Earlier this year, we compared unexpectedly detailed notes on laundry — some of us handle it on a rolling basis, in small daily loads; others batch on Sundays; several make laundry-folding a Monday night event and use it to screen old movies. All of us hate it. (LOL.) But the key insight here: all of us are independently spending time dreading and strategizing about this same Sisyphean household task, and why not create a mindshare where we can try on different techniques that we may not have otherwise considered?
This prompt has been rattling around in my mind for weeks now and then yesterday, I was staring at the bottom shelf of our pantry in a mix of frustration and disgust and I wondered: “how do Magpies handle the bottom shelf?” It’s always this final mile area to dump bulky things and it is such an eyesore. An anti-joy-sparker. It’s boxes of Spindrift and N/A beer, my kids’ Halloween baskets (still overflowing with Halloween candy — this must be chucked; we’ve been threatening it for weeks); paper towel rolls; a bin stuffed with grocery and shopping bags; bulky kitchen apparatuses that can seemingly live nowhere else; etc.
So let me cut to the chase:
What are your best organizational strategies and tips for keeping your household running smoothly?
These can be as narrow and specific as you like — “I keep reusable shopping bags in XYZ,” “I keep a box for donations and make a trip to Goodwill every first Friday of the month,” “I have a two-part laundry basket so I can separate darks from lights as we shed every night.”
You can be encyclopedic or simply share one golden nugget of wisdom.
Would you share in the comments?
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A few of my suggestions/discoveries:
+One of our best kitchen org discoveries EVER, which we came across while living in a tiny NYC apartment (necessity is the mother of invention, etc): keep the most-used kitchen implements in the top drawer in a flat organizer (<<we have one very similar to this or this; brilliant that it expands to the dimensions of the drawer) where they are easy to spot and access without much fumbling around. Keep the lesser-used kitchen implements (i.e., second whisk, meat tenderizer, bench scraper, skewers) in bins in the drawers or cabinets beneath. I can’t tell you how much space this technique creates and how much frustration it saves! In our top drawer, we keep: three tongs (almost always simultaneously in use), one whisk, measuring spoons, two spatulas, meat thermometer, kitchen shears, box cutter, a sieved and solid tasting spoon, the microplane. (Other large stovetop implements we keep in a crock by the stovetop.). Everything else goes in deep bins in the drawer beneath. Yes, you must briefly sift through those bins when you need those secondary implements, but that’s like a handful of times a year versus everyday! This meme illustrates my point perfectly:
+Related: I usually like to keep like and like together (i.e., all scissors go here; all eye creams go here), but there is truly something to be said for decanting high-use items to where they are most needed in the flow of your household. We keep two little silver julep cups at the far corner of our kitchen, just before you’re heading into this little intersection where you can either go into the mud room or dining room, one with pencils and pens and another with scissors and gardening shears, because we are almost always reaching for those objects in that part of the house, i.e., kids heading to do homework in the dining room; Landon running out to the garden; me sorting items/breaking down boxes in the pantry that is through the mud room. It is so helpful to keep a subset of these things handy where they are most used!
+We generally try to keep as much clutter OFF our kitchen counters as possible. This means we even (controversially) keep our paper towels under the sink versus next to it. We also eliminated the knife block awhile ago and instead have this in-drawer solution.
+Buy more bins than you think you need. The number of times I’ve gotten halfway through a sorting project and realized I needed more…! This advice runs along the same lines as something Rachael Ray said in a cooking show I watched when I was 18 and have never forgotten: “always peel one more layer of the onion than you think you need to.” It’s almost absurdly obvious, but I think of her every time I cut an onion, and now you will, too! (Otherwise you end up with a piece with a tiny bit of that papery-skin at the edge.) Anyhow, these bins (in the large size) specifically are the best size and shape, and I love that they’re clear so you can see the contents. I use in my studio closet, my bathroom closet, my medicine cabinet, my kids closets, the pantry, etc. Somehow the perfect size. Not too big, not too small. And these larger plastic ones are great for utility spaces — under the sink, laundry, garage, basement. Perfect for things like lightbulbs, cleaning supplies, detergents, etc.
