Work Smarter Not Harder: Getting Organized

I am back today with four tips on how to get organized as the weather warms up. Although cold temps still prevail in many parts of the country, spring is just around the corner and I am always looking for ways to keep things running smoothly. I had parents who always taught me to work smarter not harder. So I thought I would pass along four of my best tips that have proven to work for our family. … …………work smarter not harder … If you have little ones, you have toys. A lot of them. When it comes to playing outside, my kiddos love being out front and on our porch. Inevitably, lunch beckons or someone suddenly decides they want to go inside and they never look back. I was tired of being left with a million toys strewn about and a big clean up. I finally realized that one tub of toys was enough and it’s easy to grab and set outside. The kids now know that before they go inside EVERYTHING must go back in the tub. The toy tub cleared up two problems: I am no longer frustrated with the mess of toys and fleeing children and now our front yard no longer resembles a garage sale. It’s a win win. At the end of the day I just place the tub back in our garage.   This idea was born from necessity. We unexpectedly stopped by our friends’ home and stayed for quite a while. Recently married, they do not have little ones yet and I was feeling guilty that I had not come prepared for my kiddos. Reading books only lasts so long! When I came home, I popped two towels, an inflatable baseball, and a ring toss game in our trunk. We happen to have a little hidden compartment so I keep it all in there. Now we can have an impromptu picnic anywhere or have free entertainment for the little ones if we pop in somewhere. This is especially nice for spring and summer if we want to go grab food and swing by the beach or park.   I have been using this idea for over two years now. It seems so simple and silly but has been great for us. After I organized our pantry, I loaded up a ziploc bag with picnic essentials. It’s just a stack of plates, napkins, cutlery, and straws. I can’t tell you how many times we have gone off to a playate or have headed to the pool and simply grabbed this bag. We pack a quick cooler of food and everything we need to easily set up lunch is in this bag. When I get home and unload everything I just restock it and set it back in the pantry. And moms, it’s great for dads to know where this is in case they are in charge and are taking the kids outdoors to eat. So simple.   These little buckets are a new addition to our garage and I keep wondering what took me so long to do this. I used command hooks and dollar bin buckets. They are filled with goggles, sunglasses, and sunscreen. The one that I love the most is the one that holds the sunscreen sticks and face lotion. Those always got lost around here and now we all know where they are. If we are off to the pool or beach, I can easily grab what we need and toss it in our pool bag. The best part of this is being able to use the vertical space. Do you have space on your garage wall or mudroom to to do this? ……………… … This post was sponsored by MSN. The new MSN is fast, smart and beautiful.  If you haven’t already checked out the new MSN you can see it here. It’s perfect for touch so feel free to check it out on  your phone, iPad, or Surface.  After getting caught up with the real time trends, take a moment to check out the living and healthy sections.  They are packed with inspiration. If you missed my fast and fresh ideas for spring decor, you can click on the image below. ……………………   Designed with fierce reductionism, you can check out the new, faster MSN here.  You’ll want to snoop around the interior design tab under “living.” Just sayin! {all opinions are 100% my own. always.}