Skip to content

Calendar| Add Event | Subscribe

Local Anchor
Facebook Twitter Instagram
  • South BayExpand
    • Events
    • Places to Go
    • Classes
    • Dine
    • Ultimate Camp Guides
  • Places to GoExpand
    • South Bay
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
    • Southern California
    • City Guides
    • Travel
  • South Bay EventsExpand
    • Los Angeles Events
    • Orange County Events
    • Volunteer Events
    • All Events
    • Add Your Event to the Local Anchor Calendar
  • DineExpand
    • South Bay
    • Long Beach
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
  • CelebrationsExpand
    • Summer
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Holidays
    • New Years
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Birthday Parties
    • Date Night
  • LifestyleExpand
    • Fitness
    • Mental Health
    • Family Relationships
    • Entertainment
    • Activities for Kids
    • Meal Planning
    • Recipes
    • Kindness Activities
    • Art Projects
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Safety
  • DirectoryExpand
    • Community Spotlight
    • Local Places to Shop
    • Submit new listing
  • Giving BackExpand
    • Kindness Community
    • Giving Back Spotlight
    • Awesome Kids Doing Good
  • News
Local Anchor

Home

DIY

The ABC’s of Organizing

ByCheryl Allsbrook September 14, 2018December 1, 2021

ABC Organizing

Organize your way through the alphabet, and be on your way to a happier and more manageable home.

A …ALPHABETIZE. Do this with anything that makes sense. Are you tired of looking    

          through a cabinet full of spices only to find the one you want way at the back?

          Using a spice rack or basket and keeping the spices in alphabetical order makes

          it as easy as ABC!

B …BOUNDARIES. Give your containers/drawers/cabinets boundaries. When

           something is full, you remove something in order to add something. No more

           cramming things in.

C …CHUNK IT OUT.  One of my favorite sayings.  Instead of being overwhelmed with

           the whole picture (the entire kitchen that is out of control) take one small area at

           a time and feel the success without being overwhelmed. One organized drawer

           or cabinet is better than walking in an area, feeling too frustrated and walking

           away because the task seems insurmountable.

D …DISPLAY. If you love it, it should be on display and not hidden in a closet, box or

           in a storage unit.

E …EASY. Make sure things are easy and convenient to put away, otherwise it won’t

          get put away. Something you use all the time should not be on a shelf that

          requires you to get out a step stool every time.

F …FILE. Use a file system to organize and store your important papers. It is so much

          easier than pilfering through piles.

G …GIVE away things that you no longer use. These things are better off in the

           hands of someone who needs them than stored in a home where they are never

           used. Find the joy in the fact that someone else is making good use of it!

H …HOME. There should be a “home for everything, and everything in its

           home. If an item does not have a “home”, place it belongs, it will be left out as

           clutter.

 I …INSPIRATION. Follow blogs, Instagram, Facebook, and/or Pinterest to learn ways

           to get organized.

 J …JUNK mail. Toss out what you don’t want immediately.

 K …KEEP only what you need, use or love. Try and limit your “just in case” items.

 L …LABEL your containers, shelves, drawers. This helps alleviate confusion as to

          where things should be returned. This is especially helpful for kids. It makes it

          more like a game when it comes time for cleanup. Use words and pictures on

          your labels for young kids.

 M …MINIMIZE. Minimalistic is the buzz word these days. Keep things simple by not

          having too much of one thing. This tends to be especially true for clothes and

          kid’s toys. Too many toys can cause kids to make poor choices about what they

          play with, and how they take care of it.   

 N …NON ESSENTIALS. Limit these to avoid clutter.

 O …OUTBOX. Have a basket/container near your door for things that need to leave

          the house…morning commute, donations, school, etc. Make a point to empty

          the box when leaving the house.

 P …PRIME real-estate. The important, most used and convenient areas of your

         home. Make sure these areas have the stuff you use frequently and consistently.

 Q …QUANTIFY . Make a conscious decision about the number of items you have. Do

          you really need 3 pizza cutters?

 R …ROTATE clothes, toys, etc. Keep seasonal clothes in a spare closet and rotate

          them into your bedroom for the season. Too many toys? Store toys elsewhere

          and then rotate them into the toy room after a period of time. The kids will feel like

          they have new toys, and ones they have not played with for a while.

