Everyday Organization Tricks

Everyday Organization Tricks

Written by Caroline Frantz

We all can use some everyday organization tricks to help keep us organized. Here is the story of my favorite University of Mary Washington college student (and intern), Caroline Frantz.

 Last night I was working on a group project in one of the academic buildings on campus until 2:30 AM. If the walk home in the 30-something-degree weather wasn’t already bad enough, you know what would have made last night worse? If I had gotten locked out of my apartment because I forgot my keys.

Luckily for me, though, I don’t ever run into this problem!

I’m a college senior, if you couldn’t tell, and I live in an apartment on campus. Over the past 4 years I have found a few everyday organization tricks that have made my life so much easier. Although they’re coming from a 22-year-old, these tips can be applied to anyone. Making your everyday routine easier.

Carabiner for keys:

 I put my keys on a carabiner and hook it on to my backpack straps. When I get to my door, I can just unhook my keys from my bag, unlock the door, and put them back on my backpack. If I don’t carry a backpack, I can put the Caribiner on the strap of my purse or on my belt loops. I don’t spend time standing in front of the door for 10 minutes trying to find your keys…do you?

Note: Carabiners come in all sizes and colors. If you’re worried about having a bright green carabiner on your purse, you can buy a very small, subtle one in silver or black instead.

 Helpful key chains:

 Flashlight. Great for walking to your car at night and staying safe.

Weekly pill container for vitamins:

I keep my vitamins in a weekly pill container and set it by my makeup. I also keep a water bottle next to it so that when I’m doing my makeup I see the vitamins and can take them right then and there before I forget. Having them pre-distributed makes them easier and faster to take. But even if you only take one vitamin per day, just having next to something you use every day will allow you to remember to take them.

Easy Organization Tips for the House:

I must admit, this one I found on a website. But it’s ingenious!

Cable drop for bedside table

A cable drop has the same concept as the binder clip trick, but cable drops have an adhesive on the back so you can stick it to the side of your bedside table and keep your cell phone charger in it without taking up space on the table top.

Smart Storage Cord ties for unused cords

Cord ties are moldable plastic ties that are great for making cords more compact and organized for storage. Plus, the brighter color cord tie you pick, the easier it is to find in a drawer.

Write out dosages on bottom of medicine bottles

When I’m sick, the last thing I want to do is read through the 8-pt. font that’s on the back of the Advil bottle to figure out how many I’m supposed to take. So, I went through all of my medicines and wrote on the bottom of the bottle in a bright pink sharpie “1 pill” and underneath it in a different color sharpie I wrote “6-8 hours” so that I immediately know how many to take and when to take the next dosage.

Take medications out of bag/box

For things like emergen-c or throat lozenges, taking them out of the bag and putting them in a small, open container saves space and makes it easier to grab one as you need it.

Store travel items in a ziplock

Having all of my travel-sized toiletries already together in a ziplock makes packing a piece of cake and ensures that I don’t forget anything. I can just grab the pack out of my closet and put it right into my suitcase.

File organizer to hold cutting boards

I used to store my cutting boards on the counter against the wall propped up by a blender, but any time I needed the blender the boards would all fall. In fact, even when I didn’t touch the blender they still seemed to fall. I took an unused file organizer and put the cutting boards in it and it works like a charm. No more hassle! You can use this trick even if your cutting boards are in a cabinet.

I hope that you enjoy these Easy Organization Tips…let me know some of your favorite organization tips!

Don't Agonize - Get Organized