LITTLE things that help keep you organised?

[starrychime]

There's a lot of threads about cleaning routines, 15 min sessions etc which I love to read but never get round to following (one day, one day I will!)
Wondered if anyone has some little hints and tips that make things just a little bit easier about the house?
I use paper plates for morning toast, lunchtime sandwiches etc as I HATE washing up (no washer) - and it keeps it down a little bit.
Also keeping a small Ikea drawer sorter in the bathroom with DD's bobbles and clasps so they're to hand in the morning helps a bit.
Anyone else have any little tips?

I love this thread.

I never leave a room/floor of house empty handed. I agree that there is always something that needs moving/chucking.

I don't have anything life-changing to add actually except my brilliant idea to buy a beautifully boxed pack of 50 cards from The Book People for a marvellous £8.99. For a year's worth of cards! And pretty much all decent ones.

Oh yes, and keep a present cupboard. I snap up bargains when I see them and I always have pressies at a moments notice. And nice wrap.

My embarrassing favourite phrase is 'sustainable storage solutions.' And storage is key to organisation for me. I love storage solutions. If someone started a dedicated Storage Solutions thread, I would lick read it daily.

Artwork storage idea: I got a big A3 size display book from I think Staples or something similar. It's got 20 clear pockets so you can put 2 biggish pictures back to back in each one. It cost about a fiver but I'm hoping that a few of these will help organise stuff that DD I can't bear to get rid of! They can be stored flat and don't take up much space.

I agree with chalat re going easy on the 3 for 2 from boots, I had 9 tubes of tooth paste at one point and so many tampons that when I went to buy them again after having 2 babies in 18 months I actually thought that they had stopped making lillets because I couldn't find them, the packaging had changed.

There are a few of these I do already. Also for socks, they are all kept in a draw downstairs now, no one in this house seems to put sock on upstairs in this house. Hooks are my things, lots of them under the stairs, very good for keys, reins, batteries, all the things that very young DC's like to get their hands on.

1. Pretty keyholder on the wall next to the stairs so that house, bikelock and car keys go on it on the way up and never get lost. Saved hours

1. Shine the sink and do the washing up before bed. This transformed our day.

1. Pretty desk diary one page per week plus pic on the other side next to the telephone with all family doings written in by everyone and classlists/friends phone numbers. Loved the day DD's handwriting first appeared in it aged 6 yrs.

1. School bags by the door and kit for tomorrow out by the door the night before.

1. Bedlinen and towels in each person's bedroom.

1. Utilities and bank accounts filed by year. Other box files for insurance, school fees, tax returns etc.

7.Immaculate spare room with made up bed. This has been really really really useful and destresses the whole unexpected guest/crisis thing and makes me feel fantastically organised.

1. 'Put out the hot spot' fly lady thing. This works wonders.

1. Plan outings as if they are really going to happen and as if everyone will have the time and want to go.

Funny - please explain No. 8 - what do you mean?

I had a friend who took a photo of each of her dch in a passport photo booth on (or close to) their birthdays each year, so she had a record of their little faces changing as they got older. Wish I'd done that!

I found I could never get round to that marathon putting loads of things on ebay session that was needed, so I started just putting on one or two things a week during term-time. Easy to do in an evening, and I am gradually reducing the amount of stuff in my cupboards.

Miranda, if I remember this right, it means spend 5 mins decluttering that place where everything gets dumped in your house. It works wonders. Sort of. (Only in our house that place is er, the whole house.)

I do this whenever I have the energy as everyone dumps on our kitchen table. I love the look of the table when it's clear and clean with just a bunch of flowers and a fruit bowl on it, instead of dirty rugby socks, home work, DH's laptop and newspapers, half eaten easter bunnies, nerf guns, friends' school jumpers, scout woggles and last night's cheese.

Never go upstairs empty-handed !!

What is this 'hot spot' FunnyP?

I store my receipts in a card filing box like this in alphabetical order www.staples.co.uk/office-supplies/desk-accessories/card-filing/staples-card-filing-boxes/card-filing-box-8-x-5-granite?r=se. This is really useful when something breaks/needs returning.

