg Galt craft kit) if not used my kids will at some point.

Dh used to need constant reminders to pick stuff up do stuff etc until I stopped. It was a hard habit to break but once he was affected he started doing more like checking if we need milk and picking it up.

Every New Year I go through finances, admin etc and list when needs to be dealt with, I do one or two items a night over about a fortnight then deal with as it comes in.

For calendar management I've found Google home a great help. I set up reminders and events and you can include different family members so send updates too. This week I've called vets and dentists and block booked appts for the year. I've entered them all in Google calendar with reminders one week before and the night before. I've also entered all the school/college/bank holiday dates.

When my alarm goes off in the morning it tells me my plans for the day too.

Im organised well more than I used to be.
Use my iPhone reminders constantly even to remind me later that day.
Shopping list on Alexa just barked at it to add things.
Meal plan for the week done with the family before the food shop.
Monthly food shop for everything that's dry or tinned or loo roll etc. try and buy a months worth of anything that keeps from shampoo to crisps.

Before you go away anywhere buy a box of cereal and a carton of uht milk. Uht milk is a dream for organising ahead. Also buy a box of cereal and uht and take with you on any self catering trip.

Keep 3 cartons of uht milk in the house always.

If you are doing something like a day trip with vital items pack the car the night before. Ditto school days with random essential items. In fact anything you think you might forget straight in the car for the next day.

My kids have ONE set of school uniform each which I wash on a quick 15 min cycle every evening.

Wash the bulk of uniforms on Thursday nights then 4 sets are already done for Monday.

Lay out lunch boxes and breakfast things the night before.

Before any days out or anything involving g leaving at a set time my dds must lay out their selected clothes. Ditto parties etc. i can't be doing with the dithering on the day.

Bit more niche but we have always had a card making box so blank cards and stamps and stickers. I can get the kids to make a birthday card and shove a fiver in it at a moments notice and don't have to factor in shopping for birthday parties.

When the dds were smaller and went to a million birthday parties I had a bag of gifts I'd collect in sales so you cars and my little ponies etc.

A Bowl full of Lemons has a 14 week challenge starting this Saturday - each week you organise and declutter a different room. The first room is the utility room.

I am organised. My email is always empty. I action everything immediately. If a school email of all dates come in, I put them all in my diary. I buy a Christmas jumper immediately. I don't have a to-do list for more than a day or so because I action everything ASAP, the next day. I don't run out of anything at home because I buy 2 of everything so once I reach for the last shampoo it goes on the list and I buy 2 more.

I'm so unbelievably disorganised these days.

Ah yes, I buy the years birthday cards now & have a poly pocket for each month with each persons name & date on the front. Don't normally bother in last couple of years with specific brother-aunt etc cards though.

Also decanting stuff in the kitchen & spending time changing shelves to the right height has helped us waste less

When I grow up I want to be like you.

Why am I a complete clusterfuck. I lose my car keys from leaving the front door to getting in my car, it's literally 5 steps away.

@userxx I'm a cluster duck too.
I am slightly wondering if I have ADHD
i can't imagine my email being empty. Ever. I can't read it all every day. Maybe I need to unsubscribe from a load as one of my challenges this week!
Tonight I've emptied and sorted into keep/ charity/ sell DS drawers. Well 2 of them. Better than nothing ?

I follow Tracy McCubbin on Instagram. She does little '5 minute declutter' posts which are encouraging and inspiring. Things she's done that I've then followed through on:

• mugs
• coat hangers
• coats
• cables

It's just a nudge to delve into that single, manageable item & get rid of the things you don't need, don't fit, aren't in good condition anymore.

Sounds like you're on a roll. Definitely unsubscribe!!

Currently on Clutterbig quiz and it doesn't really fit me! I've answered closest to what I kind of think but don't really resonate with it. It says I'm a butterfly but I don't really like stuff out. I'd love stuff away yet what I do today is leave stuff where it lands and it's out so I answered that I typically have stuff visual. Oh it's too hard. ! I'm going to do 10
Minutes bedroom then do my TOMM cleaning. Then the Christmas tree. I'm off today so have a little more time

I think you need to choose one system and stick with it! If you’re already doing TOMM then give that a few weeks.

Part of the problem might be that you jump about too much between projects; I am exactly the same and end up tired and frustrated that nothing is getting finished!

Little and often is the trick. And congratulate yourself every time something leaves your house or gets put in its forever home.