+When undertaking enormous organizational projects, I put really firm boundaries around the work by dividing it into smaller, more time-delimited tasks, i.e., “I’m going to sort this cabinet, and only this cabinet.” This is conditioned by decades of self-observation that have led me to realize that when I’m in an organizational headspace, it’s like pulling a stray thread and having it unravel an entire sleeve — i.e., I’ll start with a drawer and end up with my entire office turned inside out. I’ve learned over time it is much better for me to focus on one small area at a time or I wind up frustrated and tired, with all the contents of my life in the middle of my floor.
+Labelmaker isn’t technically necessary but it gives me the deeply satisfying, borderline-ASMR feeling of everything being in its own right place. I have this ancient Brother. This has also proven itself useful for the kids’ sports gear: we put their names and my husband’s cell number on their lacrosse sticks, tennis racquets, water bottles, etc. Surprisingly durable and you’d be shocked at how often that gear grows legs and walks away!
+In general, I really, really like the principle of keeping some blank space in each cabinet/area. I think there’s a proper term for this that a Magpie shared in the past but to the extent possible, my goal is to have some white/blank space in each cabinet and drawer to reduce visual (and physical) clutter.
OK, please share yours!
Post-Scripts.
+How us Magpies stay on top of household chores.
+A playlist for chores at home.
+An oddball resolution I made at the beginning of the year. I’d give myself a B. I definitely got better at accepting the notion that “it’s OK for your home to look like you live in it” (I would repeat this to myself while side-eyeing the Gravitrax scattered all over our hallway and the loose papers all over our kitchen counter), but I’m still learning. I still had a few of those “snap” moments where I turned into the Tasmanian Devil, trashbag in hand, ferrying loose items back to their intended homes. But in general, I really let my family breathe and live in the common areas without comment. This is major progress for someone who deeply related to the memes that say: “my toxic trait is wanting my home to look like no one lives in it 30 minutes before guests arrive.”
Shopping Break.
+All my Amazon home organization and cleaning finds here. Spotlight on this shoe storage solution that I know many of you are obsessed with, too.
+OMG! REALLY GOOD Alex Mill sale alert! This fair isle is under $150; this quilted jacket is $150 (orig $375); their iconic Nico is a kiss above $100; and my beloved cashmere polo is $130 off. I’m SO sad I missed out on this donegal cableknit cardi in my size, though — a great desk sweater. Would have absolutely ordered.
+New AYR pant alert. I feel like these will be better for taller Magpies. Us petites should stick with the Rutis we know and love. (Take your true size in the petite length! — BTW, they’re 20% off right now! SO GOOD.)
+However, petite or not, you do in fact need this perfect sweatshirt. I own and adore it. The details are SO good — slightly elongated/mock-neck-lite neckline; drop shoulder seam; cropped length! It makes you feel chic!
+Have these in our primary bedroom. Chic way to keep those annoying “chair clothes” in one place — i.e., things you need to hem, things that need to be dry-cleaned, things that you just haven’t yet put away.
+Another great Quince find: I have these on our dresser.
+As you may have noticed via a handful of the links above, Container Store is offering 26% off sitewide (in honor of 2026)! A few items I’d rec: underbed bins for the kids enormous Lego sets from Christmas! this is my storage solution for Hill’s HUGE Ninjago set as he wants to keep all the pieces together; I got another one for his Gravitrax; these are great for organizing small, large sets of toys like cars, Playmobil, figurines, etc; I’m kind of wondering if these are the solution to my bottom-of-the-pantry woes.
+My mom got me one of these cashmere wraps for Christmas (along with all my other sisters — as her elf, I got to choose which color for who, and I went with the luxe chocolate brown for myself) and I’m in love. I’ve been wearing it as a scarf layered over my pointelle tees this week.
+Something else I’ve been wearing a TON recently: my ultra-compact, lightweight Uniqlo vest. I’ve written a lot about this but its like an invisible layer of warmth — adds no bulk, and neckline can be snapped down to work beneath a v-neck jacket. So many of you love this, too, and it’s on sale for $39 this week!
+25% off at J. Crew. I think they excel at these coat-jacket layers, like this cableknit bomber and this wool blend jacket. Pair either with ecru denim for an easy chic moment.
+A gorgeous Freda Salvador boot on sale. LOVE these.
+A pretty refresh for your powder bath. Add some new hand soap (<<absolutely love this scent) to complete the fresh start feeling.
