Question of the Day: What Topics Would You Like to Read About?
source: Eleaf
As we finish out 2009 and look toward 2010 (can you believe it’s true?!), I’m thinking a lot about what I hope to do here at Organizing Your Way in the coming year.
But I don’t want it to be just about what I think I should talk about; I want to get your input as well!
What topics would you like to see covered?
What would you like to see more of? Less of?
What areas of your home do you wish were more organized?
What are your biggest time management obstacles?
Thanks so much for your help!
I have a problem implementing the “a place for everything and everything in it’s place” mentality. I have too many things and not enough places! I know I have to declutter, and I’m making headway with that, but I wish I had a way to adopt that mentality into my everyday life!
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I really enjoy reading your blog. I would love to see how to deal with the areas where you put the “stuff” you don’t want to deal with. The “junk room”, “junk drawer”, closet, basement. The out of sight out of mind areas where you put things that you should probably get rid of but don’t want to actually let it go.
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I am with Ellie — I am currently really working on finding homes for everything in my house, which is my biggest problem. I can keep things organized when things have a home, but there are so many things that are homeless and wind up piled up next to my desk or stuffed in “to be put away” bins after a decluttering session but without a home to be put away in.
I also am very interested in ideas for paper clutter, junk drawer clutter, and deciding what I really need to keep in my house and what can go. ESPECIALLY with sentimental items. Possibly one of my biggest struggles has been weeding through and deciding what to do with old family mementos from when my mom and grandmother passed away. It adds an extra emotional layer to getting organized.
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I also like the posts about clutter management and organizing spaces in our homes. I also really enjoyed when you recently wrote about creating a home management notebook and about getting ready for Christmas. I like the posts where you include printables to make plans on. I love your blog! Thanks for writing.
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I have a one-year-old, and we’re already drowning in toys. We keep his toys in the living room where we all congregate. While it’s convenient, it seems as though our house is now always a mess. I need storage solutions for toys! We thought we found some great, transparent, collapsible baskets, but they are so big and full that the toddler is too overwhelmed to search through them! We need a system that is easy to access AND easy to maintain. Any suggestions?
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Rachel Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Hi Jennifer,
I have 2 kids and I got some nice baskets from Ikea (collapsible, woven ones – 12″x12″x12″. I put the toys in these and labeled them with pictures for each category (i.e., baby dolls, building blocks, trains, stuffed animals). I put them in an EXPEDIT bookshelf from Ikea and it keeps it neat. When they want to play with trains, they just pull out the whole basket.
Rachel´s last blog ..Daily December Foundation Pages
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Hi Mandi,
I enjoy your blog, too. My most frustrating area of my home is the kid’s craft area. I have a craft cabinet that is around 30″ x 34″ x 10″ . I have re-organized several times and it doesn’t seem to be a place that they (3yo boy and 5 yo girl) can help keep organized (crayons never put away in the right place, coloring books falling over, loose construction paper hanging out, etc). They do a good job in other areas of the house, but the craft area is always messy! I just re-organized again this past week and added bookends for the coloring books, so they can stay up straight. I’m hoping this will help control the craft chaos. Maybe you could do a makeover feature that takes a picture and some information from a reader (I’ll go first
and then give helpful suggestions/ and or new processes for organizing that area. Thanks for listening!
Rachel´s last blog ..Daily December Foundation Pages
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along the lines of the home for everything point – my issue is with the daily influx of stuff. Some things will bestaying and need a home, others are passing through and even if i try to create temporary homes they tend to end up all over. Examples: all the school paperwork (i have folders on a stanbd in my kitchen but i still tend to pile them in front on the counter LOL; library books – have baskets, but they get left all over; projects – for everyone: broken things that need to get fixed, half done art projcts, etc). SO any ideas you have on creating new homes and systems for the transient stuff in life.
Another area i would love to hear about is motivation for SAHMs – after 6 years at home i still struggle to motivate myself tostick to my home management systems because for most things it is technically fine to wait another day (or 10). I wish i could tap into a motivating method to get X number of jobs done a day and stick to my routines (like clean bathrooms on Monday etc)
I look forward to whatever you have planned for 2010 – keep up the great work!
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I second deb- about motivation. I am now mentally empowered with the knowledge of Home management/ decluttering and organising etc etc but the ideas are yet to be fully implemented. I realise there is a discipline issue (for a mum of 3- gasp1 ;( … yes i really would want learn to instill the discipline in oneself to be an organised person.
Other topics: Organising mail/ bills; and what is this 43 folders method I read about but still clueless how it works?
Thank you, Mandi for maintaining this site. It is becoming a life-saver just as I had given up hope on ever learning to be organised/
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I could really use some help with paper clutter! And ideas for organizing kids art/activity supplies (my kids are 3 1/2 & 1 1/2.
I am on a mission to get my home fully organized in 2010, planning to go through Organize Your Life in a Year by Regina Leeds.
Thanks! I enjoy reading your blog!
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I just discovered this site and absolutely love it. I would like to know more about your home management system, particularly in the areas of budgeting and menu planning. Also, you mentioned in your video that you only shop at one store for everything. I’m interested in knowing more about that. Do you do much couponing? Looking forward to learning!
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I would love to know of a better way to organize my entry way, I don’t have a closet, when you come in the door it’s just a few narrow steps and straight into my kitchen. Things have a tendency to collect on the counter, chairs and on the kitchen table…. keys, school papers, tons of shoes, coats,chargers, cell phones and odds and ends!!!! I am so frustrated!
I love to have nothing on my counters and don’t like the look of baskets, takes up my counter space! I don’t know what to do!!
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Hi Mandi –
I love your site and refer to it often. I would love to see more on your systems for keeping it all together with four children. I only have two children and most days I feel overwhelmed with all of the clothes, schedules, meals, toys and activities I need to keep on top of. I loved your Vlog tutorial on how you arrange your home management notebook. I would love to see more videos like that on topics such as: how you organize your pantry, tackle laundry, manage paperwork, plan meals, keep kids rooms organized, get out of the house on time, etc.
Thanks,
Lisa
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I just thought of another question that I’d love for you to give some insight on. I’m a new mom with an 8-month old son. The hardest transition for me as a new mom has been time management. How do you keep on track with an infant who is very demanding? He’s currently going through an attachment phase where he doesn’t let me out of his sight! (lol) Trying to juggle time with him and managing my home has been difficult. Any tips? What are some ways to involve infants in your daily household management routine? Thanks so much!
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