A Few Neat Items for Keeping Your Home in Order

When organizing my own home (after a decluttering session!), I have come across a few neat items that help me to maintain order and a visually streamlined space. While I am not typically an advocate for going out and buying new things you don’t need, if you have any of the same organizational struggles that I have run into, these items might work for you!

Collapsible laundry baskets

Where have these been all of my life? Why didn’t I have one of these in college? So many questions about this awesome laundry basket. While this is not strictly an organizing item, I find that having a basket that I can easily store away reduces my visual clutter and thus makes my space a calmer place to be.

When I recently installed a closet system, I realized that I would no longer have space for my regular laundry basket. Enter the collapsible laundry basket! I purchased this at Home Goods and when it’s collapsed, it can be easily stored in a closet, under a bed, etc. It is weird how happy this laundry basket makes me. I used to hate having to find a place to store my larger one, so now the issue is gone. Now it is only a matter of making sure to actually put the laundry away so that I have a chance to store the basket!

On a related note- I also have a collapsible pasta strainer that saves a ton of space too. Collapse all the things!

Storage Bean Bag Chair

Bean bags are making a come back! So why not make them a storage option too? When trying to free up some space in my closets, I realized that extra bedding and blankets for guests were taking up a lot of space. So I got one of these handy dandy empty bean bag chairs and loaded it up with blankets (and a few stuffed animals!). It is now a foot rest, a chair, and a a great place to stow away bulky blankets. Amazon has tons of options for these, and I would read through reviews and make some measurements before purchasing.

Small Boxes

It is amazing to me how smaller boxes in a drawer or other larger container can make such a huge difference in keeping things organized and looking streamlined. If visual organization is important to you, smaller boxes like Ikea Skubb Boxes or other small boxes could be the answer for you. I use them in kitchens, in kid’s rooms, with clothing, with towels, junk drawers, etc.

Small boxes can also be used as a measurement tool- if all of you tank tops used to fit folded in this box and now they don’t- is it time to look through and declutter?

Without boxes

With boxes

Fabric bins

I used to buy storage baskets or bins as needed. They were mismatched and different sizes. Some had lids, some didn’t. Some could stack up on top of each other, some couldn’t. While this is totally fine for some needs, I realized that a more uniform look was something that was important to me and made my space look even more put together. Enter- fabric bins! I use the same bins in multiple places in my home. They are 11 in by 11 in, they are the same design, and they are in almost every closet or storage area that I have. This means that they are interchangeable and allow me to add more as needed, from one room to another, and still maintain a uniform look. I get mine at Target and they are very reasonably priced.

Caveat- they are fabric bins, so their structure can be bent. I find that they get the most wear and tear by my kids with their toys. But they are also light weight and do not hurt little toes when they are brought down from a shelf, so for now, they are the best option.

So there you go, a few of my recent faves for the home. Happy organizing!