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Great topic! I think organizational stuff is so personal to how your brain works. What makes sense to one person might make zero sense to another. One of my relatives introduced me to the concept of the “things with holes” drawer (colanders/sieves/strainers, cheese graters) and while my one bedroom apartment kitchen is way too small for that, it tickled me to learn that is how she conceives of kitchen gear.
I’m a big fan of the “cull a couple things per month” approach to keeping stuff in check, just so it doesn’t get overwhelming, as well as the “one thing out for every thing in” approach. I also like to keep one plastic “extras” bin for overflow, backstock, etc. Whenever I run out of something I know to check there first to see if I have some there before adding it to the list.
This is so well-considered: “I think organizational stuff is so personal to how your brain works.” So true! Love your family member’s “things with holes” drawer — LOL! Makes its own sense!
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Two years ago, I made a resolution to “touch” every drawer and closet in our house over the course of the year. I’d tackle a little section every couple of weeks, gradually clearing out old baby gear manuals, expired medicine, etc. It felt so good.
My struggle is with storing kids’ arts and crafts supplies! We have sort of a dysfunctional corner of our house with a built in desk and small cabinets. I can’t figure out a way to store my children’s art supplies in a way they can access and that is also visually appealing (or at least organized).
Finally, I have a mental trick when I look at my house and it feels cluttered or messy. My two sets of grandparents kept very different homes – one was obsessively clean and proper; the other was more lived-in. Guess which one we loved to visit more? I always think of my grandparents who had a big tent, and their house with the kitchen desk covered in post-it notes, a calendar with a ton of birthdays circled, and couches you could lie down on to remind myself those messy signs of life made us feel welcome.
I love this manageable approach to organizing the house! Do you keep a list or is it more ad hoc?
I feel you on arts and crafts — have you tried one of those carts from Amazon and then keep things in little caddies/liner containers? The tough part is that kids are very unlikely to return things to their homes…but I do think generally it’s worked for us to keep separate bins/caddies/trays for different things.
I love — LOVE — your note about “the messy signs of life that make you feel welcome.” Amen! I can almost imagine pouring myself into that comfy couch!
xx
This is not a quick chore…but I highly recommend adding deep drawers to any kitchen remodel. It made a huge difference for us in last 2 kitchens. I am bemoaning the lack in our new home in CO and counting days to start the project here. I feel like kitchen reorganization is sometimes lost when a contractor is waiting for decisions.
Great note – thank you! Tucking this away!
A solution for paper towels on the countertop: Oxo sells a paper towel holder that mounts under the cabinet. We have it and it works perfectly!
Another organizational strategy that has worked in our kitchen is having lazy susans in every corner cabinet. All of our oils, vinegars, etc. are on one lazy susan that occupies basically the entire area of a cabinet shelf. Spices are organized alphabetically on a lazy susan on another shelf. Pots and pans are on two lazy susan inserts in the lower corner cabinet (these were installed by the cabinet maker).
We also have a drawer dedicated to tupperware/glassware lids. A drawer divider separates the glassware lids and the plasticware lids, and they are stored like file folders so it’s easy to flip through and find the one you need. The containers themselves are stored (nested) in a separate drawer and cabinet.
This is a silly thing, but I think I read that Ina Garten keeps only wooden and metal utensils in a crock on her countertop. (Totally not sure if this is true – I can’t remember where I saw this.) We now do the same thing and keep all silicone/plastic utensils in a drawer. (Incidentally, we also follow your strategy and have one large, shallow top drawer that contains all our most frequently used kitchen tools and utensils laid out so anything is easy to see and grab. Everything has a “right place.”)
These are so fantastic and specific! Thank you!!
The alphabetized spices — this is such a goal of mine. We order and go through a lot of spices and usually order in flat packs from Spice House in Chicago. I used to decant these into glass jars but then felt like the glass jars took up so much more space, and it almost felt like a redundant chore. Now we’re mainly using just the flat packs and they’re easier to sift through and organize and grab a bunch all at once, but they’re also an eye sore AND we’re kind of split between jars and packs. It is such a mess…going to think on how I might streamline this!
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I’m with you on the countertops, I keep mine very clean and clutter -free. Only my Nespresso and Keurig and a couple cookbooks.
Yes! Something about reducing the baseline visual noise in the kitchen is really helpful since cooking and eating there often adds so much to the counter anyway.
xx