Have you become organized/tidy and stayed that way?

[KrisM]

I feel like I never will be organized. I make a plan, work on areas, improve things, but other spots go downhill. I have a few areas that seem to stay pretty well organized or are at least quick to get back into shape. But other spots go downhill as soon as I finished working on them. Is there hope? Will I ever actually feel like my house is put together? Has anyone here gone from unorganized to organized and kept it there?

[pastrygirl]

I've been able to change in some areas, but not others. One that I'm happiest about is making my bed and always having my bedroom nice and tidy. I started in 2013, I think. I bought new bedding with all the extra decorative pillows and started making my bed every day, grudgingly, for 21 days. Supposedly that is how long it takes to form a habit. It quickly turned into washing my sheets weekly (I don't even want to say how long I used to go...) That turned into keeping my bedroom neat 100% of the time.

At some point, I will commit to doing that in other parts of the house, but I'm not there yet. I really need to get a handle on things that come into the house, especially from school. I'm still drowning in the end-of-school stuff that arrived in June.

[daisysmom]

No... But I am an example of someone who was organized and tidy pretty much my while life until I got married at almost 35. My mother is very tidy snd raised her kids to be too, and I kept to that thru college and lawschool even with messy roommates (all dear friends). Then I got married and my dear husband is not tidy at all, and he is cluttered. Once we married, I unfortunately took on his habits. And once I had a child and balance working, I am far gone.

I am organized at work -- very-- but my organization is much looser at home. And I am far from tidy. I sometimes miss my former self but honestly, there just isn't time. Rather, I want to spend my free time doing other things!

[rlu]

I'm ready to be, but I'm a one-woman effort in my house. DS helps with the dishes, laundry and dog, but he doesn't see the need to keep his room/stuff organized and until he buys into the idea, it's a battle I don't always choose.

DH isn't there yet either. The things in my control are neater/organized and getting more so as I go about daily so right now all I can do is present my results and hope for epiphanies.

eta: DH does alot around the house and yard, I don't want to discount that, but I think some of it would be quicker/easier if differently set-up. And not everything needs to be done the way I would do it, but when I have to redo or can't find something, it is frustrating and seems wasteful.

[Indianamom2]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'm about to give up hope here! I just can't keep up...ever.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I do better the less stuff I have. Work in progress

[essnce629]

I would say my house is pretty organized as long as every single thing has a home! If something doesn't have a home, like random papers from school, camp, etc then it piles up on my couch, dining room table, tv stand, etc. Like my mom gave me a bag of a few things from my childhood (awards, books I wrote for projects in school, etc) several MONTHS ago and it's still on the floor in my living room because I don't have a place for it!!! Also, I have a long gray haired wig from Halloween hanging with all my robes in my closet and a pair of werewolf ears on my kitchen counter because I don't have a bin for Halloween costumes so that stuff never got put away LOL! Halloween was 10 months ago!!! Every day I see it and think "geez I really need to get a container for Halloween costumes!" All the toys and books that the boys have all have homes so their rooms are always neat. We were just at Ikea yesterday and DH and I both got file cabinets with extra drawers to help with the paper problem and little random things that didn't have homes like my boxes of envelopes, stamps, etc. Things are already looking better. Also, DH and I both have a set of hanging clear shoe organizers in our closet up on the wall for all the random little things that need a home like extra shoelaces, shoe inserts, charging cords, cards I want to save, etc. That gives us each 24 little pockets to put random stuff in and it's easy to see everything since it's clear. I also have one on the back of my laundry room door.

http://www.amazon.com/Over-Door-Clear-Organizer-Storage/dp/B000IXOH7G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439843975&sr=8-1&keywords=Over+The+Door+Clear+Shoe+Organizer%2FStor age+Rack

[123LuckyMom]

I completely agree that it's all about everything having a home. Also, I'm a great believer in bins for the kids. Every night as part of their bedtime routine, my kids tidy their rooms. Every morning, all beds get "made." That just entails pulling sheets and blankets up and fluffing the pillows. Even the three year old can do it. That means in the morning both kid bedrooms are tidy. In the playroom, every type of toy has a bin or drawer, so that's easy clean-up, too. My problem areas are the public spaces. When things get left in them, it can take a while for them to get put away. I've started to keep a basket in each room, and when toys invade, I pile them into the basket and take them to the playroom. That's more like a weekly task, though, not a daily one. What I can say is that I CAN be very tidy and organized when I pare down my things and have places for everything to go. I tend toward being disorderly, so for me it is a discipline. As with every discipline, sometimes I'm better at committing to it than at other times!


