Organizing DIY

Well, it's the New Year. It's here, HELLO 2012!!

This year's going to be full of craziness, busy-ness and who knows what else but I think it's best to start off the year with a little bit of organization...DIY style :)

Buying a ton of organizational stuff can get expensive, so let's stick to the essentials and make what we can! I've made a list of the stuff that I like to use to keep organized throughout the year and how to make them!

1. Buy a planner. Hands down - the easiest way to stay organized. Pick one that you REALLY like, cause you're stuck with it all year (unless you're like me and have numerous planners...)





2. Make yourself a bulletin board. Go to the hardware store and buy a piece of cork and then get some fabric  that fits in your room and cover it. Get some push pins and you're golden! This is the place to put important things you need, memories from the past year, and maybe even some stuff that you WANT (my mom uses hers as a dream board for her house, and somehow she's always ended up finding that expensive furniture for cheaper).

3. Get rid of things! I'm not a hoarder but I have a tendency to keep things I don't need. So the time has come to reevaluate your clothes (that you know you haven't worn in forever), shoes (okay...I'm a shoe-aholic so, I give you permission to keep them all), and anything else you've noticed you haven't used in who know's how long. The next step - donate them to your friends or Goodwill, so someone else can get a great use out of them!

4. Get some plastic storage bins. These are good for almost anything! You can store your clothes for the old season; you can store last semester's papers; and my personal favorite is to turn them into a filing cabinet! If you get folders (or if you're like me and collect folders) you can organize all of your papers that you know you need to keep but aren't sure what to do with.

5. Lastly, stick to it! I'm the worst at sticking with my organizing, but it's quite simple if you get into a routine. Before you go to bed pick up the things you left around your room and put them in their appropriate places and when you wake up in the morning, go over your plans for the day! (If you don't like having a physical planner, you can try Google Calendar and link it to your smart phone or computer desktop.)

Remember, I'll be trying to stay organized like this throughout the year too so don't feel discouraged! We're in this together :)

-Raewyn