Organization Hacks

In my world, an organized home is a happy home. In my world, I’m also a mama and work from home so things aren’t naturally tidy around here! I have 10 little organizational hacks I use that help me feel a lot more put together, even if I keep re-starting the dryer for days because I don’t have time to fold.

1. Purse Organizer: Before Maxi, I’d carry the same bag around for months. Once baby was on my hip and a diaper bag on my arm I realized I always needed to switch bags. Sometimes I just use a diaper bag, sometimes I need a cross body, sometimes I have a meeting and need a tote! I was wasting so much time swapping out bags and then I bought the ultimate informercial product. Oh yeah, I bought a purse organizer. I purchased this one and it was life changing! Instead of wasting time, I just pick the organizer up by the handle and swap it in and out of bags I need. It’s been such a game changer I now gift it to all my girlfriends!

2. White Sharpie: Makeup expires and it’s quite gross when it does! I used to wear lipstick for ages and not think about all the germs- yikes! Now that I’m more conscientious of what I put on my skin, I am very keen on staying up-to-date with my makeup’s expiration. You can spend all the time and money on skincare, but if you are slapping on creams and powders filled with bacteria you’re wasting your time. Chances are, you have lots of makeup products like I do so it can be tricky to remember when a specific lipstick expires. I probably own 40-something lipsticks, how am I to know when to toss it?! My trick is using a white sharpie on the bottom of my makeup. On the bottom label, each product is required by law to share when it expires. See the little jar on the bottom that says 12 or 24? Your makeup expires that many months from now. When I purchase an eyeshadow palette, I look at the jar then do the math and write down the month and year it expires in the sharpie. This way I’m really able to see when I need to get rid of it and I don’t have to second-guess when I purchased.

3. Bathroom Baskets: I pick up baskets from Target and get little tags from The Container Store to label them in my bathroom. I keep one basket for duplicate products. I like to stock up on things like makeup wipes or mascara during sales at Ulta or Nordstrom. However, duplicate products can cause a lot of clutter in the bathroom. This way it is in a basket in my cabinet and I don’t have to deal with the mess. When I run out of a product I just check the basket to see if I have it. I also keep one basket for travel items. You know all the samples you get at Sephora or in online orders?! That’s just a lot of junk to keep in a drawer as well. I will keep all the travel-sized items in one basket so it makes packing easy. Lastly, I keep a basket of empty products for the blog! I like to review products once they are empty and I’ve been able to fully test them. However, that probably won’t apply to you so create a basket that helps whatever clutter you may be struggling with.

4. Car Necessities: I always keep a few necessities in my car to keep it clean. A clean car makes me far happier than it should and I’m pretty sure a year-supply of car washes would be the ULTIMATE gift! To keep my car clean in between washes [and in between bottles/burp rags/dirty diapers] I stock it with Wet Ones, Armor All Car Wipes, a lint roller and a Swiffer Duster. I use the Swiffer Duster for dust that gets on the dashboard of my car. I use Wet Ones to wipe down any drinks that spill and I like to clean my interior every few days with a wipe from the Armor All container. I also keep a lint roller because I find you always need one while out and about. In the middle console of my car I keep insurance, natural bug spray, baby wipes, extra diapers, gum and hand sanitizer.

5. Google Drive: I find that sharing a Google Drive account with your husband is the best thing! For example, I run our day-to-day budget and Paul runs our budget for long-term savings. We will share spreadsheets to keep one another updated. Of course, I don’t suggest putting all your finances on a google drive account. But you can easily put a weekly budget or run numbers for future purchases that you need to quickly glance at. We create spreadsheets for travel and a weekend to-do list as well. He may assume we are doing one thing for the weekend and after I stare at a crack that needs to be painted all week, I just assume he sees that. By sharing a to-do list on Google Drive we both don’t make assumptions and know what we need to do. Another trick is to keep a running list of restaurants for date night. I always hear about a restaurant we want to try at a time we aren’t even close to going out to eat. By keeping a list you can easily look it up in the car and avoid the, “Where do you want to eat?” “I don’t care.” “Okay, Chick-Fil-A?” “No! Not that!” conversations.

6. Online Space: Organize your online space every month. I use Bloglovin to read my favorite blogs, I put photos on an external hard drive and then also save them to Shutterfly and Dropbox just to be safe. Lastly, I create lots of albums on my phone to help divide up my screenshots. I have an album for products I want to purchase, an album for interior inspiration, an album for items for Maxi, etc.

7. Fridge Organization: Your fridge can be a catchall with Save The Dates and grocery lists. I love having a clean and minimal kitchen, so the fridge mess can counteract that. Find a beautiful bulletin board to keep in the laundry room instead of using your fridge. I got the one featured below from TJ Maxx and honestly, places like Marshalls and Homegoods have the cutest ones. You have to check in every now and then, but I find the best options there.

8. Candle Jars: Use empty candle jars to organize makeup brushes. The cohesive look of matching jars will make any space you are organizing feel less cluttered. I like to use Diptyque candles! Once the candle is used, place it in the fridge for an hour. Hit the bottom of the vase and the leftover wax will come out. Then I let the jar sit with soapy water in it for an evening and the jar is ready to use.

9. Meal Prep Calendar: These are my favorite little gifts to pick up from Anthropologie! I live by my grocery planner from Anthro. Each Friday I list out our meal plan for the next week and align it with my grocery list. This is the one thing I do keep on our fridge!

