10 Things Any Mom Can Do in a Weekend To Get Organized BY joyce dorny 1) To keep the toy room clutter-free, buy a case of clear plastic shoe boxes (I particularly like The Container Store's brand) and separate the Legos, Barbie accessories, matchbox cars, etc. In just a matter of a few hours, you can have the chaos under control. 2) Drag out all the off-season jackets, shoes, and accessories. Sort through and make sure everything has its match, nothing needs repairing or the kids haven't outgrown it. Place back into boxes or containers, grouping by item, label and when the season arrives, you're ready to enjoy! 3) Kids can make some of their biggest messes in the car. Keeping the clutter under control is as easy as 1-2-3. First, create a mini command center in the front seat. There are several products made just for this purpose or you can use a desktop file with folders or a simple box with dividers. Use one section for coupons or store sale flyers, another can stash receipts for items you need to return, still another for mail. Second, an over the seat pocket can create instant storage for tissues, books, small toys and extra packages of snacks. Third, keep a storage bin or box in the back (or trunk) of your car. Stash extra baby wipes, paper bags and grocery sacks in one corner and use the rest of the space to keep items like milk and laundry detergent from rolling around. 4) Have each child find 10 (or more if you're brave) things they aren't playing with anymore and put them in a bag to donate to charity. Take it a step further and go through each room in the house doing the same thing. Immediately put the bags into the trunk of the car so the next time you are out you can drop them by a local donation center. 5) Tame every sock drawer in the house in a few simple steps. Gather all the single socks and put them into one pile. Have the kids help sort them into categories; white, dark, kids, patterns, etc. You can even make a fun game of sorting by seeing who can find 10 black socks first, or 10 long socks. Use small shoeboxes within each drawer to sort each type of sock. 6) Magazines taking over? The first thing to do is clear out the old! If you don't want to put them in the recycle bin, donate them to a hospital, women's shelter, or senior center. Finding the right kind of storage is key. Decide which room they'll reside in, get an appropriately sized container to match your décor, and then keep only the amount of magazines that fit in it. 7) A linen closet can be a catch all for clutter. Pull everything out and put anything that doesn't belong there back in its proper place. Refold towels, place on shelves then use boxes, bins or baskets to sort all items by category: hair products, soaps, medicines, first aid, etc. 8) Under the kitchen sink can be a wasteland for bottles of almost-used-up liquids. Sort through each and throw out or recycle any that you aren't using and combine any that are multiples. Place a small bin for sponges or rags right inside the door and hang stick-on hooks for brushes. 9) Any size closet can be made more efficient with just a few tweaks. One of the best things you can purchase (and they are very inexpensive too) is a closet-rod doubler. It acts as a second rod in the closet and is just the right height for kids. You can hang things they don't wear often on the top rod and their everyday clothes down lower on the second rod. Bins and baskets (or even cardboard boxes of the right size) can go on the floor for shoes, tights, dancewear, extra toys or books. Be sure to use labels so kids know what goes back in each bin. 10) Keeping the family calendar in check can challenge even the most organized mom. Take charge by creating one (and only one) place that all the information gets assembled. You can use a large-grid wall calendar or a portable planner. Just remember to choose a system you can maintain. Gather all the information you need; school papers, sports schedules, other calendars, etc. and begin transferring information. If it will help keep things more clear, use a different color pen for each person's commitments. Going forward, as soon as a paper comes into the house that has a date you need to remember, immediately go to the calendar, write it down and recycle the paper. Joyce Dorny is the brainchild, founder, and editor-in-chief of Organize magazine. As a busy mother of six, she has had ample opportunity to develop a knack for organizing both people and places. In creating Organize magazine, she has taken what she learned from her real life experience and the knowledge she gained working for storage and organization retailers and turned those skills into a profession. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers with her own organization consulting practice, she is passionate about organizing.