Take a peek inside your pantry. Go ahead, I'll wait...
If your pantry is anything like most pantries, you may be looking at mass chaos sitting on those shelves.
If your pantry door is kept closed because it's not suitable for anyone's eyes but yours, it may be time to start organizing that space. The good news? It can be simple to get it done and you will have your kids packing their own lunch in no time flat.
Here are a few must haves for pantry organization that will help you get that jump-start to organizing your pantry.
Do Away with the Packaging
Who says that your food items have to be stored in the boxes or packaging that they came in? Instead, check out these Airtight Clear Storage Containers for your pantry space.
Not only do they come in different sizes, they are clear so it's easy to see what is in them. They also seal tight to keep the air out, keeping food fresher, longer. You can use them to store noodles, cereals, grains, coffee...anything!
Organize your Cans
Cans can take up a ton of space. If you find yourself digging and digging to look through cans to see what you have on hand, you need a change.
Try using a 3-Tier Can Rack Organizer instead. It can hold different sized cans and allows you to place them in a way that they are easily seen. These can save a ton of space!
Use Every Square Inch
Remember that door that we talked about earlier that hides all those things that are lurking in your pantry? Use that space on your door! It's an area that you might as well be utilizing to free up more shelf space.
Look at installing the Door Mount Cabinet Organizer! It hangs on the door to save space, and you can place your spices, plastic wrap, or other items in it for easy access.
End Bakeware Frustration
How much time do you spend digging around for the proper bakeware that you are wanting to use? If your answer was longer than a few seconds, then your current method of storing bakeware isn't working. They should be easy to access and grab when needed.
Give the StoreMore Bakeware Rack a peek to see if it would fit well in your pantry. It has built-in dividers that help you organize your muffin pans, baking sheets, and other bakeware in a nice, neat, organized manner.
See All Your Spices at Once
Quit playing hide and seek with your spice jars. Get them visible, all at the same time! Nothing is more frustrating than when you are cooking and need to find the basil quickly. But where, oh where, did the basil go??
Eliminate the time spent searching by using a Spice Gripper Clip Strip. (Try saying that fast five times!) Not only does this allow all your spices to be seen easily, it keeps them all in one place as well. Sounds like a win to me!
Use a Carousel for Random Items
Don’t let the small random items become your nemesis in your pantry! Instead, find ways to organize it better.
Look at implementing a Lazy Susan Organizerfor your spices, baking supplies, oils, barbeque and picnic supplies, cleaning supplies or other random items. This handy little gadget is a fun carousel that spins for easy access.
Wrangle Food Wraps
Sometimes all those food storage wraps can be annoying to organize. Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, parchment paper, even plastic bags.
These self-adhesive door storage boxes look ideal for wrangling food storage wraps, storage bags or whatever else you think would fit perfectly.
Use Storage Baskets
I think the answer for many organizing conundrums, can be baskets. Specifically plastic storage baskets for the pantry.
I have my pantry cupboard full of baskets that hold snacks for the kids, pastas, grains, chips, canned goods, baking supplies and so much more! I simply pull out the basket with the item I need, grab the item and get on with my day! I like plastic in this situation because they are easy to wipe down.
Your pantry doesn’t have to get the best of you. You can control it, you can organize it! Try a few of the must haves for pantry organization above and see if they help clear that clutter! You may be surprised at how a few easy changes can quickly give your pantry more functionality. Less clutter in your pantry means less clutter in your mind!
15-Minute Decluttering Tasks: Quick Fixes for a Tidy Space
In our fast-paced world, finding time for long decluttering sessions can be challenging. Luckily, you don’t need hours to make a significant change! With just 15 minutes, you can tackle small but meaningful decluttering tasks that will help keep your home organized. Here’s a guide to quick and effective 15 minute decluttering tasks that you can easily fit into your busy schedule.
1. Sort Through a Single Drawer
Pick one drawer in your home. Maybe the kitchen junk drawer, a desk drawer, or a bathroom drawer. Empty its contents, discard expired or unused items, and neatly organize the remaining essentials. These clear organizers are perfect for drawers! A tidy drawer can not only make a difference in how cluttered your space feels but also make daily tasks way more efficient.
