New house = new storage problem

Hey all! My mom has inspired what my post will be about today because her and I have a very similar problem- we both moved into new houses recently and that means new storage problems. She called me today and while talking about our houses we got on the topic of her new bathroom. The bathroom didn't offer enough counter space and didn't have a ton of storage other than a few drawers. We talked through some common options such as shelves or hangers but were coming up short.  So what happens when your new house doesn't work for space? You get creative.

All of these ideas take only a few minutes to put in place and all cost little money. Try them out!

Here is a hanging basket you can use to store cleaning products, hair stuff, or anything small.

 

Speaking of hair items, why not store your hair dryer, brush or curling iron on the door rather than take up drawer or counter space?

 Again, using the door of the sink- you can cut an old behind the door shoe organizer to fit behind the smaller door. (Hint-you can use it on both doors for double the storage!) Use this for cleaning items, hair sprays, perfumes, anything!

 

Don't forget about utilizing the space in the air too! See how the baskets only take up some of the space leaving all that air above it. Use it! Hang a tension rod to put towels, cleaners, hang baskets or whatever in that space to use all the space available.

 

 

Last but not least- use behind the door storage! Shoe organizers are perfect for this! Look how much it holds!

 

 

 

To-Do....start checking those boxes off!

I LOVE to-do lists. Like, it's an obsession. I write a to-do list for everything. I even write things on my list that I know I've already done just so I can check them off or cross them out. You know you've done this too. If you haven't then what are you waiting for?? Seriously, it makes you feel awesome!

The only problem I have with my to-do lists is it ends up being on a random scrap of paper that I always lose! Then I spend more time looking for that stupid list than doing what is on the list. Backwards, right?

I sat down today and put together a super clean and quick to-do list. Now I'll put this in my planner and have this everywhere I go! 

                                                    Click Here to download this page!

P.S.-- I had a few people ask me about the discbound planner circa notebook I am using.  All the pages I have created I am using in a discbound notebook but they also work perfect for 3 ring notebooks.  I am also considering making a template for a smaller notebook. (Right now all these templates are for 8 1/2 x 11 paper)  Let me know what you all think!

Annual Donation Tracker- Get that tax write off!

If you are anything like me (let's hope that's not the case) you forget to grab that receipt from Goodwill or Salvation army or worse yet, you get a blank one from them and forget to fill it out. Then you are sweating bullets as the tax preparer is asking you the value of your donations and all you have to show are blank receipts!

Well no fear! For blogger Alli is here! (Did that sound as corny as it reads?) I am linking a simple donation tracker you can use in a planner, hang on the fridge, stuff in a drawer....whatever. Keep the blank receipts in case you donate enough items that you need to have proof of receipt but fill out the tracker to keep it all straight! Now go donate that hideous sweater that is in the back of the closet and while your at it, go ahead and donate that shirt your friend lied to you about and said it looked good....you know the one I'm talking about.   :)

                                                      Download it for free- Here!

Planner Calendar is Complete!

Hey all! Hope your spring is going well! Working on any cool projects? Send them to me and I will steal them shamelessly and claim them as my awesome idea.....ok I won't claim them, I'll just not offer up the info if I'm asked. That's totally ok, right? Anyways- enough of this mumbo jumbo-on to the calendar!

I have worked for DAYS on this thing. I am like a proud mama bear. I have created this entire thing 100% by myself.  I LOVE this planner I am building and want to share it with you all....just one catch-- nothing is free. :)

I am posting a link to the current weeks calendar but only the first week. In order to get more pages you have to do one tiny tiny tiny thing. It's really not hard. You just have to subscribe to my page or leave a comment on this post (preferably about how awesome I am).  Then I will get more pages to you! It's that easy! Subscribers also get the first in the know info on all things My Organized Chaos and some extra tips and tricks every so often. AND- did I mention subscribers can be entered to win some fun organizing items, big and small? Heck yes! I have a give away coming up very soon and I'd love for you to be part of it!  To subscribe just fill out this contact me box on the right.

Ok, back to the planner (I'm very spacy today!) Here is the link to the teaser week page- enjoy it!

A few more details on this planner-
1. I am using a cover I found at Staples in the Martha Stewart line. I am in binder love! It's a discbound notebook (circa notebook) that will be super easy to maintain. Mess up on a page? No problem! Just pull the page out and slap another in! Also it has the ease of adding accessories like clear pockets, bookmarks, tabs, etc.  I will be using the pretty blue one!

