7 Crazy Easy Ways to Be Organized

Ways to Be Super Organized And simplify your life

Ways to be organized has been a research topic of mine and a passion for many years, arising from my own need! I entered marriage without skills in homemaking. I began studying, reading, watching others’ habits, asking questions, taking classes, and attending seminars. Over the years I’ve become more organized, but there is always more to learn! Here are some of the ways to be organized that I practice, that have made my life more calm, and stress-free. Don’t try to implement them all, all at once! But, I hope you will try some of them! Let me know how it goes, or if you have any questions or comments! I love to learn from others, too!

Disclaimer:  There are affiliate links in most of my blog posts, including this one, which simply means that if you click on a link, and end up purchasing something, I may get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I will always only recommend products and resources that I use myself, and love, or believe will benefit you and are excellent.

1. Be Organized with Cards, Gifts and Wrap Bought Ahead

• Write a person’s name on the date of their birthday or anniversary in your calendar at the top (Birthday or Anniversary) in your monthly calendar
• To save money:  Buy greeting cards at thrift stores, make your own cards, use note cards and write your own sentiment, Scripture, or poem on the inside, use gift tags, or buy boxed cards with Christian sentiments and Scripture (save even more by watching for Dayspring sales!)
• Be prepared ahead for gift-giving with a Gift Shelf or closet located conveniently somewhere in your home (I use my bedroom closet shelves now–or use decorative baskets to hold the items. Buy generic gifts in bulk (such as journals with inspirational quotes on the cover) that will work for many different gift occasions and for my own use, as well, when they’re on sale
• When you buy a person’s birthday gift also buy their Christmas gift (and vice versa)
• To save money and yet give something very “special,” you can make gifts, but you will need to start early (for Christmas gifts, perhaps start even in January)–you can work on gifts during Read-Aloud time (see note below:)
• Be organized with Gift wrap and bags on hand: buy Christmas and other event gift wrap and bags at the end of the season when there are sales, or buy from Dollar Tree in quantity
• Be organized by knowing whose event is coming up and what you gave them last year:  Place a checkmark, or an “X,” by the person’s name on your calendar when you sent their card or gift. Have a separate page (or digital file) where you record when you have purchased/sent their card and gift–and record what you gave–and also place a check mark when you have written a thank you note to them for a gift received. This is especially handy when you want to be consistent, for instance, in how much you give to each child in a family or each graduate from year to year!

2. Be organized by having the gift on your gift shelf: (and here are Gift Ideas) For Baby Showers and Children’s Birthdays

• Baby clothes in both blue and pink (get at least 9-month-old, 1-year or 18-month size)
• Stuffed animals or toys
• Darling gift bags for cheap add to the fun of your gift

 And Here are Gift Ideas For Grads and Teen Birthdays

• Books (I like to give “Do Hard Things” by Brett Harris, or “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper)
• Picture Frames or small photo albums
• Bullet Journals and Pens

Gift Ideas For Hostess Gifts, Birthday & Christmas Gifts for Women

• Home Decor, Home Accessories, Wall Art
• Beverage napkins
• Seasonal luncheon or beverage napkins bought at end of season
• Notebooks or Journals, Bible Journalling tools
• Mugs with Christian sayings or seasonal sayings
• Pretty china cup and saucer (often found in thrift stores)
• Scented candles
• Kitchen towels/hot pads or oven mitts
• Serving spoons (a little larger or slotted)–or other kitchen accessories
• Picture frames or small photo albums
• Glass serving dishes (often found at Outlet stores and online very inexpensively)
• Crystal dishes, vases (watch for online sales)

Gift Ideas For Bridal Showers and Weddings

• Mr. and Mrs. Cups
• Crystal dishes, vases
• Picture frames or photo albums
• A small, cute plate and put some very special chocolates for the couple’s wedding night
• A DIY Handmade-by-you Recipe Book–This is a very special, yet inexpensive, gift! She will love it and keep it forever! See below for how to make it!

