Organizing for a Family of 5
Every since I was young, I enjoyed organizing, labeling and categorizing. I remember playing library as a young child and having my siblings check out books from me. As life got more complicated, I didn’t change from my obsession with organization. I just got fancier labels, calendars and journals. Now as a busy mom of three school age children, juggling volunteering, afterschool activities and working part time, I depend even more on my Type A tendencies to get through the week. I often get comments and how we keep things straight and how people like my little post it notes through out the house.
So I thought I would share my tips with you all! Take into consideration my kids are still elementary school age, so drop a comment below if you have tips for me!
My favorite organization tools:
Label maker: My husband said I’d never looked so giddy when I opened this box. It’s easy to use, connects via an app, and labels stick and don’t smear. What else could you want?
Custom labels: This is for all kids clothing (yes, it lasts through multiple washes), lunch boxes, backpacks. Kids have even starting using it to label their own toys (what monsters have I created??).
Storage bins for toys: We store all toys in Ikea or Target cube shelves. These bins keep toys organized, but are light enough so they can take them down. Half size bins allow kids to see what’s where, which makes putting away things easier. And I find if they can’t see the toys, they don’t play with them.
Journal: I’ve used Moleskin for years, I love the feel of the paper and how uniform my volumes of journals look. It fits easily in my purse and doesn’t have metal rings that scratch. Recently I’ve been using the weekly planner version to keep my tasks organized on the left, and journaling on the right (ie: my 5 year old asking me if he pooped and peed when he was in my stomach). I don’t have time make long entries, but jotting down little moments that made me smile, or made me crazy help me remember these fleeting times.
That’s all I can think of for now, but I’ll keep this list updated and things come up. Please comment below if you have any tools you love and don’t forget to subscribe, take care!
