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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Tips for getting organised

119 replies

Bucketsofdinosaurs · 25/08/2006 08:43

Thought we must all have one tip that we cling to, no matter how disorganised we are about other things and with some of us starting schoolruns (or playschoolruns) in a few weeks now is a good time to pool our collective wisdom. My motivation is the more organised we are, the more time we have to take it easy. Hate being rushed!

Mine is to get/make a family organiser calendar with a column for each member of the family. VERY handy if you use childcare and forces partners to become a bit more aware of the rest of the family. "If it aint on the calendar, it aint happening."

OP posts:
sarah33 · 31/08/2006 13:57

I always keep a large plastic bag in the car for wellies etc. So when we have been to the park, woods etc all dirty shoes/wellies & wet clothes go in the bag & not all over the car! Then they can be taken straight into the garage for cleaning or into the washing machine.

dizzydo · 31/08/2006 14:34

Sorky I have tried those vacumn storage bags, great idea in principle, but they seem to reinflate after time. Do you have that problem or am I doing something wrong? Would be so helpful when we move (smaller house) but they never seem to work so well for me??

sorkycake · 31/08/2006 15:59

Dizzydo I bought the ones that are (?sp) gussetted, from QVC.
I must admit I have had cheap ones in the past and wasn't that impressed with them. The ones with the locking valve are pretty good too.

dizzydo · 01/09/2006 13:09

Never even heard of QVC - have just googled and found the bags! Will give them a whirl. Thanks for that sorky. (dont think I will ever end up as organised as you thou!

kitbit · 01/09/2006 19:53

God I am so disorganised...I tried subscribing to Flylady but got so stressed by the emails flying into my inbox every five minutes barking "WHERE ARE YOUR SHOES?" and "15 MINUTE BLACK SPOT TIDYUP, START NOW!" that I had to unsubscribe and go and lie in a darkened room with a gin and tonic.

This is my best trick though - when out for the day I make nappy packs: get a nappy sack, put 1 nappy and 2 wipes in it. Stuff it in whatever small space will be handy, usually front pocket of handbag or something. I have a few stashed in several places usually. When nappy needs doing grab nappy pack and put dirty nappy in it with used wipes, chuck the lot. (pooey nappy needs more serious pack of wipes from changing bag obviously! unless it's human poo in which case the 2 wipes might do it) Especially good for airports and flights as often you need to do a change RIGHT NOW and grabbing the whole milarkey from deep in the baby bag is impossible.

MumToH · 01/09/2006 22:42

Oh.My.God - I am worshipping at the feet of sorkycake & Bucketsofdinosaurs!!! I too am an organisational fiend (well, play at being one - yes, I've done the flylady thing!) You are all so BRILLIANT!! I love this thread.

My top tip is to pick up after yourself (and train dh and dc to do the same) - it's amazing how much time this saves when it comes to housework. You don't have to spend 2 hours tidying everything up and then you're too knackered/demotivated to do any cleaning.

Keep them coming....

sorkycake · 01/09/2006 23:07

Keep all your bits in the same place together.

I have a cleaning cupboard, in it I have a shelf with a wire basket which contains all the things I need for laundry. When the cupboard is due for a wipe, I pull out the basket, wipe the shelf and replace the basket. That job used to take about 15-20 minutes longer when all the items were just lobbed in.

When we want to bake all the items like a mixing bowl, cake tins, cutters etc are in the same cupboard so I don't have to search for everything. I just pull the mixing bowl out and there are the measuring spoons, small jug etc inside. It's unbelievable how much time I used to waste searching through cupboards for items.

When I tidy the bedrooms upstairs inevitably there items that don't belong in that room, so rather than find a piece of lego and leave what I'm doing to put it away (easily distracted) I pop in a little box I put on the landing then when I go to that room to tidy up I remove all the items at once. Doesn't sound like much but the trips back and forth, up and down start to add up, especially if you get side tracked into something else on the way.

All this gives me more time on MN

weirdbird · 01/09/2006 23:29

sorkycake - Dont know if anyone else has mentioned, but your method of airing the beds is the best way to avoid bed bugs!

By airing everything it also dries out... Any asthmatics take note

weirdbird · 01/09/2006 23:42

Oh and Phoenix Cards that someone mentioned earlier have just brought out a card organiser box that has each month so if like me you buy cards ahead you can also write them ahead, and then put them in the relevant month.

I have also added a list to each of the tab dividers of whose birthday / Anniversary is in that month, so I can see at a glance if I need to buy a card.

Though I still don't have a full proof method of making sure I remember to post the stupid things on the right day!

root · 05/09/2006 19:34

My top tip:
Lower your standards.

hollyhobbie · 05/09/2006 20:59

hee hee, Root

...worked for me for the last 16months (since DD was born)

Rhubarb · 05/09/2006 21:01

I read a bit of this thread, then had to go and lie down on my unaired, unwashed and unmade bed!

Next time you are cleaning the front door, try opening it and peering outside a bit - there's a real world out there guys!

shazronnieWEARINGSHOES · 05/09/2006 21:09

Sorkycake! you are more organised than Flylady! and i thought we were all hopeless cases together on the FL thread!

