One area where I've struggled off and on is keeping myself and my family organized. There are many plans, ideas, and products out there that promise to help. As I walked down the aisles of my local mega store I saw shiny new plastic containers for just about everything. Having bought some of these in the past I found that most times they didn't quite meet my needs. I'd need to buy 2 or more, they don't fit into the space I have in mind, the items they are intended for didn't fit properly, or the containers were poor in quality and didn't hold up to long-term normal usage.
For anyone who has ever purchased things like Claussen Pickle halves, assorted candies or after-dinner mints in bulk you know the kind of containers I'm talking about. The nice heavy plastic ones with the screw tops, and contoured hand grip on the back. They are squared and store easily on shelves or in cabinets. Some can even be stacked.
I keep all my polish, brushes, foot soaks/scrubs, clippers, files, and scrubbers in one place! Tucks easily away in a cabinet, closet or bathroom. On the left side of the can, you see a small metal topped jar - This was once a wick-less candle. When it was mostly evaporated I cleaned out the gel that was left and found it works amazingly well for small nail items.
I've listed below a few things that have helped me and are very easy to do. Most are re-purposed containers, however the few that I purchased have been well worth the money!
1. Pickle and Candy Containers
Typically, I find these types of containers at warehouse and bulk stores. I find that they are durable, water tight when screwed closed and very easy to store. They also stand up to a small child who has to rattle everything!
I found that the Party Pack of 15 Play-Doh colors fits perfectly inside and below, they work great for dog treats too!
2. Fashion Jewelry that just won't fit into your Jewelry Box
I have a decent amount of fashion jewelry that I love but always forget I have it. Why? Because I've had to keep it in the boxes! My jewelry box isn't very accommodating for chunky fashion jewelry styles. I would find myself forgetting which pieces that I had or worse - picking my outfit specifically to wear with a set and then leaving the house without it!
At my local Big Lots store I happened across an awesome Jewelry Tree that I HAD to have! The cost was higher than what I would usually spend on something like this ($16), but it's made of plastic coated metal,very stable and sturdy and matches other wall decor in our bedroom. When I got home I displayed all the jewelry that had been hiding in the boxes and positioned the tree on my dresser. There is also space for things like flower clips for my hair, hoop earrings, and many places for several necklaces and bracelets. The best part is - The pegs to hang things on are on both sides for maximum storage. I still have plenty of room to grow!
3. Disposable Cup for Disposable Razors
Personally, I don't enjoy paying such high prices for razor blade refills. I would much rather buy less expensive disposable razors (often at half price or less with coupons). The bad thing? Disposable razors take up space and the packages are not very storage friendly in cabinets.
A quick storage 'How To' - Stand them up in a throw away cup, and put it in the cabinet. No mess, no fuss, and no inconvenient packaging to fight with!
4. & 5. Multi Functional Storage Cubes & Spice Stacks
One of the best investments I've ever made was in some multi functional storage cubes. I have used these in every place I have lived while in college and after. In the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, even my child's room. They work wonderfully for a quick night stand or some easy extra storage and can be stacked up in many different ways with adjustable shelves to accommodate any space or storage need. I have been using the same six cubes for 10 years, and all have held up beautifully!
On the left side I have a tall cube with 2 Spice Stacks in it. These little beauties are unbelievable in and of themselves! Being able to lay down 9 spices of various size in a single tray has been a tremendous space saver! It also prevents my spices from being dusty or splattered with anything while cooking. The down side is that they take up a little bit of counter space. The racks themselves could be stacked on top of each other if they weren't in the cube. I sat the top one on a shelf because I wanted the extra space between them. The spices that are a tad too tall to fit into a tray now fit perfectly between the two. I even have packets of spices like Ranch and Taco Seasoning in one of the shelves, too. Made for smaller and bigger size containers, a maximum of 9 spices per tray. I'm not sure how much these cost - They were a gift. Also, each comes with pre-printed and blank labels so you know what is in each tray. BRILLIANT idea to whomever designed these!
The right side is another tall cube that has my daughter's snack bowls, sippy cups and medications all within easy reach. This cabinet has a door, which I stuck a cabinet towel rack on. The house that we are renting right now only has one upper kitchen cabinet and it is more of an open shelf. There are no doors or back on either side. It's ok for things like our glass dishes and cups, but not so much for baby things with multiple pieces and parts. This has housed all of her necessities easily and conveniently. The adjustable shelves have been a winner!
6. Bathroom Junk
We all have stuff that belongs in the bathroom, but finding storage space for all of it can be tedious. With the razor packaging issue I mentioned earlier, there are other items that are used often but tend to get in the way.
I found some awesome small crate-like plastic containers at a local plastic store and have found that they work wonders in the bathroom! This is my husband's cube. He has his cologne, aftershave, extra shampoo, extra deodorant, shave gel, cups, razor, floss picker things for his teeth, and some Old Spice scented manly body mist. Keeping it all together means fewer things getting knocked over and all of these can easily be moved at once. You could also use this kind of container to hold all of your bathroom cleaning products, gloves and scrub brushes for easy storage and accessibility. Also great for office storage. WIN!
7. Children's Art and Projects
I love my daughter so much and I am glad that she has such an interest in art. We are very fortunate that her daycare has enough to have the funds to do projects. The only down side is that there is always a TON of things to bring home and if she sees me throw them away, we have trouble. Where, oh where to keep it contained and maintain my sanity?!
I found a decorative box at my local Big Lots store for $8. It has a Velcro closure, is very durable, and sits easily out of the way on top of my pantry cabinet. The capacity is huge! I keep some of the big things like for Mother's Day/Father's Day and a few special things, but every so often I clean out all the 'doodle' pages. In the bottom, I've got large manila envelopes for each year and the hi-lights inside.