 S …SORT like with like. Make sure you sort and store like things together. In the

         pantry have a basket for grains, one for pasta, one for nuts, etc. That way you

         know where to go, and you won’t have to search the entire pantry.

T …TEAMWORK. Get everyone on board for easier maintenance. Make sure the

         family knows how to get organized, stay organized and work together as a team.

U …UNDERSTAND it may never be perfect, but it can be better. If you strive for

          perfection, you may never get started.

V …VERTICAL space. Don’t forget to use areas above eyesight for storage.

W…WORST. What is the worst thing that could happen if you get rid o something?

          Ask yourself this question if you are struggling with whether you should keep

          something you don’t use. If you can buy it again, toss it. If you have another, toss

          it. If it is irreplaceable, keep it if you have room. 

X …EXAMPLE. Parents need to set the example and role model the behavior for

         their kids. If your things are not put away then your children will not respect or
         understand that their things need to be put away. If you don’t follow a routine, use

         time management skills and are always running late, or don’t have enough time to

         get everything done, then your kids will more than likely follow suit.

Y …YEARLY. Maintain yearly schedules for home management. Batteries in the

         smoke in the smoke detector, update earthquake kit, garage clean out, etc. should

         be done on a regularly scheduled basis.

Z …ZERO. Inbox Zero. Clear out your email to zero on a daily basis. Doing this

         in the morning makes looking quickly for a particular email during the day much

         easier!

Cheryl Allsbrook

I am a Professional Organizer and available to help you organize most areas of your home; and more importantly, how to stay organized. No job is too difficult, and no one should ever feel embarrassed. With a Master's Degree in Child Development and 25 years of Parent Education teaching experience, my specialty is organizing families. Whether you are struggling with clutter in rooms, study areas, or getting kids to participate in clean up, I can help. My company name is my mission...Once you SEE how it is done, you will learn how to DO it! Follow my lead...and get organized!

Facebook Instagram

Post navigation

Previous Previous
4 Easy Ways to Connect with your Neighbors and participate in a Neighborhood Watch
NextContinue
Moms Night Out at Cha Spa

Club SciKidz

Club SciKidz
Featured

Recent Posts

Free Outdoor Movies in the South Bay and LA This Summer

Free Outdoor Movies in the South Bay and LA This Summer

June 13, 2025June 13, 2025
Pride in the South Bay: Celebrating, Supporting & Showing Up Year-Round

Pride in the South Bay: Celebrating, Supporting & Showing Up Year-Round

June 11, 2025June 11, 2025
splash pads and pools

The Coolest Splash Pads and Pools in the South Bay and Los Angeles

June 11, 2025June 11, 2025
local anchor
Facebook community accelerator logo

South Bay

  • Manhattan Beach
  • Redondo Beach
  • Hermosa Beach
  • El Segundo
  • Torrance
  • Palos Verdes
  • Lomita
  • Gardena
  • Los Angeles
  • Long Beach
  • San Pedro

Quick Links

  • South Bay Events
  • South Bay News
  • Taste of South Bay
  • Holiday Helpers
  • Dine South Bay
  • Date Night
  • Giving Back
  • Things to Do in South Bay

About Us

  • About Us
  • Our Story
  • Advertise With Us
  • FAQ’S
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Join our Local Anchor Community
  • Press
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

SPONSORED

Debra Koven Law

Debra Koven Law
Featured

All Rights Reserved. © 2025 Local Anchor®, LLC

Scroll to top
  • South Bay
    • Events
    • Places to Go
    • Classes
    • Dine
    • Ultimate Camp Guides
  • Places to Go
    • South Bay
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
    • Southern California
    • City Guides
    • Travel
  • South Bay Events
    • Los Angeles Events
    • Orange County Events
    • Volunteer Events
    • All Events
    • Add Your Event to the Local Anchor Calendar
  • Dine
    • South Bay
    • Long Beach
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
  • Celebrations
    • Summer
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Holidays
    • New Years
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Birthday Parties
    • Date Night
  • Lifestyle
    • Fitness
    • Mental Health
    • Family Relationships
    • Entertainment
    • Activities for Kids
    • Meal Planning
    • Recipes
    • Kindness Activities
    • Art Projects
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Safety
  • Directory
    • Community Spotlight
    • Local Places to Shop
    • Submit new listing
  • Giving Back
    • Kindness Community
    • Giving Back Spotlight
    • Awesome Kids Doing Good
  • News
Search