When you look at beautiful catalogs from Container Store, Pottery Barn, or West Elm there’s a whole lot to be excited about. Schools is almost here, which means that it’s time to get your house, kids, and family organized. But have you lost your organizing mojo? That seems to be the case for many families who are struggling to get organized and get learning once again.

After reading a few articles about how to get and stay organized, I realized there was a tool that was cheap, pretty to look at, and truly effective. It was something I could find at almost every store. The big organizing secret? Baskets and storage containers.

I rounded up a few of my absolute favorite containers. Take a look…

1. Plastic Storage Bin from Target — $6.99

These bins are great for organizing a lot of things. At the end of a school year, I usually purchase one of two of these to house old projects and notebooks that I think my kids might want to go through one day. I also use these to store sweaters during the summer, and boots during the winter.

2. Magazine Files from Ikea — $1.99 for 5

If you’re like me and love looking at beautiful pictures of perfectly organized spaces then you get a lot of magazines. I keep mine organized using these extremely affordable magazine files from Ikea.

3. Pretty Storage Baskets from Amazon — $38.03 for 3

These are a bit on the smaller size, but they’re great for fitting in bookshelves as a way to wrangle the smaller things. I have one for cards, another for change, and so on. This way what used to sit around looking ugly now has a place to live unnoticed.

4. Galvanized Bins from Amazon — $99 for 6

If you’re into a more industrial look, and don’t mind a splurge, these galvanized bins from Amazon are great.  They hold a ton, but they also look super cool so you won’t mind having them sitting around your home.

5. Leather Storage Bench from Overstock.co — $111.99

If you’ve got more to hide than just piles here and there, a piece of furniture that doubles as storage is always a good answer.  Use it to keep office supplies or board games.  Not only will it provide extra seating, but it will help keep your home clutter free.

What types of containers do you like to use for storage?  Did I hit on any of your favorites?

A perfect way to carry laundry from dorm room to laundry room!

Buying graduation gifts can seem like a very daunting task. You have several graduates on your list, and you want to buy them something that is useful but doesn’t break the bank.

The gift ideas aren’t coming, and you’re starting to panic you’ll end up spending more than you wanted to.

If you need some help discovering the perfect graduation gift that your wallet will love while also offering something of use to those graduates, you’ve come to the right website.

Easy to Sort!

Sortasack is a perfect graduation gift for those students going off to college. Rather than sending students to campus with a simple laundry bag that will most likely be brought home to mom at some point, why not give them a laundry bag that does half the work for them?

Durable and convenient, Sortasack is the perfect laundry bag for college because it can hold up to three loads of laundry while taking up minimal space. There are also separate compartments for colors and whites which will cut down on both the student’s and mom’s sorting time. Additionally, there are washing instructions on the inside of the bag so novice laundry cleaners will never have to call home to ask if whites are washed in cold or hot water.

Easy to Carry!

Easy to bring to a Laundromat or dorm laundry room, Sortasack can be carried like a back pack, or tote by the top lift strap. Getting from the dorm room to the laundry room is no longer a huge hassle ending with aching shoulders and backs.

Available in red, blue, and black, the bag is a perfect gift for both young men and women.

It isn’t easy to find a graduation gift that will be used on a (hopefully) weekly basis, but with Sortasack you’ve found it. Get the gift that makes dorm life easier.

Click here for purchasing information, and Happy Graduation to all those grads out there!

Can I let you in on a secret? I used to have a messy laundry room. It seemed like an area of the house that I could let slip without having to worry too much. Nobody other than my immediate family ever goes in the laundry room and I wanted to concentrate my cleaning and organizing efforts on other areas of the house.

Can I let you in on another secret? Once I started organizing and paying attention to my laundry room, my life got a lot easier.

The truth is we spend more time in our laundry rooms than we care to admit. The average American does 6-9 loads of laundry a week (depending on what study you believe). If you have kids, it goes up from there. So why wouldn’t we put in the effort to make the laundry room a place of calm rather than one we avoid?

I made the choice to organize my laundry room and I have a few tips I want to share.

Unclutter

Go through every nook and cranny of your laundry room and decide if the item is something you absolutely need. If not, either toss it or give it away. Be brutally honest with yourself. If this isn’t something you are capable of doing, consider hiring a professional organizer for a day to help you make those hard decisions on whether or not to keep old hats and gloves you haven’t worn in years.

Invest in Shelving

One way to make sure your laundry room is organized is to have a designated place for all your clutter to live. The best way to do that is to have shelving units. Use baskets in order to make them even more organized. It doesn’t need to be pernanet shelving, even adjustable wire shelves will make a huge difference.

Also, install hooks and coat racks to gather your belongings and make them easily accessible. Most children won’t take the time to put a coat on a hanger, but a hook will make it much easier for them.

Find room for a Laundry Bar

Having a bar installed underneath a cabinet or even using a shower curtain rod will allow you to hang dry clothes without having to drag them to a bathroom in another part of the house.

Consider a stacked Washer/Dryer Set

If you have a small laundry room, consider investing in a stacked washer/dryer set to save room and allow more space for shelving and baskets. There are many excellent options right now for stackables including high efficency choices.

Pre-Sort Your Laundry

You knew this was coming. Using Sortasack to pre-sort all your laundry will mean less time in the laundry room for you. Not only that, but it holds up to 3 loads of laundry while taking up minimal space. Having one in each bedroom will really cut down on time spent sorting laundry.

Laundry doesn’t have to seem like such a chore. Make the investment in your laundry room and save yourself the time and headache that usually is associated with doing laundry.

Are there any organizing ideas that you want to share? Please leave them below in comments!