Home Organization in Fifteen Minutes

“I don’t have time.” We’ve all said it at one point or another. (Yes, even you, shaking your head as you read this.) It’s the number one excuse organizers hear from clients. And, trust us, we understand. It’s always easier to just put things off and use lack of time as an excuse when we are feeling overwhelmed. But that’s why you need us, isn’t it? To come into your homes and show you that getting more organized will actually create more time for you in the long run.

If you’re busy running the kids around all week, working a full-time job, and putting dinner on the table every night, the thought of trying to squeeze in time to remake your pantry probably sounds exhausting. There are only so many hours in the day, right? Exactly! And that’s why you need to create habits that will allow you to make the most of your precious time.

Realistically, organizers don’t expect you to start skipping work or abandoning little Jimmy at soccer practice so you can declutter. But what if you set aside 15 minutes every day? Fifteen minutes isn’t that long. You probably spend more time than that mindlessly scrolling through social media when you want to unwind. If you can find a way to sacrifice 15 minutes a day, I guarantee you’ll notice a difference by the end of the week. Choose what you want to focus on during that time: If you always feel like you’re drowning in dishes, take 15 minutes every evening to work on emptying and loading the dishwasher. It beats having a meltdown on Thursday because it’s dinner time and there are no clean plates in the cupboard. If you’re dreading that huge pile of mail that’s been slowly building on the counter, see how much of it you can tackle in 15 minutes. Make separate piles – throw away, file away, and action. Even if it takes you a few nights to get everything sorted, by the weekend you’ll be ready to tackle each of those piles with ease because they’ll already be categorized. Tired of tripping over your children’s toys all day? Take 15 minutes before bedtime to put toys away in their respective places. You can even get the kids involved and make a fun game out of it.

By focusing on one project or area of the house at a time, you’ll start to realize that organizing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It only gets overwhelming when you try to do everything at once. Once you get in the habit of regularly putting things away, you’ll notice how much easier it is to manage your home. (Habit is the key word here. You can’t organize once and it expect it to stay that way forever.) Come up with a weekly schedule, if that helps you. Or put a “to do” list on the fridge. There is no right or wrong way to spend those 15 minutes, as long as you’re actually being productive. Hopefully, by the time the weekend rolls around, you’ll have checked enough off your list that you’ll find yourself with time to spend doing things you actually enjoy. 🙂

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Products I Can’t Live Without

Not sure where to begin on your organizing journey? Have no fear. I am here to help! Here are a few products that I find myself purchasing again and again, for clients and my own home.

These drop-front shoe boxes from The Container Store are hands down my shoe organizers. For starters, they’re stackable, so you can make a nice little shoe wall for yourself in your closet. (Or anywhere in the house, really. I’m not judging.) The clear drop front makes it super easy to see what’s inside and lets you access your shoes without having to shift any boxes around. These boxes would also be great for accessories, clutches, or craft supplies.

Under sink/cabinet drawer organizer, where have you been all these years? These under the sink organizers have been a game changer in our bathroom closet. I use the drawers for storing extra washcloths and am able to fit several bottles of hair products and lotions on top. (There’s also a different version that is great for under the kitchen sink!)

These white storage bins are perfect for pretty much every room in the house – kitchen, bathroom, linen closet, kids’ room, etc. They come in 3 different sizes, too, so you can mix and match.

An expandable pot and pan holder can really do wonders for your kitchen cabinets! The slot sizes are adjustable, making it easy to fit different sizes of pans. I have one for baking sheets and cutting boards and another just for baking pans. It’s so much better than trying to sort through a pile of clunky, loud pans every time you bake.

Do you have any specific products that you love to use for organizing? Tell me about them in the comments! And don’t forget to hit the “Follow” button. 😉