Organization Tips for Busy Moms

Looking for some help keeping your family organized? These Simple Organization Tips for Busy Moms include smart strategies, clever shortcuts, and hacks to help you waste less time and get more done.

Keeping a busy family organized is a ton of work! The demands of motherhood are 24/7. With kids going in every direction, work commitments, spending time with family and friends, church, and volunteering, it leaves you little time for cleaning and organizing the house.

Paperwork piles up, the to-do list grows, dirt lurks in the corners, and it's easy to get overwhelmed.

Truth be told. A perfectly organized home and Martha-worthy cupboards with labels on everything just don't exist. However, sticking to easy solutions that make a difference to save our sanity totally does!

A few homemaking shortcuts and hacks help get things done and keep things organized no matter how busy you are. These little home organization tricks help you stay on top of things so you don't feel like you're drowning. 

Plus, you'll also be more patient with your kids and partner, which is always a good thing.

Try these simple strategies that will help you waste less time and get more done!

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ORGANIZATION TIPS for BUSY FAMILIES

1. Get Yourself Ready First - Taking the time to get yourself ready first will make the whole day go smoother. Wake 15-30 minutes before everyone else, focus on just you, and see what a difference it makes. Then go check on everyone else. 
2. Make lists and Keep a Calendar - There is no way you can be productive if you don’t have a road map! Make a list of your to-dos and prioritize them. Keep a calendar of family appointments and activities. Either pen and paper or a digital calendar work. Check out these calendar options for the upcoming year.
3. Email Yourself - Every night, take a few minutes to look over your list from the day before and add or subtract what needs to be done so your to-do list is created for the next day. If you're checking your e-mail all day anyway, this keeps your to-do list front and center — you don't even have to shuffle between apps.
4. Shred papers when you bring them in the mail - Paper accumulates. Get rid of it right as you bring it into the house. Have a shredder where you sort the mail, and you’ve eliminated touching it more than once! You can read Home Office Organization: What to Keep for more information on organizing paperwork.
5. Send out birthday cards once a month - At the beginning of the month, check your calendar and buy cards and gifts once. Address and mail them all at one time. Yes, some will get their card/gift early, but better early than not at all.
6. Keep a couple of gift cards on hand - This way, when your child is invited to a party and you've forgotten to purchase a gift, you're covered. They work well for teacher gifts or thank-you gifts as well.
7. Have a place for everything - Clutter and misplaced items happen when everything doesn’t have a place. Designate a place for backpacks, school work, mail, coupons, library books to return, etc. This way, you know where to find things, and they don’t mess up the house.
8. Don't keep magazines - Magazines and newspapers pile up quickly. Tear out relevant articles and inspirational photos. Then discard.
9. Keep cleaning supplies in a transportable container - When it’s time to clean, you can just grab it and go! Kids like this one too, because it’s easy.
10. Create a homework station - Designate a space for homework. Keep all the supplies your student will need in that area, so no time is wasted looking for pens, pencils, calculators, etc.
11. Stockpile basic school supplies - Buy a few extra pencils and pens and keep some paper on hand. Imagine, you won't need to make any last-minute trips to the store when an assignment is due. Get all of our Back-to-School Organizing tips to make life easier!
12. Make labels for storage containers - It’s so much easier and time-saving to know what’s in your storage containers. When you need anything, you know where to find it, and so does everyone else in the family. 
13. Downsize and purge - Get rid of stuff you don't use. Throw out old shampoo bottles, lipsticks, and skincare products that are crowding bathroom cabinets and drawers. Keep only what you use. Save some time in the morning by not sifting through old, unused items. Do the same thing in your closet so you only have what you need and like. 

More Home Organization Resources

How to Organize Your Home in Two Minutes
The Best Way  to Organize Your Pantry
How Being Organized Saves Time and Money
How to Stock Your Pantry for Back to School

If you want several more simple solutions and shortcuts to save time and be less stressed. Enter your email below for a free printable guide.

PRINTABLE ORGANIZATION RESOURCES

Are you a printable gal? Then here's a list of several resources for free printables that will help with organization in all aspects of your life - from holidays to packing for vacation and everything in between.

• How I Organized My Whole Life by Just a Girl and Her Blog (If you can squeeze it in, take Abby's 7-day organization challenge)
• Free Printables by I heart organizing (There's a little bit of everything here. Plus, it's colorful and fun! I love that there's a place to reflect on what's working and what isn't when organizing a project)
• Free Printables by Life Your Way (Printables for organizing your holidays and more)

With these organizational tips for busy moms, hopefully, you will uncover a little time extra time and be able to do something for yourself! "Me" time is important to recharge, so you're an even better mom, wife, and home manager.

Looking for more ways to simplify your life? Check out these Simple Household Timesavers.

This post was originally published on April 29, 2016. We updated with enhanced information on July 27, 2021.

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