{"id":18021,"date":"2026-10-02T08:23:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T22:23:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/reduce-food-waste-fridge-hacks-2\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T17:01:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T06:01:44","slug":"home-organisation-tips-busy-mums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/home-organisation-tips-busy-mums\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Home Organisation Tips for Busy Mums"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Susan Cooper<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For ages, I thought home organisation meant having a house that looked a certain way.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I cracked the real test: can someone else in the house find the sticky tape without needing to ask me? That\u2019s it. That\u2019s the golden rule.
<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A house might look flash, but if I\u2019m the only one who knows where everything is, we\u2019re not organised. I\u2019m just carrying all the mental load.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the seven simple home organisation tips that made the difference for our family.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Store Things Where You Use Them<\/strong><\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n
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A common cause of clutter? Things just living in the wrong spot.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve visited so many homes where mugs are stashed in three different cupboards. Why not keep them all together, right near the kettle where you actually use them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re setting up a system, start by thinking about where you do the job, not just where there\u2019s space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you always pack school lunches at the end of the bench, put the lunchboxes and wraps close by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s so simple, but most of us forget and end up running around the kitchen every morning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Get the Whole Family Involved<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Here\u2019s the big one: if you set up a whole new system solo and just announce it, odds are no one else will follow it for long, not your partner, and not the kids.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if everyone gets a say, suddenly they\u2019re on board. Ask your family, \u201cWhere do you think this should go?\u201d or \u201cWhat drives you mad about how we do it now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes their ideas are actually better, and I\u2019ve learnt to let go of my own way if it means everyone else will help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to stop carrying the whole mental load, you have to let others do things their way too. <\/strong>Even your little ones will be more likely to put things away if they choose where they go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Declutter Before You Buy More Storage<\/strong><\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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It\u2019s so tempting to solve clutter with another trip to Kmart, but trust me, when you run out of space, it\u2019s time to let go, not buy more.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learnt this the hard way with my beloved mug collection. I was convinced I needed a bigger cupboard, but really, I just needed fewer mugs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We kept the family favourites and let the rest go. When something won\u2019t fit anymore, take it as your cue to declutter instead of buying more containers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Stick to Two Laundry Baskets<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Laundry can take over your life if you let it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used to have washing piling up everywhere, until a friend suggested only having two baskets. That way, when they\u2019re full, it\u2019s a clear signal it\u2019s time to wash, fold, and put away before starting again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have more baskets, you\u2019ll just fill them, and the laundry never ends. <\/strong>And if ironing is the bit that gets you, our no-iron laundry hacks<\/a> might help too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Colour Code for the Kids<\/strong><\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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One of my favourite hacks: give each child a colour.<\/strong> Towels, cups, lunchboxes. If it\u2019s theirs, it\u2019s in their colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no confusion, no arguing, and it makes putting things away a breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This trick works for drink bottles, hooks, storage tubs, and anything else you need to keep track of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Measure Before You Buy Storage<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How many times have you bought a cute storage container only to find it doesn\u2019t fit the cupboard? Guilty!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always measure before I shop now, and pop the measurements in my phone so I have them handy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retailers like Kmart, Target, and IKEA are loaded with affordable options, but a little bit of planning saves a heap of frustration (and returns!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re renting, this is even more important since you often can\u2019t add permanent fixtures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Clear Out the Junk Drawer Twice a Year<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We all have a junk drawer (mine is right by the spot where everyone dumps stuff). Every six months, I pull the whole thing out, lay it on the bench, and sort through it.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of it ends up in the bin, but I always find something I forgot we owned. It only takes about 15 minutes and keeps the chaos to a minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember: home organisation isn\u2019t about perfection. It\u2019s about simple systems that help you get back on track when life gets messy (because let\u2019s face it, it always does!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Don\u2019t try all seven at once. Just pick one this weekend and give it a go.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d love a bit more company while you get organised, we\u2019ve got a podcast episode all about these real-life tricks. You can listen while you tidy up. Find the full episode of the Bright Star Kids Parenting Podcast on YouTube<\/a>, Spotify<\/a> or Apple Podcasts<\/a>. Pop it on in the background and let\u2019s tackle the chaos together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you love the colour coding idea, that\u2019s exactly what our Aussie-made name labels<\/a> are for. They survive the dishwasher, the school bag, and the rough-and-tumble of family life, making it easy for every member of your tribe to find (and put away!) their own things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Share what works in your house or tag us on socials (@brightstarkids on Instagram<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>). We\u2019re always keen to hear your real-life wins and fails!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until next time,<\/span>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Susan Cooper For ages, I thought home organisation meant having a house that looked a certain way. Then I cracked the real test: can someone else in the house find the sticky tape without needing to ask me? That\u2019s it. That\u2019s the golden rule. A house might look flash, but if I\u2019m the only […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":18024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1126],"tags":[1173,1176,1163,1175,691,1177,1174],"class_list":["post-18021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bsk-podcast","tag-busy-mums","tag-colour-coding","tag-decluttering","tag-family-systems","tag-home-organisation","tag-mental-load","tag-quick-tips"],"acf":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9StYi-4GF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ep5-Decluttering-Organised-Homes-Title-1-Blog.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18021"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18040,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18021\/revisions\/18040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightstarkids.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}