Cluttered Mess...(NEED TIPS)

LadyBugLex17
LadyBugLex17 Posts: 146 Member
edited December 2024 in Chit-Chat
SOS.SOS.SOS.SOS.SOS.

Hello MFP Friends,

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ORGANIZING TIPS?

This site has been great to me so far, so now I am looking to you all for help to improve the health of my home.
I am looking for some people with awesome organization skills. My husband and I live in a one bedroom apartment in Northern California and I am trying to find some innovative ways to oraganize our stuff. I HATE clutter. He has inhertired a smidge of the hording passion from his mother (great) :ohwell:
Yeah I know, I could go to The Container Store, but i want some reasonable ideas.

If exhchanging emails and taking and sharing photos of our apartment are neccesary, this can be done.

HELP! we're here for another 9 months.

Thanks so much everyone and anyone!
:drinker:
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Replies

  • jazzedorange
    jazzedorange Posts: 184 Member
    This may be like the worst idea ever but... I get all my organizing skills from crafty people on PINTEREST. I don't know if you are on this site or have seen it but it's helped me :)
  • ncthomas09
    ncthomas09 Posts: 322 Member
    You took the words out of my mouth!!! Pinterest!!! They have tons of ideas for EVERYTHING!!!!
  • jazzedorange
    jazzedorange Posts: 184 Member
    I love Pinterest.
  • hollyberry2012
    hollyberry2012 Posts: 239 Member
    1. Don't HAVE more than you can KEEP nicely.

    2. A piece of furniture should be more than a decorative attraction, it should be functional. With drawers and multiple purposes. Your apartment is too small for any other kind of furniture. There should be drawers under the bed for instance. And a coffee table should store winter blankets inside, if not more.

    3. Hang racks inside closet doors and pantry door....a door's inner side is a surface waiting to be used for shoes or spice racks or ziplock bags or any small things that you use frequently and take up floor and drawer space.

    4. Some things that are bulky and not used very often, but important to you. The wok, the crock pot, the dutch oven. On top of the fridge they go. Your apartment is too small to think decor, so think function, but neat function. Neatness and cleanliness is its own beauty and reward.

    5. Put a laundry basket in the trunk of your car. In goes the junk mail, the newspapers, the magazines....when full, recycle :) Keeps your home free of clutter and gives you a quick place to put it all till you have enough to do something with.

    6. And finally, a thought for your husband. "When you buy me a house, you can have your own room!" :) ~lots of giggles~ Good luck!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    www.flylady.net

    She is like MFP for your home (and free too!)
  • LadyBugLex17
    LadyBugLex17 Posts: 146 Member
    You took the words out of my mouth!!! Pinterest!!! They have tons of ideas for EVERYTHING!!!!

    OH Jesus, MFP and Facebook take up alot of my time already with trying to be more fit and keeping in touch with people, but I mayyyyyyy have to give in! thanks for all the tips ladies. I KNEW i would get some help :)

    We have a huge closet space, but get this... the whole shelving and hanger rod as snapped in half and fell... not once, but twice this year!

    I was considering getting a storage space as well... but then that leads to collecting too my SH!#.... i love the furniture idea. too awesome!
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    If you've not used it or worn it or even thought about it in a year (six months if not clothing) give it away or throw it away. Junk breeds, and lead to an untidy habits and an untidy mind. (I lived with my wife in a apartment that was 22ft by 23ft for seven years)
  • kgillikin
    kgillikin Posts: 191 Member
    www.flylady.net

    She is like MFP for your home (and free too!)

    This
  • Veganniee
    Veganniee Posts: 460 Member
    I got a huge old style chest. It seriously looks like a treasure chest! It's decorative so works nicely in the alcove on the landing, but is a brilliant storage space for just about anything - bedding and towels are in mine.

    i have some stacking crates and have spray painted them to fit in with decor and my makeup, hair care and skincare/bodycare is all tidied away in those put at the side of my wardrobe.
  • ncthomas09
    ncthomas09 Posts: 322 Member
    You took the words out of my mouth!!! Pinterest!!! They have tons of ideas for EVERYTHING!!!!

    OH Jesus, MFP and Facebook take up alot of my time already with trying to be more fit and keeping in touch with people, but I mayyyyyyy have to give in! thanks for all the tips ladies. I KNEW i would get some help :)

    We have a huge closet space, but get this... the whole shelving and hanger rod as snapped in half and fell... not once, but twice this year!

