Tidy House, Tidy Mind: 9 Top Organisational Hacks for Your Home

1. School stations

School shoes, school bags, water bottles, packed lunches, coats, sports kits and artwork. The list of school-related paraphernalia is LONG. Having these items flung around your home daily at 3pm makes being organised and tidy a little tricky. Try setting up 'school stations' using boxes, hooks or cupboards where children can store all of their school supplies. This will make it easier to remember things, see if they are missing, and look much tidier in the hallway! This mum-of-five hacked some IKEA furniture and devised a clever, practical locker zone for her kids. 

2. Online calendars and to do lists

An organised home always starts with a to-do list and a shared calendar. Coordinating after-school activities, dentist appointments, and childcare is a massive juggling act. We suggest investing in an online or shared calendar or jobs system to reduce the number of balls that get dropped. Here are some of our favourite family calendar apps and organisers: 

1. Calendar

2. Cozi

3. TimeTree

4. OurHome

5. Google Family Calendar

3. Delegate the chores

In a world where technology continues to dominate our lives and childhood is becoming increasingly digitised, teaching children the importance of responsibility, hard work, and life skills is more crucial than ever. One of the most effective ways to instil these values is by assigning a small dose of age-appropriate chores. Chores not only help lighten the load for busy mums but also offer numerous benefits for the child's overall development. Here are a few suggestions:

Toddlers (2-3 years)

• Help tidy up toys after playtime

• Help to put laundry in the washing

Preschoolers (4-5 years)

• Set the table for meals

• Help to prepare meals under supervision

School-aged children (6-11 years)

• Water the garden and indoor plants

• Feed pets

• Empty the dishwasher

4. Hanging Storage

If you live in a small space, or simply have too many belongings, finding room for all of your essentials can be challenging. Whether you're wrangling an assortment of hats, scarves, and coats in your closet or making an easy-access area for your shoe collection (or child’s rock collection), hanging storage ideas can elevate your organisational efforts—literally! Etsy has the best selection to spark your inspiration!

5. Declutter

Decluttering your home can be a budget-friendly way to maintain an organised space while promoting green living. Consider options like toy donation or swapping through a mobile app like Sassybae to recycle and reuse toys, reducing waste and benefiting the planet. Embracing these eco-friendly and frugal living practices will keep your house tidy and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle for your family.

6. Clutter crates

Head down to your closest Kmart to pick up one of these bad boys… choose from over 840 different storage solutions for your home. Adding a 'clutter crate' to your busiest rooms is an absolute must for stashing away toys in a hurry. Are in-laws dropping around without notice? Clutter crate! Kids have gone to bed, and your favourite show is about to start… Clutter crate. Too overwhelmed to find all the pieces of that farm puzzle… Clutter crate. WARNING - this is very much an 'out of sight, out of mind' strategy, and you will eventually have to organise and declutter this crate! 

7. Meal planning

Meal prepping sounds like something for a 25 year old bodybuilder. But getting into the habit of preparing food in advance is a great way to save money and embrace frugal living, eat healthier and save plenty of time on cooking and washing up! Check out Family Meal Prepping 101 blog for more tips and advice!

8. Seasonal wardrobe rotation

If your wardrobe doors simply will not close, your bikinis are mixed in with your winter sweaters, or it takes you half an hour to piece together an outfit then it’s time to take control of your wardrobe and create a SYSTEM! For example, sorting your clothing by seasons is an easy first step to organising your wardrobe. 

Don’t forget to leave jeans, t-shirts, denim jackets and cardigans in the wardrobe as they can be mixed and layered with seasonal pieces all year round. And remember to wash your clothes before making the seasonal swap to prevent any surprises or last minute malfunctions when the time comes around.

9. Toy rotation

Implementing a toy rotation strategy is a simple solution for a common problem— too many toys. With toy rotation, you divide the toys into groups and only allow your kids access to one group of toys at a time. Then, you switch (or rotate) the toys to keep the toys they have available to them fresh and interesting. This means less mess and even more importantly, it supports a circular economy for toys.

Finding the best organisational hacks that work your family, home and everyday routine is the easiest and fastest way to maintain an organised space whilst promoting frugal living practices and reducing your household waste. Selecting a few simple hacks will help declutter both your house and your mind. But remember it’s a challenge for the whole family, so work together, share the load and encourage your family members to take responsibility for their individual spaces!