3 Simple Yet Life-Changing Organizational Tools
As you may all know from my last article, I've been on huge organizing kick lately. I have been doing my best to recalibrate the way I've been storing my belongings in my limited San Francisco space, and have been realizing what a difference it makes to not just the look of my home, but also my stress and frustration levels on a daily basis.
But where does one start when they plan to organize their entire home? Much like building Rome, you can't make your home organized and personalized in a single day. And you won't want to start with a stressful task, because you won't want to discourage yourself. So I say, do what I did and start small. Find the small things cluttering your home and making you feel overwhelmed and give them a home where they can be out of your way until the very moment you need them. And here are three tools you can use to start moving the small things out of your way and get your home looking more streamline. And they're all under $17, so that's less stress on your pocketbook too.
1. Velcro Thin Wire Ties
One of messiest situations a home can get into is when it's covered in spiraling wires. But we are a plugged in society! We've got appliances, computer equipment, speakers, Wi-fi, and of course our beloved phone chargers, plugged in all day. So it's natural that we have a ton of wires clogging up our floor and drawer space. How do we combat that?
I suggest velcro ties. These ties are made by the name brand Velcro, and can be found on Amazon or at most office supply stores. Just slip the velcro tie around the base of one of your wires once, and you'll always have something to bundle it with in the future. Once you get into the habit of using these, I promise they will rid you of all the overwhelm you feel when looking at a wire-heavy room in the house, or opening up a drawer that houses appliances.
When I thought of tackle boxes, I always thought about fishing tool kits. Even when I asked my mother where I could buy tackle boxes, her response was "I don't know...Bass Pro Shop?" But I've recently learned that a tackle box is just a compartmentalized box where you can store small items. And that doesn't just go for fishing hooks. It can be used for hair bands, paper clips, lighters, pencils and pens etc.
I did some research and realized that the brand Artbin makes the most well-recommended tackle boxes. They can be found on Amazon, or purchased in craft stores like Joann's. They are flexible, as they feature removable walls, which is great for personalizing the box for your specific needs. I recommend making one for beauty products, and one for small office supplies. Then suddenly, you'll have a place for every small item you end up collecting over time. And they're nice and clear, so you can always see exactly what you have in stock at a glance.
I'm no MUA, but I do use a lot of products each day to keep my lips and skin healthy, and my eyeliner sticking to my lids. The burden with having lots of small products around is that they like to roll and mix themselves up with every open and close of your makeup drawer. Plus Steven and I have no medicine cabinet, only drawer space in our particular bathroom design. So everything that stands tends to roll around and fall it its side in the drawer too. So how did I fix this?
I purchased these drawer dividers by SPORTi. They're a hit on Amazon, and for good reason. They really work to keep everything in your drawer in its rightful place. Plus they're weighted nicely, so they don't have to be locked in with each other tightly to hold things in place. Just buy yourself a set (or in my case two...or four...) and start placing your makeup brushes, lipsticks and bottles in these little guys. They're clear, so they go with any drawer. I've even used mine to categorize my products into different beauty routines. For instance, I have one with products I use when I'm getting ready in the morning, products for when I'm battling acne, perfumes, nighttime rituals, etc. It's made all the difference to my routines.
Recently, by using just a few new tools like these, I've made my whole day's routine more organized by a longshot, and have made my space look and feel more cozy by having everything in its rightful place. Sure it cost me time, and a little bit of cash when setting it up, but as long as I maintain both my habits and tools, I know these investments will pay off for years to come. Until we meet again!