2. Clear Out a Magazine or Book Pile
Books and magazines can quickly accumulate. Spend 15 minutes sorting through a stack, recycling old magazines, or donating books you no longer need. You’ll free up space and make your reading area look more organized.
3. Organize Your Purse or Backpack
Our bags often become catch-alls for random items. Take 15 minutes to empty your bag, discard old receipts or expired coupons, and sort through the remaining items. Use pouches or small organizers like these to keep things tidy.
4. Declutter Your Desk
Your desk can easily become cluttered with papers, pens, and random office supplies. It can feel overwhelming, but spend 15 minutes sorting through these items and you'll see it was not as bad as it seemed! File important documents, discard unnecessary ones, and organize your supplies into drawers or containers.
5. Clean Out the Fridge
The refrigerator is a prime spot for hidden clutter. In just 15 minutes, check for expired food, clean out spills, and reorganize shelves. This quick task not only declutters but also ensures your food stays fresh and your fridge remains sanitary. Try to make it a weekly habit so it takes no time at all!
6. Declutter a Closet Shelf
Choose one shelf in a closet and sort through its contents. Remove items you no longer use or need, and organize what remains. This quick decluttering task can greatly enhance the functionality of your closet.
7. Organize Your Entryway
The entryway is often the first impression of your home and can quickly become cluttered with shoes, coats, and mail. In 15 minutes, tidy up this area by putting away shoes, sorting mail, and hanging up coats. Adding a small basket for keys or other small items can also help keep things in order.
8. Sort Through a Set of Towels
In the bathroom or linen closet, towels can take up a lot of space. Use 15 minutes to sort through your towels, discarding any that are worn out or stained. Fold and organize the remaining towels neatly.
9. Clean Out Your Car
Your car can accumulate clutter just like your home. Spend 15 minutes removing trash, organizing the glove compartment, and clearing out any items you no longer need. If you have a little extra time, give the seats a quick vacuum to get rid of dirt and/or crumbs.
10. Organize Your Kitchen Utensils
Kitchen drawers can become a tangled mess of utensils. Take 15 minutes to sort through them, remove duplicates or items you rarely use, and organize the remaining utensils in a way that makes them easy to access.
11. Declutter Your Digital Space
Your digital life can be just as cluttered as your physical space. Spend 15 minutes cleaning up your desktop, deleting unnecessary files, or organizing your email inbox. This digital decluttering can improve your productivity and reduce stress. Whew!
12. Sort Through a Basket of Laundry
Laundry baskets can become catch-alls for various items. Spend 15 minutes sorting through the contents, returning items to their proper places, and dealing with any laundry that’s been piling up. Listen to an audiobook or podcast to turn it into a "fun" task!
13. Tidy Up Your Coffee Table
Coffee tables can quickly gather clutter such as magazines, remote controls, and random objects. Use 15 minutes to clear off the table, organizing or discarding items as needed. This will help create a more inviting and calm living space.
14. Organize Your Jewelry
Jewelry can easily become tangled and disorganized if you don't take care of it. In 15 minutes, untangle necklaces, sort earrings, and put your jewelry back in its proper place. Using small containers or organizers, helps keep your jewelry accessible and untangled.
15. Purge Old Greeting Cards and Paperwork
Greeting cards and paperwork can accumulate over time. Take 15 minutes to go through these items, keeping only the ones that are truly meaningful and recycling the rest. This task helps keep sentimental clutter to a minimum.
There you have it! What 15 minute decluttering tasks would you add to the list?
By decluttering in manageable 15-minute tasks, you can maintain an organized home without feeling overwhelmed. Consistent small efforts can lead to big improvements, making your living space more enjoyable and functional.
Will you be heading on the road with your family this summer? Road trips can be a great way to spend time with your loved ones or to get a brief respite from this crazy world. Whatever your reason for the trip, planning is key.
