Welcome back to a new week, friends, I hope you had a great weekend! We went from 70-degrees and tornado warnings Friday night, to freezing cold and snow Saturday morning! Of course it was gone in a few hours, but certainly fun while it happened.
Our son was due to head back to college yesterday, but unfortunately developed a dry socket over the weekend (he had his wisdom teeth removed last week), so he’s home for another day or so until we get that under control. Normally I’d be thrilled to have the extra time, but I honestly feel so bad for him I don’t see it that way.
We spent the better part of Winter Break organizing the most-used spaces in our house…kitchen cabinets and drawers, nightstands, and bookcases. It felt so good to clear the clutter and start fresh. And with each newly-cleaned space, I’m encouraged to tackle another! My goal is to organize one space at a time until I’ve made it through the entire house. I’d like to say one a day, but that’s not quite realistic now that life is back in full swing, so I’m shooting for one a week.
I turned to Amazon for help and found some incredible organizing products, some of which happen to be incredibly stylish, too! Here’s a round-up of some of my faves, and all on Prime!
one // Rattan Tray // This pretty piece is perfect for your coffee table to corral remotes, cords, coasters… all the little things you need while you’re on the couch watching TV! Plus, it’s sturdy and looks great.
two // Gold Bowl // This would be perfect on an entryway table for your keys, wallet, sunglasses… everything you need before dashing out the door, all in one stylish spot.
three // Jewelry Box // Your baubles need a pretty place to call home, and this darling box is perfect! I like that it’s clear so you can quickly scan to see what works best with your outfit that day… even if it’s just leggings and a tunic!
four // Acrylic Tray // This tray would be great on a bathroom counter to keep your beauty and skincare items organized and out of the way. I have a similar tray and keep all my Colleen Rothschild products, along with makeup brushes, on display for easy access.
five // Clear Drawer Dividers // These handy little dividers are in basically every drawer in my house. From junk drawers to bathrooms to office, they make organizing even the tiniest things (like Q-tips and paper clips) a breeze! And their positioning is totally customizable, so they fit every size drawer.
six // Food Containers // Why is it that pasta and crackers look better in these streamlined containers?! It’s true! These airtight containers not only make your pantry more organized, but they keep your food fresher longer and make it easy to see what needs replacing.
seven // Cabinet Organizer // These drawer organizers double the space of all your cabinets by taking advantage of vertical space! Cleaning supplies, bathroom items, and extra toiletries all store perfectly in these drawers under the sink.
eight // Organizing Book // This book can pull double duty… it’s pretty for a coffee table and also gives you a kickstart into organizing your 2020!
nine // Blanket Ladder // Instead of cramming all your blankets behind the couch or under the coffee table, grab this blanket ladder to store them vertically and add more style and texture to your room. (PS, I’m sharing how it looks in our house below!)
ten // Striped Basket // I’m a sucker for both a navy stripe and a cute basket. I mean, what *couldn’t* you store in this beauty?! Toys, blankets, dog accessories, extra towels, outdoor pool items, your neck massager…
eleven // Canvas Bins // This set of 3 bins will elevate your pantry, your laundry room, the linen closet, the kids’ rooms… Come to think of it, I need to add a few more sets to my cart! I love that they’re stylish and collapsable.
twelve // Wicker Step Basket // I want to shake the hand of whomever came up with this idea! How often does your kid leave something downstairs that belongs in their room? Just throw it in their step basket, and it’s out of sight! We have a basket for each kid, and a rule to empty it each day before bed!
thirteen // Underbed Storage Bin // Sometimes under the bed feels like Mary Poppins’ carpet bag… you can shove so much random stuff under there that who even knows what you’ll find anymore?! This zip-up bag keeps everything confined and free from dust bunnies. Plus, it’s easy to see what’s inside because the top is clear!
A few more organizing gadgets I use around the house include these easy cabinet shelves. I have them in the kitchen for dishes and glasses, under the bathroom sinks, and even in the kids closets for shoes. They add another layer of storage and help to better utilize vertical space.
Here’s a peek of the blanket ladder I shared in the collage…it’s lightweight, yet sturdy. I love the natural finish and height, perfect for layering our nightly snuggle blankets. (These are our family’s hands-down faves, and the ones we fight over each night!)
Blanket Ladder | Leopard Throw | Tassel Throw
I also found our exact acrylic dining chairs on Prime…and for an unbelievable price!! We LOVE these chairs! They’re surprisingly sturdy and comfortable, and being able to stack them comes in handy more often than you’d think!
