I don’t know about you but, for me, this time of year always feels so full of potential, and pressure. Christmas is over, we’ve seen in the new year, and now it feels like there’s so much to do! We feel like we’re supposed to get on top of everything, be super organized, and ready to take on whatever the year has in store for us.

But when your to-do list is already as long as your arm, organizing anything, let alone the whole house, can seem like a daunting task. You don’t have to put it off, though. What if I told you that you can organize 11 different spaces in 30 minutes each? I promise it can be done!

From your documents and paper clutter to your bedroom and entryway, I’m sharing 11 ways you can organize in 30 minutes or less. For even more places you can organize in less than 30 minutes, scroll all the way to the end!

#1: Organize your important personal documents

January is the best time to organize your personal and financial paperwork. It’s a great way to start the new year and it makes completing taxes, financial aid applications, and other critical pieces of paperwork easier throughout the year, since you can easily find the reference papers you need.

#2: Get the entryway closet under control

Most people keep a lot of stuff in their entryway closets, so they can get messy really easily. For example, in our entryway closet, not only do I have coats, I also have my vacuum, steam mop, and loads more. Crazy! Now is the perfect time to get it sorted once and for all and make sure you’re utilizing all the shelf space with storage bins.

#3: Organize the master bedroom closet

A disorganized master bedroom can get overwhelming, but an organized one makes a huge difference, and it isn’t hard to do, I promise. In my closet, I had way too many clothes, shoes, and random stuff I piled in there, to make the bedroom look clean (you should see the before picture!). Gah! If you’re in the same boat, don’t worry – I have some simple solutions to solve all of your problems, no matter how large, or small your closet is!

#4: Organize your jewelry

When a friend asked me to write about how to organize jewelry, I was a bit stuck. I’ve always just thrown what little jewelry I have in a jewelry box, so it wasn’t very organized. I decided this would be a good opportunity for me to get inspired and figure out a good way to organize mine. It turned out really well and I came up with loads of ways to help you keep your jewelry organized and tidy.

#5: Get rid of paper clutter and organize bills, taxes, receipts & more

I know organizing paper clutter seems like a daunting task, but it really doesn’t have to be, I promise! It also doesn’t have to take you a long time. When I’ve helped friends with their paperwork in the past, it hasn’t taken us long at all. It’s actually a pretty easy task once you get started, all you need are some colorful file folders and a label maker. Click here to check out my tips!

#6: Organize your purse

Is your purse neatly organized or is it a hot mess with everything thrown in? You should consider a purse organizer! I love having individual compartments that make my stuff easy to find, and it makes switching purses SO easy because all I have to do is lift up the organizer and plop it into another purse! SO easy!

#7: Organize Legos and a separate space for being creative!

I think every parent has experienced the pain of standing on a rogue Lego block. It’s not a very nice feeling! My daughter is super creative and loves to play Lego, but the mess that comes along with this creativity isn’t as fun. I’ve got a simple solution to get those Lego organized and create a space just for being creative. No more Lego piles around the house – 2018 is looking up already!

#8: Organize a kitchen without a pantry

If you have a pantry for food storage, you’re lucky! Many homes don’t have one, so a lot of people have to make do with the space in their kitchens. Making do doesn’t have to be a struggle though, if you organize your stuff well, and keep like things together. Make sure everything has its own place and get rid of the clutter, you’ll be fine. Let me show you how.

#9: Tidy the kids’ dishes

With kids comes a lot of colorful, plastic dishware that I bet you’d never have in your house otherwise! If you don’t want a kitchen where kid stuff takes over and swallows up any sort of “pretty” that the kitchen has to offer, there are plenty of ways to tame the madness and organize those darn kid dishes!

#10: Organize kitchen utensils

Everyone says the kitchen is the heart of the home, which is one of the many reasons why it’s important to keep it organized. I don’t know about you, but if my kitchen is cluttered I feel like the rest of the house is a mess too. Organizing your utensils will not only make it easier to keep them organized, but it will also give you a sense of pride every time you look at them and see how nice they look. It’s all about the small things!