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[KrisM]

I agree that less stuff is easier. At least half my problem is keeping up on outgrown stuff... Pieces all there before selling it donating a toy, etc

Essnce and luckymom, how long does it take to go from disorganized to organized? Were you very disorganized still when you had kids out did you get organized before kids and have managed to keep it up.

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[mikala]

Argh, this is my continual challenge. I feel like my efforts at an organized house are like playing one of those whack-a-mole games. I can only seem to keep a certain number of spots organized at any given time and I struggle through the seasonal changes in clothing, etc. I'm dreading the fall rotation of clothing and trying to make sure everything fits the kids, hand-me-downs are organized and stored appropriately, etc. Less stuff definitely seems to be key but I struggle with that personally and my kids think every toy/art project/birthday bag o' crap they've ever seen is a "treasure" that must be stored somewhere.

I'm working my way through the KonMarie book and have had luck thinking about what sparks joy with my own clothing but need to work more on getting through the rest of the house. I struggle a lot with the "blank COULD be useful in xyz situation" when in reality xyz situation isn't likely to happen or something else would work just as well.

[KrisM]

Argh, this is my continual challenge. I feel like my efforts at an organized house are like playing one of those whack-a-mole games. I can only seem to keep a certain number of spots organized at any given time and I struggle through the seasonal changes in clothing, etc. I'm dreading the fall rotation of clothing and trying to make sure everything fits the kids, hand-me-downs are organized and stored appropriately, etc. Less stuff definitely seems to be key but I struggle with that personally and my kids think every toy/art project/birthday bag o' crap they've ever seen is a "treasure" that must be stored somewhere.

I'm working my way through the KonMarie book and have had luck thinking about what sparks joy with my own clothing but need to work more on getting through the rest of the house. I struggle a lot with the "blank COULD be useful in xyz situation" when in reality xyz situation isn't likely to happen or something else would work just as well.

This is me!

My kitchen cabinets are always really nice looking. Too bad they have doors on them :). But my laundry room becomes a dropping point for everything and is always a mess. I clean it, but then somewhere else needs organizing and then somewhere else does and then back to the laundry room.

[123LuckyMom]

I became organized in college when my roommate was a complete slob! I was so disgusted by her that it inspired me to get my act together. I remained pretty organized until I married, but my husband moved into my house with his stuff and had trouble adapting to my systems, soooo. He also untrained my dog, but I digress. ;) Then we had kids. Then we moved. As part of preparing the house for sale, we packed up a ton of stuff and got rid of a ton of stuff. Everything in the house had to be put away. I LOVED it!!!!!!!! Now we are in the new house with about 1/2 of our stuff unpacked and the rest waiting until after we do the major renovation we've put off until my mom is doing better. Most of what's still packed is kitchen stuff and about a billion books. We have very little furniture, and everything is in a temporary space. Even so, I've been setting things up to help with the tidiness issue. I love baskets/bins. When mail comes into the house, it goes in one. When toys are left scattered, they go in one. Of course, you have to empty the bins! While you're waiting to do that, though, stuff is not lying in piles on multiple surfaces, and it looks much better. For me, it's all about two things. I want to know where things are so I can find them, and I want my space to be tidy and peaceful. Clutter makes me feel yucky! I don't mind if things are piled in a bin as long as I know what's in the bin, and I don't have to look at those contents strewn around the room.


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[hellokitty]

Ha, no. I've come to the conclusion that until the kids are grown up and have left the nest, organization will always be a struggle. My goal now is to declutter. The more I declutter, the less there is to clean or stuff lying around to pick up.

[gatorsmom]

Yes, I have done it. I designate a place for everything and I remind everyone to put things back in their place. The only reason things are slightly out of order around here is that no one else seems to want to keep their dressers or closets in order. I dread when the kids empty the dishwasher because they never put anything where it belongs in my kitchen. So everytime I find something out if order, I put it back where it belongs and let everyone know loudly that things were out of order. DH is by far the most guilty of keeping his stuff disorganized. I keep the entire house organized except his closet, office, garage and mudroom cubby. He's responsible for those places. Maybe he has a system of organization but I don't understand it and don't try. It's enough that I keep up after myself and 4 kids.

