This summer was fun - lazy days by the pool, nights spent at fairs and getting ice cream, going on day trips and vacation. But that meant that we weren't home as much, and when we were home, EVERYONE was home, so to say our house could use a little tidying up is an understatement. Are you feeling the same way? Well have no fear, I have great organizing tips using everyday items that will have you feeling like the queen of your castle once again, and it will only take minutes to implement each of these ideas.
Lazy Susan - A lazy susan is a great way to store a variety of items.
- Use it in your cabinet to store your spices.
- Place one under your bathroom sink to hold all your cleaning supplies.
- Keep one in your bathroom closet to hold all your nail polish. One on your bathroom vanity can help to coral the items you use to get ready every morning.
Tip: You can make your own lazy susan for just $3. Visit your local dollar store and buy 2 pie plates that are the same size and a bag of marbles. Empty the bag of marbles into one pie plate. Place the other pie plate on top of the marbles. Put whatever it is that you want to store in your lazy susan on top of the second pie plate, and gently turn it to rotate the lazy susan.
Paper Towel & Toilet Paper Tubes - These can be used to keep things tidy.
- Cut a slit down the side of a toilet paper tube to put it around a roll of wrapping paper to keep the wrapping paper securely in place.
- Use them as a fire starter by stuffing one full of lint from the clothes dryer.
- Push down the bottom of one tube to form an enclosed bottom. Fill the tube with planting soil, and then plant some seeds. When your plants begin to grow, you can transfer them just as they are (in the cardboard tube) to your garden.
Shower Rings - These rings are so useful!
- Put them around the bottom of a hanger and use each one to keep your scarves organized.
- Are you always finding your daughter's hair ties everywhere? Use a shower ring to keep them all in one place.
- Hang them from a tension rod in your son's closet to keep his hats organized.
Old Cell Phone Cases - Don't toss them. You can repurpose them!
- Use it as a soap dish in your shower to avoid getting soap scum on the side of your tub. Just keep the end with the hole over the edge of the tub and the water will drain right out.
- Same idea as above, but use it to hold your sponge on the ledge of your kitchen sink.
- Pack one when you travel. It's a great place to throw small items like loose change or the earrings you took out after you got into bed. There's less of a chance of leaving it behind this way.
Old Pill Bottles (or old film canisters if you still have any of those!) - Soak your pill bottle to remove the label first.
- Fill them with quarters and pennies and take it with you when you travel. When you come to a penny machine, each of your kids will be able to get a nice (and cheap!) souvenir.
- Make little emergency kits, and fill them with things like band-aids, alcohol swabs, and even a pair of plastic gloves.
- Keep your earbuds inside a bottle. I can never find my earbuds, but since I started putting them in here, they don't get tangled, and I can find them in my purse much easier.