I have lots of spreadsheet lists that just get updated when needed such as:- holiday packing lists, Christmas card lists, present lists, shopping lists etc. Saves lots of time and I don't forget much. Some of my lists go back years.

If I run out of cling flim, kitchen foil, napkins etc I buy 3 lots to save time.

I tidy as I go.

Once a week I put bills and important things into files. But I deal with everything from school etc as soon as I get it.

I write on my hand quite often to remind myself of things I'm likely to forget.

Love this thread. I'm going to stock up on birthday cards for the year. Can anyone recommend somewhere to order them online?

The 'hot spot' is that area of the house where junk/paper/bits and pieces/post inevitably and rapidly accumulates, often the dining table or hall table. Every house has a hot spot. Flylady recommends 'putting the hot spot out' ie taking 2 mins to get rid of it by putting the stuff in its place/binning it. Every day.

It works because after a month or so it changes the way one thinks of that sort of item and of that area in the house and is very easy to do and liberating.

Fizzy lemonade, I could be that friend of yours, I put cutlery in sink and then later move to dishwasher!

I guess it's because I don't want to keep opening the dishwasher and bending down to just put one spoon in so I end up accumulating a few in the sink and then transfer in one swoop. For me it's labour saving!

10. Renew prescriptions 2 weeks before they run out. Take all medicines regularly. This prevents crises and angst and saves a lot of time which would otherwise be lost being ill.

Amazon for birthday card packs. I've just discovered this ruse and it's saved me twice in the last week already!

Great thread!

Ps stamps don't go up in price until 30th April, according to the man on the post office counter today

I move all the things that don't belong in a room out to the next room, then do the same with the next room and then carry on until you get to the last room and hey presto, it's all in The right place! or at least that's the theory.

Re stamps - blimey I paid almost 50p for 1st class stamp today and that's NOT the increased price

I have bathroom cleaner, loo stuff, rubber gloves etc. in all the loos/bathrooms which means i walk past, see the devastation that DCs have wrought and can sort it immediately (I also clean the loo with loo roll so can immediately flush away)

Never open post unless you have time to deal with it (recycle/shred/sort)

Empty school bags/packed lunch boxes the minute they are within my grasp

I seldom manage this but when I have making a loaf's (or 2) worth of ham/choc spread/cheese/salami sandwiches on Sunday eve and freezing them makes life wonderful. I also freeze mini muffins for lunchboxes..they are unfrozen by lunchtime.

have 2 sports kit drawstring bags for each child (there are many) one for indoor PE one for outdoor and wash dry and repack as soon as used ditto for swimming gear.

Always cook double or triple and freeze some in family portions and some in individuals (if you dont have enough plastic you can tip individual portions out into a large freezer bag together once frozen).

Squeegee and spray the shower immediately after use. Spray bath with watered down washing up liquid immediately and shower down (cheap and clean).

Store clothes in "outfits" rather than types (top, trousers and jumper together rather than all trousers together etc.)

Keep spare/extra things where you use them rather in separate distant storage.

Give yourself a break occasionally....being too organised/clean/sorted is exhausting!!

I really struggle with being organised, I'm terrible at remembering things so I carry a little note book and pen in my bag at all times and also have one beside the bed for ideas, emergencies, notes to self. It's now a family tradition that if anyone needs something remembering, they ask for it to be put in my note book!
I need to start doing a few of the things mentioned on this thread, like the 'hot spot'. Does it make me a bad person that that phrase pretty much describes my entire house? :(

That's all just ridiculous but a highly desirable state of organisation!

Urad
Instead of numerous tubes and tins of different shoe cleaning products, get a pot of this - a little goes a long way and it is easy to do all the leather shoes in one go. Love it.
Keep reusable shopping bags in the boot of the car and remember to take them with you. The most useful ones are the sort that fold small but it's no good have string bags if it's pouring with rain.

Marking place,am in woeful need of organisation...

I use Funky Pigeon to pre-order cards, you can use their reminder option for birthdays, and buy cards way in advance. They're good value, especially with the cost of stamps rocketing.