Organized Life = Happy Wife with Tracy Bowers

What does your home look like? Are you the organized, everything in it’s place, container-obsessed type, or the disorganized, nothing in the right place type?! Did you know that an organized home, which leads to an organized life, equals a happy wife? That’s right! Having an organized, neat home makes a woman feel happy and content in her domain. So how about becoming an organized wife starting today? This show is for every woman, from the organization queen to the disorganized one…Get ready to learn how to make organizing a part of your daily life and by extension to become a happy wife!

Did you know that organizing your home will lower your stress level leading to you having a healthier marriage? Who doesn’t want that! On today’s show, we had the pleasure of speaking to professional organizer Tracy Bowers of @OrganizewithTracy. Let’s listen in as Leah finds out the best methods for organizing your home:

Focus On What Your Husband Does Well and Make a Place For Everything

Leah: Why bother making our homes organized when we know our husbands will mess everything up?
Tracy: We cannot change our husbands. Instead of spending so much time being angry and frustrated, realize our husbands are not going to change.
Focus on what your husband does well and appreciate it. Organization does not come naturally to everybody. When there’s a place for everything and we make labels to keep our system in place, it will be beneficial for us and also for our husbands. If there is no system, everything will just go back to being messy.

Leah: What if both husband and wife work full time?
Tracy: We need to make our systems work for us. If we discuss with our husbands who will take care of what, then everything will go more smoothly.

Leah: Please describe the system.
Tracy: Create columns and lines so it’s eye-appealing and straight. In the kitchen, we need to throw away all the packaging and store the food in different containers. If something is small, it can go into a basket. Open snack boxes and pour them into OXO containers so it stays fresh and we can monitor when it needs replenishing. Unopened boxes of snacks can be kept in the back of the cabinet. Once you get used to the system, it’s rewarding! Keep dinner foods together and keep breakfast foods together, all in a neat row. Bamboo columns work nicely. Pull out all your Tupperware and make sure you have the same amount of lids. Whatever Tupperware doesn’t fit comfortably, donate!
Now on to closets, it could be hard to get rid of certain possessions. If you want to save things for memory sake, a good idea is to have a bin which is labeled, “treasures.” When the treasure box is filled, digitalize the contents. Bathing suits don’t fit on hangers, so a beautiful basket at the bottom of the closet is recommended for them.
There’s a limit to what you’re keeping, so keep a zone for that and when it’s full, don’t keep anymore. For example, if you decide you have room for ten dresses, then when you go overboard, the rest can be donated.

Organize the Busiest Place First, Make A Plan & Get Excited!

Leah: What area of the house is a good and safe place to start?
Tracy: Whatever area is bothering you the most! Usually your command center would be the busiest place so it’s the best place to attack first.
If there are too many papers, get a literature sorter. The best sorter has cubbies in different colors. Label each drawer.
When tackling the laundry room, it’s wise to have a different basket for each family member. Make use of vertical space and never have piles of clean or dirty laundry around.
When organizing your own space, take all papers off counters. Buy lots of little drawers and organizers. You can return any you don’t use. Put back only things you need and you’ll feel so good, you’ll want to do it again! Pull out your clothes from your closet and try them on. Only keep clothes in your closet, which you plan to wear.

Leah: When do we bring in a professional to assist?
Tracy: When it becomes overwhelming, you can ask a friend or even your daughter to help. If using a friend, you can offer to help them in return!
Moving to under the bathroom sink area, find ideas from Pinterest and make a plan and get excited! You can even find organizing bins at the Dollar Store. Be consistent with what containers you use, since uneven containers could become cluttered! Shoeboxes are great for dividers. Anytime you use bins, you must label them!
For the garage, In Costco there are wonderful heavy duty shelves, which are adjustable and easy to install.
Moving ahead to the children’s room, when telling your children to clean their rooms, it’s overwhelming for them. Help your children to create systems and do it with them! Turn on music and make it fun, set a timer, and make it a game. Do it often until they want to do it themselves! Children must have a minimal amount of things in their rooms. Games should be high up. How many outfits do your children really need and how many times do they wear the same thing? It is reasonable to keep about fifteen tee shirts and get rid of the rest, instead of dealing with the mess. Have hooks in their closets so clothes can be hung up quickly. Assign a different color towel for each child and they should be accountable for it.

Leah: There are clear advantages when we’re organized. How do we get our husbands on board?
Tracy: Get rid of the mentality that your husband is a slob. When something is labeled, you’ll feel happier and in charge. In my home, my husband used to announce, “Attention, operation clean-up!” For ten minutes when all hands are involved with cleaning up, it’s fast and efficient! If you get mad, your children will grow to resent this process. If the children complain, turn it around positively and tell them this process leads to a happy home. If you always get mad at your husband because he’s messy, you can put a coat rack near the place he throws his coat down. Additionally, a shoe bin is most helpful near the door. Once you create a system, it will be easier for your husband. Why get resentful at your husband? Being resentful at your husband will not make him more organized. Just tackle one area at a time. Make your bed in the morning and teach your children to do the same. You’ll feel good about the bedroom when you walk into it!
If the thought of starting this project is daunting, you can ask one of your children to help. Just tell them they’re so good at organizing and that you need their help!
Some people get overwhelmed because they think they cannot succeed. Not everyone is good at organizing. Hire someone, even an organized fourteen year old can help. You can even trade services with a friend; if they help you with organizing, you can offer to babysit their children!

Organizational Date Night

Leah: It sounds as if we can institute an “organizational date night.” Instead of getting mad at your husband, include him. You can say, “I’m motivated and I want to make this happen, but I don’t want my newfound motivation to get you upset.” Set up a system so that your husband is on board with you! Don’t beat yourself up if things are not perfect!

Thank you, Tracy, for providing us with so many practical and easy to do techniques to keeping our homes organized. We are all looking forward to becoming happier wife!

Homework for the week: One time this week, do one thing to organize your home. Pick one small project, which has been bothering you, and get it done this week!

Check out Tracy Bowers on Facebook @ “Organize Simply with Tracy.”