    I was considering getting a storage space as well... but then that leads to collecting too my SH!#.... i love the furniture idea. too awesome!

    on top of ideas for storage they have work outs and "skinny food" recipes too! So you can mix MFP with Pinterest!!!
  • 1a1a
    1a1a Posts: 761 Member
    I suck at this too.

    Love this blog www.unclutterer.com
  • semeyer
    semeyer Posts: 282 Member
    Your apartment might not be this small, but they have a lot of great tips on saving space and organizing!

    http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/tiny-homes-on-at-41195
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    www.flylady.net

    She is like MFP for your home (and free too!)

    This.

    Start with the Beginner Babysteps. Don't skip any of the steps! They're all important. And then after you've gotten through the 30 steps, you can start picking and choosing what you need to keep and what doesn't work for you. Like for me, the shoes in the house thing didn't work, but it does help to shower and get dressed and put on an apron in the morning, so I get dressed to apron instead of to shoes. These days I don't do things exactly like she says to do them, and I almost never do the daily missions she sends out, but going through the process has helped me stay on top of things, and now my house is almost never more than 15 minutes from company-ready.
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    You took the words out of my mouth!!! Pinterest!!! They have tons of ideas for EVERYTHING!!!!

    OH Jesus, MFP and Facebook take up alot of my time already with trying to be more fit and keeping in touch with people, but I mayyyyyyy have to give in! thanks for all the tips ladies. I KNEW i would get some help :)

    We have a huge closet space, but get this... the whole shelving and hanger rod as snapped in half and fell... not once, but twice this year!

    I was considering getting a storage space as well... but then that leads to collecting too my SH!#.... i love the furniture idea. too awesome!

    You need better support for the shelving and rod unit then. Since you rent, talk to your landlord about getting a better one. If he/she doesn't cooperate, alk to someone at the hardware store. They'll help you get something that will be better supported in the center to keep that from happening.
  • Melanie_Robinson
    Melanie_Robinson Posts: 36 Member
    www.flylady.net

    She is like MFP for your home (and free too!)

    You must do this if you don't want to be overwhelmed! She is awesome!
  • BeyondApril
    BeyondApril Posts: 133 Member
    This post caught my eye because I am trying to declutter as well. Sorry, I don't have any tips to offer, except DON'T GIVE UP! DON'T LET THE CLUTTER WIN!!! LOL, and off I go to Pinterest to see what others are doing!!!
  • mandypizzle
    mandypizzle Posts: 633 Member
    Fly Lady and Pinterest are where I go for help for that! They both help me a TON!!!
  • Lesley2901
    Lesley2901 Posts: 372 Member
    I'm one of the most organised people EVER (according to my close family) and it's not always meant as a compliment. I can drive them nuts at times so don't think you want to be on the receiving end of emails from me telling you how to organise your home! LOL A lot of the previous suggestions are great ideas though. Good luck.
  • seardefilip
    seardefilip Posts: 96
    pinterest will have a million ideas for you :)
  • TinaDay1114
    TinaDay1114 Posts: 1,328 Member
    We have the same problem (old house, tiny closets -- if there are any at all), and b/c we're renovating the downstairs, we only live UPSTAIRS with 2 kids.

    The "furniture is functional" idea is key -- every THING in my house holds something. If it doesn't have a purpose (besides houseplants and family photos), it's not in there.

    I also declutter ALL the time. If I bring in a pair of shoes, 1 pair goes out.

    My husband has a bit of the hoarding / piling gene himself. To tell you the truth, I can't wait until we move downstairs and I can shove him and his work stuff into his own space so I can shut the DOOR!! :noway: I have no good advice for husbands.
  • KCoolBeanz
    KCoolBeanz Posts: 813 Member
    Honestly, I love ripping a room apart and putting back together all neat-like. (I know, sick in the head).

    The best single piece of advice I can give you, is if you haven't touched it in a year, you probably don't need it. Have a garage sale, post on kijiji, donate, whatever, but get rid of it.

    Also, invest in some storage - rubbermaid containers, under-bed containers, that sort of thing. Sometimes when they're on sale, you can get screamin' deals. Not sure where you live, but check out Walmart, box hardware stores, that kind of thing.

