A cheap clutter solution for the bathroom

My journey to organization has continued, and this week has led me to the bathroom, mainly the linen closet.  This is a small, fairly shallow space where I can store towels, extra medication, tote bags, etc.  In all fairness,  this wasn't a seriously disheveled space, but it did need a little help in one particular place.  

Here's what I started with:

See?  Nothing serious, but my problem was in knowing what I had and not duplicating items, which I was doing in my pantry.  Medicines, like food, expire, and it's important to keep your stock up to date so you're not running to grab something in the middle of the night only to realize that it's past its date.  

My solution?  Cheap plastic bins from the Dollar Store, tagboard, and ribbon.  Here's what I ended up with:

I labeled each basket with "cough & cold," "health and beauty items," and "stomach and others".  These are what my family tends to go through, but you could categorize vitamins, children's medicine, bandages and first aid...the possibilities are endless!

Closer shot of one basket:

So in all, I spent $4 for the baskets, and the other stuff I had laying around in my craft supplies.  This is definitely a cheap way to keep those medicines handy and organized.  On to the next project...stay tuned!

  

Dejunking the junk drawer

I know they're a part of life.  A necessity, really.  Everyone has at least one in their house somewhere - even those minimalists types.  I'm talking about none other than the infamous junk drawer.  I'm fortunate enough (ha!) to have 2 in my kitchen.

I think with a name like "junk drawer", they've gotten such a bad rap.  Junk, at least in my mind, means trash.  Garbage.  Crap.  My junk drawers might be littered with their fair share of those items, but there are some really good things in there.  I wish there was another, less offensive name for those utilitarian hot spots, where you can always count on finding a pen (it may not work, but it's there!) or the good scissors.  The junk drawer is like a tiny pantry to me - a place where if whatever I'm looking for isn't in one, it's probably in the other.  Can you relate?

Here's one of my junk drawers.  It's where you can find anything from my son's immunization record book to a  bottle opener that plays "Aggie War Hymn."  Until recently, it could also be a stand in for a picture in one of those "I Spy" books.

It's a wonder that I was able to find anything in there!  Golf balls?  Seriously?  Don't even ask me what the disposable camera's doing in there.  Do they even make those anymore?!

Here's my solution:

I found these interlocking plastic boxes at Target for $10 for a package of 8.  The sides kind of slide together, so they don't shift around as you open up the drawer.  Pure genius!  I tried to group like items together, but that's why a junk drawer becomes so junky, because sometimes there's just no other place to put things.  I tried my best, and in the end, it really worked out nicely.  And I kept the disposable camera.   Don't ask me why.

My other junk drawer wasn't as out of control as the first, but it was still a hot mess.  The main problem with this particular drawer is that it's a narrow drawer where everything tends to get pushed to the back where you can't see it.  Here's the before:

 

See?  Not as bad, but if you could lift up that pile of stickers you'd see that there were about 900 pens and markers down there.  And nails.  And screws to things I don't think we've ever owned.  Just tiny little odds and ends that have no other place to go.  

My solution:

Use 3 of the boxes in the $10 kit and don't let the back of the drawer become a wasteland for trash.  Pens and markers are readily available, and my scissors are in a consistently safe spot so I don't fear amputation when I reach in.  I wish there was enough room for the BBQ lighter to fit, but if I moved it to another location, it would just end up back here.  My husband cannot find this anywhere else but in this drawer.  Don't ask me why.  I think it's a man thing.  

So I hope that you've found some small inspiration in how my clutter solutions can help tame yours.  If not, it's always fun looking through other people's stuff, isn't it?!

The Pantry - Part 2

....And here's what a little elbow grease and lots of patience brings!  Ta-da!

Isn't it amazing?  I'm still in shock.  Here's another shot:

I look at this and feel peace.  I know, I'm a total dork, but it takes all kinds to make the world go round, right?

Here are some of my solutions for conquering this bad boy:

1.  Can dispensers - these are originally intended for soda cans, but work GREAT for canned goods.  I bought two of them at Wal-Mart for about $6 each.  

2.  Plastic handled baskets labeled with its own contents.  These were also from Wal-mart for about $1.60 each.  Snazzy, aren't they?

3. A Trash Can for the BBQ equipment.   I have to admit, this was one of my FAVORITE things about the pantry makeover.  It just makes sense - it's tall enough to hold those tongs, brushes, spatulas, etc., and the thin shape allows it to just glide into any tight spot.  Sigh...

4.  Cheap plastic and glass containers to hold flour, corn meal, etc.   I found the plastic ones at Wal-Mart and the glass ones were leftovers from a party I had, and originally came from IKEA.  I think you're looking at about $10 total here.  

5. Plastic Shoeboxes and bins for batteries, lightbulbs, and more.  Up high enough for little fingers to stay out of them, and yet accessible for anyone to find them.  Even my husband.  Ahem.

So this is another shot of the finished product.  I  know it will never gain Martha Stewart's approval, but it works for me.  I just hope that I can keep it this way.  Fingers crossed, friends...

Part 1 - The Pantry

I don't know why I began with the pantry.  It was truly the most overwhelming project in the house.  Maybe I was thinking that if I could tackle this one, then the rest would be cake.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into!  Lovely, isn't it?

It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?  

Here's a nice shot of the floor.  It was a walk-in pantry when I moved in...wowza!

Welcome to my chaos, friends.

...And the Journey Begins.

My name is Shannon and I have way too much stuff.  Sounds innocuous enough, doesn't it?  I'm not a hoarder (although you may change your mind after you see my pantry!).  I'm just a busy mom who has found her house overrun with things.  Lots of things.  

I live in an almost 2000 square foot, 3 bedroom house in the suburbs of Houston.  When my husband and I bought this house in 2007, it was perfect!  I had two whole bedrooms to decorate!  I had a guest bathroom at my disposal!  I had a laundry room, for Pete's sake!  Gradually, life and its many accessories, slowly creeped in.  Two years later, my son Corbin was born.  

I knew that kids didn't come with instruction manuals.  I didn't know that they came with lots of stuff.  I think things just happened so slowly that I didn't notice, or at least I pretended not to notice.  And now here  we are. 

The purpose of this blog is to invite you on my journey from room to room, drawer to drawer, corner to corner to tame this beast.  I hope that you learn from my mistakes, and my occasional moments of ingenuity.  I think the mistakes will be easier to pick up on.  :)

Thank you for reading this so far.