25 Ways to Get Organized in 2025

After writing my recap of 2024, I'm ready to start thinking about what lies in store for 2025. 

As always, my goal here is to share products and tips that make parenting easier and more fun. Part of this means getting kids involved in helping out at home and teaching them useful skills, which is why I'm launching The School of Life in January.

I'm also planning to blog more this year. So I want to kick off the very first blog post of 2025 with 25 organizing ideas!

I know you might be thinking that getting organized always sounds so appealing. But in reality it can be really challenging to get and stay organized, especially with young kids at home. 

Trust me, I get it! I have three kids and our days are very full. It can be a lot to balance work, school, household tasks, and kids’ activities. Sometimes my entire weekend is spent running around to swim meets!

But I want you to think about it like this. Getting organized is about more than just home organization or having a clean home. It’s about how to make your days go more smoothly so you feel less overstimulated and stressed.

That’s something we all want as parents!

That’s why I’m sharing practical solutions and helpful organizing ideas — including the products and methods I use every day. I want you to feel like this is something you can actually do — and not just on your own, but with your entire family. 

Remember, you can always start slow and see where it takes you!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me continue sharing helpful parenting tips with you!

1. Declutter

The first step to getting organized is decluttering. After all, the less you have to clean up and organize, the better! 

Start small with the most-used room in your house. Having a decluttered space for everyone in the home to see will give you motivation to continue decluttering. You can make a plan to go room by room or even drawer by drawer to make this more manageable. 

Need a small win? Set a timer and give yourself 10 minutes to focus on one space. Small decluttering wins add up over time. If you declutter for 10 minutes a day for 30 days, that adds up to 5 hours of work! 

Tip: Keep a trash bag and donation box handy when decluttering to make it easier to get rid of items. 

Studies show that having a clean home can make us feel lighter and happier!  If you didn’t see my post on how to declutter before the holidays, make sure to check it out now for tons of helpful decluttering tips. 

2. Contain the Chaos

Reducing visual clutter and storing similar items together is another important part of home organization. If everything in your home is starting to feel scattered and hard to find, it’ll feel like a breath of fresh air when you see everything neatly organized into matching containers. 

To help you save time, I’ve gathered up all of my favorite home organization products here:

• Kitchen organization
• Closet organization
• Bathroom organization
• Kids’ book and toy containers
• Office organization
• Garage organization

If you need more inspiration, you can also see how I organized my kids’ arts and crafts and my system for a clean garage.

3. Find the Right Solutions for Your Space

If you don’t have a lot of storage room, I have some practical home organization ideas that would work well in smaller spaces. The goal is to get things off the ground and make them easy to find.

• Under-the-bed-organizers: Use them to store seasonal items, bed sheets, kids’ toys, or any household extras you don’t have a spot for. 
• Over-the-door organizers: While most people use these organizers for shoes, you can also use them to store cleaning supplies, toys, stuffed animals, craft supplies, makeup, and more.
• Hanging organizers:  Store folded clothes, purses, and other accessories to maximize closet space and dresser drawers.
• Built-in storage: Utilize ottomans, consoles, and coffee tables with hidden storage to tuck away blankets, magazines, books, board games, and electronics. 
• Shelves: Check your rooms to see where you can add floating shelves, ladder shelves, or corner bookshelves. 

4. Grab a Basket 

One of my simplest organizing ideas is to grab a big basket (laundry basket also works!) and take it to one room. Put in the items that are out of place. Then take them to the room or area where they belong. 

Doing it all at once will cut down on the time you spend deciding what doesn’t belong. And it will keep you from making multiple trips to various rooms or up and down the stairs.

You can also use decorative baskets to keep visual clutter more contained until you can get it more organized. Look at the places where items tend to pile up, like the stairs, a chair, a coffee table, or a kitchen counter. Place a basket near those areas so loose items can get dropped there until you’re ready to sort them and put things away.

5. Organize Kids' Art and Projects

Use a large accordion folder or digital app (like Artkive) to preserve kids' artwork while cutting down on clutter. I have a bed bin under each kid’s bed to store all their artwork! We go through it once a year to decide what is a keeper and what goes in the trash.

Another fun option that will make them feel proud is to display some of their artwork — either in their room or in a common area. You can pin their art on a corkboard, hang pictures using a wire and clip art display, or frame a few. 

6. Add Labels for Instant Organization

Even if you use clear containers or pouches, labels make it really easy to quickly see what’s inside. This way, you don’t have to waste any time searching for what you need. They can also help you stay organized since everything has its own place. 

Plus they just make your entire home feel more orderly! You can use labels to:

• Organize your pantry, office supplies, craft materials, and toys
• Keep track of food expiration dates and reduce food waste
• Personalize kids’ school supplies, water bottles, and sports gear

To make labeling easier, I highly recommend getting a label maker! Some even come with fun customization options, so you can change fonts and add icons. 

7. Declutter Your Digital Space

Digital clutter can feel just as messy as physical clutter! If you have 20+ tabs open, hundreds of screenshots saved on your phone, and files scattered all over your computer (guilty as charged), you know what I mean.

