For the last two months or so, I’ve been on a mission to purge, clean and organize as much as possible before baby #2 arrives this summer.
Shop the post: 1. Woven Storage Bin / 2. Kraft Paper Tags / 3. Chalk Markers / 4. Rectangular Chalkboard Labels (I’ve cut nearly all of them in half) / 5. Baking Essentials Pop Canisters / 6. Coiled Rope Basket / 7. Clear Drawer Organizers / 8. Kitchen Cabinet Pan Organizer / 9. Sweater Boxes / 10. Foldable Cloth Organizers / 11. Steel Storage Unit / 12. Ventilated Storage Shelving Unit / 13. Nordic Storage Basket with Handle / 14. Clear Weathertight Tote (we use the 46 qt.)
While I’m sharing what works for us, you know your space best! So while I hope this helps, measure your shelves, drawers, etc. to confirm you have the correct size for everything. I can’t stress that enough. You could have all of the bins in the world, but if they’re not the right fit, they may not be doing you as much good. I’d recommend going through your spaces and assessing and grouping your items to determine what types of storage solutions will work best for you before buying bins you may not need. Let’s dive in!
Bathroom Storage Closet
This bathroom closet project was the one that really motivated me to keep organizing throughout our home. It’s amazing what seeing a little progress can do. I had several of these bins before seeing Mika Perry’s master bathroom organization post. I saved her post as soon as I saw it and couldn’t wait to label and reorganize them. I just taped these labels onto the bins because I wanted them to stay straight and didn’t have the patience to tie the little strings.
Bathroom Drawers
I use a mix of these, these and these for my vanity drawers. I had bought them for Ainsley to use for sorting, but they ended up being the perfect size for my drawers. I also reassessed what items I used most regularly and moved them into these drawers instead of the closet to make my morning and night routines even easier.
Kitchen Pantry
- I use a mix of these – perfect for grouping like-items together. When I buy granola bars, I’ll immediately take them out of the box, stand them upright in the bin to easily grab on-the-go and then just recycle the box right away.
- I use this set of containers for baking ingredients.
- If you need any extra scoops for anything in the pantry, I love this clear scoop, plus I recently started using it for different activity boxes with Ainsley – win, win.
- I almost forgot that we added this door storage rack to the pantry for extra shelving – I don’t know why we waited so long to add this and would highly recommend if you’re in need of more storage space.
Kitchen Drawers & Cupboards
- My junk drawer is a lot more manageable thanks to these organizers.
- I use turntables nearly identical to this one from Target for Ainsley’s cups and also use them for our water bottles/Yetis. I picked them up at a Marshalls or HomeGoods one day and they made an immediate difference.
- I use this to store my cutting boards and smaller baking sheets.
- The previous home owners put in some slide out storage shelves that I love (they’re not the best quality, but they get the job done). They’re perfect for our Tupperware storage situation.
Basement
This has been one of our bigger organization projects the last few months. It’s always been on our list but needing a new water heater really kicked the plan into full gear. We use two different shelves – these and these.
Buying new storage bins can add up so I transitioned ours over time. Even if they don’t all perfectly match, I think labeling them in the same color makes it feel much more cohesive and easier to process where everything is. That said, if you’re in the market for some new bins, these are my personal favorite and fit really well with the plastic shelves we use. They’re the ones I’ve been using for Ainsley’s clothes. Most of the bins for our Christmas decor are from Target, and I’ve also been using these for smaller storage items throughout the home.
Media Consoles
I’m really trying to make the most of every single storage opportunity in our home. In our living room, I use these bins to organize different categories of toys. I went with the white tops because of price and bought the clip on tags. You could probably skip that part of the purchase and just use the Kraft paper tags and tape them on.
In our family room’s media console, I store greeting cards and other mailing supplies in these bins from Target. In all honesty, the lids don’t stay on well, but it doesn’t bother me because of the price plus they’re the perfect size. I opted to keep these items on the first floor of our home because I usually think of a card I need for a birthday or thank you as I’m running out the door. You might be more on top of your correspondence than yours truly and want it upstairs or in an office area. Whatever works!
Other Miscellaneous Tips & Tricks
- I highly recommend using all of the same hangers in your closets. I use these for Bill and my closets and these for Ainsley’s and baby #2’s closets.
- If you moved into a home that has shelving in the closets and/or kitchen already set up, it doesn’t mean you have to stick with how they configured those spaces. Adjust them to fit your needs!
- For countertops and dressers, I use trays to keep things feeling less cluttered. For example, I have a tray in my bathroom for q-tips, makeup brushes, jewelry and skincare products. It groups everything together nicely.
- I can’t find my exact wrapping paper storage bin but this is really close.
- Super random, but if you have a Letterboard, this is perfect for all of your letters.
- I use these cubes in Ainsley’s dresser. Since her clothes are so small, it’s extremely helpful to have them contained by category.
- And last but not least, I use these to organize cords in the office and behind our nightstands.