Spring Cleaning: Constant Vigilance!

Perhaps it's having three weeks of vacation to loll about at home, or having to find homes for all our new Christmas presents, or maybe it's the urge to start the New Year off right, but I've been on an organizing bender. Wanna hear my tips and tricks?

We have the same problem areas as most homes- the entry way often becomes a dumping ground for stuff recently carted in the door. We are lucky to have some built in storage here to conceal it, but shoes end up in a terrifying heap in the bottom of the cupboard.

I think the most important thing about keeping a home organized is to constantly be re-assessing what works and what doesn't. ("Constant Vigilance!" as Mad Eye Moody would say!) Eric often complains that I am always moving things but it's because I'm on a quest to find the best possible solutions. Ones that work for how we actually live- instead of how I'd like to think we live.

This shoe rack is a good example. I set it up on Eric's side of the closet but he rarely uses it because his shoes almost never make it past this front entry way. I like to have mine all on display in my closet so I can put together the perfect outfit, but he has fewer variations to contend with. Instead they end up here. So I moved the shoe rack here and voila- we can now maximize that space and he can find what he needs much more quickly.

I always find the cleaning supply spot a little grim. All those assorted bottles- many of which you only use once in a blue moon look very disorderly indeed. Real Simple's "Streamline your Supplies" article was so inspiring. I inherited many of these products with our furnished rental and I hate to simply throw them out. But the looks of this streamlined cabinet definitely hold a deep appeal...

I did away with what I don't use everyday and corralled the rest in a metal basket. Feels good.

The laundry in our rental is in the kitchen so it's important that it be as streamlined as possible. There are curtains hiding it from view, but I wanted it to feel like an oasis of calm- sort of a spa for clothes. I don't hate doing laundry- I think of my clothes like an amazing collection of wearable art that I am constantly curating, and I enjoy caring for them. But it would be nice to have everything in easy reach. That giant tub of soap wasn't exactly easy for a short person like moi to heft down each time she wanted to do a load of wash.

By removing the unused products, eliminating distracting packaging labels and putting the detergents into clear glass containers, the space feels more orderly, calm and items are much easier to pull down from the shelf. I almost want to hang some art in here now!

What are your tips to keeping your home running along smoothly?