Pick a day to delete or organize something in your digital world. Here are some examples to help:

• Declutter your inbox — categorize or delete emails, and unsubscribe from email lists  
• “Deep clean” your phone — organize or remove apps and delete or back up photos
• Clear your desktop — put scattered files into folders and trash old documents

Tip: It can be really easy to get distracted during a digital declutter, so setting a timer for 30 minutes might help here. You can also give yourself a goal to accomplish, like “delete 100 emails.”

8. Create a Family Drop Zone

We have one small closet off the garage where all jackets, backpacks, car keys, sunglasses and more are dropped when kids (and adults) first come into the house. Prior to making this space, I would find these items all over the house! I recommend designating a hook or cubby for each family member. 

If you don’t have much storage space, see if you can add a wall coat rack near your front or back door. Look for one with a shelf on top where you can place a catch-all basket for smaller items.

9. Sort Your Mail

This is a simple and effective solution to getting organized. And a mail organizer makes it even easier! There are lots of stylish options to fit your home decor, and you can even find one to hang on the wall so it doesn’t take up any valuable space. 

Tip: It can be easy for mail to build up, so my tip is to do a quick sort as soon as you get it. This way, junk mail can get recycled right away and important mail won’t be forgotten or scattered.

10. Set Up a Family Command Center

Designate a place in your home for calendars, to-do lists, meal plans, and reminders. I recommend choosing a central spot in a common area, like your kitchen or dining room, (ours is in the kitchen) where everyone can easily see the things that keep the entire house organized and running smoothly.

Here are my favorite supplies to help you get set up and organized:

• Cork boards
• Dry erase boards
• Wall calendar
• Hooks
• Push-pins

11. Set Up a Digital Calendar

Sync your family’s schedules on a shared calendar app (like Google Calendar) so everyone knows when practices, appointments, and events are happening. 

If you want to get even more organized, you can:

• Color-code all scheduled events by category so it’s easy to see everything at a glance
• Set reminders for when you know you’re going to have a busy day so nothing gets forgotten
• Schedule recurring tasks so you don’t have to keep adding them to your calendar every week, month, or year
• Sync your calendar with voice assistants so you can schedule things anytime, anywhere 
• Review your calendar every month to make sure it’s current and to see if there’s room for more efficiency (or more rest!)

12. Digitize Important Documents

Scan and save key files (medical records, warranties, school forms) on a cloud storage platform like Google Drive. Make sure to back up anything really important to an external hard drive! Then shred the unnecessary paper clutter. (Here’s my favorite shredder.)

Digitizing documents will save you a lot of time in the long run since you can quickly find and share them when needed.

13. Create a Meal Planning Routine

Pick one day a week to plan meals and write a grocery list. Get the kids involved too. Each of my kids gets one night where they can request their favorite meal. It helps keep a variety of meals in the rotation. 

You can use a meal planner notepad to keep track of your meals for the week or a menu board that goes on your fridge or wall as a visual reminder.

Tip: Create a list of meals that you enjoy cooking or are fast to get on the table. My list includes everything from tacos to chicken piccata, to easy scrambled eggs. This will help you and your kids with your weekly meal planning!

14. Batch Cook Freezer Meals

Choose one day a week to prep large batches of meals (soups, casseroles, and pasta sauces) that you can freeze and reheat for busy nights. While this can sometimes feel like a lot of work upfront, it will make your life so much easier! With batch cooking, you won’t need to constantly decide what’s for dinner, cook a new meal, or clean the kitchen.

Tip: Use that label maker we talked about earlier to label and date your meals. While you can use zip-top storage bags, I recommend getting more durable containers that can go in the freezer.

15. Set Up a Chore Chart

Knowing who is going to take care of which household task reduces your mental load and ensures nothing gets forgotten. Your house will also feel cleaner and less cluttered when everyone pitches in throughout the week. 

To help you get set up:

• List all chores on a magnetic dry erase board — make sure to hang it in a central location where everyone can see it
• Assign chores based on age (or ability) and which day they should be done based on everyone’s schedule
• Keep track of completed chores with a simple checkmark or sticker system
• For more visual organization, use a color-coded chore chart

If your kids are on the younger side, you can still set this system up! Toddlers can help put laundry in the washer or dryer, unload the dishwasher, dust, and wipe surfaces. Plus they’ll love putting stickers on chore charts.

Tip: Review your chore chart once a month with the whole family to make sure everyone feels good about their chores. Or you can rotate chores weekly like I do to keep things fair. Chores in our house include feeding the dog, setting the table, and clearing the table after dinner. 

As a bonus, this teaches kids about responsibility and collaboration!

If you struggle to get your kids to help with basic tasks, join the School of Life. This practical (and fun) series is designed to empower your kids, from preschoolers to pre-teens, with essential life skills like household chores.

16. Pick Your Planner

Every parent has a running list of what they need to do. If you’re feeling scattered or overwhelmed, it can help to get everything out of your head and onto paper! This is where a planner comes in handy. 

