Organization is key.... — Beauty is a Beast

I've been wanting to do this blog for awhile now. I love being organized. I just feel at ease when everything is in its place, you know what to expect, and their is a system. I hate having to search for things and I hate forgetting stuff even more! I'm not as super anal as I would really like to be when it comes to keeping my home and life organized, but I do try to do what I can to keep me sane. I used to care a lot about everything being exactly where and how I put it. Unless you live completely alone, there is no way to get people to do things the exact way you do them. Being organized helps keep me on track and focused. I spend less time stressing and searching for things because I know exactly where to find it. I also like how neat and tidy everything looks when you are more organized. So today I present to you 10 easy tips to keep you organized. As you will see, I personally use all of these in my everyday life and I am so thankful that I do.

Shantece G.

1. I would like to start off with one of my favorite things in my house. I love keeping my homework and school tasks organized which helps me make deadlines and really get things done. I am obsessed with wipe boards. This one pictured is an adhesive… — 1. I would like to start off with one of my favorite things in my house. I love keeping my homework and school tasks organized which helps me make deadlines and really get things done. I am obsessed with wipe boards. This one pictured is an adhesive you can stick to the wall to turn any wall into a wipe board! I have it front of me in the office so that once I am done with a task, I just look up and see what else there is to do. I actually have 4 different wipe boards in various places in my home (I told you I was obsessed). They always come in handy and are a great way to keep track of things.

2. As you might be able to tell, another trick I have to keep organized is using different color pens and markers to emphasize and compartmentalize things. Moving on to school notes, the color pens I use help me to highlight and pin point key words … — 2. As you might be able to tell, another trick I have to keep organized is using different color pens and markers to emphasize and compartmentalize things. Moving on to school notes, the color pens I use help me to highlight and pin point key words or phrases which I can quickly identify when I need to. I also like the contrast and I think it makes my notes look appealing.

3. Another way I try to keep my life organized is with folders! I try to categorize everything. The trick is not to be too general, the more specific the better! When you make specific folders, you cut down the likelihood of forgetting where you pla… — 3. Another way I try to keep my life organized is with folders! I try to categorize everything. The trick is not to be too general, the more specific the better! When you make specific folders, you cut down the likelihood of forgetting where you placed that photo, or having to sift through tons of documents just to find what you were looking for. Also peeking over the shoulder of my window you can see that I also use "Sticky Notes" for Windows, for little reminders as needed.

4. When it comes to email.... more and more folders. If I haven't said it enough, I love to categorize everything!! I created my email folders based on the categories of things I get a lot of email for. I order a lot of things online so I created an… — 4. When it comes to email.... more and more folders. If I haven't said it enough, I love to categorize everything!! I created my email folders based on the categories of things I get a lot of email for. I order a lot of things online so I created and "orders" folder that lets me keep track of everything. Every now and then I look into it and see if there are any orders that I haven't received yet, or to check the status. As soon as I get an email with new information about my order I update the folder. I also have "documents" which I think is self explanatory, and "keep" which is basically breaking my generalization rule, but it was the best fit for stuff I felt was important enough to keep but probably won't be getting much email from. Either way, you'll have to figure out what folders you need for yourself, but I highly recommend it.

5. I love using the calendar on my phone! I've tried using a planner, but a lot of the times they are to big or bulky or I just plain forget to write in them. My phone is always with me and it's easy to just open the calendar app and plug away! I al… — 5. I love using the calendar on my phone! I've tried using a planner, but a lot of the times they are to big or bulky or I just plain forget to write in them. My phone is always with me and it's easy to just open the calendar app and plug away! I also like to be able to look at the next day before I go to bed at night so that I have a full picture of what I will be doing. Putting things in a calendar also helps you figure out if you have the availability to add more to your plate. I also use different colors here to identify the different scheduled things. Trips are purple, appointments are red, and classes are yellow etc....

6. Last technological organization trick. Here I combined my love of categorizing and folder creating again! With all of the hundreds of apps you probably have in your phone, it could take you awhile to hunt for the one you want. With my system I kn… — 6. Last technological organization trick. Here I combined my love of categorizing and folder creating again! With all of the hundreds of apps you probably have in your phone, it could take you awhile to hunt for the one you want. With my system I know exactly where to go to find anything I need. "Finances" hold all of my bank/credit cards/credit score info/Bill reminders... "Social" holds all my social media and social media related apps. "Photos" holds all of the different photo and video editing apps I use. "Android" holds apps that my android has built in such as "notes". The apps that are not in folders are the ones I need most frequently so I have easier access to them.

7. Moving on to another part of my home. I love using these clear storage containers for EVERYTHING! Here I used it to keep my insanely large amount of dog food. I also have some in my closet filled with shoes I should probably get rid of. The conta… — 7. Moving on to another part of my home. I love using these clear storage containers for EVERYTHING! Here I used it to keep my insanely large amount of dog food. I also have some in my closet filled with shoes I should probably get rid of. The containers are stackable and come in so many different colors that you are sure to find something that works for you. I just love how neat it keeps everything.

8. This is my litte coffee/tea bar area in the kitchen. I purchased this spinning k-cup holder and I like how you are able to display the different coffees you have. As you can see my little OCD is showing (I had to place them in a particular order)… — 8. This is my litte coffee/tea bar area in the kitchen. I purchased this spinning k-cup holder and I like how you are able to display the different coffees you have. As you can see my little OCD is showing (I had to place them in a particular order). I also like this clear jug container for my teas. I think it looks a lot better than having all those different boxes up there.

9. I think having an organized kitchen really helps when you are cooking. That food on the stove won't wait forever for you to search through loose spice bottles looking for coriander. I love this spice rack, which actually was a christmas gift to m… — 9. I think having an organized kitchen really helps when you are cooking. That food on the stove won't wait forever for you to search through loose spice bottles looking for coriander. I love this spice rack, which actually was a christmas gift to my boyfriend (who loves to cook) from my best friend. I love the labels and how you can clearly see what everything is and the jars are clear so you can tell when you are running out. The style also makes it aesthetically pleasing. Don't forget to place them in alphabetical order!

10. I like to stay organized even when I'm on the go! I found this cute little makeup bag at Bath and Body Works and it was just the right size to hold my various little knick knacks.  I don't know about you, but I have to have lotion and chaps… — 10. I like to stay organized even when I'm on the go! I found this cute little makeup bag at Bath and Body Works and it was just the right size to hold my various little knick knacks. I don't know about you, but I have to have lotion and chapstick within arms reach everywhere I go and this little cutie holds it all for me in the car.