One of the most challenging things for a family road trip is just getting to your destination. Anyone who has taken a trip with kids knows there are constant stops for snacks, bathroom breaks and meltdowns over a toy or blanket that may have fallen beyond their reach. If you prepare for the situations you can control, your trip to your destination will go smoothly (and hopefully with as few stops as possible).
Before you hit the road, be sure to take a look at these cheap road trip hacks. The dollar store or even Amazon are great places to look for inexpensive items that can be used to make your trip run as smooth as possible. Here are some cheap road trip hacks using simple items that will ensure your next road trip adventure is a success.
Shower Caddies
These mesh plastic caddies are great for snacking in the vehicle. Use the compartments to put a juice box or water bottle, bags of snacks, napkins and utensils. Each person in the car should have their own. No more making stops to get everyone their snacks. They can help themselves as you drive. Or even a plastic Shower caddy would be great and more sturdy for meals from the drive thru.
Mesh Pop Up Hamper
These small hampers fold up into a disc so they don’t take up much room in the car. Pop one up to be a catch all for larger toys or put a plastic bag in a small one and place in the back seat with the kids so they can throw their trash in it (and not on the floor).
Elastic Sheet Straps
Elastic sheet straps have little tabs that affix to fabric on each end. Tired of your kid losing their blanket and you have to pull the car over to find it? Do you want them to have a sweatshirt or jacket readily available? Attach one end to their clothes or fabric of their car seat and attach the other end to the blanket or jacket.
Plastic Mattress Protector
Plastic mattress protectors are a must have in your road trip arsenal. You can use them as a picnic table cover in a pinch if you stop to eat at a rest area or park. You can also use them to catch sand and dirt in the trunk or cargo area on gear, clothes or shoes. If your lodging on the way to your trip isn’t up to your usual standards, you can use these mattress protectors to keep you and the sheets separated.
Mesh Bags
Mesh bagsare great for road trips. Most dollar stores sell them in a pack of two or three and they have so many uses. You can tie one to the back of a headrest and put your child's blanket and stuffed animals for easy reach. You can also use mesh bags to air dry wet items or collect dirty laundry.
Accordion Files
Sometimes your car can become a dumping ground on a road trip and before you know it you find yourself looking for everything from sunscreen to bug spray. Accordion files can keep everything in one place. Place the item in a gallon size plastic bag and label the top. This also works for games, coloring sheets, puzzles and other activities for the kids. Empty the pieces into a gallon zipped bag, label and place in each compartment.
Shower Trays with Suction Cups
Are you tired of picking up Legos or small toys and want to keep them together and in arm's reach of your kids? Suction holders can be the perfect solution. Just suction the trays to your kids' window and they have a place to store their favorite things.
Stacking Pill Organizer
When you take a road trip, space can be limited. One way you can save space is by using the stackable pill bottles. Put your eye cream, toothpaste and lotions in them to avoid having to bring larger containers. You can put over the counter medications in them. Or if you like to bring your favorite spices along, you can put them in there too. The possibilities are endless.
Shower Caps
Shower caps are also a great staple to have on hand. If you make stops and your kids get their shoes dirty, you can place them in the shower caps. Or if you don’t want to take their shoes off, place the caps around their shoes. If you stop to have a picnic, you can also use these to snap around a plate to keep the bugs away from your food.
Cupcake Liners
Grab a pack of cupcake liners to help keep cup holders clean! Place cupcake liners in each cup holder, and when they start getting filled with crumbs and dirt, you can replace them in just a few seconds. It will save you so much time not having to wipe your car down. Let alone avoiding possible sticky messes.
Cereal Container
Plastic cereal containers make for surprisingly good garbage cans. They're narrow enough to squeeze into a smaller space, and the lids snap tightly into place. Plus, there will be minimal spillage if it gets knocked over.
Fishing Lure Box/ Small Hardware Storage Box
These small boxes can be used to keep things together in the car during travel, whether it is small parts for crafts, spare change or earbuds to your devices.
Cookie Sheets
No need for any of those fancy car desks for activities! Just grab some cookie sheets! The raised edges keep crayons from rolling off and the metallic surface is great for playing magnetic games and puzzles of all kinds.
