Deep Clean in the Spring, Organize in the Fall!

Command Center:I actually did this a while back. I purchased a wall hanging organizer that has a place for a calendar, message board, and pockets for each member of my family. This gives us a central location to see what’s going on in order to plan our busy schedules. It also eliminates counter clutter as there is a space for everyone’s mail, papers, etc.

Pantry

Pantry Organization: This was LONG overdue in my household. Purchasing a few plastic bins at my local dollar/discount store, I was able to organize my pantry contents neatly into different categories; dry goods (pasta, packaged potatoes, soup mixes, etc.), canned goods, snacks, back up condiments, etc. What a difference! I have so much more room, and it’s much easier to find things.

Over-the-door Storage: There are so many great options for over-the-door storage! This is an organization method I have used for years. The over-the-door shoe organizers (with pockets) are the best. You can use them for many items other than shoes. When my daughter was younger, I would use one of these to house Barbie dolls, hair bows, and other small items in addition to shoes. They are also great in a kitchen for storing cleaning products. These inexpensive organizers can also be great for housing crayons, markers, jewelry, cosmetics and more. The ones with clear pockets are best as it makes your items more easily seen for easy access.

Over-the-door Organizers

Food Storage Container Cabinet

The Food Storage Container Cabinet: This one is the bane of my existence! I try to organize it at least once a year, but it never fails to turn into a hot mess within a week. There are some options for taming this beast of household storage. Separating lids from bottoms, stacking the bottoms and placing the lids in some sort of contained area helps. Again, visit your local dollar/discount stores for a few inexpensive bins. This can be a good option for storing reusable water bottles as well, so they are not rolling around all over the place. I have even seen dish drying racks used to store lids neatly in the plate slats. 

Linen Closet

The Linen Closet:Although I still can’t fold a fitted sheet neatly to save my life, I have figured out a way to keep my sheets organized more neatly in my linen closet. Once you have folded your sheets, simply stuff the set into one of the pillow cases for storage. Additionally, you may want to use different bins or baskets to separate sheet sets by size. This will leave your linen closet looking much neater and keep the tops, bottoms and pillow cases from getting separated.

Personally I believe we are products of our surroundings, and having a neat organized environment in which to live may contribute to a more organized life. Not to mention following through on these types of projects can be somewhat therapeutic and give one a great sense of accomplishment. Happy organizing!