Kristin from The Gold Project Blog: Planning Organization
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When you are trying to juggle it all, it’s nice to talk to someone that’s been there. Kristin Morgan from the Gold Project Blog is that person! We are thrilled to introduce you to her and share her tips with you today.
Wondering where to begin? Get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret, and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!
MEET some amazing PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZERS
This is part of an on-going series where we interview professional organizers and home organization enthusiasts. These are people that range from home organization business owners to influential bloggers and vloggers.
These business owners and bloggers are rockstars! They have a serious talent for creating order out of chaos. And that deserves a standing ovation!
Kristin Morgan – The Gold Project Blog
Kristin Morgan is the owner of The Gold Project Blog.
By day, she’s a middle school business/technology teacher. When she’s not inspiring young kids at school, she’s at home with her husband and kids, creating helpful YouTube videos, or managing her influential blog.
She is one busy lady! And she shares everything she knows about how to juggle it all (and keep it all organized) on her blog.
We are thrilled that she will be sharing some of those tips with us today!
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS YOU ARE ASKED AS AN ORGANIZER/organizing influencer?
The most common question I get asked is how do I get everything done?
I get asked this question quite often and my biggest helper is my planner. I seriously write everything down in my planner and it helps me with my stress.
I also plan way in advance. My editorial calendar is usually pretty much set a month or two in advance. My daughter does competitive cheer and starting in January, we will be gone several weekends each month. So, those videos will have to be planned out and ready to go way before time. Planning and my planner have seriously saved my sanity.
What are your favorite storage hacks or planning tips?
Over the years, I have found several different products that I absolutely love using in unconventional ways.
The first is the way that I store small bags of chips. Both of my kids are in school. My daughter is in 5th grade and my son is in 1st grade. We purchase small bags of chips every week for their lunches. I use a small laundry basket with holes so that you can see through it at the top of my pantry to hold all of the chips. Very inexpensive, a nice size, and you can see everything in the basket.
Second, I use food-grade paint buckets to store my pets’ food. They were super inexpensive at Wal-Mart and hold a lot of food.
What made you really enjoy organizing/planning in the first place?
I have always loved organizing and planning, even as a child. I think I got it from my mom. My mom has always been really tidy and organized.
I can remember as a child getting excited about taking everything out of my closet and reorganizing it. And, I can remember in middle school, I took a small Five Star notebook and made it into an assignment notebook (academic planner). That was back when I had no idea a planner was an actual thing.
Who is your inspiration?
On a personal level, my mom has been a huge inspiration to me. My parents divorced when I was 4-years-old and my dad was not around much, so my mom raised me and my sister without his assistance (minus the small child support check she received).
She worked every day but was still able to take us to school, pick us up from school, and attend every single event we had at school. Plus, she cooked almost every night, had breakfast waiting on us in the mornings, and shuffled us from all of our after school activities. To this day, I still don’t know how she did it all.
So, when life gets tough or I just get frustrated, I use my mom and her drive to help me get through it.
On a professional level, hands down my inspiration is Oprah Winfrey. A woman who started her life with very little and worked her way up to build an amazing company and made herself a household name.
She is compassionate, gives back, and is still down to Earth. No one can say that Oprah was given anything because she was fired from jobs, worked entry-level positions, and seriously climbed up the corporate ladder. I really don’t know how people can look at Oprah and not get inspired.
What is your favorite way to organize things?
It really depends on what I am organizing. Probably the most used approach in my house is organizing by category. All of my seasonal décor is organized by the holiday.
The clothes in my closet are hung up by category; tank tops, short sleeve, long sleeve, etc. And, my planner supplies are no exception. They are also organized by category.
What are some of your favorite “must-have” storage products (or planning products)?
Erin Condren LifePlanner – This is seriously my brain on paper. It goes everywhere with me. It helps me keep my daily life organized and so I am not forgetting things.
Room Essentials Y-Weave baskets from Target – I have them in almost every room in my house. They come in many different sizes and colors. I like the way they look in my spaces, plus they are very inexpensive.
Thirty-One Gifts Large Utility Totes – These totes are super handy. I have used them when traveling on vacation, going to the beach, grocery shopping, and even to take items to and from my classroom. I love that they collapse down flat and they can hold a ton without getting heavy.
What is the one thing you organize the most?
Definitely my work bag. Right now, I am on my second year using the Jansport Cool Student backpack. I opted for a backpack last year because of the number of essentials I carry with me daily.
But, I do have a tendency to cram a lot of stuff in my backpack throughout the week. I am a teacher and mom of 2, so I am always on the go. I have to devote time to take everything out of my backpack, clean it out, and reorganize it often.
If you could give everyone ONE piece of advice or word of encouragement, what would it be?
Take it slow. If you are just now taking the dive into organizing, do not tackle a large project at the beginning. That will only set you up for failure. Start small, maybe with a drawer or cabinet. Completing that one task will give you the motivation to move to the next one. Once you feel you have the knowledge and motivation, then tackle the larger projects.
Kristin’s BEST HOME ORGANIZATION Videos
Now that you know a little bit more about her, go check out some of her work! She is an organizing genius. You’ll learn so much from her and these posts are the perfect places to start:
1. Planning Must-Haves
In this video, Kristin shares the products she uses the most when she organizes her planner. As a mom, wife, teacher, and video blogger, she knows the definition of busy!
2. New Office Tour
Get ready for some home office envy! Take a tour of her beautiful office. She also shares some tips about how to create your own dreamy workspace.
3. Just Say No to Negative emotional clutter
Did you know that you can have emotional clutter too? What is emotional clutter and how do you get rid of it? Watch her video and find out.
4. Top planner tip
She has one planner tip that she always uses when she plans her week out. What is it? There’s no way you can guess.
5. The #1 Money Management Tip
Stuff and schedules aren’t the only things she organizes. As a wife and mother, she knows a thing or two about budgeting too. This is her biggest money management tip.
WHERE TO FIND Kristin
Follow her online for updates and valuable organizing tips.
- Instagram – @TheGoldProject
- YouTube – The Gold Project
- Facebook – Join The Golden Circle
Struggling to get motivated? Sign up to get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret, and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!
MORE HOME ORGANIZATION GUIDES
Learn how to organize your home like Kristin. Here are some in-depth organization guides that will walk you through every step.
- Family Organization Guide
- How to Organize Kids’ Schedules
- Shared Bedroom Organization – Everything You Need to Know
- How to Know When You Need a Professional Organizer
Be sure to also check out the other home organizing experts we have featured. Follow them and pick up a few tips from their years of organizing experience.
