Hi, everyone. Welcome back to my channel and to a video all about my top tips on how to have an
organized home. I've made quite a few videos like this in the past, but more to do with how
to be an organized mum. But today, I wanted to focus on the tips and things that we do
that make me feel organized at home. Because I've said it before that I'm not the most naturally
organized person. It's something that I do have to work at, but having habits is key because I feel
like once something becomes habit, it feels more effortless and you kind of do it on autopilot.
So, in this video, I'm going to show you some systems and some routines that I do at home that
make me feel that bit more organized. Because there's nothing worse than taking the time,
having a massive de-clutter and getting organized at home, only to go back to your old ways.
I hope you really like this video. If you do give it a big thumbs up, and if you're new to
this channel, I would love you to subscribe for more content like this. And with all that said,
let's get into the tips. So, my first step sounds very obvious, but it's such an important one,
and it is to make lists and write everything down because you cannot remember everything. Well,
I definitely cannot be trusted with all the information that I need to remember for my family.
So, write it all down in a way that suits you. Personally, I like to write down home projects
and cleaning projects on a physical pad of paper because there's something so satisfying about
ticking them off. But then, when it comes to anything to do with work, or presents I need
to get, or things I need to buy from the shops, I really like to keep it all on an app on my phone.
There's an app that's free called Google Keep. And there's also one called Evernote. And they're
just great. You can just add different lists and have it all organized there. But then say,
for my husband, [Matt 00:01:44], he actually keeps a long list in the notes on his phone. He does it
by day, and then, anything he doesn't get done one day, he'll just move it on to the next day,
and it works really well for him. And my next tip is you use any dead time that you have. So,
you may have noticed in my morning routine, when I come downstairs, and I'm waiting for the kettle
to boil, that is when I will empty the dishwasher. And same with when I'm cooking. I try to have no
dead time at all. So, if something's in a frying pan or if something's in the oven, I will use that
time to put dishes away and wipe down services. And even now, the boys are older. If they're ever
happily playing in the bath, I'll use that time to quickly wipe down the bathroom and also wipe
down the bathroom floor. Especially if they splash water out of the bath, I'm like, I'm going to use
this opportunity to actually clean the floor. And it just saves me time in the long run. Every
single book I've ever read about organization at like Marie Kondo or the Home Edit says that
everything needs to have a home or it's going to live where you don't want it to be like on your
surfaces, or on your floor, or on the chair. Do a [inaudible 00:02:49] of your house. Literally,
walk through it, look at the areas that just are not working in terms of storage and organization,
and then, get the storage to fix it. You can get some amazing storage nowadays. There's
even a website called A Place For Everything. So, I wanted to show you a few areas in our home
where I've recently got better storage solutions. As you walk into our house, we used to have two
small baskets for shoes. And it just was not enough for our family of five. So, recently,
I ordered these much larger baskets that still fit under our side unit from [inaudible 00:03:23]. And
they just fit all of the family's shoes. You can also find things much easier, and I'm finding that
the kids are actually using them more. We also had a problem with our water bottles, and I found this
specific water bottle storage on Amazon. I also love drawer dividers in our junk drawer and our
kids' clothing drawers as well. I just feel like they make things look so much more organized.
And I also love a lazy Susan. I use this for my skincare. I also use these in our kitchen
cupboards. It's a great way to be able to see everything you have at the back of the cupboard.
And I also love our pantry storage. I've shown these before, but I just feel like everything,
in terms of baking and pantry ingredients, is all very organized on the shelf. And it's just
so quick and easy to find things. My next tip is to have a dumping station when you walk into
the house, but then, also don't create dumping stations anywhere else. So, what I mean by that
is when you walk in the front door, you do need to have an area where you and the kids can drop
your handbag, your shoes, your hats, your coats, and everything. So, really think about that area
when you walk in the house that you can really utilize things like under the stairs for storage,
for coats, and you can have a basket for hats, and a basket for gloves, and the shoes, as I say.
That is really important because otherwise, as soon as you walk in the door,
things are going to just be chucked onto couches, and stairs, and where you don't want them.
But then also, in this tip, I wanted to say to avoid dumping stations anywhere else in the house.
Any flat surface, or counter space, or desk space just attracts stuff. Doesn't it? People just want
to dump stuff onto it. So, what I do to stop people from doing that is to put something like
a flower arrangement or an ornament. And it just puts people off that bit more. If there's a nice
flower arrangement in the middle, it makes it more difficult for people to dump stuff on it.