#11: Organize your health

I believe that when we truly feel good about ourselves, we feel good about everything else too. That’s why I think it’s so important that everyone gets their health organized and knows where they’re at with their workouts, diet, and self-care.

We all wrestle with time, money, and other things that keep us from being healthy, but that doesn’t have to happen – you can dedicate just 30 minutes a day to your health and I promise it’ll make you feel like a whole new person! (It’s easy once you get the motivation, I promise!)

Time to Get Organized!

Now it’s over to you. If you have no idea where to start, begin by taking a walk around your house and making a list of all the things that you’re not happy with.

Think about your rooms, closets, cabinets – anything that could be organized, and write it down. Then you’ll have yourself a checklist of all the things that need to be done. Even if you choose just 1 room, closet, or cupboard to tackle each day, you’ll be winning and getting 2018 off to an amazing start.

Pick one project, do it today, and then see what you feel like doing tomorrow. You’ve got this!

Here are some other great, easy organizing projects you can tackle in less than 30 min:

• Organizing under the kitchen sink
• Organizing the fridge (Make sure to check the expiration dates on condiments!)
• Organizing the kitchen (Including pots and pans)
• Organize spices: In a drawer or on a spice rack
• Organize blankets and towels
• Organize school and craft supplies (for free!)
• Organize under the bathroom sink
• Organize remote controls

The post 11 Things You Can Organize in Under 30 Minutes appeared first on Ask Anna.

I’m a big believer in the “stitch in time saves nine” philosophy. The few minutes I take now to organize our personal papers will save me hours of time and frustration through out the year. These organizing tips should only take you 5 – 10 minutes to do. Remember we are sorting individual personal documents, not other documents like banking or insurance.

Gather Key Documents

Gather all important documents for each family member. You may need to check in several different locations throughout your house to find everything. Take the time to make sure you gather all the documents for each person. You may find that you don’t have some key documents. Make a note of missing documents so that you can look for them and obtain replacements if necessary.

Examples of important documents

• Birth Certificate
• Social Security Card
• Passports
• Baptismal or Church Certificates
• School Diplomas
• Professional Certification
• Copies of Driver’s License and other Federal or State Identification
• Will, Durable Power of Attorney, Living Will and Medical Directive
• Health Insurance, Immunization and  Medical Records
• Contact Information for Your Nearest Relatives, Will Executor and Your Employer
• List of Medication. Prescription Numbers and Pharmacy Contact Information.
• List of Account Passwords

Sort Documents for Each Family Member

Make a separate pile of documents for each family member. This is another opportunity to identify missing documents and add them to your need-to-find-these list.

Keep in Individual Pocket Folders

Have a separate pocket folder to hold important documents for each family member. I prefer pocket folders because they hold all papers securely. The pocket folders are easy to remove for transportation (for routine use or for emergency evacuation). I use washi tape to visually distinguish each folder in addition to labeling each with family member’s names.

Keep All Folders in a Central Location

Select one location to store all personal documents folder. I recommend a fire proof safe or safety deposit box. These folders hold the important personal documents for all your family members, so they should be stored in a safe and secure location. Keep all the folders together so that you can easily locate them for reference. It’s also important to keep all the folders in one location in case you ever have to grab them for an emergency evacuation.

Make Copies and Store in a Separate Safe Location

This folder holds all your important documents. All. Important. Documents. Keeping them all in one place makes it easier to protect them, but also puts them at risk to be lost all together. Make copies of all your documents and keep them in a separate safe location, like a safety deposit box. This may seem excessively cautious, but it’s like having insurance – you hope that you never need it, but if you do, you’re glad you have it.

Do you know where all important personal documents are for each of your family members right now? If  you don’t, take 10 minutes and get them organized. You’ll be amazed at how much time and frustration it will save you throughout the rest of the year.

Susan

Organized 31

Checkout more organizing ideas from Organized 31.

Eco-Friendly Battery Storage Organizer and Tips

Tips to Get Organized When Facing Breast Cancer

Tips for Organizing School Mornings

The post How to Organize Important Personal Documents in Less than 30 minute appeared first on Ask Anna.