Clip-on LED Light
For night driving, you may get distracted by turning the overhead lamps on for the kids to read. The clip-on LED reading light can come in handy. Clip onto seat belts so kids can have a reading light at their disposal. Clip onto your kids if you have to get out of your car at night to stretch your legs or go into a dark rest stop. These are portable and give just enough light for them to read, but not enough that it will distract you from driving.
Do you have any cheap road trip hacks to share? Leave them in the comments below!
Organizing all the closets in your home can seem daunting, but I'm here to tell you that it is possible to whip them into shape in one weekend. Dedicate one weekend to closet organization and you will be so pleased with yourself come Monday morning! There's also no need to order fancy and expensive closet organization systems. It's totally doable to organize closets on a budget, in a weekend! While you may need to enlist a friend to be the objective voice of reason (as to whether to keep or toss something), it can be done!
Start with the clothes closets.
In each clothes closet (bedrooms, entry coat closet etc.), you’ll need to go through the contents and sort each into like piles (clothes, shoes, accessories, etc.). You’ll also want to make a few other piles for items to donate, return to original owner, or toss. Deciding what gets the axe can be hard, and is the most time-consuming part of the whole process. If you just can’t do it, this post I wrote might really help you out!
Next, you’ll want to hang everything by category (tops, bottoms, dresses, etc.). Keep in mind that if you hang everything on the same style of hanger, the clothes will line up evenly, which matters aesthetically, but also keeps clothes wrinkle-free.
Keep all of your shoes in one place, whether that’s a hanging organizeror a shoe rack. Some people use a cubby system, while others use clear plastic boxes. Whatever floats your boat!
Be sure to save room for accessories, hats, gloves, scarves and even jewelry. Use containers to keep them wrangled in one place, or hang hooks on the wall, if room allows. Your perfect solution to organize closets on a budget might be found at the dollar store!
Move onto the bathroom linen closet.
This is a closet that I highly recommend you take the time to sort, toss and donate from. It’s typically a tight space, so why waste precious real estate on expired medicines and cosmetics, or threadbare linens?
Once you have the items you are going to keep, designate a first aid container and label it so that anyone visiting your home can access these items if needed.
Keep cosmetics together and group them into containers based on what they are (This includes bath, body, and hair products.) Purchase an over cabinet door hair dryer & styling tools organizer to keep your tools off the counter.
Fold all of your linens as similarly as possible and as compactly as possible. I like to roll our towels.
Next, tackle the kids’ closets.
You’ll handle these the way you handled the other clothes closets with a few additions.
Stack any games or puzzles that live in the closet by size and put any other toys that would normally end up in there inside of containers on the top shelf.
Depending on the size of the closet, you can put a large, plastic tote on the bottom for outgrown items that you plan to hand down to another child, or you could set up a cubby shelf for toy, book, shoe or accessory storage.
Finally, organize that pantry!
Sort the items into categories and set aside foods you intend to donate. Check the dates on everything. You have to make sure all food, including spices, are still good. To really get on top of your pantry organization game, use matching containers (either labeled or clear) to house cereal, pasta, rice, flour, sugar, coffee and other items of this nature. If you have workout supplements, baby items or pet supplies, be sure to separate them into different spaces.
Now exhale! While your house may still have clutter to handle, you can focus on those areas another weekend. It's totally possible to organize closets on a budget in a weekend! The main take aways are: declutter first, then group like items together. There may not even be a need to purchase any supplies to organize! You've got this!
Here's a GREAT printable planner from The Confident Mom! It's a printable 2024 weekly household planner! If you are looking for help with getting household tasks completed, check out this planner and support a Mom working from home!
The Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner breaks down household tasks into manageable daily and weekly bite-size pieces, utilizing smaller increments of time to keep the tasks from becoming too large and overwhelming. Most of the items can be easily completed in 3 to 30 minutes, and you can select appropriate items to delegate to family members (after all, even with the household planner, you still can’t be “super mom”).
