If you haven’t jumped on the Marie Kondo bandwagon yet, let 2018 be your intro! Decluttering is often associated with “spring cleaning,” but there’s no reason it can’t be a year-long goal. We’re both big fans of the “things inside of other things” approach to clear off shelves, declutter your floor, and just generally clean things up. Have a pile of mail? Find a large bowl to put it in! Collecting matchbooks? Fill up some mason jars with them! Countertops littered with kitchen utensils? Get all kinds of Pinterest-y and DIY some storage.
Be sure to check out all our other resolution suggestions here!
Our 10 favorite organizational items:
Woven Baskets – Etsy ($22.50+)
With many sizes come many options. These baskets are great for keeping by the door to toss flip flops into, in the bathroom for extra towels, or in a mudroom to collect unused sports stuff. Scatter these babies around and you’ll notice yourself picking things up left and right!
Foldable Storage Cubes – Amazon ($15.77)
These are great for just about anywhere. Stack some in your closet filled with linens or cleaning supplies. Throw a few in the back of your car for emergency snacks and yoga outfits. Keep one in the living room for all of the dog toys. The possibilities are endless!
Bulletin / Message Board – Etsy ($29.95)
We love this multi-use bulletin board, perfect for alerting fellow house-mates to events, chores, and other comings and goings. Also those hooks at the bottom are a surefire way never to lose your keys!
Bamboo File Organizer – Bed, Bath & Beyond ($41.99)
If you’re the type that hangs onto mail and magazines, stop the endless coffee table stacking and find this more elegant way to store! The adjustable dividers make it easy to modify heights for different materials, and with such a lovely aesthetic, you’re much more apt to find what you need quickly.
Under-the-Bed Plastic Containers – Amazon ($67.15 4-pack)
Under the bed is an underrated storage space, often looked over because thoughts of dust bunnies and lost socks pervail. But you can achieve greatness, even under the bed! These plastic bins on wheels keep things clean and all in one place, and have wheels! Perfect for easy access. Can we recommend your opposite season wardrobe as a filling suggestion?
Cutting Board (and more!) Organizer – Amazon ($7.99)
This cutting board organizer has been transformed in our minds after seeing some of its other possible uses! Great for keeping cutting boards herded together, this is also a great tool for organizing plates, cups, notebooks, pot and pan lids, and so much more!
Bulk Dry Goods Containers – Amazon ($29.99)
Whether it’s keeping flour, sugar, and coffee on your counter top or stashing pasta, cereal, and rice away in your pantry, these dry goods containers do a wonderful job while looking fantastic! Extra points for the fun dry-erase marker and labels that name your things!
Steel Baskets – Bed, Bath and Beyond ($6.99 – $12.99)
We love these in the kitchen. They’re the perfect catch-all for bags of chips and other snacks, spice jars and condiments, or myriad other sundries that are often cluttering up your counters. These baskets make for easy access when stashed on a shelf or in a cupboard.
Nightstand or By-the-Door Valet – Etsy ($49.00)
So this one might be more of a wish than actually one of our faves, but if you, too, find yourself consistently reminding your significant other where their keys or phone or many other things are, this may be your new best friend!
Bathroom Organizer – Etsy ($35.00)
Keeping our bathroom vanities and sinks clear is definitely a winner in our books. This rustic-meets-modern organizer is great for keeping everyday essentials in close reach without cluttering your precious countertop! (Psst… very DIY friendly, too!)
How do you keep your home clean and clutter-free? Have any need-to-know tips?? Let us know in the comments!
My best tip is to put things back when you are finished using them. Don’t set them on a table, chair or counter. It is already in your hand – use that momentum to get it where it needs to go. If you set it down it will attract other clutter and then you will have to set aside time to “clean up”.
Love that tactic! Thanks for sharing the tip 🙂
omg. yes, the “things inside of things” approach. So, I do love that way it looks to make a space look organized, but I also feel, at the end of the day, you still have the original container of say, flour, or sugar that doesn’t all fit in the cute mas
on jar at the time. So then you need a separate covered basket to hold all the extra items, etc. But yes, these items have helped make our rooms and closets looks so much neater this year!
The main part is not putting things in beautiful boxes, it’s qestioning which things you really use.
Agreed! We love getting rid of things especially if you can make a little money or give the items to someone in need. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out our post about selling your things online: https://www.areweadultsyet.com/2017/10/16/how-to-sell-your-things-online/