Messy Girl's Guide To Organization

I feel like a fraud writing anything on organization because I am a messy girl at heart.  Only recently have I really embraced organization.  For the last month or two I have been reconfiguring drawers, cupboards and closets, purging toys and other unused "junk", and learning how to keep it tidy.  I'm a strike-while-the-iron-is-hot kinda girl, so when I got the urge to organize the house I just went for it and tried to do a little, and sometimes a lot, each day.  Wouldn't you know, it got a little easier, and a little fun even!  Here is what I learned, and some tips on tidying up your space if you're a messy girl too...

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Please don't judge me for my cruddy looking cabinets, I am getting ready to paint the kitchen cabinets and waiting 'til then to deep clean the cupboards and drawers

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I realized that the reason things are everywhere is because there's nowhere to put them!  Duh!  Stock up on baskets, bins, trays and other cool organizing tools from the dollar store.  I got several of these white bins that hold quite a bit of stuff.  I use them in the kitchen and laundry to hold the small stuff that I don't use very often, and that I don't want crammed in a drawer or lost in the back of a cupboard (like my Cuisenart blades and Magic Bullet accessories, and baking supplies like food coloring and paper liners).

laundry

kitchen (please don't judge!)

medicine storage in master closet

Also get several of these small trays which I also found at the Dollar Tree and are great for corralling small things like measuring spoons and toothpaste (or chip clips, or hair elastics, etc.):

I'll be lining these drawers when i paint the kitchen :)

my new and improved junk drawer.
notice the command hooks for future organizing

Use stacking bins and risers to maximize vertical space, also found at the dollar store.  This may not be exciting to you but I got rid of 7 boxes of snacks by putting the snacks in these bins!

the basket is on top of the riser

Another thing I did is install this Closet Maid wire shelf in my hall closet (which I found at Good Will but then needed to get the missing hardware at Home Depot).  The hall closet is still in progress but I did the tedious sorting and purging my gift wrap and now I have lots of room for all of our boardgames and reusable totes and whatnot.

Now that I have taken the time to organize, I'm more diligent about keeping it tidy.  Once I get a better handle on the daily/weekly chores to keep the house clean on a regular basis, I'll share my tips!