No stone is left unturned because the household planner has a variety of suggested tasks staggered at appropriate intervals and includes everything from meal planning to items often forgotten such as checking your credit report to school shopping. Taking care of yourself should also be a priority, so there’s even “you” time on the list! You’ll be able to efficiently keep up with the tasks that can often be forgotten and feel prepared each morning with a realistic “to-do” list.
Don’t like one of the suggested tasks already filled out for you? Then simply digitally edit the file to remove or add your own task to create your own completely customized list.
I love decluttering. There’s just something about clearing out the things you no longer use that makes a home feel lighter, calmer, and easier to live in.
But decluttering also gives me a little wake-up call when it comes to my spending habits.
Every time I find something I bought because I thought I would use it, only to discover that it has been sitting untouched for months (or years!), I’m reminded that spending less isn’t just about finding a good deal. It’s also about buying fewer things that don't add value to my life in the first place.
That’s one of the biggest lessons decluttering has taught me: a bargain isn't a bargain if you don't actually use it.
If you want a more peaceful home and a reminder to be more intentional about what you buy, this list of 31 things to declutter is a great place to start.
You don't have to tackle everything at once. Pick five things and spend 15 minutes getting rid of them. Or challenge yourself to work through the entire list over the course of a month.
And don't be surprised if you find even more things to declutter once you get going. One cleared out drawer has a funny way of making you notice the next one!
31 things to declutter:
1. Expired or Unused Makeup
Go through your makeup bag and get rid of products that are old, dried out, or that you simply never use. If you haven't reached for that eyeshadow in years, you're probably not suddenly going to start wearing it.
2. Old VHS Tapes, DVDs and Other Media
If you have a collection of movies or shows you never watch anymore, ask yourself whether you really need to keep them. Some may be worth digitizing (like old photos) or passing along, while others can simply go.
3. Old Cell Phones and Electronics
That drawer full of old phones, chargers and outdated gadgets doesn't need to stay there forever. Look into your local electronics recycling program to dispose of unwanted electronics responsibly.
4. Expired or Very Old Spices
Open your spice cupboard and check what you actually use. If you have three jars of the same spice, or one that has been sitting there for years, it's time for a little clean up. Here's an article with details about how long spices last.
5. Broken Electronics
Have you been keeping a broken DVD player, stereo, appliance or gadget because you might fix it someday?
If "someday" has been several years, it's probably time to let it go. Recycle electronics according to your local guidelines.
6. Worn Out Bras and Underwear
Some things simply reach the end of their useful life. If they're stretched out, damaged or uncomfortable, they don't need to take up valuable drawer space.
7. Excess Reusable Bags
Reusable shopping bags are handy, but have you noticed how easy it is to accumulate far more than you need? Keep the number you realistically use and pass along the extras where possible.
8. Ragged Towels and Washcloths
Keep a few old towels for cleaning, pets or messy jobs, but you probably don't need a giant stash. Cut up what can be used as cleaning rags and let the rest go.
9. Clothes That Don't Fit
Your closet doesn't need to be a storage unit for every size you've ever worn. If something no longer fits and you don't realistically plan to wear it, consider donating or selling it.
Six wooden spoons? Three can openers? A kitchen gadget you bought for one recipe and haven't touched since?
Pull everything out of the drawer and keep the things you actually use.
11. Books You Won't Read Again
Books can be difficult to declutter, especially when we feel like we're supposed to keep them forever.
If you've read it and know you won't read it again, or you didn't enjoy it in the first place, consider passing it along to someone who will.
12. Single Earrings
If you've been holding onto one lonely earring for years, waiting for its missing partner to magically appear, it's probably safe to let it go.
13. Single Socks
Check your odd-sock collection. Match up what you can and give yourself permission to get rid of the socks whose partners have mysteriously disappeared.
14. Unloved Toys
Kids don't need to keep every toy they've ever owned. Broken, outgrown and forgotten toys can be donated, recycled or discarded as appropriate. It's time to let other kids enjoy them now!
15. Unused Sports Equipment
Sports equipment can take up a lot of space. If your child has outgrown their skates, hockey gear or soccer equipment, or you've discovered that a particular sport wasn't for them, sell or donate what you no longer need. Same goes for any sports equipment you won't use anymore.
