We’ve all spent those morning minutes frantically searching for gloves, papers, whatever it is that you or your family urgently need right now. Fortunately, getting organized doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. Here are a few great “organizers” you probably already have around the house.
Photo albums. Use them to organize important receipts. So when you’re trying to figure out if your TV is still under warranty, the info is easy to access. When not in use, they store easily (and are pretty) on a bookshelf. Albums are also good places to keep recipes cut from magazines.
Tissue boxes. Don’t throw them away once empty! Use them to contain those plastic shopping bags until you need them.
Toilet paper rolls. These make an easy organizer for hair bands. Just slide them on.
Shoe boxes. Let them hold all kinds of things like extra photos, markers and crayons, small toys, and office supplies. You can write on them so you’ll know what’s inside, and they stack nicely in closets or cupboards. Shoe boxes also make perfect “homework boxes”: Fill a shoe box for each child with pencils, a manual sharpener, a big eraser, crayons, scissors, highlighters, calculator, and ruler.
Ice cube trays. These are perfect for organizing earrings and rings. Slide them into a vanity or dresser drawer.
Baskets. Baskets are a classic organizing tool, if you put them in the right places. Try one near the back door for car keys, sunglasses, and cell phones. Other great places for baskets: by the steps (for items that need to go up or down), in the car (for books and toys), and in the bathroom (have one for each person’s toiletries). Using baskets will also save you time when cleaning: Instead of having to tidy up before you can wipe down surfaces, you just set the whole basket on the floor!
Bags. Fill a quart-size bag with your makeup necessities, and you can easily toss the whole thing in your purse or overnight bag. Reusable cloth shopping bags (like those you can get at most supermarkets for about a dollar) are great as activity centers for long car trips. Fill one with puzzle books, kid-friendly magazines, nonperishable snacks, and kid-song CDs.
Hangers. If your child’s in soccer, put his jersey, shorts, socks, and shin guards all on one or two hangers (pants hangers work especially well, since they have two clips). Do the same for other sports, scouting uniforms, band uniforms, and so on. To help stay organized in winter, use a pants hanger to clip on two gloves, drape a scarf around the hook, and clothespin a hat to the center bar. In summer, hang a beach towel by the clips, drape goggles around the hook, and hang a swimsuit over the towel for impromptu pool trips. You can also use hangers to keep closet floors clear. Hang up kids’ school bags and sports bags by feeding the hanger’s hook through the bag handle.
