The Organized Home for New Parents

I’m a messy person at heart: tidiness and organization never came naturally to me. It wasn’t until after I’d given birth to my first child that I truly understood the impact of an organized home. I was twenty-four years old and newly married when Landry came into the picture—thrusting us headlong into the whirlwind of parenthood a full nineteen days early. Needless to say, I wasn’t prepared. The reality is that most of us aren’t when we become parents. Whether you’re a first- time parent or this is your second, third, or fourth go at this, you know how truly unpredictable life becomes with a new baby. Then comes all the shit . . . clothes, toys, baby bouncers, blankets, strollers, cribs, car seats, bottles, and, of course, diapers—and all the actual poop that can seem endless with little kids. All of the sudden, my life was a mess—a beautiful mess, but a mess. As the utter chaos of everyday life spilled into my home, I felt as if I was drowning in the middle of it all.

The disaster state of my home spread to all areas of my life. I was flailing as a mom, a wife, and an employee. I imagine that most new parents have had that feeling—like you’re dropping all the balls at once, and that you’re letting everyone down. After a week of sleepless nights, fighting to make it from one sunrise to the next, I had finally hit my breaking point. I remember the moment so clearly: it was two o’clock in the morning when I woke to Landry’s hunger cries and her blowout diaper. Frantically trying to navigate her nursery in the dark, I couldn’t find anything I needed: wipes, diapers, a clean onesie, fresh sheets, you name it. I was trying to live this new chapter the way I had lived the previous one—flying by the seat of my pants—and it wasn’t working. I broke. I woke up Conner, hysterical and falling apart. Not only did I think I would never sleep again, but I also felt that I had failed everyone and everything.

At that moment, I decided I needed to prioritize organization at home if I wanted to keep my life on track. I’ve shared this part of my journey to convey that it doesn’t matter whether organization comes naturally to you. You can start from anywhere, and you might be surprised where you land. My own experience inspired me to start a business and ultimately to write a guide to organizing specifically for you: expecting parents and those in the beginning stages of raising young kids. This phase in a family’s lives can be the most challenging, and it requires tricks unique to streamlining a home when babies (and all their stuff and schedules) become a huge part of the daily routine. Organizational systems can be learned, mastered, and implemented in your everyday life, making your days more purposeful and less stressful, which allows you to be the best version of yourself. I am here to help you bring those systems into your own life.

I am Ría Safford, mother of three (Landry, Sawyer, and Jack), wife to my proud Texan husband, Conner, and the CEO and founder of RíOrganize, a professional home organization and relocation company. In addition to thousands of families like yours and mine all over the country, we have helped organize spaces for Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Emmy winners; Hall of Fame athletes, Olympians, CEOs, billionaires, and industry leaders. Pinch me! Ten years ago, never would I have thought—especially when I was still shoving all the contents of my messy room into an overstuffed closet before guests came over—that so many successful people would entrust me with their home organization goals. That’s right, I went from being the captain of the Hot Mess Express to organizing for the world’s elite in just seven years. And in this book, I share all my tips, tricks, and secrets to set you up for success.