Organizing Snippet Resources

I truly hope you were inspired - not discouraged - by the Organizing Your Junk Drawer Snippet I presented today. My goal is to empower you to tackle little bits of chaos, because I know how out-of-control being a mom of little ones can feel. I'm right there in the trenches with you! Life doesn't always look perfect, but think about it this way: your home is the only place on this planet that can be a safe haven for you and your family. Any process that could take away just a little bit of stress will contribute to that end goal.

Imagine it's a typical Saturday afternoon, and you need to leave the house for a birthday party in 10 minutes, but the present isn't wrapped. Even worse, you have NO clue where your scissors and tape are. You are stressed. You may even snap at your child. Now, are you in the state of mind to enjoy that birthday party? No, you probably want to call the hostess and tell her everyone has a sudden stomach virus, stay home, lock yourself in the bathroom, and have a good cry.

But here's the flip side of that scenario: You have 10 minutes until you need to go, and you reach in your Junk Drawer in the kitchen to find scissors and tape right where they always live. You quickly wrap the gift, usher your kids out the door (kissing each one on the head on their way out), and arrive to the party 5 minutes early, in a great mood because you were successful!

This scene is real life. And you, in the midst of your real life, can experience the second option if you spend a couple of minutes right now to set yourself up for success.

Plus, making your home run a little more smoothly may actually encourage the rest of the family to join you in your efforts. Use language like:

"Where do these toys live?"
"Let's give these beautiful drawings a home!"
"Choose 3 toys out of this [bulging at the seams] toybox to give to children who don't have many toys."

I know you can do this. Just be willing to give it a try, be creative, be flexible, and be prepared to be a success!

By the way, you can find the Junk Drawer Organizer I used - and many other great organizational products - at any Target, WalMart, or Container Store. Look in the Kitchen Organization section, with the utensil drawer dividers, etc.

Click here for a listing of my favorite books and resources that I used in my Former Life as a Professional Organizer. And be sure to look under the Handouts tab to see the handout from the presentation.