10 favourite organising tools

My favourite organising tools

There are some things I just can't do without. These 10 tools really help me to keep me and my household organised.

Notebook and pen
I have notebooks all over the house, one next to my bed, one on the entrance hall table, one in my handbag, one in the car, etc. It is easy to jot some notes down immediately without losing the thought than to have to try to remember it.

Flipfiles
Flipfiles are so useful –in the kitchen alone, I use two – one for favourite recipes and one for my household organising file. You can buy your own downloadable household organising file for only R75 (plus R5 admin charge)
We used a flipfile for a travel file to put all the stuff we printed off the internet of tours we wanted to take, checklists, etc.

Masking tape
I got this excellent tip from Confessions of an Organized Homemaker. I use masking tape for labels everywhere. The tape is really easy to write on with both a pen and a marker. Use in the kitchen to label your leftovers in the fridge and also your storage containers in the cupboards.

Permanent marker
Use a permanent marker to label virtually everything. This is one of the main tricks to keep your home organised. It is all well and good to have everything nicely sorted but if you can't remember what's in each container without having to look inside then it's a bit useless, isn't it? My house has one in the kitchen, one in my handbag and a couple in the study.

Post-it notes
I use post-it notes for labels. If you use the proper branded ones, they stick on everything and last forever. Don't waste your time with the cheap stuff. My fridge is labelled with post-its - the same ones have been in there for about 6 months now and are as good as new. There is no sign of non-stickiness. Use in the fridge, on shelves, boxes, trays, magazine holders, etc.

Clear square or rectangular plastic storage containers
Once you start using clear containers, you will never go back to the opaque stuff. You'll always know what's in there and find your food doesn't waste as often. You can pack more stuff into a space if you use square or rectangular containers than if you use round ones. Use in the kitchen for food and in the study for paperclips, staples, etc.

Ziploc bags
Use Ziploc bags for sandwiches, freezing food, holding vegetables, for toiletries when travelling, if you're going on a day trip and need to take some sunblock and mosquito repellent, etc.

Prestik
I use Prestik to stick up shopping and menu lists in the kitchen, a recipe on the cupboard when I'm baking (so it doesn't get dirty), Christmas cards on the side of the wall unit (so they don't take up space on a shelf) and to stick up a pen and my goals list in my wardrobe.

Elastic bands
Use to close bags of chips, sweets or vegetables. They are easier to use on freezer bags than those clips you get in the packets.

Perpetual calendar
Set it up once with all the birthdays, anniversaries and special events, and you use the same one year in and year out. Diarise to check it around the 27th of every month for upcoming birthdays and you are all prepared!


Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/