#1 Take everything out

I know I say this a lot, but that’s because it’s the only way to get truly organized. If you want to organize a space you have to start by taking everything out, so you know exactly what’s in there. When you’re taking things out, if you find something you don’t use anymore (or that just shouldn’t be in there) put them in a donation or a relocate pile. When it’s time to put things back in, make sure you’re only putting back what should be in there!

#2 Utilizing the space

Once you’ve cleaned out the closet, figure out exactly how you want to use the space. I when I emptied out our closet, I realized I wasn’t using a very valuable space, the back of the door. I purchases a utility rack for my cleaning tools and instead of having them shoved in the corner, I hung them on the door.

If you don’t store your cleaning tools in the closet, you could add some Command hooks to the door and use the space for storing purses, or backpacks.

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Baskets are also very important for utilizing the space on the shelves. Group similar items together, whether it’s gloves, scarves, more cleaning tools, etc. and put them in cute baskets to maximize the shelf space.

#3 Think outside the box

We often think that if a space was designed a certain way, then that’s the way you have to use it. Not true! To maintain a clean and organized home it’s important to use each space the way YOU need it to function. For example closets always come with a rod for hangers, but if that doesn’t work for you then take it down and add some hooks (and even some polka dots!).

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A lot of families store shoes in their entryway closets, and since I’ve never seen a closet that comes with shoe shelves, don’t be afraid to add some. It’s a super easy DIY project that shouldn’t take more than a handful of minutes, especially if you buy shelves that are already painted the color you want them.

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You could also change up the closet entirely by installing a closet system. You can purchase similar ones at any large hardware store. I think the design of this entryway closet is fabulous, I’m thinking I should do this in mine!

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#4 Homes without an entryway closet

If you’re in a home that doesn’t have an entryway closet, don’t worry, you have options too! You’ll have to think outside the box a little but if you have a blank wall near the entry, it’s easy to create a space that functions the same as a closet.

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By adding hooks for coats, purses, etc., something for storing shoes, and baskets for additional items your space will function just as a closet would (if not better), and it will looks super cute! The entryway above was in our old house and I really miss it!

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With these tips you’ll be able to have your entryway closet cleaned out and organized in no time! Stop using the excuse that you don’t need to organize it because it’s “just an extra closet”, and take 30 minutes of your day to tackle it. I promise you, when it’s cleaned out, organized and cute, you will be thankful!

Let us see your before and after pictures, post them on Instagram and tag me @askannamoseley, or you can use the hashtag for this series – #organizedinlessthan30min.

If you missed one of the posts in this series, here’s a list of what we’ve organized so far –

• Intro
• How to organize your health
• How to organize kitchen utensils
• How to organize kids dishes and utensils
• How to organize a Kitchen without a pantry
• How to organize Legos
• How to organize your purse
• How to organize paper clutter
• How to organize the Master Bedroom closet

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post but if you purchase through them you will not pay a cent more than you would otherwise. Thank you for supporting Ask Anna!

The post How to Organize the Entryway Closet in 30 minutes or Less appeared first on Ask Anna.

Today I want to talk about how to organize the master bedroom closet, no matter what size you have. Closet organization is not hard, but it is easy to get overwhelmed, when your closet isn’t organized.

When we moved into our current house our closet was a hot mess. It was much bigger than the closet at our old house, but that was a little overwhelming because I didn’t know where to put things. So bigger didn’t equal more organized, it meant more messes. (YIKES!)

You can see from this picture that things just got thrown in there–purses in piles, crammed on the shelf; a plastic tote of who knows what kinds of cords; and I think my favorite has got to be the glass cover for the light, sitting on the shelf. What, why!?

Finally I decided enough was enough, I needed some storage solutions! You can see the full post about how I organized my closet HERE, but what it really came down to was pulling everything off the shelves, purging and actually organizing the space.

Essentially every master closet has the same set of problems:

#1 – Too many clothes, many of which probably don’t even fit anymore, or have gone out of style.

#2 – We like to hide things in our closet because it makes the rest of the room feel clean (aka: the plastic bin full of cords and wires, in my before picture).

#3 – There are so many random objects: hats, belts, ties, swimsuits, laundry, etc. that can be hard to store.

