Latest / More Organised Less Clutter / E248. Drawer organisation hacks to cut clutter
Transcript
- speaker-0: Welcome to More Organized Less Clutter, a podcast to empower individuals and neurodivergent families with practical, realistic tools to create a more organized, sensory-friendly, clutter-free, and intentional home that works with your lifestyle and brain, not against it. I'm Norelle King, a professional organizer and neurodivergent mum who understands the unique challenges of family life. I help people just like you simplify your space. Build sustainable organizational systems and create more breathing room physically and mentally. Every fortnight you'll hear solo episodes and guest conversations filled with practical strategies on decluttering, home organization, routines for neurodivergent families, mindful living, and how to build a home that feels safe, calm, and functional. You'll walk away with actionable takeaways you can implement even if you only have 10 minutes to spare. Ever opened a drawer and thought, how did it get this messy again? I only cleaned it last week. In today's episode of More Organized Less Clutter, I'm talking with Natalie, the owner of Little Label Co., an expert in all things tidy, labelled, and organized. And she's sharing simple, realistic strategies to help you organize draw and cut clutter. Please excuse the audio because we were on our phones and it's not the best quality. But if you're tired of clutter creeping back in and you want simple real-life systems that make your home easier to manage, this episode of More Organized Less Clutter is for you with Natalie from Little Label Co. Today on More Organized Less Clutter. I'm talking with Natalie, the owner of Little Label Co., a brand centered around the right tools and products to help you live an organized life. She will help you with the draw organization hacks that she uses. And welcome Natalie. Thank you. Thank you so much for making the time. So let's start. If you were a Barbie doll, what two accessories would you come with? speaker-1: I am a boring, busy Barbie, very predictable. I can't leave the house without my ice latte and of course my phone because my schedule whole life is organized in that phone. So I can't leave the house without those two items. speaker-0: I imagine imagine if something happened to your phone. Like I I think about that all the time because everything is on our phones these days, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. And it's always an ice ice latte. It's not hot in winter. Really. I love that. Maybe if you moved to Melbourne, you definitely would be looking at the hot maybe because it's freezing some days down here. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So if I was to come to you in Sydney as a professional organizer, what area would you like support? speaker-1: Is fine. speaker-0: with organizing. speaker-1: say my wardrobe. Yeah. So I've got every other room in the house organized with great systems. But when it comes to my wardrobe and possibly the linen cup cupboard, I need help. Yeah. Only because I'm a bit of a hoarder in the wardrobe. I have a very I have an emotional attachment with my my items in my wardrobe. So it's very hard for me to declutter. That's my weakness. speaker-0: Would you say like the items are like nostalgic? Like there's some older ones, they might not fit, they might not it's just that you l great memories from those items. speaker-1: again. I I just like to hold on to my yeah, to my ⁓ the items in my wardrobe. Do you speaker-0: Put away some of ⁓ into like boxes or storage of some kind. Yes. Yeah, yeah. speaker-1: because we don't have we lack a bit of room in our wardrobes. So it's very important that we have that sort of system where things that aren't used, especially seasonal items, they are tucked away in boxes in another room, in our spare room, and the items that we use frequently are in our in the main bedroom. speaker-0: Yeah. And do you change over seasonally as well? Or I mean Sydney isn't as bad as we are down here, but yeah, you do change over s yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. The stockings, the boots, the scarves, the beanies, they are all put late for ⁓ most of the year and they only come out three months of the year. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah. Whereas I find we probably keep ours out until nearly Christmas before we're lucky sometimes. It can definitely be. And then it might even be May that we can still have a warm day. So yeah, yeah. You need it. Yeah. But it is definitely now. We've definitely changed over. It's definitely cold. There's no wearing shorts or anything like that now. So what strengths do you bring to your business, little label co that are unique to you for yourself and for the business? speaker-1: Look, firstly we are a one stop shop for all things organisation, from pantry to wardrobe to garage to a linen closet. We sell everything for every room possible. I think what makes us different is that we're also for me, I'm I'd I'd like to I'm selling a feeling. I want the brand is centered around giving people the right tools and products to help them feel what I feel when I'm organised. I want them to feel the same satisfaction and happiness that I feel. So it's about implementing organizational systems to live their most organized, stress-free, happy life. And so it's a yeah, helping others solve problems with our product solution. speaker-0: Which