Their closets are organized because I have bins labeled. Otherwise I'd forget how I organized it. I pretty much label everything. There are little post-it notes on the shelves of my pantry saying where ever thing goes. I've had to tape them in place several times but I still refer to them.

For me the key to staying organized is to not do big reorganization when things get crazy but to remember where things belong and when I find them out of place, put them back. Or have the kids put them back. Keeping shelves and bins labeled helps a lot. I'm also very vocal when the other people in my house trash my system. Then I make them put it back where it belongs. I'm a bit uptight, if you can't tell. ;)

[hellbennt]

I read the konmari book and went full force & totally plowed through all of my clothes. Dh got on board for a brief stint & we plowed through the majority of the kitchen. I continued w/ some steam & went through the books & my bathroom.. Then...I Iost all motivation :( I still have my accessories to go through (dresser tops), PAPERS & misc stuff. I'm impressed w/ myself that I got as far as I did! I think I need to read the book again? Or maybe the magic is over for me?


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[abh5e8]

Read the book again! I have, and reach time have made a huge improvement. I am organized by nature. But with marriage, kids, school, residency, more kids, moving twice...itv feels like a never winning battle. I think I have finally turned a corner... Most likely BC I now have some "older" kids and no baby.

[essnce629]

Essnce and luckymom, how long does it take to go from disorganized to organized? Were you very disorganized still when you had kids out did you get organized before kids and have managed to keep it up.


Hmm, I actually think I've always been pretty organized and that the key is not holding on to stuff and constantly purging. As long as everything has a home and I don't keep junk then I'm good LOL!

[azzeps]

Ohhh, I am so buried in stuff it's not funny. It is SO HARD to keep up with all the KID CRAP. The stuff they bring home from school, the artwork, the TOYS, the clothes they outgrow, all their STUFF. I have to manage their stuff and I was never really that great at managing my own stuff. I have too much of it, this I know, and I'm working on getting rid of it, but some days it feels like I'm shoveling snow in a snowstorm. Was I supposed to give you hope? I'm sorry!!!

[123LuckyMom]

Ohhh, I am so buried in stuff it's not funny. It is SO HARD to keep up with all the KID CRAP. The stuff they bring home from school, the artwork, the TOYS, the clothes they outgrow, all their STUFF. I have to manage their stuff and I was never really that great at managing my own stuff. I have too much of it, this I know, and I'm working on getting rid of it, but some days it feels like I'm shoveling snow in a snowstorm. Was I supposed to give you hope? I'm sorry!!!

BINS!!!!! I'm telling you; they are game changers! Get a bin for every category. Cars, Legos, action figures, dolls, costumes, blocks, hand-me-downs that don't fit yet, outgrown clothes that need to leave the house, WHATEVER! Throw everything in a categorized bin, label the bin (with pictures for pre-readers), find a place for the bin. When the bin gets full, purge or add another bin. It's really easy to clean up when all you have to do is dump stuff in a bin. My three year old is a pro. The bins are not terrible to look at if they have covers and are the same color. The bins are better than the mess!


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[SnuggleBuggles]

I was thinking about this more. I did get my bedroom under control and it took a change of routine to bring that about. Dh and the boys were playing video games every evening for like an hour and I'd go hang out and watch tv in my room. While there, I'd clean it. Until then, I really never spent time in there except to sleep so I didn't really care that much about how it was. I'm not perfect with it but I am much better.

I think finding your organizational style works too. One thing I fail at using is drawers! Out of sight, out of mind. So, around here so much is out in the open- visually accessible. I can use small bins. One of my favorite bins is my "bin of adhesives"; it's where you will find all tape, glue (super glue is kept on work bench though), and other sticky things. So, things might not look organized here because things are out but my systems work for me.

Delegating too. For example, there's no way I'm going to mate people's socks for them. I own big bins and mostly all the same sock. Each person gets a bin. They can organize as they see fit. I also don't waste my time anymore putting laundry away in general. Everyone is responsible for their own, thus freeing up more of my time.