A planner makes it easy to keep track of all your tasks, commitments, and goals. Plus you can pick one that fits your exact needs. Whether you want something really simple or more detailed, there are so many great options out there!

Once you have everything written out, you can see where you might be overscheduled or where you can fit in more time for something important.

17. Establish an Evening Routine

Every evening before bed, I complete a few tasks to make mornings easier. I recommend picking the same tasks to do so it feels more streamlined. And you can get your kids involved, too!

For example we always run the dishwasher, the kids' lunch containers get laid out on the counter to make it easy to fill them up in the morning, and the kids lay out their clothes. I also always set the washing machine to run right before I get up — that way I can move the clean wet clothes into the dryer first thing.

18. Reset the Room 

In an ideal world, everyone in your family has pitched in to clean up common areas before going to bed. Realistically, there is usually something soaking in the sink, the remote is somewhere random, and books or toys are scattered.

Tidying up might feel like the last thing you want to do once the kids are in bed. But taking 15-20 minutes to quickly clean up and organize your home will help you feel much more calm and organized in the morning. 

Here are a few ways to reset a room:

• Clean anything left in your sink that can’t go in the dishwasher
• Clear tables and counters — put things away where they belong and wipe down surfaces
• Straighten couch pillows and fold cozy blankets or toss them in a basket

19. Create a Charging Station

One of my home organization tips is to create a central spot for similar items, like phones, tablets, and chargers. It’s so easy for electronics to get scattered all over the house throughout the day and then be dead by the morning. Having a designated area to drop devices off and keep them charged ensures everyone knows where they are and can use them when needed. 

We set up a charging station in my office to plan for the future when the kids will have electronics. Electronics are too much of a distraction for sleep, so they will not be allowed in the bedrooms. Plus, I won’t have to spend time searching for devices and chargers!

20. Establish a Morning Routine

Anything you can do to save time is an organization win! Especially if you feel like you’re always rushing around in the mornings. To reduce some of the chaos, set up a step-by-step morning checklist for yourself and your kids, like brushing teeth, making beds, and packing backpacks.

If you like to wake up early for some “me” time and want to have more productive mornings, you can create a list the night before of what you want to focus on. Then set yourself up for success! For example, fill a water bottle the night before so you can hydrate first thing, set out your workout clothes if you plan on exercising, or put a book you want to read by your coffeemaker.

21. Set a Timer to Get Tasks Done 

This might sound funny, but it works! If you’ve heard of the Pomodoro technique, then this should be familiar to you. 

All you have to do is set a timer for various tasks. For example, try giving yourself 10 minutes to clean the kitchen — or 20 minutes to clear your inbox. Knowing you have limited time to complete a task will help you focus and work faster. 

It can be easy to get distracted by your phone here. So I highly recommend getting a visual timer! You might also find that being able to visually see the time passing is helpful for you.

22. Use Batching

Similar to the Pomodoro technique, batching is dedicating blocks of time to similar tasks. Think of how many times you’ve gone to check your email or social media and then get distracted from your original task. All of a sudden an hour has gone by and you’re not sure where the time went! 

We all know that multi-tasking actually decreases productivity, yet we all do it. So my organizing tip here is to batch as many tasks as you can. 

Here are a few ideas:

• Pick 2-3 set times during the day to check emails — typically sometime in the morning, afternoon, and evening
• Choose the same day, like Sunday, to meal prep for the week
• Combine all of your errands into one outing
• Dust, vacuum, and mop in one time block
• Schedule meetings on the same day each week

23. Build a Gift Closet

If you’ve ever scrambled to get a last-minute gift or send a card on time, this home organization tip is for you! Stockpile a variety of cards and versatile gifts (board games, candles, gift cards) so you’re always ready for birthdays, holidays, and other important events or gatherings. Keep wrapping supplies in the same area.

A gift closet is especially helpful when something unexpected pops up, like a housewarming party or holiday exchange. You can also check the closet when you need a quick thank-you gift. 

Tip: Add all birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events to your phone’s calendar. Review your calendar every month to make sure you’re prepared. And set reminders for when to send cards.

24. Schedule Time for Fun

It sounds silly but block out family time on your calendar—movie nights, game days, or even a simple walk to the park.  

If it is not on my calendar, we often miss out on quality family time. These moments matter! I know how challenging it can be to fit in fun experiences when schedules feel full and busy.  By blocking out the time, you can make sure it’s a priority and plan for it better too.

25. Start Small 

There are so many great organizing ideas out there — and I know this is a pretty long list! If it feels overwhelming, just choose one thing to focus on each month. Write down the 12 things you’re going to do, then hang them on a wall as a visual reminder.

Remember, a new year’s goal will only be successful if it feels doable. You can also stay accountable by sharing your goal to get organized with your family. 

More January Tips

I hope you have a great new year! As we settle back into our regular routine of going back to work and getting kids off to school, I’ll be creating more posts for you full of parenting tips. If there’s anything you need more help with when it comes to home and family life, please comment below and let me know.

Of course, if you also have a home organization tip for our community, I’d love to hear it!