Neat Freak Rule #124: Containerize

I will never forget the first time I saw baskets in someone's kitchen pantry. The snack items were in one basket, nuts and baking items in another, lunchbox items in another. It looked like something out of a magazine! My image of an organized pantry would never be the same again.

I was instantly a fan of containerizing. Anything that's small or piece-y looks and feels more tidy if it's contained. In our playroom, there are plenty of open bins for the kids to toss their toys to keep the floor clean. I labeled our colorful dress up bins for easy access, but sometimes it's a mad dash to pick up and things are thrown wherever, which is fine with me...as long as I can see the carpet. 

You will find containers all over my house. On tables, in closets, in drawers and cabinets. I'm obviously a big fan. I'm always on the lookout for clearance items that I can use to containerize different items. 

They keep like things together and help me find what I'm looking for quickly and easily. It's also faster to put things away when I know where they go. Remember: A place for everything and everything in its place!

And don't get me started on labeling. Not everything in our house is labeled, but when I get an itch to be fancy, I'll pull out my label maker and go to town. Labels eliminate the guesswork. OH - have you seen the new chalkboard labels? Love. Get yourself a liquid chalk marker and you'll be a happy camper.

Sometimes I put containers inside of containers. The white bin (in my baking box below) already had candle wax all in it (ruined, in my mind) but the pink one did not, so I put the open candles in one and the boxes in another. Excessive? Probably. But I'm aware of my obsessiveness, so there's no need to point and laugh. 

Seriously though - things look so great when you take them out of their manufactured packaging and put them in a container. Aren't my muffin wrappers adorable, all stacked like that? I found a bunch on clearance for $.50 and stocked up. Polka dots, strips, birthday and Halloween…I won't have to spray a muffin tin for years!