Organizing...so much more fun than cleaning

Being the self-proclaimed organization freak (hereafter OF) that I am, I've been thinking for quite some time that I ought to do a post about it. First off, you know you are an OF if:

1) Your clothes hang in your closet color-coordinated.
2) You are, single-handedly, keeping Rubbermaid in business. (This is evidenced by the copious bins of all sizes which will be found in any cupboard or closet you might open.)
3) You have three or more calendars in use (and they are purchased by September of the year prior)
4) The mere thought of binders, plastic pages, and other office supplies in general elevates your heart rate.
5) There's just something about a little check mark in a box that says "My world is right".

Please comment if you are an OF. Also, feel free to add your own requirements to this list. It is in NO WAY all-inclusive. :)

I'll share one of my favorite organization tips here:


One of my indulgences is hair accessories for my girls. I will pick these up anywhere I see them--the vast majority of them have come from Gymboree, but I also have billions of tiny colored clippies and elastics. For a while I kept them in a clear Ziploc bag, but as my collection grew exponentially, doing hair and finding the proper colored clips was taking way too much time. And little girls won't sit still for that kind of nonsense. In desperation, I asked D for help. He handed over a fishing tackle-type box he'd had for dental school, but which he no longer needed. Voila! Our problem was solved, our clips are color-coordinated, and we've been using this box with raging success now for about 3 years.


Also with regards to hair combing, I keep a squirt bottle, rattail combs (3 so I'm never without), a tiny bottle of hairspray, and some detangling solution in a little pink basket (Easter special at Target) so I can grab it and take it to any part of the house--and return it to its rightful spot quickly--on demand. At the end of the day, I remove the hair accessories and drop them into the pink basket. Every week, I put the clippies back into the organized box.


I also love these purple and pink bins I picked up at Target. They sit in the closet; each girl has her own. The top shelf holds tights, the next holds socks and the bottom holds shoes. My favorite part of this organization is that I can train my kids to independently get and put away their own things. It saves me so much time and effort.

Hey, wouldn't this make a fascinating topic for you to do a post on? I'm always looking for new tips or ideas--I'll be roaming your blogs hoping for some.