2. I also found these awesome discbound punches at various prices. You can go from a Ford Fiesta level to a Mercedes level. All different price ranges too. Do your research on these though if you go this route. Some only punch 1 page at a time- yawn! Also, shop a few places before purchasing. I was able to win an epic Ebay battle and get the top of the line punch for the price of a low-middle range punch. That's right- Mercedes over here. Check out some of these options Here.

3. I am putting in a monthly view calendar view also- it is also finally done but I don't want to overwhelm you with the awesomeness. I'll post soon!

4. There are some awesome clear pockets and tabs you can add in this notebook. Check out some Here, Here, and Here.

Ok now it's your turn- Subscribe! Do it! Love it! :)

Long Time No See....Spring Fever

Hey all! I have been horrible about posting the last few days! I have officially caught spring fever. I promise that while I was gone I was researching for new posts and starting about 8 projects....yea I'm the type to do that. I wanted to share some of what I've been up to the last few days and some exciting upcoming projects.

This weekend I got a visit from my dad to the new house. Whenever my dad is here there is usually a lot going on, this weekend was no exception! He puts me to work on projects around the house and the results always amaze me! We started the weekend off by planting my first garden! I'm so excited! I decided to plant peas, carrots, lettuce, peppers, and cucumbers. I'm hoping it all works out well and will post pics once it looks like more than a pile of dirt. We also worked on giving my back yard some color with these beautiful flowers!

We also worked on some other projects around the house that I won't tell you about yet- its a surprise!

One project I started this weekend was building my own daily planner. Ever feel like you can't remember what is happening on what day? I go through this daily! I have tried keeping a calendar in my phone but often forget to update it. I tried one on the fridge, but didn't like that there is only so much I could write. I'm old school and need to write things down to truly remember them. (I feel like I have 1-2 friends going "Oh that's why she forgot my birthday...again") I admit, my memory can be terrible! I immediately went shopping online and in the store for a planner to fit my needs. I went to Staples, Office Depot, Office Max, etc. Nothing was what I wanted. Some where too small, not the right page setup, or just hideous. So, like any other crazy person I decided to make my own. To be honest I was thinking I would whip something up in 30 minutes and be done. The perfectionist in me was screaming at my first draft and I slowed down and took my time so it was something that worked for me. I am looking forward to sharing this with you all, but for now I will give you a teaser--

The pages that will be included in my planner will be:
1. Monthly calendar views
2. Weekly calendar views
3. Special dates page
4. Cover pages
5. Yearly donation tracker
6. Note pages
7. To-Do lists
8. Meal planner pages

It will be what all other planners wish they could be.

Once I have all the pages put together the way I want I will share more.

Taking this time to build this planner is tedious but it will improve my organizing so much in the long run!

Need a planner custom fit for you but don't know where to start? Reach out to me! I'd be happy to build one for you!
organizedchaosallisonsedore@gmail.com

Take 5 mins today- find stuff within 5 mins tomorrow!

Organizing doesn't have to be tiresome and overwhelming. Taking 5 mins every so often to work on a certain area pays off a ton. Today I was looking for what seems like forever for a dry erase marker and an idea came to me. We just moved back to Topeka, KS and while unpacking some boxes I remembered coming across an old kitchen silver drawer organizer that I wasn't using for anything. I took that organizer and placed it inside my desk drawer and then separated out the different kinds of pens and markers I had. After labeling them I had a new space where I knew where all the pens were! Took a whopping 5 mins (4 of which was rummaging through boxes to find the organizer) and cost me nothing! Doing little steps like this daily will make your life so much easier in the long run!

            Look! New Stuff!

Check it out! New pages! FAQs, Contact Me, and Subscribe have gone live!

