Photo Credit: Nicol Jones
I love to organize! Yes, it sounds odd, but clutter is OVERWHELMING.
When I married my husband and had children, a sea of important documents, toys and clothing took over. The key to finding peace in a chaotic house is to designate a place for everything. If I know where something is going to go, I’m not in a panic when I need to find it later.
I do find myself going back to the same five tools to make the most important parts of my home come together. These inexpensive items have become my staples for basic organizing to make my home look and feel neat and tidy.
Five Favorite Tools for an Organized Home
1. Crates
These are popular around back-to-school time, but thankfully they have become a year-round fixture in both Target and Walmart. They are easily adaptable as a filing system or a basic storage bin in any closet. We have several around our house to organize the following:
- Financial and medical documents. I keep them filed. And, at year-end, I save the important papers in a RubbermaidTM tub and shred anything we no longer need.
- Instruction manuals. For any mechanical item in our house, manuals are organized by area of use – kitchen, garage, toys, etc. Write the date purchased on the manual cover.
- Work documents. This could include pay stubs, 401k docs and health insurance records.
- Shoe and toy storage.
Crates are sturdy and seem to last forever.
Photo Credit: Nicol Jones
2. SteriliteTM Boxes & Lids
I own so many of these! The larger size retails for around $5 for two, and they are perfect for EVERYTHING. My husband keeps his nice socks in one in the closet. I keep the kids’ homework over the year in another, so that I can put together a memory book during the summer. All my daughter’s ShopkinsTM live in another. Basically anything that comes to our house in small pieces gets one. And the kids know that if their toys don’t get back in the box, there’s a chance the pieces will disappear.
Photo Credit: Nicol Jones
3. AveryTM Dividers
I’ve used many binder dividers over the years, but these are my favorite. There are no tiny tabs you need to write on that will fall out and eventually get lost. You can print directly on the index page or on mailing labels. I use these in my recipe books, financial records books, and I’ve made binders to keep the kids’ medical records.
Photo Credit: Nicol Jones
4. Mailing Labels – Peel & Stick
You don’t have to use mailing labels on everything, but I find it very satisfying to see everything neatly printed in my binders or on my crates and shoeboxes.
Photo Credit: Nicol Jones
5. Food Storage Containers
These aren’t just for food anymore! I use them for smaller projects: LegoTM storage, office supplies, jewelry. They are all over my house. The best part is a trip to the Dollar Tree will yield you several for a dollar in different sizes, so there’s no need to spend a fortune on pricey name brand containers. I love how they stack neatly and you can see what’s in them. In the case of our LegoTM sets, I cut a piece of the front of the box off and tape it to the lid, so the kids know exactly what they’re grabbing.
Photo Credit: Nicol Jones
photo from n. jones
Nicol Jones
Nicol is an expert in visual communications and social media strategies for a variety of clients. Her experience in web and publication design – along with skills in project organization, customer service and event management – are why many point to her as an invaluable resource to launch their projects and events.
An avid gardener and food aficionado, Nicol is a busy mom and an excellent cook, too!