My Favorite Organization Gear.

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Have we all been organizing our homes in little bursts of January energy? Sometimes, these activities leave us with swollen hearts (ahem!), and other times, a sense of round satisfaction. One of the big insights I have about maintaining tidiness in my home is having the proper gear on hand to begin with. One problem area I need to tackle soon is the front hall coat closet, whose floor is always cluttered with gloves and hats that have spilled out of the too-small bin I keep there for that purpose, and a stray pair of shoes (or two). I know this is because I have not yet found the right storage solutions for that space and I will get there.

In the meantime, sharing my favorite organization gear for parts of my home that ARE properly sorted below. As a preface to this, if you do not have a labelmaker, you aren’t living. Ha! It is such a small thing but truly sparks joy. I label everything. Great for bins and shelves, of course, but also spices, putting expiration dates or “opened on” dates on baking goods, etc.

Kitchen + Pantry Organization Gear.

01. SEVILLE CLASSIC IMPLEMENT ORGANIZER — This is so sturdy and well-made, and the design is brilliant — you can expand/contract to fit the dimensions of nearly any drawer.

02. YAMAZAKI TOSCA BINS — Ideal for bulk items in pantry (bags of chips, baking ingredients, beans, etc.)

03. PLASTIC STORAGE BINS — I use these everywhere in the home (linen closet, medicine cabinet, cleaning supply areas, bulk cosmetics/body care), but especially like them for organizing our pantry’s expansive baking area. I have bins for different flours, sugars, chocolates, nuts, etc, and each one is labeled.

04. WIRE BASKETS — Great for citrus in the fridge, allium in the pantry, and bulk items (we currently use for canned tomatoes, beans, etc). We also use for stowing used dishtowels beneath the sink before we take to launder in basket. The wire design prevents mold by letting air in!

05. CHINOISERIE ORCHID POT — Technically an orchid pot but I have seen this style used as a crock to hold kitchen implements and have wanted one for a long time. We have a plain white ceramic one, which has its virtues (goes with everything, looks tidy), but I’d love one of these instead.

Children’s Organization Gear.

06. LIDDED TOY STORAGE BINS — My favorite for big sets of toys like magnatiles, blocks, duplos, train sets, Barbies.

07. ROLLING STORAGE BIN — I actually don’t own this but have been eyeing as an upgrade for my children’s dress-up and stuffed animal collections — the soft things they like to dig through and could stand to be contained altogether.

08 AND 09. WOVEN PINK BINS AND PEHR POM BINS — Love these for keeping doll accessories and other little sets of toys (Calico Critters, Maileg, cars, tiny animal figurines) easy to access.

10. ZIPTOP POUCHES — Perfect for decanting puzzles, games, markers, etc into — I especially like these for mini’s Playmobil and Lego sets (or anything with lots of small pieces/parts!) Take up so much less space than bulky boxes and hold up better, too.

11. EXTRA LARGE ROPE BIN — A Godsend for all the random toys that seem to clutter the floors of my children’s rooms. I’m talking one-off items like our one My Little Pony, our Little Tikes guitar, the Barbie boat, etc. Things that otherwise don’t really have a natural home and I can just pile altogether.

12. MESH WIRE ROLLING BIN — Perfect for stowing bulky athletic gear, balls, etc. We actually keep this in our garage and I find it perfect for wheeling out when the kids are playing in back yard.

Closet Organization Gear.

01. BAMBOO DRAWER DIVIDERS — These are so handy for keeping ship-shape dresser drawers. Much easier to keep tees and tanks properly folded or rolled.

02. COLLAPSIBLE FABRIC CLOTHING BINS — I recently moved all of my out-of-season items into these, which now line the top shelf of my closet. They are a smallish size (I would say enough for two side by side stacks of shirts/pants), which I like, because they are easier to lift and manipulate, and the clear “window” enables you to see what’s inside. I also like the zippered top because — again, easier to lift up and down without items falling out — and it preserves the clothing.

03. SHELF DIVIDERS — I actually use these in mini’s closet as we keep her bulkier sweaters and sweatshirts there on fairly long shelves. So helpful for little kids — basically creates cubbies!

04. VELVET JEWELRY ORGANIZER — I love these SO much. I keep them stacked in my closet so I can easily find and plan my jewelry for the day. No more tangles/piles!

05. UNDERWEAR/SOCK/BRA ORGANIZER — Just the best way to keep the pesky undergarment drawer tidy. It is really hard to keep underwear in particular organized without it.

Bathroom Organization Gear.

06. CLEAR BOX WITH HINGED LID — Great for things like tampons, facial cotton, nail polishes, etc.

07. STACKABLE DRAWER ORGANIZERS — These actually line every drawer and medicine cabinet in my home. SO great for organizing small things — hair ties, cosmetics, perfumes, paper clips, pens, etc! I especially love them in the top drawer of my bathroom vanity, though. I keep ONLY my must-have daily cosmetics there so everything is easy to grab and see. Things like eye shadows and lipsticks that I only wear sparingly I keep in clear zippered pouches beneath the sink.

08. MARBLE VANITY TRAY — The quickest way to streamline a bathroom countertop: just corral all your most-used beauty/everyday items onto one. Makes everything feel much more organized!

09. CLEAR DRAWER CUBE — I use two of these to keep medicines/first aid in our linen closet. Each drawer is labeled and it gives everything a home. You know exactly where to find the eye drops vs. the throat lozenges.

10. PLASTIC STORAGE BINS — These are actually fantastic in every “utility” area of the home. We use to group cleaning supplies, dog grooming gear / supplies, batteries, light bulbs, under-sink paraphernalia, toilet paper, etc. They are really light-weight and relatively inexpensive but just the right dimensions for these kinds of uses. Buy a pack of 12 and you will see that they come in handy everywhere.

P.S. More toy organization ideas here.

P.P.S. Great items you need in your kitchen.

P.P.P.S. How do you stay organized, more generally?