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 crap . . . 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 life 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.

Establishing your own methods of organizing will make 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; 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. In our early talks, my publisher asked me how much time I’ve put into mastering home organizing for families. At last check, I’d tallied 15,287 hours—according to Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000-hour rule,” I made expert status over 5,000 hours ago! So, I’m here to offer you all my tips, tricks, and secrets to set you up for success.

The truth is, parents and caregivers end up being professional organizers in their own home no matter what. There is no job that requires more purposeful planning and execution than being a parent. And while you can become a parent overnight, getting organized is not an overnight task. It’s a lifestyle. It’s an attitude, a mindset, a commitment. Just like with any other lifestyle journey—be it a new diet, an exercise plan, or taking up a new hobby or interest—you have to show up for yourself. And if you implement this lifestyle now, when your children are young, you will be set up for success as your family grows and evolves through the various milestones.

No project is the same, no space is the same, no solution is the same. BUT—and this is a big butt, think J-Lo booty—the questions we ask about the space in order to find the solution are the same. I will walk you through those questions, help you analyze the routines that unfold in a given space, and evaluate how to best utilize that space to make it an efficient, and dare I say pleasant, part of your day. Once we cover the foundations, we will work through your house room by room. By the end of the book, your entire home will be organized and routine-ready!

But first I need to make something abundantly clear. If you are disorganized, if your house is cluttered, if you feel as if you are drowning your way through some of life’s moments, know this: there is nothing wrong with you. You might have a broken system, a poorly functioning space, or a new mountain of stuff that got dropped onto the end of the never-ending to-do list, but it is the system that is broken, not you. This book provides you with an opportunity to reintroduce yourself to your belongings, purposefully decide what stays and what goes, and streamline your home and life so you can truly enjoy this time with your young child.

The key is creating a maintainable system. As I said before, this is not a one-off quick fix; it’s a lifestyle change. Some days, it’ll look like a bomb went off in the kitchen or playroom, but if you have your system in place—organizational structure designed to meet your specific needs for that specific space—then reclaiming that space will take mere minutes rather than hours. Remember: your home is an everyday, never-ending project that is always evolving as your family evolves.

By picking up this book, you have officially made organization a priority. This is a huge step, and the positive effects will ripple throughout all aspects of your life! So, get ready to create the most functional and routine-ready spaces for you and your family. I will be here to guide you, keep things realistic, and manage expectations. Projects get delayed, budgets change, life happens. There’s always a work-around. Let’s make your space one that you are proud of. You’ve got this!

HAPPY ORGANIZING!