LET’S GET CLEARING UP 9
1
START WITH THE SMALLEST ROOMS Their size means they’re harder to organise, but there’s less space for stuff to accumulate. I love tidying the bathroom; the drawers that have our shampoos and things in tend to stay organised, despite messy kids’ bath times – that’s just water and toys. All the toys go in one bag that hangs on the door, so it’s nice and simple.
2
WORK OUT WHAT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPIEST
Would an organised kitchen or bathroom cabinet bring you joy? If you’re feeling overwhelmed, choose one task that you know will bring satisfaction, and give it a go. But don’t beat yourself up. Tidying something once doesn’t mean it will stay like that – and that’s okay!
3
LOVE STORAGE Look at every nook and cranny of your home, if it could be storage, use it! I wouldn’t buy a side table that didn’t have drawers, and we have a big basket in the front room for all of Rex’s toys – tidying them away in the evening transforms the feel of the room. In our kitchen, we’ve had plinth drawers fitted beneath the cabinets. If that’s not an option, put storage baskets in the space.
4
BUY BRACKETS! One of the most genius things I’ve found are wire baskets that clip on to a shelf and sit under it (Ikea, £3). You can keep loads of bits in them – I keep tea lights, dog snacks, safety pins and stationery in mine. They’re brilliant if you don’t have loads of space and need to fit a lot into a cupboard.
5
BE THRIFTY Being organised doesn’t have to cost the earth. I’ve put all my tins on a cake stand on top of a Lazy Susan inside my kitchen cupboard, so I can just turn it to see what I have really easily.
6
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Instead of buying fancy Perspex dividers for my make-up drawer, I’ve used some spare oven racks, laid flat in the drawer, and I keep my eye pencils and mascaras between the rungs. I’m also obsessed with little baskets; they’re really cheap and make it easy to stay organised.
7
TRY TENSION RODS Cheap and removable, people use these between two walls to hang clothes, but they can be put anywhere; including inside kitchen cupboards.
I use curtain clips to hang up individual packets of crisps, like jackets in a wardrobe.
It’s a great use of space, and makes it easier to see what you have.
8
CREATE A ‘JUNK TRUNK’
I have a big storage box in the garden, where I put empty tins, finished toilet rolls, even old light bulbs and anything else I think I could reuse in future. I love crafting – I make reed diffusers out of old perfume bottles; I love that I can make something out of nothing.
DON’T IRON YOUR BEDDING
I hate ironing at the best of times, particularly bed linen because by the time you’ve done one side, you’ve creased the other! Instead, when I make my bed, I get a hard wooden hanger and use it to flatten the bedding to the sides of the bed, tucking it in as tight as I possibly can. Hey presto, it looks smooth – and you don’t break your nails!
10
CLEAR YOUR MENTAL
CLUTTER I’ve always kept a notebook by my bed so I can jot down any jobs that pop into my head, otherwise I’ll be up for hours trying not to forget things. Recently, I’ve started drawing a little rubbish bin, where I write down all the worries that keep me awake. Offloading this way feels like someone has taken out the rubbish. It gives me a chance to breathe.