Once you find and get settled into your apartment in Tallahassee, the next step is figuring out where to put everything. Here are 5 things you can do to organize your Tallahassee apartment, so you don't spend a large part of your day searching for everything you need or have to maneuver around piles of things you don't know what to do with.
Have a place for everything
It's hard to organize or even clean up when you don't really know where to put anything. Sometimes it is apparent where to put your stuff, for example, you know exactly where to put your toothbrush or silverware. However, it's not always that easy. What about the pile of papers that comes from school that you have to keep for reference but have no idea where to put? When you don't know where to put things, they tend to get shoved into piles on tables, chairs or any other flat surface that appears. Take a look at every pile that accumulates in your Tallahassee apartment and ask yourself why it is there. Do the items have a place? If not, where should they go?
Declutter
Maybe you looked at the pile of papers, pens and other miscellaneous items on the kitchen counter and decided that you really didn't have another place for it. The next step is to declutter. Go through the pile and group things together, and then you can look at what you really have. Find a better way to store the items you have. You don't have to be Martha Stewart here and you don't have to spend a lot of money either. Look around your house for containers that will fit your needs. You can store your collection of paper clips or keys in mason jars. Perhaps you have a flower pot that is the perfect size for your pens and pencils. You can also repurpose items that would normally be thrown in the garbage. Taking a cereal box and cutting off a corner diagonally, then cover it with Washi tape or drawer liner paper and you have made a magazine holder for pennies.
Toss!
Ask yourself if you really need it. We hold on to way too much that we don't need because we think we should. Whether you are keeping that trombone from the fifth grade for sentimental reasons or you think that you're going to bust it out at your next dinner party and play “Twinkle, Twinkle little star”, if you haven't used it in a year you probably don't need it. Depending on what the item is, you can donate it, give it to someone that can appreciate it, throw it away, or shred it. The important thing is that if you don't need it in your home; get it out of your home.
Put it back
I know it's annoying when your parents are right, but once you have found a place for it, put it back where it goes so you will know where to find it. It will take less time to put it away than it will to search every room in the house trying to figure out where you had it last. If you have a hook on the wall by the door that you use the most and you put your keys on it faithfully when you get home, you will avoid a panic induced morning looking for your keys so you can get to class on time.
Set up your creative space
When the room is cluttered and you can't find anything, it's hard to get creative or to focus on your studies. Set up a “center” or a space that will help you do what needs to be done. If you like to study in your favorite chair, set up a table close by that has everything you need. Put the chair next to an electrical outlet so your laptop doesn't die in the middle of your term paper. Have pens, pencils, charging station, bookshelf or whatever else you need right where you need it. Think about your space and where you like to work, plan or play and set up your centers accordingly.
Having an organized space is important for having a peaceful and relaxing home, for having friends over and just liking to be in your home period. The smaller the space the more important it becomes to be organized. Keep these tips in mind as you organize your apartment in Tallahassee.