Asma · 07/09/2006 11:52

Dear Sorkycake
how can i organise my hundreds of photos?
when i get a film developed i put the best few in an album and the rest in the paper wallet they came backin.this then just sits around and i eventually dump it all in a plastic box.Please help!

spagbol · 07/09/2006 12:46

Kittiwits, can you buy those book shelves mail order do you know?

weirdbird · 08/09/2006 15:59

No quite the samehere

Original poster
Bucketsofdinosaurs · 08/09/2006 23:58

Ah well you may mock but being organised is not necessarily the same as being clean and tidy. I am the former but never the latter. I have friends who have spotless homes but the less tangible things in their lives are a random chaos. I find a few efforts at organisation here and there makes me feel less guilty about doing little or no housework.

Another tip re important documents, I have a few lever arch files with indexes (Household, Joint Finances, Me, Dp, Kids) and a big box marked Filing. When I open the mail I throw any unnecessary bits of paper in the recycling (ripping up ones with our name and address) and stick it in the filing box. Tadah, organised!About once every 6 months I sit down and holepunch, sort, file and chuck out things over 2yrs old. Actually sometimes I only remember when our IFA calls to arrange his annual visit.

OP posts:
sorkycake · 09/09/2006 08:24

Crikey sorry, been away for a few days.

Um, I consider my standards to hover above hovel but there you go!
I'm pretty organised because I have to be, I can't stand untidiness & I hate not being able to find something, so for my sanity...
I also find that being organised means that I spend my day doing exactly what I want to do, to me my time is valuable and I don't think looking for keys, packing baby things, searching for items to post, is a good way of spending my time, I'd rather be at the park with the kids!

Hmm photo's are tricky because you don't necessarily want to throw them all away.
We put all the photo's that we wanted to keep into frames or albums, gave a couple to friends/family in little brag books and then stored the rest in a box in the loft.
We did throw some away, where child has chocolatey face and it was so cute we took 6 photos lol
We moved to a digital camera a couple of years ago, store every photo on a separate hard drive thingy (Dh does it) and only print off the ones we want. Hey presto no more photo's to lie about!
The photo's in the loft are stored in a box but in sections. So Dd has her own etc, and I try and keep them to date order so if I'm looking baby pics I know pretty much where they will be, again, mock if you like, but this has got to save 30 mins of searching, or more.
If you have a load of photo's this could take a while to sort so keep the box handy and do a bit each time you have a few minutes rather than all at once, which could be a bit daunting. HTH

shazronnie

sorkycake · 09/09/2006 08:28

This is the storage unit I liked, is it the same one Kittiwits?

shazronnieWEARINGSHOES · 09/09/2006 22:04

I love this bookcase but it is expensive - wonder if my dad could make one....

Lmccrean · 10/09/2006 14:22

I usually wash fruit before putting it in fridge when unpacking it after shopping, chop peppers, grate some cheese etc-enough for a few days. That way I can throw a salad together in seconds without getting out 10 different utensils and having to wash them 4 days in a row! If Im making coffee, ill use any remaining boiled water to make a wee tub of couscous. If using grill, once main food is done, and grill switched off, I chuck a tray of seeds in (pumpkin, sesame, etc) to toast them and store them in a wee airtight container.

lay out clothes, right down to dds hairclips! (I have made wee bags that holds (for dd) hairbrush, clips or bobble, socks, vest and pants..a wee loop holds it onto the hanger. use similar for me.

whiteboard, with envelope on it with coupons.

Write the month on the front of an envelope and store all your receipts from that month in it. File away safely once month is over(exception is larger purchases that come with instructions - I keep receipts with the instructions)

Skribble · 10/09/2006 21:46

For school and club letters I have a set of bulldog clips on individual nails in the kitchen wall, once the slip is filled out and returned straight away to the bag the letter with the info is clipped up in order of what is happening.

I used to have tham all on a cork board but they get mixed up and important ones covered and forgotton about. I have a bit of a memory problem so I need to do these things. I open school bags as soon as they get home and deal with any forms or letters there and then.

As for fly lady, I am still lying in the darkened room after all those e.mails. Put your shoes on fine but the next thing was shine your sink well mine is white plastic so can't shine it .

tamsino · 14/09/2006 15:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

sorkycake · 14/09/2006 19:36

I know this probably sounds obvious but think about the jobs you want to do before starting them, such as:

I leave the oven cleaner in overnight to work, if it's bad, then it's just a case of rinsing in the morning.

Set the washer/dishwasher/tumbler away first thing then get on with jobs while they're doing.
Airing the beds whilst breakfasting and on school run means I can remake them fresh when I get back, rather than it being something I'm waiting for.

It's the little things that waste time, waiting for machines to finish or realising something I need is in the dishwasher, I find anyway.

I wish Dh would cotton onto this, he would stand and watch the washer rather than find something else to do.

Skribble · 14/09/2006 22:59

Sorky I try to do that to leave something working and do something else while waiting.

I empty the dishwasher while waiting for the kettle to boil for supper.

I squoosh the hob then have luch and come back and wipe it down.

Put tumble dryer back on for 5 mins if load left sitting in it, empty recyle box into bin then go back to empty and fold while warm.