Corralling the Clutter – Part One: Around the House

With spring swiftly approaching, I am so here for some decluttering! It’s time to get rid of the things I don’t need anymore and reorganize the things I do need (or want) to keep. Many of us have learned to ‘spark joy’ à la Marie Kondo or have rainbow-coded everything from our books to the contents of our fridge after being inspired by The Home Edit. I have drawn inspiration over the years from both of those fine sources (plus my own natural OCD tendencies) and am slowly but surely trying to declutter my entire home. Today I want to share a few ‘real world’ and easy-to-implement strategies and ideas that have worked well for me and have kept things consistently tidy in my home over time.

Kitchen Clutter Storage Ideas

From the pantry to the junk drawer, I think it’s safe to say we all have those kitchen areas that are clutter magnets. One of my favorite organizational tools for those problem spots are these small clear plastic containers. I discovered these beauties while looking for a way to organize my kitchen junk drawer (or as my Mother-in-law affectionately refers to it: ‘the mystery drawer’) and they have translated well for sorting items in many different areas of my home. I love that they come in a variety of sizes and you can purchase different-sized sets with different combinations of container sizes depending on your own personal needs. They’re also stackable!

Another place I’ve implemented these handy little gems is in my refrigerator crisper drawers. I love me a good snack cheese but they can get unruly very quickly! To solve my cheese-on-the-loose woes, I depend, again, upon my favorite little clear plastic containers. They also work well for organizing those little sauce packets that seem to have accumulated from weekend take-out meals during quarantine (Chick-Fil-A sauces, anyone??!)

Find it here:

STORi clear plastic vanity & desk drawer organizers (at STORi’s Amazon store)

Mudroom Storage Ideas

Once I got my junk drawer squared away, I was inspired to tackle my little mudroom. We are blessed to have lovely storage built-ins throughout our 1927 Tudor home and there’s a wonderfully handy one in the little mudroom area between our kitchen and backyard. It’s the perfect place to store cleaning supplies, cat food, and extra household necessities. But as it houses all of those items and then some, it can get cluttered fast.

Number one on the list of things I wanted to tame was our ridiculously gigantic collection of lightbulbs that we’ve accumulated over the years. I thought ok, someone HAS to have created a solution for this mess and I was correct! I found an image online of these awesome boxes that were made expressly for lightbulb storage. Naturally, I clicked on the photo excitedly and… they were a discontinued product. *insert Debbie Downer sad trombone sound here*

But I loved the idea of the boxes with dividers in them and figured I could find a way to create my own. I did a little more online sleuthing and came up with these awesome foldable cloth storage containers that turned out to be perfect.

At the time of writing, the exact boxes I purchased appear to be out of stock, but I found a couple of similar options.

Find similar here:

YueYue washable cloth storage boxes (at Amazon)

Prandom collapsible fabric storage bins (at Prandom’s Amazon store)

To copy the idea I had seen online and organize things even further, I added these fabulous dividers. They are adjustable and keep the lightbulbs from smooshing into each other and breaking.

Find it here:

Ojyudd drawer dividers (at Ojyudd’s Amazon store)

Another item that we always seem to have an abundance of (all over the place) is batteries. I thought it would be lovely to actually have them all contained in one place so we could easily see exactly how many of each kind we had. Enter this handy organizer:

I love all of the compartments for each size of battery and the zippered pouch to hold all the oddball-shaped ones is genius. Another bonus: this organizer comes in two sizes. We went with the large but the small would be perfect for apartment/condo living where storage space is more limited. It zips closed and has a handle for easy carrying.

Find it here:

Comecase battery organizer (at Comecase’s Amazon store)

Pantry Storage Ideas

Our pantry is, admittedly, still a work in progress but two things I feel I currently have under control are our k-cups and our protein bars. I was on the hunt for containers that were tall with a small footprint to fit in the bottom area of our pantry and these Rubbermaid containers were exactly what I was looking for.

Rubbermaid makes these wonderful, clear containers in a myriad of shapes and sizes and they are easy to find at local stores (we bought ours at Fred Meyer) but you may also purchase them online. Oxo is another great brand for this type of handy, sturdy, clear container.

Find it here:

Rubbermaid Flex & Seal 1.1 gallon plastic food canister (at Rubbermaid’s Amazon store)

For more attractive on-the-counter k-cup storage, I love these pretty glass containers. They have nice screw-on metal lids that keep the contents inside nice and fresh. We have one for caffeinated and one for decaf/caffeine-free k-cups.

Find it here:

Anchor Hocking 2-quart clear jars with screw-on metal lids (at Anchor Hocking’s Amazon store)

We’re a little obsessed with our protein bars around here, as you can see, haha! We love being able to quickly grab them for on-the-go snacks, so I needed an attractive way to have them displayed out and about. I chose this beautiful and affordable Ikea bowl:

Find similar here:

Samsle 48oz porcelain serving bowls set of 2 (at Samsle’s Amazon store)

Omada large white plastic serving bowl 12.2 x 10.67 x 6.57 (at Amazon)

Storage Idea for TV Remote Controls

Another item that seems to multiply like rabbits around here is remote controls. No matter how diligently my husband tries to program one universal remote that can power all of the electronics, it seems something new is always being added to the mix and we’re back to multiple ones. I really wanted a more attractive way to corral them versus having them just sprawled all over my coffee table haphazardly.

Enter decorative boxes. I wanted something unique and ‘found’ versus a more utilitarian or cookie-cutter option, as this is something that is always displayed on my coffee table.

I started with the smaller box with the light wood and arabesque detail (pictured above), which was a lucky find at a HomeGoods/TJ Maxx/Marshalls type store. However, our remote collection outgrew that little box (which is pretty but not very large) in no time. So I decided to search for a larger option. I also thought it would be fun to find a cool antique box for the task so I started combing my local thrift and antique shops.

I ended up scoring this weathered, vintage beauty at a local antique shop for a steal (around $10).

I encourage anyone looking for a vintage treasure such as this to get out and search your own local antique and thrift stores. Etsy is also a treasure trove for a fun antique find.

Find similar here:

Search for Antique Wooden Boxes (on Etsy)

Pet Toy Storage

One last item I want to chat about today is pets’ toys storage. There are several options for containing the pets’ clutter, including squirreling it all away into a small toybox (after all, pets are kids, too!) But my cats love to fish around and pick out their own toys and play with them at all hours so I prefer to keep them out and available for them.

So I just made it simple and grabbed a decorative basket. You could opt to choose one with a lid to cover it up for when you want things to be extra tidy (i.e. guests visiting). As you can see, I couldn’t even get a photo of the basket without Bowie and Jagger enthusiastically grabbing for some of their faves! 😹

I’ve had this basket for ages and honestly have forgotten where it came from at this point. But my favorite place to search for affordable woven baskets is Cost Plus World Market. They always have a fabulous selection. Looking at how overflowing this basket is, I guess it’s time for me to head over there myself and look for the next size up! My cats aren’t spoiled at all. Not one bit. Nope.

Find similar here:

Woven baskets with handles (at Amazon)

I hope these ideas might help to ‘spark some joy’ for you while doing your spring cleaning. Do you have any dynamite ideas for storing must-keep clutter? Tell me your favorite tips and tricks in the comments section below 🧺

Oh and please come back next week to see how I tackle some of my dresser-top clutter (jewelry, perfume, lotion)!

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