5 WAYS TO ORGANIZE, STRAIGHTEN UP AND STORE
Organization is HARD and it takes intentionality, BUT I guarantee that in the end it is so worth it for everything to have a place and to know where that place is.
I’m a super type-A personality, so sometimes I get a little crazy in my organizing. Here are a few tips that have helped me to not be overwhelmed or consumed by the task.
Tackle one room at a time. Write it on the calendar and give yourself a due date.
In the room you are working on, create three piles: keep, trash and donate.
Take inventory of what you are keeping and decide how you want to store it. Reuse containers that you already have or visit the Dollar Store for lots of really affordable options.
Label! I tend to get a little label crazy, but it always helps my family members when they “can’t find something.”
Vertical space and under bed space is your best friend. Store items that aren’t used regularly in clear (labeled) containers in the top of closets. Store off season clothes, shoes and bedding in under-bed storage containers.
A good rule of thumb for donations is that if you haven’t worn it or used it in 6 months - 1 years, it’s probably time to pass it on. This has been HUGE for me when deciding what toys and kid’s clothes to donate. I saved everything from Jack and now Korben is able to make good use of it, but since I know I’m done having kiddos, once Korben has outgrown it, it goes in the donation box that I keep in his closet. Once the box is full, I take it to the donation center!
I’m going to share a few of my favorite containers/organizing tools and how I use them for you below!
In January I shared my Kitchen Pantry Refresh. I have really loved and utilized these clear storage bins. They are longer so there is no wasted space, which I love, and they come in multiple sizes depending on what you need them for. I use the 3.75 inch bins for spices and vitamins and the 6 inch bins for bottles and boxes.
I got this 3-Drawer Acrylic Organizer when I had my first baby and put it by the sink to store sanitized pacifiers and pump and bottle parts. As my boys have gotten older, we store different things in it now, but it is still super handy!
Opening a drawer to a whole mix of things, whether it’s in the kitchen, the bathroom or my bedroom, makes me a little twitchy. You can get alot of storage out of drawers if you divide it so that everything isn’t mixed together. I have tried a few drawer dividers, but these are by far the best. They are made of a really sturdy plastic and they lock into place. I use them in all of our bedroom dresser drawers and in the kitchen.
I love these under bed storage bag. I use them to store extra bedding and pillows and to store my off-season clothes and shoes. A few days ago, I switched around my closet and used these bags to store boots and winter gear. They slide under the bed super easily and have a handle to pull it out easily.
My boys are climbers so I knew with each of them that once they were out of the crib I was going to need to be creative with how to store things in their room. In Jack’s (6 years) closet, I use these hanging shelves for him to store his toy buckets on. I really like these buckets because they are more square than rectangle, but you can see we have some rectangular boxes too.
One thing that has really helped my boys with toy organization is making sure that whatever type of container I use, that it is clear. That way they can easily see what is in it, so they don’t drag all of them out AND it helps with clean up too.
So many of the containers and bins that I used in my Kitchen Pantry Refresh are great for the bathroom, closets, the office and even kid’s rooms!