    When you do decide to tackle the job, take it one room at a time. It's so easy to get overwhelmed, and that's usually when people tend to just say "eff it". (or that's how I used to be, anyhow!)

    Best of luck to you :-)
  • ladymember
    ladymember Posts: 9
    We have a small 1200 sq. ft home.

    Husbands are something else.
    He has our whole garage filled - plus a boat in the driveway.
    He has a storage barn filled.
    He has 3 closets in the house filled.
    He has one spare room filled, even a dresser and a stackable drawers thingy.

    Fishing stuff, hunting stuff, camping stuff, golf stuff, and pictures, newspaper clippings, and you name it, he's got it.

    He had to have an automatic coin sorter machine, now he wants a 500 lb gun cabinet !
    We are never going to be able to move!
  • Turtlehurdle
    Turtlehurdle Posts: 412
    www.flylady.net

    She is like MFP for your home (and free too!)

    Agreed
  • BeyondApril
    BeyondApril Posts: 133 Member
    LOL, love your post, I had to give my husband his own coat closet! The rest of the family (4 of us) have to share the other coat closet. Too funny!:smile:
  • sundaywishes
    sundaywishes Posts: 246 Member
    Bump, bump, bada-bump! Need to check out this fly lady site. And don't get me started on Pinterest :love: ....I would get home from work, get on the computer, and all of a sudden it was 10PM! No wonder I gained weight and my back hurt :laugh:
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Two words... ok really one, but two words flows better...

    FlyLady.... seriously, that woman is helping me keep my house organized and decluttered.. and then for storage ideas and the like, Pinterest is my other place to go.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Buahahahaha... I guess I should have read the comments past the first one...
  • LadyBugLex17
    LadyBugLex17 Posts: 146 Member
    We have a small 1200 sq. ft home.

    Husbands are something else.
    He has our whole garage filled - plus a boat in the driveway.
    He has a storage barn filled.
    He has 3 closets in the house filled.
    He has one spare room filled, even a dresser and a stackable drawers thingy.

    Fishing stuff, hunting stuff, camping stuff, golf stuff, and pictures, newspaper clippings, and you name it, he's got it.

    He had to have an automatic coin sorter machine, now he wants a 500 lb gun cabinet !
    We are never going to be able to move!

    LMAO

    and for you my dear I have sympathys. We're both young in our early 20's so I'm trying to learn together.

    Thank you all for your tips. I'm really excited to just devote a month of Saturdays with my husband. One room a day and just measure and design what we need.

    The closet snapped since I have been gone on deployment and I said " Please have the thing fixed by the time I get home"
    It's crazy to me HOW MUCH stress clutter makes in your life.

    Definitely going to head to IKEA and see what I can find for functional furniture.

    THANK YOU ALL! I AM SO APPRECIATIVE OF EVERYONES TIPS!!! :)
  • LadyBugLex17
    LadyBugLex17 Posts: 146 Member
    Bump, bump, bada-bump! Need to check out this fly lady site. And don't get me started on Pinterest :love: ....I would get home from work, get on the computer, and all of a sudden it was 10PM! No wonder I gained weight and my back hurt :laugh:

    technology has had it's way with me for far tooooo LONG! sad isn't it? I'm thinking about canceling my cable when I get back home, but then what will my husband do? LMAO :)
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    I understand your pain. I learned how to keep things to a minimum a long time ago....I moved every couple years and got tired of packing stuff up that I never used. When my guy and I moved in together we had a lot of duplicates of stuff so we had a garage sale. What was left after the sale went to the local thrift store. The one (well many) things I can't get my guy to do is get rid of is boxes. Empty boxes. I know...right???! He has got to keep the original boxes of things he has purchased....(car stereo, blue ray player, computer, etc) just in case he has to return it. I'm like...the warranty has expired, if it breaks now you can't return it! But the boxes stay in the closet. I finally got him to toss a couple boxex for things that he hasn't had for 5 years....stuff he sold at the garage sale!! His other main clutter item is clothes....he has more than I do! I have half a closet, he has 2 1/2 full closets (and 2 chest of drawers) of stuff....many he hasn't looked at much less worn in years! Will he ever fit into them again...no way! I can understand wanting to keep an old uniform from the Navy, but come on....the underwear and t-shirts too?? 2 seabags full of stuff? Clothes he wore in high school and college? The man is 42! :noway: :ohwell:
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