Pre-Holiday Home Organisation: Hacks To Organise The Little Things
- Tanya Gambhir
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Once upon a time, I was that person who proudly lived out of 700 sq. ft., in Mumbai, then in Singapore. Small spaces teach you minimalism without even trying. Disconnect, reset, organise, repeat.
Then Malaysia happened.
More rooms. More corners. More space for things I thought I needed.
Small spaces forced me to be organised. Big spaces tricked me into believing I already was!
Turns out, organising isn’t just about tidy drawers or Pinterest-worthy baskets. It can shape focus, creativity, relationships, and even the way we feel in our own homes. Some people take it to extremes, such extremes that their little habits have massive ripple effects on their lives.
Here are a handful of real stories that prove the smallest bits of order… or lack of it… can quietly run the show:
1. 🍏Steve Jobs’s secret weapon for focus
Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every day - black turtleneck, jeans, sneakers! Why? A tidy environment, tidy routines, and fewer decisions freed up his mind for creativity, innovation and problem-solving. He believed it helped reduce decision-making fatigue, allowing him to focus.
Small organised habits = huge mental bandwidth.
2. 📋Paid to sort, store, and simplify
Clutter can be sorted… professionally. Home organisers, decluttering coaches, KonMari consultants, and even digital organisers now help families create systems where everything has a home.
Organisation reduces micro-stress, and micro-stress can add up!
3. 💔Poor organisation & hoarding: A Taiwan divorce story
In Hsinchu, Taiwan, a couple’s marriage ended because of constant clashes over unorganised items, plastic bags, clothes, and hoarding had made daily life chaotic and stressful.
Even unimportant things can disrupt peace when left unmanaged.
4. 🧘♂️ Indian sadhus (sages): Living without possessions
Sadhus are wandering holy men in India who renounce all material possessions, carrying only the bare essentials. Their simplicity isn’t about scarcity; it’s intentional, allowing them to focus on spiritual practices and daily life without distractions.
Fewer things, fewer distractions.
5. 🌍 Dubai Minimalist Who Owns Only 41 Things
One man in Dubai owns only 41 items. Everything visible, everything intentional.
Need-based organising is sustainable living at its finest.
A little order before all the joy
Turns out, life’s little messes don’t sort themselves. Lucky for you, I’ve got some hacks to wrestle the chaos before it wrestles you. Alexa, play “Happy” by Pharrell, because organising feels THIS good!
With the holiday season approaching and year-end reunions just weeks away, it’s the perfect time to get on top of those tiny knick‑knacks that quietly take over your home. For this feature, my friend Simrat Kaur, mother of a little princess and a sporty teen, has generously shared snapshots of her clever organisation hacks, from toy corners to messy drawers. I’ve added a few of my own tips as well, but her practical solutions take centre stage, giving IBU readers real, actionable inspiration to organise their homes ahead of the festive season.
The ultimate clutter zone: Kid's room
If any place in the house truly tests your organising skills, it’s the kids' room. Toys, books, art supplies, and little treasures seem to multiply overnight, creating a whirlwind of tiny chaos. When each item has a place, kids learn the habit of putting things back and you get a room that’s functional, not stressful, for you and for your little ones.
Ever thought your martial arts belts or bags could be organised smarter? Here’s a simple, visually clean way to do it. A bookshelf organiser does the trick beautifully without breaking the bank. A compact organiser is all it takes to keep innerwear sorted and visible.
“I have enough hair clips,” said no girl or girl mom, ever! These tiny clips and accessories multiply faster than your WhatsApp group messages, so organising little mess and knick-knacks needs strategy.
Using small divided boxes, Hairband organisers, or simple organisers keeps everything visible and tangle-free.
Got clothes, toys, or shoes you want to pass down to your second or third child? Pack them into these genius IKEA storage bags and label each one by age group.
The blink-and-it’s-messy zone: Art supplies
Kids' art supplies have a secret superpower - they spread. Fast. One drawing turns into ten markers, twenty stickers, and glitter you’ll not be able to remove till 2026. The trick? Organising little mess with simple hacks like:
Simple bins for wrapping paper
Tiered shelves for journals, tiny stationary like pencils, erasers & sharpeners
Deep shelf trolleys for bulkier colors, crafts & trimmings
For bulkier toys, that multiply as the kids grow up, like Lego’s, Play Doh, Building blocks, Magnetic Tiles, and more, a simple hack like this can organise your space as magically as fairy godmother would!
Multipurpose storage boxes are available at various other places, like Ikea, or many other famous e-commerce websites
Adult spaces: The grown-up chaos we don’t talk about
Jewellery that tangles, makeup that wanders, and handbags that somehow become storage units for everything except what you actually need. Turn frantic mornings to organised calm with these:
A trinket tray for daily jewellery
Clear pouches to store makeup, aesthetic rattan pen stand to store your eye liners, mascara, and lip gloss
Earrings stand for those 500 pairs you own
One of the most important zones in any home is the medicine corner, the spot that needs constant checking. From first-aid essentials to bandages and everyday syrups, this area deserves a quick refresh to make sure everything is organised, updated, and easy to reach. In times of rush, these simple organisational hacks can do the trick:
Open organisers for syrups
Tiered organisers for medicines, segregated as categories and age groups
Kitchen: The Daily hustle
Herbs and spices in original packaging, jumbled-up utensils, and the chaos is just what you want to avoid when you have to cook. Organising your kitchen keeps you from losing your mind while cooking, chopping, or hunting for that one elusive spoon. The key is to segregate them in a crisper manner and categorise them like this:
Glass Mason jars for herbs & spices, labeled & see-through to identify them quickly
Cutlery organisers for the cutlery & knick-knacks
Airtight BPA-free jars for storing pasta, pulses, whole spices, and flour
Investing in large storage racks for your store room is a game-changer. It keeps everything visible, accessible, and off the floor, no more digging, no more guessing, just clean, structured storage that actually works for your home.
Little Japanese wisdom on organising before we part
Follow these simple concepts for deeper calm and organisation:
Danshari – Refuse, dispose, separate. Keep only what serves you. Clear space, clear mind.
KonMari Method (Marie Kondo) – Tidy by category, keep what sparks joy, and give everything a dedicated home. Habits stick when systems exist.
KAIZEN for Home – Small, continuous improvements: sort, assign a place, clean, standardise, repeat. Tiny steps add up to big calm.
A little organisation goes a long way, not just for your home, but for your headspace too. And beyond this, if you ever need a friendly nudge with fellow parents in the same boat, fill in your weekends with exciting events, looking for exciting discounts on all the things kids, or creative ideas to tackle the tiniest chaos called life, IBU Family’s membership is a treasure trove. Think of it as your go-to corner for inspiration, without any pressure, just support, shared stories, and a bunch of clever hacks like these to make life a little smoother.
Herding knick-knacks like a pro!
Tanya Gambhir
xx
About the author:
Tanya is a girl mum to a spirited nine-year-old and a toddler tornado, a storyteller, and a free spirit who lives for her family and her ideas. She’s tackled design, digital marketing campaigns, and multiple creative projects, with a side note of great books, catchy music and family movies to binge on. Passionate about sustainability, she runs annual turtle-saving campaigns with her daughter and somehow keeps her coffee cup full, and piping hot!