And my next tip is to make your bed. And I know that sounds really obvious, but in the
way that clear counter space can make your whole kitchen look so clean, a made bed can instantly
transform your bedroom. And there's actually a book called Make Your Bed. It's by a Navy Seal,
and I've read it, and it's so interesting. It's about how the simple discipline of waking up and
making your bed can actually set you up for a good day, and it can be really powerful. So,
it's a great habit to get into. And it also makes everything look nice and tidy. And it's something
that I also make my kids do without fail. I feel like it's just such a good habit to get into.
And my next step, I know I've talked about it before, but it honestly makes our household feel
so much more organized when we meal plan. If you've never tried meal planning before,
I promise if you try it for a week, you will save time, money and calories as well. And
it's just so nice knowing what you're doing for dinner and having everything in. So, on a Sunday,
we sit down, we talk about what we're going to have for the next week. We order our online shop,
and it comes on Monday, and we're ready to go. We've also done this service where we paid
60 pounds to have unlimited delivery all year. You can have as many as you want. We
still tend to just get one delivery a week. And I really like getting that early morning slot. So,
I think we do 7:30 to 9:30, the food arrives. We put it away. We do it all on an app. So,
it's great if Matt or I notice that something is running out, we can just quickly go on
and add it to the app. And because we online shop, it also remembers what we have as regulars. So,
it's very easy to add things in, and I just feel like we rarely run out of anything and just feel
super organized. So, I know I've said it before. Meal plan and online shop, such a game changer.
And my next step is to declutter and to be constantly editing your belongings. So,
as much as a big declutter is really helpful, and I definitely do that,
also really think about the things that come into your home, and if you want to keep them,
and if you want to have to find a place for them. I shared on my Instagram that I'm actually quite
brutal when it comes to the boys' artwork. They love coloring, but if it's literally just like a
squiggle on the page, I will actually recycle it. If it's good, I'll take a picture of it,
and then, maybe recycle it. And it's only the really, really good stuff that makes it into
their memory box. I just can't imagine that the boys, when they leave home in their 20s,
are they going to want me to give them this huge pile of artwork that they did when they were
four or five? I just don't think that they will. Something else that makes me feel super organized
is to have a refresh every single night. And what I mean by that is to just spend 10,
20 minutes tidying and cleaning up before you sit down. I've said before on this channel, don't
sit down until you've done everything that you want to do. Because as soon as I sit on the couch,
I am not getting up for anything. So, I just want to wipe down the surfaces, tidy up, get everything
ready for the next day. And you can get the kids to help you with this as well. It's just so nice
to come down in the morning to a pretty clean and tidy home. I feel like it sets me up for a good
day, and it doesn't take that long. Sometimes when I'm doing it, I'll just put my ear pods
in and listen to something. Or Matt and I also sometimes do it together and catch up on our days.
And my next tip leads on nicely from the last one. And it is to have a good morning and evening
cleaning routine. And I don't mean that you have to do loads of cleaning in the morning and in the
evening, but I just like to have certain tasks that I do at each time. Say, in the evening,
I always put the dishwasher on last thing. And then, first thing, when I wake up in the morning,
that is when I put it away. And also, in the morning, I'll always put on a load of laundry,
then tumble dry in the day, and then, put it away in the evening. And by making it
part of your routine, as I said, it becomes a habit, and it doesn't feel so heavy. So,
I'll link our morning cleaning routine and evening cleaning routine in the description because I have
actually made those videos. But it's nice to have those kinds of systems and routines in place.
And my last tip I wanted to share with you is just something that really works for me. And
it is to have a command center in the home. Ours is actually on the side of our fridge.
I have a diary for all of the kids' stuff. That's also where I put our meal plan, and then, also,
there's space for lists as well. And then, if we ever get any party invitations or things to
remember for the school, I'll add it there as well. It's kind of like the hub of the home,
where I go and I'm like, "What's going on today? What's for dinner? Who's got what club?
Where is everyone going? Have we got any appointments?" But those are all the tips that
I wanted to share with you guys. I hope you really enjoyed it. Please leave any tips that you have in
the comments down below on how you keep a super organized home because I would love to hear them.
And yeah, I hope you guys are all doing well, and I'll see you in my next one. Bye, guys.