Organizing randomness

So, most of us have a favorite go-to item (or itemS) that just help life go better.

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite things.

A tissue box.

Yep. This is the unsung hero in my battle to be organized.

Instead of throwing away a tissue box when it has been emptied, it is given a new purpose. Like, plastic bag holder. The plastic grocery bags are what we use for trash bags in the bathroom, and, for tying off especially stinky poop diapers. I used to keep the bags all shoved in an empty bag hanging on a hook in the laundry room...but not anymore!

Now each bathroom has its own tissue box loaded with bags - my laundry room is relieved of that messiness, and I always have a bag when (and WHERE) I need it. Pretty much a win all around.

I also have been trying to become less of a messy-car person....for the entirety of my life. What is it about cars and junk? When we bought our Swagger Wagon in 2011, I promised My Love I would do a better job of keeping the car tidy.

Enter the empty tissue box.

The center area in the front is EXACTLY the width of 2 tissue boxes. Which means, (normally) I keep a box of tissues and an EMPTY box....as a trash can! Normally, by the time the trash one is full - the tissue one is empty! So I throw one out, and bring a new box of tissues in. (I ran out of tissues...so the other side is empty at the moment!)

It is a thing of beauty.

Since we are on the topic of the car - another big time saver I've found for keeping the swagger wagon neat is a canvas bin. Courtesy of Jumping Bean and her creativity, numerous canvas bins in the house were marked all over with crayon. I just grabbed one of those already-unpretty bins, and put it in the car! This bin corrals the toys and sunglasses and books and mess that procreates in a vehicle always toting 4 children.

Two other life-organizing tricks for the car -

1. I have a gallon ziploc bag in the center console stocked with some crayons and small coloring books, a notepad, and a couple pencils. You never know when you will need a quiet something to keep people occupied - and that bag has saved me on numerous occasions!

2. I keep a bag of wipes and a spare diaper in the car at all times. Even when the kids are past diaper stage, I'm pretty sure I will still keep the wipes in the car. They are extremely handy!

Lest you think I'm more organized than I actually am - here is a picture of my garage:

It drives me crazy. It was supposed to be Zone 6....but I might need to scoot it sooner. :)  We'll see.

What do you do to keep your car neat?


~Whitney Copyright 2013