The Friday Five - EDTR: The Acronym You Didn't Know You Needed

My forever favorite organizing tools and a life changing acronym no one has ever heard of.

In order of most liked to lesser most liked.

1. Trash Bags - With two tween-ish boys, I’m finding more trash accumulating than toys - trash like the holiest socks (they keep wearing) and who-knows-what stained t-shirts (they keep wearing), candy wrappers (see t-shirt stains) and wadded up school papers that, evidently, only I have the power to throw away. We cycle through fewer toys, books and clothes these days but seem to hold on longer to pointless papers and absolutely destroyed shoes. Whatever phase of things your household is in, I’ll confidently climb on my soapbox and declare - donating and trashing are the most important steps to organizing. No Container Store trip(s) required. Get out your trash and donate bags and get to work.

   

   Our office closet seems to be a bit of a hoarder. Be sure to keep following for more beautiful imagery of trash bags in action.

2. Divided Lazy Susans - Long time followers will know I proudly tout these from my soapbox as well. Use for medications and sunscreen in the linen closet and backup makeup and toiletries in the bathroom. Literally, I get a little giddy (someone needs a life) when I give one a spin and can easily grab a baby aquaphor (is that stuff magic?).

   

   I use the makeup brush section for dermaplaning tools - IYKYK. Look closely, they use a jar within a section to keep those pencils in check and I like it. But also, that's a lot of paper clips. Photos: Container Store, duh.

3. Ginormous Lazy Susan - This fits happily on the upper shelf of my pantry, provided much needed functional storage to typically hard to reach, hard to organize items like canned goods. I prefer susans with an edge (in real life, too, ha), preventing unnecessary toppling over and frustration from too many garbanzo beans.

   

4. Spice “rack” - Spice drawers beat spice cabinets in my dream kitchens - easier to keep organized and easier to quickly grab the cumin. Available in wood or not wood that you trim to your desired size. Visually appealing - especially when spices are from same brand (I know some of you notice) - and functionally excelling. Please note: You will never open my spice drawer and find monochromatic calligraphied spice jars. I just can’t. Other things you will never find in my house - my kids’ baby books, an in-use ceiling fan light or kombucha.

   

   Spice drawer images - riveting. But trust. When you turn a spice mess into a spice mecca, you'll be moved by your drawer, too.

5. Shoe size plastic bins - For anything but shoes. Years ago, I labeled ten of these in our office closet and while the contents have changed mildly, the categories have not. Easy for kids to grab when needed (but seemingly impossible to put back, sense a theme with my kids?). With younger tots, I felt I was constantly repurposing these plastic bins for various crafts, figures and activities. As they age, the changing of the contents lessens but I still find myself reaching for one occasionally.

I consolidated two bins and asked label maker loving Grant to print out a new label for Apple products. He did the job literally interpreting what I said. I will never change it.

There you have it - my forever favorite five organizing products. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve heard all of this before which only proves this point. Being organized isn’t trendy or expensive; it’s repetitive. Repetition of Editing, Donating, Trashing and Repurposing. EDTR - the newest acronym no one has ever heard of that ironically(?) says editor. I can’t be the only one that sees that connection.

Now get to editing that one messy space driving you crazy.

With love, a back pat and a low octave shout of get ‘er done-

Laura