The picture you see is of labeled plastic containers containing baking supplies.  Seems straightforward enough, right?  Well, my client had the right idea by purchasing these containers to store small like items together.  The trouble came when she (and other family members) forgot what was in the containers because the contents are not used on a daily basis.  This resulted in over-purchasing of new supplies and not baking at all due to forgetting that she had the materials to begin with.

In the process of sorting and weeding the contents of the storage closet where these baking items were stored, we consolidated like items and labeled the containers.  Labeling is a step that is often overlooked in the organizing process.  Many people have the attitude of, “I’ll remember it is there,” or “the bin is clear- I can see into it and don’t need a label.”  This is all fine and good, until you don’t use what you have because it was not fall-on-your-face easy!  The last thing we want to do is create more work for ourselves.  Why think when we can have the container practically yell at us, “I AM COOKIE CUTTERS!”

This is a point I illustrated in a recent Tuesday Tip video blog.  I took the time and effort to create labels (and pictures) of items being stored in containers so I could easily be reminded of what was being stored in them.  It may seem overkill to label sometimes (and frankly, it is if you are labeling a tissue box with a sticker that says “tissues”).  But consider what is being stored and who in your family may be looking for the items.  The only way a system will have any chance of staying orderly is if it is effortless to use and maintain.  

So take the effort in the beginning to label and save your effort when maintaining a system.