*For ideas of what to do with the 'doodle pages' of Children's Art and pictures, check out my other post to see what I did with them!
8. & 9. Manicure & Pedicure Madness
Most ladies enjoy a little bit of self pampering, even if you go to a nail salon regularly. It's sometimes nice to just relax at home and have a DIY day. But... All the stuff that goes along with it can be a pain! I have an old large coffee can and an empty wickless candle jar that did the trick!
I keep all my polish, brushes, foot soaks/scrubs, clippers, files, and scrubbers in one place! Tucks easily away in a cabinet, closet or bathroom. On the left side of the can, you see a small metal topped jar - This was once a wick-less candle. When it was mostly evaporated I cleaned out the gel that was left and found it works amazingly well for small nail items.
In this jar, I have finger and toe nail clippers, a small acrylic patch up set, mini-nail polish bottles, nail glue, cuticle oil, and with the pre-cut vents in the top, emory boards fit right down in it. All the little annoying stuff to keep track of - Easily contained and within reach!
10. Dish Brush Holder
At any mega-store you will see the various solutions for dish brushes, like the suction cup dish brush holders. Some are designed to fit inside the sink, others are designed to fit on the wall above the sink, etc. I went through three of these and somewhere around $20 before I concluded that they broke too easily. In theory, a great idea. I just haven't found one that worked long term and didn't fall apart!
Enter the tall Juice Glass! I have a set of 8 of these glasses that we hardly ever use. I was packing them away when I got an idea... It's sturdy on the bottom and would hold the weight of the dish brush... Tried it for a few days, and was hooked! I can throw it right in the dish washer when it starts looking a little gummy, and won't break with normal usage like the suction cup holders can. Also easily mobile if it's in the way!
11. Cookbooks
For anyone who has ever gotten married or anyone who loves being in the kitchen, chances are you have accumulated entirely too many cookbooks. It's also probable that you don't use them as frequently as you would like. Over time, they get dusty, pushed around, and end up in a stack on top of the fridge or in a cabinet. I'd knock over my stack all too often and found them to be annoying. Until...
I had picked up this Rubbermaid Container in college with the intent to use it on my bathroom counter for hair product and makeup storage. It didn't fit everything in quite how I wanted it, so it got set aside until I found another use for it. It fits my cook books perfectly!
The slim design allows it to sit on either against the back of a counter or even on top of the refrigerator. I have never had a problem with it falling over, however I would think weight distribution has something to do with it! My cook books are now contained in a display-like fashion and aren't falling all over the kitchen!
12. Video Game Controllers, Headphones, & Gamer Paraphernalia
My husband is a video games guy. He has a few consoles and also plays PC games when he has the time. With a toddler running around, we discovered that she too likes to think she is 'playing' and was getting tangled in cords from headphones and running off with controllers when we weren't looking. One day, I was at Kohl's and found these awesome ottoman storage cubes. Each was about $20, and I got two of the small brown leather ones to match our living room color scheme.
Best investment ever! The tops fit tightly on top so even when our toddler pushes one around, it doesn't slip out of place. When hubby is finished gaming he can tuck away all the important equipment and keep it out of the way of little fingers. Out of sight, out of mind is truly accurate with toddlers! We also found that a plastic shoe storage box fit down inside it perfectly, so he can store smaller things like batteries, battery packs, and extra remotes or corded pieces in it as well. He also likes to use the ottoman to prop up his feet since we don't have recliners. Multi-purposing at its finest!
13. Play Kitchen "Food," Tea Sets, and Children's Blocks
My daughter loves her play kitchen. She also loves her tea set and her blocks. All have a huge amount of pieces and can look like a tornado went through the room in less than 10 seconds when all of it is out. How to deal with little pieces? Find something that fits it all!
The drawers of this stackable container come completely out so she can take the drawer with her to spread out the blocks and tea set. The food is within easy reach of her kitchen. The drawers are very easy to open and close and its very sturdy overall. This one did not come with wheels, though I have seen some that do. The going price of one of these now is about $25. Well worth the investment!
This is another container that has followed me for the last 10 or more years. It used to be extra storage in my closet for things like belts, scarves and handbags. It's also been in the bathroom to hold extra shampoo, razors, etc. Versatile and can hold just about anything you need it to.
14. Kid's Toys With Numerous Pieces
My daughter is only 2 and a half and doesn't have many toys with small parts yet, but there are a few that have 5 or more pieces that can be hard to keep track of. Another re-purposed item that I LOVE are the kid's meal bags from Subway. They are made of a recyclable, thin but durable plastic, water proof, and come in a variety of colors and styles. With a flap and Velcro tab they don't close quite completely, but enough to keep things inside if it tips over.
For Christmas she received this awesome Elmo toy that talks to her, sings songs, and is helping her learn the alphabet. However, he came with 7 or 8 different blocks and after a few days we'd have to start lifting up the furniture to find them all. The tote is perfect for storing these! She has another bag for her baby doll supplies - Bottle, mini teddy bear, hair brush, etc. Instant Baby Doll Diaper Bag!
15. Shoe Storage Boxes Aren't Just For Shoes
I needed something to keep a set of foam blocks in, but was having trouble finding something that was the right size. The set has numbers, letters, and animals on the blocks and is a total of 30 pieces that are about 2" x 2" x 2" cubes.
I happened to have an extra shoe storage box and thought it looked about like the right size. It worked like a charm! All 30 blocks fit inside perfectly and with the flip handles, it's easy enough for her to open and close by herself, and light enough she can put it up and take it off of the toy-box shelf on her own. Simple, easy, and costs about $2 - $3 at any large mega-store. :-)
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