I found the smaller armless one we use at the secretary in our Living Room, too. It’s the perfect little side chair for those tight spots or small corners.
I also found the leather pouf we’ve had for years…and at a fraction of the price we paid! This pouf has literally living in every room of our house, it just works everywhere! It adds great texture, and is the perfect little ottoman for any accent chair.
And finally, if you’re looking for some organizing inspiration…. here are a few of my favorite posts over the years…
Organized Teen Boy Room & Desk
Organized Teen Girl Room & Desk
15 Simple Tips to a Luxe Closet
Organized | Laundry + Cleaning Station
Does your New Year include major organizing and purging? Science proves our minds are less stressed and more at ease when our homes are free from clutter! It can be overwhelming to think of organizing your entire house, but when broken down in to small spaces one at a time, it’s easier to manage.
And even the smallest organizing project can bring peace and a sense of accomplishment. Up next for me is the Guest Room closet. Would you believe it still has unpacked boxes from when we moved in five years ago?!
I added a Storage & Organization list to my Amazon Storefront with tons more great gadgets for getting your spaces clean. Find my store HERE. What great things have you found on Amazon?
I’d open those guest closet boxes long enough to see if there are any family keepsakes. If not, quick trip to Goodwill. If you haven’t needed it in five years,, you don’t need it.
All your home organization projects look great. The next challenge is keeping them looking great. Like you, I’ve done a lot of organizing. Nothing looks as Pinterest Perfect (as you’re required to do on a blog), but highly functional.
But I haven’t tackled my craft closet since we moved it three years ago. And at that time, everything just got shoved in and door closed. Sigh. I have been using lots of the stuff but it all needs to be sorted, purged and organized.
Regarding your son’s dental problems. I’m glad they happened before he returned to college. You and his dentist are right there to help him.
You’re totally right..I haven’t needed anything in them for this long!! Wonder what the heck is even in those boxes!? 😉
Grrreat post! The stair step basket, a real Godsend. This whole post, a Godsend! That craft closet!! Ok, the living room photo needs to be submitted to Architectural Digest, right now!
Sorry to hear about your son, he is not alone w/that incident. The removal of wisdom teeth seems to be the real passage into adulthood. Hang in there, guy! Better days ahead!
You’re so sweet…thanks so much, Sandy! xo. C
What I’m looking for these days is a nice tray where I can put all of my bathroom counter stuff in. I need to shop around and get that out of the way because right now, it’s an absolute mess on both sides of the sink (mine and his). But as you said, very hard to get stuff done when life is in full swing!
Hopefully this post gave you some ideas! Amazon has some incredible tray options!
My type A personality loved this post! Everything has its place which I love!
LOL, I felt the same! 😉
Poor guy, I’ve been there with a dry socket and let me say, it was worse than childbirth. 😩 I got instant relief from my dentist, thank goodness! Hope he’s feeling better!!
Thank you so much! Watching them pack it was hard for ME, so I can’t imagine what he was going through! Feeling better already though!!!
Organization, my favorite topic! I love the canvas bins you found, I’ve never seen those before. My favorite book for all things organizing (from Prime, no less) is The Home Edit!
Great post! My goal for this year is similar to yours…tackle an organization project every couple of weeks. Did the pantry in December and the fridge yesterday. So satisfying! Am I the only one that opens the door to admire my pantry and fridge??? 😁
Ummm, no!! I do it all the time!!!! I like your plan!
Poor guy! Dry socket is miserable (been there, done that!) Hope the packing works. My dentist used cloves in the packing: smells great and is antiseptic apparently. Hope your son is feeling better soon. Its easier getting wisdom teeth out as a teenager than in your 30s (I was in denial)
Your organization projects look amazing!!😍 I wish! It would look like that for all of 5 minutes in my house. Pat yourself on the back! Enjoy your weather…..its a “tropical” -16 here….. Give me strength!
Thanks so much, Yelena!! He’s already so much better after the packing!
Great ideas! I work for a professional organizer, and I am in awe of your pantry! Can you tell me how you made the poster of pics? Thanks!
Thanks, Jackie!! I made it through one of those IG apps…you just upload a ton of pics and have it printed in poster form. We’ve had it for years, I’m sorry I don’t remember the name!!!
Looking for the broom/mop tool you mentioned a few months ago. Long handle, sweeps up dog hair! I think your husband was demonstrating. Can’t find it on your blog. I believe it was from Amazon??
Yes!! This thing is legit! https://shopstyle.it/l/bmtGO