Here are some simple solutions that will help you solve all of those problems:

#1 Purge, purge, purge

I’m pretty good at passing clothes along, when I find that I’m not wearing them, but I guarantee you, even I have some things in my closet I could get rid of. Purging is SO important in the process of organizing and maintaining an oranized master bedroom closet.

Don’t feel guilty about it, clothes don’t have feelings, and you can bless someone by donating them to a local shelter, or throw a swap night with some friends. If you can’t pull a hanger off the rack easily, and you find yourself cramming clothes into your drawers, then it’s time to purge!

#2 Organize with baskets

No matter the size of your closet, organizing with baskets, or cute boxes, is a must. By grouping random things together in baskets, suddenly they will be more organized, and they’ll look cute. In our fabric boxes, I store my hats, Matt’s hats, my swim suits, my workout clothes, scarves and seasonal dress up clothes (like St. Patty’s Day).

It’s great to have vertical spaces–like where I stored our boxes–but if you don’t, you can utilize your shelf space by getting stackable bins.

 #3 A place for everything

Think about your closet the way you think about organizing any other space. In your kitchen you wouldn’t put the glasses in the silverware drawer, so in your closet don’t put your jeans on the shoe racks (just an example, but you know what I mean).

Start by emptying out your closet and then decide where everything should go, based on what would make it function the best.

Think through each of the spaces: closet rods, shelves, vertical space, the dresser, etc.

If you don’t wear your formal dresses that often, then put them on the closet rod in the back of the closet; if you store your shoes in the closet, make sure they are organized on a shoe rack, or utilize the hanging space on the back of the door. Store t-shirts, pants, socks, and other like items, in the dresser.

If you don’t have room for all your clothes at once, store seasonal items, like sweaters, pants, etc. in bins on the top shelves, so they are out of the way.

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If you have a small closet, which most houses do, consider adding additional storage space with these DIY plans from Ana White. You’ll be shocked at how inexpensive and easy this project is!

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There are so many variations of this design, you can totally make it your own. Also, consider adding and additional shelf above the top shelf in your closet. Usually there is so much space between the top shelf in the ceiling, that there’s plenty of room for more storage! You can also add storage to either side of the closet walls (full tutorial HERE). Think about how much you could store by just adding a few more shelves!

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#4 Make it attractive

I know it might seem silly to make a closet attractive but I guarantee you, if you make it pretty, you are more likely to keep it clean and organized. When I organized our closet I put a chandelier in there because it makes the space pretty, and reminds me that it’s not just a closet, it’s another room in my house that I want to keep organized and pretty.

Recently I had a couple piles of donation stuff hanging out in our closet and it was driving me nuts because I wanted my pretty space back! When I finally had time to drop the stuff off, I breathed a huge sigh of relief that I finally had my closet floor back.

Here’s another great example of how you can make your closet storage attractive. My friend at View Along the Way turned her totally boring closet (that isn’t that big) into a gorgeous space, that I think most women would love to have!

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These 4 tips will help you overcome closet clutter, make your clothes easier to find, and help you stay organized in this very important space!

I’m writing this post as a part of my 10 spaces you can organize in 30 min or less, and it’s totally doable, you just have to commit to making purging decisions quickly, and having a plan.

You’ll notice though, that I didn’t put the “30 minute time” in the title, because if you have a small closet, I highly recommend taking a weekend to add some additional shelving, shoe storage, etc., to maximize your closet space, using either of the tutorials above. This will take longer than 30 minutes but I guarantee it will be worth the time spent!

I would love to see your before and after pictures, post them on Instagram and tag me @askannamoseley, or you can use the hashtag for this series – #organizedinlessthan30min.

If you missed one of the posts in this series, here’s a list of what we’ve organized so far –

• Intro
• How to organize your health
• How to organize kitchen utensils
• How to organize kids dishes and utensils
• How to organize a Kitchen without a pantry
• How to organize Legos
• How to organize your purse
• How to organize paper clutter
• How to organize jewelry

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post but if you purchase through them you will not pay a cent more than you would otherwise. Thank you for supporting Ask Anna!

