Everyone talks about “spring cleaning,” but I personally get an urge at the dawn of summer to get everything sorted. It starts with my children’s closets/play areas, as I’m transitioning to their warm weather wardrobes and beginning to panic about the amassing of toys they’ve outgrown, and then suddenly I’m overhauling our pantry and garage, too. Below, some of my favorite storage solutions and how I use them. I wanted to share that Container Store is running a sale on some truly excellent pieces, including this mesh bin (40% off!) that we use to keep all of the children’s outdoor toys, and most of their clear storage. Pantry bins like these are my best friend! I use them in our pantry, our medicine cabinets, and our fridge.
01. SEVILLE CLASSICS ROLLING WIRE RACKS — These are widely considered the best quality for home storage. We use them in both our basement and garage, but would also be perfect for a pantry. They are heavy-duty, sturdy, and smartly designed. I love that they come in different heights/lengths to accommodate your particular areas of need.
02. ROLLING MESH BIN (40% OFF) — We use this in our garage to house all of the kids’ outdoor toys — balls, gliders, baseball gloves, etc. I love that you can wheel it out so the kids can access everything easily without multiple trips, and the mesh design means nothing gets mildewy/musty.
03. HYACINTH CUBES — Perfect for the bottom of a closet (stow shoes, bulky sweaters, out of season clothing) or for a cube organizer, which we have in our playroom. I love these modular systems for little ones — keeps everything at eye level. We use the bottom row with cubes like these to organize by category: one cube for dress-up, one for dolls, etc, and the upper row we use for books, puzzles, etc.
04. CLEAR PANTRY BINS (30% OFF) — As noted above, these are in heavy use in most cabinets/storage areas of our home. I especially like them to organize our hefty pantry area, where I use them to organize sub-categories, e.g., “FLOURS,” “SUGARS,” “NUTS,” etc. (I use my labelmaker to make the tags.) Makes it really easy to locate what you’re looking for.
05. POPPIN LAUNDRY BIN — We have this in my son’s bedroom in the navy color. I like that it adds depth/texture to the room and is not a plastic eyesore! Plus, the inner liner is removable for easy dump into the laundry.
06. ROLLING LIDDED BINS — The BEST for stowing bulky sets of toys. We have one for Barbies and one for Duplos, but would also be great for magnatiles, blocks, etc.
07. LARGE SEAGRASS HAMPER — Looks like S&L, but under $50. Great for either laundry or children’s toys — I have a few big hamper/bins like these that we specifically use for dolls and stuffed animals. TJ Maxx has other sizes, too.
08. ALL PURPOSE CLEAR BIN (30% OFF) — Another great (more sizable) option for pantry organization.
09. BIGSO FILE BOX — I use these in my closet to organize all important documents. They are so attractive and I have separate ones for personal life, for business, etc.
10. GLASS SPICE JARS — So satisfying to decant all of our spices into these, label with my labelmaker, and then just use Spice House flat packs to refill. Keeps everything organized and much more cost-effective, too.
11. FILE CABINET — We’ve needed one of these for a long time — currently we have a couple of document crates to house old but important documents (paperwork for car, house, business, etc.). This is at the front of my list. I love that it has a locked drawer for sensitive materials.
12. FABRIC STORAGE BIN — Another great buy for stuffed animals or clothing overflow. We have a few of these distributed through the children’s rooms and my closet.
13. BEACHCOMBER BIN — This truly transformed my office space. I receive a lot of packages and it gives me a spot to keep the boxes/items I want to share in one place without having to constantly stare at a stack of boxes/products!
14. STORI DRAWER ORGANIZERS — Great for junk drawers, cosmetics, medicine cabinets, desk drawers, etc! These line any and all of the above in my home. SO good for things like pens, office supplies, makeup, kids medicines, kids hair ties, sunscreen, etc.
P.S. How do you stay on top of household admin?
P.P.S. What do you eat when your fridge is bare?
P.P.P.S. Closet organization favorites.