10. Follow Inspirational Accounts: I follow @thehomeedit and @neatmethod on instagram to get inspiration on how to organize tricky spots. Sometimes I can walk into The Container Store and spend way too much money because I’m not sure how to clean up an area. These instagram accounts help give me ideas so I know exactly what I need!

I hope these organization hacks help you clean up your house without adding too much time to your to-do list or stress! Do you have any organization hacks you live by?! You know I’m over here dying to test them out!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Photography by: Carmen Evans

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28 Comments

  1. I was waiting for this post! I have shared Google Drives too and it’s the best thing ever!

    Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
    http://charmainenyw.com

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  2. Amanda wrote:

    I love this so much!!!! Organizing my house is my most favorite thing to do. The Home Edit has changed my life and I completely agree with the white sharpie!!

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  3. I’m an organization freak, so I love these tips! Thanks for sharing how you get the leftover wax out of candle jars- that sounds so much easier than the way I’m doing it now! And digital organization is where I struggle the most because I have SO many photos! Definitely looking into using Shutterfly/Dropbox in addition to my external.

    Xo, Emily
    Epicurean Emily

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  4. Gabrielle wrote:

    Would love to see more organization tips! I also follow The Home Edit on Instagram and love them!

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  5. Jenna Todd wrote:

    Your posts are always exactly what I am needing! Thank you 🙂

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  6. Tiffany wrote:

    Thank you! I just recently became single mama of 2 and we’re having to move into a smaller space so these little hacks will be helpful to keep everything so organized in such a small space!

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  7. Katie wrote:

    I love the hand bag organizer. I just ordered one right away.
    So cool.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Greetings Katie

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  8. Mallory Fritz wrote:

    HI! Does the purse organizer fit in your Fawn Design diaper bag? I just bought that diaper bag for my baby due in August, and was thinking of buying one. Have you tried it in there yet?

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
    • Katey wrote:

      Hi Mallory! It could go in the diaper bag, but the diaper bag has compartments around it so it might be an awkward fit! xo

      Published 26 Jun 17Reply
  9. Jazz wrote:

    I love the white sharpie tip. I just shared six organization hacks I love for closets and my favorite one is to use to Closet+ app on your phone and tablet to help create packing lists/looks and easily be able to assess what’s in your wardrobe when out shopping.

    http://www.dashofjazz.com/2017/06/15/6-easy-closet-organization-hacks/

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  10. Kristen wrote:

    I love these kinds of posts! A girl after my own heart! I too would rather know what’s in someone’s purse or how they organize their iphone over the gossip!

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  11. aileen wrote:

    I need to know where that gold file organizer is from Katey!! I’m in lvoe!

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
    • Katey wrote:

      Target! xo

      Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  12. LOVE using candle jars for other purposes! Cute way to stay organized 🙂

    BlondieInTheCity.com

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  13. Rebecca wrote:

    Love the storage boxes in your closet on the top shelf – where are those from? 🙂

    Thank you!

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
    • Katey wrote:

      Hi Rebecca! They are from The Container Store! xo

      Published 20 Jun 17Reply
      • Rebecca wrote:

        Thank you so much!!

        Published 23 Jun 17Reply
  14. Lacey wrote:

    Girl I’m obsessed with a clean car too! My hubby is the opposite and it makes my OCD come out like crazy! Love your tip for the google drive! We are so doing that!

    xx,

    Lacey//theglittergospelblog.com

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  15. Anna wrote:

    I love posts like this!!

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  16. Lindsey wrote:

    Great post! I found myself doing so many of these things and I’m glad there are other gals out there that love a good clean house & car as much as me! Keep the tips coming!

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  17. Jamie wrote:

    I LOVE the Swiffer duster for the car. It may sound silly to some but I’m glad someone else uses this trick too! Thanks girl for always having great ideas and passing them along!

    Published 20 Jun 17Reply
  18. Nina wrote:

    I’ve been obsessed with organizing lately, probably because of nesting! I followed those 2 accounts right away!

    Xo, Nina
    Law of Fashion Blog

    Published 21 Jun 17Reply
  19. Kim wrote:

    Love this! Buying the purse organizer and love the car ideas. Question for you – since you use Google Drive, is there a reason you store your photos on Shutterfly and Dropbox instead of Google? I’m currently planning on the best place to start back up and storing all photos and videos since my phone can’t handle it!

    Published 22 Jun 17Reply
  20. Ashley wrote:

    I created a secret board on Pinterest for my Screenshots. It’s super convenient and easy to refer to if I’m in a store and wanted to grab a product a blogger recommended. It also saves my space on my phone since my photos fill up fast!

    Published 23 Jun 17Reply
  21. Amy wrote:

    I am in love with your gold frame file holder! Can you share where you found this?

    Published 27 Jun 17Reply
    • Katey wrote:

      Hi Amy! I got it from Target! 🙂

      Published 28 Jun 17Reply
  22. Alex Lumpee wrote:

    I love the white IKEA shelf you use! I’m thinking it might be good for gift wrapping supplies? Can you tell me how deep the drawers are? Maybe they’re too shallow for bags and such!
    Anyways love all these ideas!

    Published 21 Sep 18Reply
    • Katey wrote:

      Ahh I feel so bad! We gave this to a friend when we moved! But I do remember the bottom shelves are deeper and could totally fit bags, but not wrapping paper. 🙁 xx, Katey

      Published 24 Sep 18Reply