The post How to Organize the Master Bedroom Closet (No matter the size) appeared first on Ask Anna.

A friend of mine asked me if I would write about how to organize jewelry as a part of this series, and to be honest, this one is a bit of a challenge for me. I don’t have a lot of jewelry but what I have, I’ve always just thrown in a jewelry box, or a drawer, so it’s not very organized. I decided this would be a good opportunity for me to get inspired and figure out a good way for me to organize all my pieces of jewelry, while at the same time give you lots of inspiration for your treasures!

First let’s talk about earring organization.

I have more earrings than anything but I get stuck in a rut of wearing the same ones, because I forget about the ones that got shoved to the back of my jewelry box drawer. This DIY jewelry organizer tip from Delightfully DIY is genius! She uses felt (you could also use velvet) and pencils to create the perfect organizer for all her earrings.

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Here is a great idea for creating a portable jewelry case, if you have lots of earrings. Purchase these 3-drawer bins and foam, from Amazon, or Walmart. Then line each compartment with foam cut to size. When you are finished, put your earrings in them for easy to find, organized earrings! If you have earrings with earring backs, create a separate compartment to store them.

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If you don’t have a jewelry stand, but have an extra drawer, here is a great storage solution that I never would have thought of! Ice cube trays in a drawer, make the perfect jewelry drawer organizer for earrings, rings, small bracelets, and even costume jewelry!

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If you have lots of pretty milk glass–in different sizes–some extra countertop space, and want to display jewelry, this is a very pretty way to organize it. I love this idea of ring dishes, I just wish I had more counter space, and more milk glass!

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And last but not least, this is a great way to organize your earrings if you don’t have a jewelry box, lots of drawer space or extra counter space! This DIY idea will cost you pennies and is super easy to make! You can purchase the plastic here. This is an especially great idea for kids, who lose earrings, and earring backs quite easily (I know from experience. )

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Moving on to bracelets and necklaces.

I love this simple idea using a thread rack and I love that the thread rack can be used as a ring holder, and holds everything from chunky bracelets, large hoops and even grandma’s pearls.

Who says you have to store your jewelry in the bathroom? Put this on the back of your closet door and it will make it easier to match your everyday jewelry to your outfit.

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Here is an easy DIY project for your jewelry collection, especially to store necklaces. Cut blocks of wood to size, then stain, or paint it a color you like, then add small hooks to create this pretty organizer. You could even add some pegs to the front of the wood, for rings, or chunky bracelets.

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This jewelry storage solution, from Infarrantly Creative, has got to be one of my favorites. She had a little wall space in her bathroom so she cut into the studs to create this incredibly awesome jewelry cabinet! If you have an old ironing board cabinet in your closet, you could also use it to convert it into this jewelry organizer.

This one will obviously take longer than 30 minutes to build, but it won’t take too long to organize all your jewelry once it’s built. There’s a full tutorial if you have some wall space and would like to do the same thing. We don’t have any walls in our current bathroom (literally, not even a door) but when we redo our bedroom/bathroom space, I’m going to put one of these in!

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Are you inspired to organize your jewelry now!? I know I am! I’ve got to find a temporary solution for organizing mine, until we can afford to redo our bathroom.

Okay, I’ve got one more, for those that have a little extra drawer space. I love these DIY drawer dividers, with separate slots for all your different jewelry items. There’s even a full tutorial on how to make it, on YouTube.

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I hope you are as inspired as I am by all these jewelry storage solutions! I would love to hear which way you decide to organize your jewelry. Or if you have an even better idea, I’d love to hear that too! Let us see your before and after pictures, post them on Instagram and tag me @askannamoseley, or you can use the hashtag for this series – #organizedinlessthan30min.

If you missed one of the posts in this series, here’s a list of what we’ve organized so far:

• Intro
• How to organize your health
• How to organize kitchen utensils
• How to organize kids dishes and utensils
• How to organize a Kitchen without a pantry
• How to organize Legos
• How to organize your purse
• How to organize paper clutter

Disclosure: For your convenience this post contains some affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Ask Anna!

The post How to Organize Jewelry in 30 minutes or Less appeared first on Ask Anna.