Steps to Making a Recipe Book: (All these supplies can be purchased at Dollar Tree very inexpensively; affiliate links mean I may get a small commission)

1. Use recipe software or type up and put them into a computer file, and print out recipes (once typed up, you have them to print out over and over easily) on 8-1/2″ x 11″ regular printer paper
2. Include your favorite recipes in main categories, such as Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Main Dishes, Casseroles, Desserts, or whatever you’d like
3. Buy 3-ring binders, or when on sale, with a pocket to insert your own cover in front
4. Use craft paper and kitchen/cooking/baking, or other fun stickers or your colored pens to decorate the cover and recipe pages
5. Insert each 1-page recipe into a Plastic Sheet Protector
6. Buy cute tabbed divider pages on sale, or buy tabs and attach them to card stock paper. (Include extra tabs/dividers for her to add her own categories.)
7. Decorate and insert a personalized cover with the Bride’s name, e.g., “Rachel’s Recipes.”
8. Put a few recipes into each category.

3. Be Organized with Time Management

• Plan all errands on one day of the week, preferably when you have to be out and will be in the area where you can buy gifts, or are near the Dollar Store or your favorite thrift store, anyway

4. You can do two things at once to be organized

• When riding in the car, when your husband is driving, do handwork, work on handmade gifts, write letters, do planning in your planner or journal in your bullet journal; and when you are driving, listen to audiobooks, online workshops, or the Bible
• While the family is listening to you read from a Read-Aloud book, children can do handwork, knit, crochet, do artwork or draw, color or play quietly with felt letters and numbers, and babies can play with Quiet Books and handmade gifts can be worked on
• On Family Movie Night, have the washing machine running with a load of wash, assuming it’s not right next to where you’re trying to listen
• While in the kitchen baking or cooking, listen to an audiobook with your kids–if you’re Homeschooling, this can accomplish your History for the day or Language Arts (a CD you own or a book on Audible); listen to the Bible (Biblegateway), a sermon by your favorite preacher (Grace to You by John MacArthur), or listen to a podcast on Homemaking

5. Another Time-saving Tip is to Buy a Person’s

Christmas Gift when you Buy Their birthday gift

Benefits:

• It helps financially, by spreading gift-buying out over the whole year, instead of having all the expense at once
• It makes gift-buying easier, because you’re already thinking of the person’s likes, colors, size, etc.
• You can buy items that will go together (the shirt for his birthday and the tie for Christmas; the plate for her birthday, and the matching cups or bowl for Christmas)

6. Be Organized with a Gift-wrap Center

Keep these items in a closet or on a shelf, if you don’t have a special organizer for the purpose:

• Gift-wrap and bags in clear plastic containers
• Tape in a dispenser
• Scissors
• Ribbon, Bows, etc.
• Raffia, twine, etc.
• Gift tags
• Pens

7. Be Organized for Sending Cards to Bless someone!

As we get more into social media and paperless, we are getting more disconnected! The more disconnected we get, the more a handwritten personal letter or card that comes in the mail means to a person!

• Have an organizer, box, or desk drawer where you keep your greeting cards to send (sorted by occasion)
• Buy boxed cards on sale for all occasions: thank you’s, thinking of you, praying for you, encouragement, and get well occasions
• Buy special stamps, such as “Celebrate” for birthdays, “Love” for weddings, or stamps with dogs or cats on them for children to personalize your envelope for the recipient
• Purchase return address stickers and store them near your cards in an organizer, envelope, box or drawer
• Have pens and washi tape in this area if you like for both your own journaling and to embellish your envelope or use in cards with special hand lettering
• Purchase stickers to include in children’s cards and gifts
• Purchase small encouragement cards (Prayers to Share cards are small cards with Christian sayings and Scripture on them, and can be tucked into a card or given for encouragement–I love these!) and magnets to include for those grieving or needing encouragement

I hope you see that many ways to be more organized can make your life easier and less stressful and simplify so many areas of your life! I also hope I’ve convinced you to bless others around you through simple acts of kindness, communicating love through words, cards, and gifts–it doesn’t have to be expensive–by planning ahead, it becomes simple and inexpensive! Then, the next time the Spirit prompts, you’ll be ready to send off a “thinking of you” card, give a thoughtful gift, or share encouragement with a Scripture Prayers to Share card and bless someone’s day!  I hope you will try some of these ways to be organized! Let me know how it goes or if you have any questions or comments!