Operation Organization with Mary from Mary Organizes

 

Good morning everyone! Hope you enjoyed your weekend, or maybe if you are lucky you have an extra day due to the holiday today? Operation: Organization continues today with another top organizing blogger, Mary from Mary Organizes  is joining us to share more decluttering tricks and tips with you today!

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Hello there all you lovely 11 Magnolia Lane Readers. I’m so honored that Amy and Christy asked me to be a part of this exciting Operation: Organization series. Thank you!

A little bit about me – my name is Mary and I write at a blog called Mary ORGANIZES, which I know sounds very narcissistic … but at the same time I was starting a blog, I was also starting a professional organizing business and I wanted it to stick in people’s minds that I organized. It worked! For the last four years, I’ve balanced blogging with an active organizing business, raising four adorable little people, and managing my own household.

I hear from many readers and see many clients who treat their master bedrooms as a dumping ground, because they can close the door when company comes. I want to teach everyone to think differently about the master bedroom. It is the place you begin each day, where you set your mood and intentions for the day. It is the place where you come at the end of a long day to find peace and rest. More than any other room in the house, your master bedroom should be a protected sanctuary. Tip: Get the stuff out of there that doesn’t belong and give yourself the room you deserve!

If we are being real, blogging is a great excuse to do the extra things to my home I might not otherwise do, like adding labels on my pantry bins. The labels actually have been surprisingly helpful to everyone in the family when they unload and put away groceries for me, or help me find ingredients while we cook together … but they may have never made it on if I weren’t taking pictures for a blog post. Tip: Labels in the pantry help other people in your house help you, even if you don’t blog.

These labels underneath my bathroom sink were definitely for me, even though I did end up sharing them on the blog. Because I am way too lazy to want to open up a whole bunch of bins to find the right one. Tip: Use shoebox containers to store extras in the bathroom and manage them with clear labels.

And while we are in the bathroom, I want to share one of my most favoritest tips of all. (Is favoritest a word? It should be if it isn’t.) I keep a stack of clean white washcloths next to my sink. Every time I wash my face morning or night, I use a fresh wash cloth. It is one of my little secret zen-peaceful-indulgent-spa-like moments every single day to grab that washcloth and dry my face with it. Tip: Give yourself a stack of clean white washcloths and never dry your face with a stinky hand towel ever again.

Another tip I want to share is about storing children’s books. If you have kid’s who are into those early reader novels that are thinner and fall all over bookshelves, you can store them in bins on shelves like in this picture. It helps organize them by series too, which helps the kids find the next book they want. Tip: Store children’s novels in bins on shelves.

Let’s talk about color. My best advice for color is to ignore the trends and to decorate to what makes you so happy. This has been tough as a blogger, because I’m tempted to decorate in the way I know would trend on Pinterest, but I decided to give that up and embrace the crazy colors that make me smile every single day. I love bright color. I love blues, greens, yellows, and corals, and I like them all together. Tip: You are the one living in your home, you might as well love it. Decorate with the colors that make you happy.

Decluttering makes any space look more organized. Do you know why it is super easy to keep my dining room organized? Because there isn’t much in it. Even the cabinet I keep in there is not very full. Tip: If you are struggling organizing a space, it might because you missed the first step of organizing – getting rid of all the extra stuff first!

If you need extra help decluttering, head over to Mary ORGANIZES, where we are starting the third week of our 91 Day Declutter Challenge, though it is never too late to join in!

Happy Organizing!

Like Mary ORGANIZES on Facebook.

 

Thanks so much for the tips, Mary!

 

Because we want to share the organizing love with you all, we’ve got some great giveaways during this series. Xangar is giving away a 50-pack of their clothes hanger spacers to one lucky reader (a $79.99 value!) so that you can tackle your closet and make it simply beautiful and organized. I’ll be using them in my closet makeover, which I’ll show you at the end of the series, and I’m so excited about them! {Shop for them now here}

 

 

We’re also including one of our 11 Magnolia Lane calendar pads to help you keep your week on track. Read more about how to best use them {here} or shop them {here}.

Good luck! Enter the giveaway here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
We are also giving away a second organization package including time management tools from Abby @ Just a Girl and Her Blog, a package from Picture Keeper, courtesy of Simply Organized, and a 10 Tips to a More Organized Life from Morganize Me to really get someone’s year off to a great start! Enter to win those here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AND, our newest giveaway just started a few minutes ago.  This package includes the 31-Day Declutter Challenge Printables from Mary Organizes, a $40 credit to Polished Habitat’s Etsy shop, and a chalkboard wall calendar from our Etsy shop (it’s perfect for renters).  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Follow our group Operation: Organization Pinterest board {here}.

Operation: Organization 2016
Monday, January 11—Lisa from Organize 365
Wednesday, January 13—Erin from Sunny Side Up
Thursday, January 14—Shand from Quarters One
Friday, January 15—Abby from Just a Girl and Her Blog
Saturday, January 16—Morgan from Morganize with Me
Sunday, January 17—Heather from The Heathered Nest
Monday, January 18—Mary from Mary Organizes
Tuesday, January 19—Melissa from Polished Habitat
Wednesday, January 20—Becky from Organizing Made Fun

Friday, January 22–Samantha from Simply Organizing

Have a beautifully organized day, and thanks for stopping by–

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