16. Things That Belong to Someone Else
Do you have a pile of borrowed books, casserole dishes, containers or other items that belong to friends and family?
Return them! You'll clear out your home and make someone happy to have their items back all at the same time.
17. Old Paperwork
Go through your filing cabinet, desk drawers and paper piles. Shred documents you no longer need and recycle unnecessary junk mail and paper clutter.
Just be sure to check current document retention recommendations before getting rid of anything important.
18. Mismatched Food Storage Containers
You know the cupboard: containers without lids, lids without containers and approximately 47 tiny containers you never use.
Match everything up and get rid of the orphans. It's also time to donate the containers you never use.
19. Old or Unused Linens
Sheets that don't fit any of your beds, worn out pillowcases and too many blankets can quietly take over a linen closet.
Keep what you actually use and let the rest go.
20. Blurry or Duplicate Photos
If you have boxes of printed photos, go through them and remove the blurry, badly exposed or duplicate pictures.
You don't need five nearly identical photos of the same birthday cake.
21. Empty Ink Cartridges
If you've been saving empty ink cartridges with the intention of recycling them, now is a good time to finally deal with the pile. Check local recycling programs or retailers that accept them.
22. Freezer Food You Won't Eat
Take a look inside your freezer. If something is freezer-burned, unappealing, spoiled or has been sitting there so long that nobody remembers what it is, it's time to clean it out.
A less crowded freezer also makes it much easier to see what you already have.
23. Dried Out Pens
Grab a piece of scrap paper and test your pens. Toss the ones that don't work, leak or just don't write nicely.
You'll be amazed at how satisfying a tidy pen cup can be.
24. Manuals You Can Easily Find Online
You probably don't need a drawer stuffed with instruction manuals anymore. For many products, the manufacturer's website has the manual available online.
Keep anything important that isn't easily replaceable, but consider recycling the rest.
25. Spare Change
Check the couch cushions, junk drawers, laundry room and that random dish where everyone dumps their coins.
Gather it all together and put it toward something useful. Your savings, a specific goal or even a little treat.
26. Craft Supplies You Aren't Going to Use
Craft supplies add up quickly! Go through your stash and be honest about what you're actually going to use.
If you've been saving something for a project you've been "meaning to do" for five years, it may be time to pass it along to someone who will enjoy it.
27. Leftover Paint
Do you have cans of paint sitting in the garage from projects you finished years ago?
Keep a small, clearly labelled amount for necessary touch-ups if appropriate, but get rid of old or unwanted paint through your local household hazardous waste or paint recycling program. I've also had great success giving away paint I won't use in my local Buy Nothing Facebook Group!
28. Unused Personal Care Products
Check your bathroom cabinets for old lotions, perfumes, hair products and toiletries you don't like or never use.
If you've been avoiding it for months because you don't actually like the product, that's a pretty good sign that you don't need to keep it.
29. Loyalty and Rewards Cards
Clean out your wallet and phone. Remove expired loyalty cards, empty gift cards and memberships you no longer use.
If a store has moved its rewards program to an app, you may be able to get rid of the physical card entirely.
30. Old or Unused Pet Toys
Your pets probably have favourites too! Toss toys that are damaged or unsafe and donate or pass along anything that's in good condition but never gets played with.
31. Boxes
If you're keeping a giant pile of boxes "just in case," take a good look at how many you actually need.
Keep a reasonable number of useful shipping or moving boxes and recycle the rest. You'll be surprised how much space this can free up.
A Little Decluttering Can Make a Big Difference
You don't need to declutter your entire house in one weekend to make a difference.
Start with one drawer. One shelf. One cupboard. Pick a few things to declutter and see how much lighter the space feels afterward.
And here's the part I love most: decluttering can change the way you shop.
When you see how many things you bought that you didn't use, love or need, it becomes a lot easier to pause before buying something new.
Instead of asking, "Is this a good deal?" you might start asking, "Do I actually need this?"
That little question can save you a surprising amount of money over time.
What things to declutter would you add to this list? And what's the first thing you're going to tackle?