 Check them out, read them over, love on them, whatever is your fancy! :)

About Me tab will be updated soon, but frankly I'm too tired tonight! ZZzzzz

 

12 Organizing Life Hacks for Under $12

Organizing your home but have a tight budget? These 12 life hacks are easy and cheap. Most of them take only a few minutes to put in place. Organizing for this cheap means you can save enough to have a nice steak dinner...or maybe a labeler similar to my previous post...just saying....it's a possibility. Check these awesome hacks:

 

 

 

What is in that basket?......Labeling

So you've organized a few things in your house....a few baskets here, a few containers there-now its time to label your stuff so you know where it is! Labeling makes it so easy to find everything incredibly fast and it's nice to keep your items orderly by every thing being in its place. There are hundreds options out there for labeling so I will show you just a few:

Label Maker

I know this sounds so 90's to use a label maker but I LOVE label makers...but I'm also a organizing nerd. There are some great ones you can get at office supply stores such as Office Depot. I personally have this one and love it. It's so easy to use and comes with refillable clear and white tape. (I realize how incredibly dorky I just sounded there....wow)





Chalkboard signs & Stickers
Chalkboard signs and stickers had become all the rage in the organizing world, and for good reason. They are great to use for containers or baskets that you know you will be changing out the contents at some point. A good example of this is the kitchen. Over time your kitchen will change and the container that once held your Ramen Noodles will then hold baby food or formula. When those changes do happen, you'll be ready by just wiping off your chalkboard and re-naming the container.


Make your own!

Seriously, just open up Word or download a template on-line and start to create your own labels. This way you can customize the labels to fit your needs and décor. Have a bathroom that's all done in orange? Make a label for the extra toilet paper basket that is in the same color of orange. But seriously....don't do your bathroom in orange....that's just gross. Or yellow...that's gross too....unless it's more of a marigold kind of yellow...anyways...sorry....off track. I've linked the labels you see to the left so that you can download it to use or customize-just click HERE





Make labeling fun and make it something you won't have to re-do in 30 days. The more versatile the labels, the better.

Late Night Snacking in the Fridge Made Easier

Ever find yourself staring into the fridge late at night looking for that next sweet or salty snack? It happens! BUT have you ever looked into your fridge and thought "I wish it was easier to find my *cough* healthy snack"? Ok maybe not, but fridge organization doesn't take long and has many payoffs. Don't let that container of sour cream ever....well....sour again. Now here's how to clean up that fridge!

1. Pull everything out.
You might have just snorted a bit at me, but I'm serious! Take EVERYTHING out. This is the only way you can see what is still good or not. If you are worried this will take you awhile and are worried your groceries will spoil, stop up the kitchen sink and fill it with ice water. Submerge your groceries in it to keep them cool.  Ok now that we have that worry out of the way- back to the fridge.

2. Wipe down the entire fridge
Inside and out, wipe down the entire thing. I suggest using some antibacterial wipes so you kill all those little critters that have been hanging out in the far back corner. Don't act like you haven't been ignoring them for the last 2 months in hopes that their colony slowly dies out.

3. Consider a liner
If you are really serious about keeping the fridge clean then I suggest using a liner on all shelves and drawers. It makes clean up super quick and looks pretty! Click Here and Here for some examples of liners with really fun prints and colors and where to purchase them. (Psst- they are only $15 at Walmart for a HUGE roll that will last you forever!) They are very inexpensive and last until you change your mind on colors or decide to do another spring cleaning.

4. Organize items into groups before putting them back
Separate the freezer items into whatever categories make sense for you. Group like things together like vegetables, beef, chicken, desserts, etc. Same for the fridge- all cheese products together, lunch meat together, etc. I also like to separate out things that will spoil soon. This way I see everything and know what I have. With doing this you also are less likely to have 4 bottles of ketchup because you bought more thinking you were out.

5. Add organizing trays
When reaching in the fridge do you often have to move aside 3-4 items to reach something in the back? Try using clear trays so you can pull all the items out at once to reach something further back without having to reorganize it again later. Click Here to check these out from Bed, Bath & Beyond-they are clear so you are always able to see the contents.

6. Put everything back in the fridge and enjoy!
But don't leave the fridge door open too long admiring your handiwork....seriously...stop it.


The end result looks great and is super functional!

 

 

 

Hello there!

 

 

Hello! Welcome to my new blog- "My Organized Chaos"! My name is Allison and I have a passion for all things organization. Whether it be organizing paperwork, closets, laundry rooms, or just life in general, I love the feeling of everything in its place. Hopefully you find this blog helpful with everything from simple organizing tips to whole room overhauls. I will post pictures, videos and other items throughout the week so keep checking in often to see new uploads! Check out the page, learn more about me, like my blog and explore all the page has to offer!