Below are 10 tips I learned to both organize your home and prepare for parenting's inevitable moments.
1. Admit there is a problem to create the need for change. My name is April, and my life is a big toddler crap cluttered mess.
2. Make a list. Get a pen and paper, and walk through each room of your house, making note of the things that need to be organized, or updated. Work from that list all month. Every day, pick one thing and devote 10 minutes to crossing it off your list.
3. Create an Emergency kit for spills. I love this tip. Create an emergency kit that's filled with stain and spill fighting essentials; Tide/Clorox stick, carpet cleaner, club soda, disinfecting clean-up wipes... you know all the things you scramble for daily!
5. Hold people accountable. Delegate! Holy crap, do I need to drill this in! It's just that it's so much easier for me to do it myself! #Fail Since watching the show, I have made a list of weekly chores to see what I can delegate to FTD. I'm also having Ollie help me pick-up his toys at the end of the day. Yes, it takes longer, but I'm hoping that changes... to the point that I won't have to help and can do something else.
6. Put yourself in a good mood. Peter Walsh said: If you don't enjoy doing something, it sucks, so find a way to enjoy it. He said to listen to your favorite music and dance while you clean. I totally agree. I love to listen to music while I clean. I just always forget to turn on the music. I'm now making a conscious effort to remember, because if I dance, I might burn a few extra calories in the process.
8. Declutter your closet. As much as I try to stay on top of my closets, I still have a problem with letting clothes go, even when I haven't worn them in YEARS! The tip is to turn hangers around so they are all facing you, then once you wear the article of clothing, turn the hanger around. After 6-12 months, if you haven't worn something donate, sell or gift it. It took me less than 10 minutes to turn everything around. Even though I know what I don't wear, it will be cool to see what all is left at the end of winter.
9. Declutter the drawers. You know the lower third of clothes in your drawers? Yeah, me neither. I never get down to it, unless I go on laundry strike for more than a week. Which, doesn't happen. A great tip is to grab the lower third of the clothes in your drawers and go through it; if you wear it, put it on top of the stack, if not, dump, donate or gift it. Imagine being able to shut all of your drawers again...
10. Stay focused on the task at hand. I am so bad about starting one thing, then getting distracted by another. In fact, sometimes I do 10 things, but never finish one. I need to learn to stay focused on what it is that I'm doing, and wait to take the scarf and gloves to the closet.
If you want more tips, every day for 31 days Peter Walsh is posting a new daily challenge to clean and declutter your home. To see the segment and watch the tips, click here.
Do you have any home organizing tips?
