It is a tradition during the month of our Blogaversary to ask a couple of our favorite bloggers for a list of Se7en + 1 “anythings…” Things they love or things they loathe!!! Best books, best blogs, things you love about blogging, best outings, best ice-cream flavors, places to visit, best foods, fun traditions, habits, kid stuff you still enjoy, summer fun, winter fun, even se7en +1 favorite words – whatever they like…
And this post is from: Marcia Francois. She is a speaker and coach who writes the popular organizing blog, Organising Queen. She is a mother of 3-year-old boy/ girl twins and has just released her first book, Live Organised.
I received a copy of Live Orgainised to review… and it is a fabulous practical organizing tool… packed with lots of really great tips and skills to help you get organized. I love her drop perfection and just get started attitude. And there is an appendix at the back with heaps of useful printables – you can take a look at them on the book website. I liked the plans and suggestions to help you get going and to follow through in your quest to get things around you organized. Anyway, we have a Kindle copy of the book to GiveAway to one of our readers… but let’s just look at her “se7en + 1 list” first…
Here are my se7en +1 favorite organizing tools:
- Notebook and pen: After all these years, it’s still my favorite way to keep my thoughts and life organized. It’s good for menu planning, grocery lists, things to do, errands to run, etc.
- Clear square or rectangular plastic containers: For food, this is my number one storage solution. When you use square or rectangular options only, your fridge and cupboards look neater and you use your space more efficiently.
- Masking tape: I found this tip in Confessions of an Organized Homemaker and love it. Masking tape is great for labeling anything. You can wash the dishes and the tape stays on but if you need to change labels, just pull off and it doesn’t leave a mark. These days if I want to make things slightly cuter for things that are on show or of a permanent nature, I use washi tape for labels. Same principle.
- Baskets: I love baskets to contain things. They work equally well whether in the kitchen for all the spice packets, in the bathroom for toiletries or in the bedroom for magazines.
- Permanent marker: This works just as well as typing out on labels, but they’re much quicker to use. I keep a permanent marker in the kitchen to label foodstuffs and one in the study for addressing packages.
- Binder rings: These little rings are my new favorites. I’ve used them to hang calendars, to make little scrapbooks, to organize jewelry and my latest (not yet blogged), to hang handbags on my clothing rails.
- Little bags: I use three little bags within my handbag or gym bag to keep my things organized. It’s easier to find a little bag with your deodorant and ponytail holders than scrounge around amongst takes and clothes. I also keep a bag (I think it was originally a pencil bag) in my handbag with my make-up make-up bag, camera and a few other odds and ends.
- Clothes pegs: Love them, especially when they’re cute. Use to keep bags of food closed, as a quick label (can you tell I’m a visual organizer?!), to display birthday and Christmas cards, art work, or just to organize piles of paper on your desk.
and my se7en +1 organizing tool:
I hope these ideas sparked off some of your own and would love to have you visit my blog too.
You can win a Kindle copy of her book by leaving a comment on this post and telling us about YOUR favorite organizing tool. Our GiveAways are open to everyone: If you have won a GiveAway before never fear – enter away. Our GiveAways are worldwide so feel free to enter: Please leave a comment and enter away!!! Also, if you Like Organising Queen on Facebook or share this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook and leave an extra comment to say so – then an extra entry for you!!!
This GiveAway works in the usual way, we will give you a couple of days to comment, until the close of play next Friday on the 20 July 2012. We will draw and publish the winner by the 23 July 2012. I won’t respond to your comments as I do on our other posts because I don’t want to be included in our own giveaway.
Thank-you so much Marcia, the Organizing Queen for you for joining our Celebrity fun and for your fantastic list!!! Thank you also for a copy of your book to read and for supplying this fantastic GiveAway!!!
Shelves built into the walls. I also like to use the shoe holders, that you hang behind the door to organize certain things!
Good tips! The one on binder rings is new to me; it would beat binder clips, which always seem to go on walkabout in my home.
I completely agree with using small bags or pouches within larger bags. It really saves a lot of time looking for small things, and it makes it easier to change bags from work to weekend.
The one organizing tip that keeps me sane is a hanging shelf in my daughter’s wardrobe. It has six cubbies and I put her school uniform for the week in there. She varies between formal, house and sport uniform. That way I know she will quickly dress in the correct uniform each day without me needing to check. Great for 5 mins work on laundry day.
Such GREAT TIPS!!!!! I am the most organized, disorganized person I know… I always try to be, but it is just a DREAM!!!
Love this! I need more organization in my life! One of my fav organization tools is my A2 sized 6 months either side laminated calendar. I made the template last year and adjusted it to use again this year. Even tho I use my synced google calendar too, having a visual handwritten year calendar helps for the many times I need an ‘at a glance’ answer to a calendar question. 🙂
This sounds great! My favorite org tool right now is tote bags. I have a number of things I am involved with and I keep a different bag for each group, then when it is time to leave for a meeting, I just grab the right bag and have all my notes/books/whatever with me.
I agree with notebook and pen tool. It’s my always win!!!
Another great giveaway. Thanks!!
Menu planning is probably the best way for me to be more organised by less procrastination each day and daily trips to supermarket. I absolutely must try harder at this.
Graph paper. Other than meal planning, and Sonlight for school, I am pretty disorganized, so anything that might help would be good.
Organising has become such a passion for me! My most recent organising tool is routine charts for the kids- one each for the morning,after school and evening. It eliminates the need to constantly chase after them with reminders. Now the chart reminds them what still needs to be done. Great!
I’m so disorganized — I need all the help I can get! I like having a 3-tiered space-saver in my spice cupboard so I can see the small bottles at the back just as well as at the front. But I’m loving all the ideas everyone else is contributing — great stuff!
My Master list is my sanity saver, this was a tip from Marcia’s newsletter years ago. It is the place where I put everything that I need to do, want to do, might like to do someday, it means I don’t have to keep everything in my head I can park in on the Master List and know that it is safely remembered there. This is NOT my to do list so I don’t feel bad that I don’t get through it. I take things off the ML and onto the todo list.
This is my favourite tool and I would be lost without it.
Having a dump basket to collect everything out of place in one go then to put it back later in another session.