you do very well. And I feel like all the products that you have it you know, have been tested and tried and you're like, Yes, these are Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you have a favorite? Favorite products that you like to use or even recommend to people? speaker-1: Always say the lazy Susan. Yeah. I I just think such a functional ⁓ it doesn't take up take up too much space, but gets in those corners. Yeah, yeah, I I love a lazy Susan. I've got one everywhere. Bathroom, kitchen, pantry, fridge. speaker-0: Yes, no, and they are they're great for like corners and just those trouble spots because not everyone can design their kitchen the way or the house and especially if it's a rental, I find it's really great to use lazy Susan Susan's as well. And a tiered step is another favorite of mine if we need to as well. Yeah. So what are the biggest mistakes that people make when organizing drawers? speaker-1: Okay. So firstly, they don't declutter for organizing the drawers. So it's very important for them to pull out everything, declutter, throw throw away the items that you don't use often, keep the ones that you use frequently. I think that's a yeah, a very common mistake. Also, that one system, it's not one size fits all. One system won't work for every draw or won't work the same for every person. So it's important that before you place those systems. That you that you've got the family involved, make sure that you have a system that works for all. speaker-0: It's great that you consult with everyone else because as soon as you make changes, I know for myself in my own house, it doesn't stay like that if I haven't told everyone things will just turn back up in different spots again. So yeah, having everyone on board is really important. speaker-1: thing that I recommend to my customers when you are before you're buying your items, make sure you measure your space first. Because it's very easy to see the Pinterest and Instagram photos and want to grab something. But before you do that on measurement and to see if it's going to fit in your space, yeah, I I always advise don't buy without measuring because it's not again, it's not one size fits all. speaker-0: And that is a big mistake I do see. Lots of people went out before I get there wanted want me to sort of bring everything and I'm like, No, no, just wait. We'll just declutter and organise the space and then we'll get there we'll measure and then we'll get the items that are gonna work for you. Yeah. So that's great, great advice for people thinking about looking at actual products. It's like those other steps need to be done first. Yeah. So what about creating what about creating a draw system that actually stays organized like long term? Well, I'm always about we need to reset, but you know, in a busy household that it's gonna last, you know, a couple of months and then they can reset, even if they just reset it once a once a week. speaker-1: Yeah, that's that's crucial. I still do that. Every three months, all those chores that I've organized get a declutter and a reset. We have to. We have young kids, we live we're living in the house. So it's natural to get messy. So definitely reset, regular dec decluttering, creating zones. I think that's the most important. Creating zones, having a permanent home for your like items and keeping it simple and realistic. Yeah. Especially if you've got young a young family. speaker-0: So do you have particular items that you like to use to create those homes if it is a in a drawer? Yeah. So what is yeah. speaker-1: I have two daughters and in the morning it's a rush. They've got long hair. They like to do their hair. So in the laundry, it's between the living room and the garage. I've got a drawer designated for them with clear tubs with their hair ties, hair clips, ⁓ and their their sprays, their deodorants, their sun cream. That's all in that tub for them. ⁓ so it's a stress free, easy morning routine. That's the permanent home for their items and they know to speaker-0: Yeah, that's fantastic. speaker-1: Walk past, grab their items, do their hair, put on their sunscreen and walk out. speaker-0: Yeah, that's great. And it's it's like an essential location that's on the way out. So there's no back and forward. ⁓ and that's the thing I think, isn't it? When I'm organizing in a home and we might suggest that, it's like, ⁓ shouldn't we do it in the bathroom? It's like, Well, it's not on the way out the door. So we you know, there's no rules to say it has to be in the bathroom. It could be at the actual door, the front door as you're leaving, if you don't have to go through a car, you know, a garage. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what about what simple draw organization hacks do you have that make the biggest difference? speaker-1: Okay. So of course I love using clear types to organize drawers. Like I mentioned, making a permanent home for your items. Secondly, most use ⁓ make sure your most used items are at the front. So the items that you don't use often, keep to the back. Yep. And well, labels. So it's hard to hard to label drawers because your the tubs aren't you won't you're not not looking at the tubs from the side, but in my kids' bed drill drawers. I've got image labels. And I think that's another great idea for young kids to identify and access their items easily. So it's a little bit more of fun for them and especially for neurodivergent families. The images stand out more and easier for them to put back in. speaker-0: I get that. Mm, definitely. And remember where it goes as well, isn't it? And until you've built that that habit maybe for some people. speaker-1: Moving it but knowing to to w where it belongs when you're putting it back. Yeah. speaker-0: I have just found these this was actually a client who gave gave me these suggestion, but they're like a magnetic ⁓ magnetic paper and you get them at Officeworks and you can write on it and you can actually erase it off with a whiteboard marker, like it write on it with a whiteboard marker, but they stick on things as static energy. And then so you could just use it for because I know some people are like, ⁓ I don't want labels all over my cupboards, but or a drawer. But you can put it on there, like I'd I've been testing them out with my own family. And they're like, Mom, why do we need to know where the trays are? We know. And I was like, I'm just testing them out on you guys to see if they work. Because I do have that happen a lot. Like families will be like, I'd like the label for a bit, but I don't need it permanently. So this is a way of ⁓ of adding the label, but then take it away. Yeah, yeah. So yeah. This is from a client. She shared them. Yes. I'll put a link in the show notes. And is there anything else that you have, any other organization hacks that you ⁓ think are really important for dr it drawers or just anything in particular in the home? Look. speaker-1: The other thing is we tend to overbuy or white Yeah. So I have a rule in my house, it's one in, one out. So when we put one item in, I ensure that the girls know too that we remove one item. That could be clothing, that could be a new pen. And again, we don't have a a huge home. We we have ⁓ very small space spaces. So especially for people who do have small spaces, it's important to have that rule in place, one in, one out. And it just keeps it neater. Yeah. ⁓ otherwise we're just collecting. Yeah. It's going to be piled at the back of the drawer. speaker-0: Yeah. And it's just overwhelming, isn't it, for families when there's too much and it's that visual clutter, but also just the clutter of that feeling of too many things in your in your home and feeling overwhelmed. So what's one thing that you wish the listeners would do to be more organized? speaker-1: Well, I'm going to start by saying it can be very overwhelming. So start small, baby steps, room by room. Don't don't it is overwhelming. You don't have to tackle it all at once. So even if you can just start by your junk draw or a cut memory jaw, start small. So that's I always advise that to my customers. And yeah, cr creating a system that's easy to maintain and that works for everyone in the household. It's not about getting your Pinterest perfect Instagram worthy space, you need to think about how it's going to work for the whole family. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. ⁓ that's what I was gonna also asking, when you have the one in, one out rule, do you have somewhere a location where you put those items, like a box of some kind, like, you know, for donations within your home? Yeah. speaker-1: out or or donating. Yep. and then with our wardrobe, like I said before, it's it's hard to get rid of clothing. I do have another a box that I will pop the items in and if I don't use those items for six months, then I will donate it contribute. speaker-0: Yeah, that's great because it's great hacks for people who have got ⁓ smaller homes and really have to think about the amount of things that they're bringing into their space. Yeah. So what is the best place for listeners to connect with you? speaker-1: We are on all social media platforms, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, ⁓ and our store. We have an online store. We have a showroom in the northern beaches of Sydney. Do you around you can always pop in and shop with us there and our website is www dot little labelco. speaker-0: dot com yes and you have beautiful products. I love your Instagram and just even looking at it, all the beautiful products, but the pictures as well of how people could potentially organize their areas in their home. Plus the labels. So you you s because I think that's how I first connected with you was through labels. And you still do labels as well? Yes. Yes. speaker-1: That's how this business star was on my dining room table and I just made some pantry labels for myself. And yeah, yeah. That's that was yeah, the that's how we started and we're still selling the same labels that we've been that we started. The vinyl decals that everyone seems to love. speaker-0: That's fantastic. Yeah, yeah. ⁓ that's fantastic. Well, thank you so much for your time, Natalie. ⁓ speaker-1: Thank you for having me real. speaker-0: If you find yourself wasting precious time searching for misplaced items and wishing for a more organized life, then you need my 5-minute declutter ebook, the ultimate guide to quick and easy organizing solutions for a clutter-free and happy home. Forget about spending months commaring your house. These fun solutions are designed to give you immediate results in under 5 minutes. Head over to Simply Happy in the resource section and download your free copy and start seeing results in minutes. I'd like to acknowledge the Watherong people of the Kulin Nation on which this podcast is recorded as the traditional custodians of the land. I pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.