This past holiday season, our family created wish lists to help one another with picking presents. Naturally, my list was filled with items for the home. My husband noticed that I had added several varieties of storage cubes. He questioned why I would add so many, and what I could possibly do with all of them. I think he regretted asking the question as I rambled about the possibilities.
I am a big fan of items with multiple uses, and storage cubes have many. If you are getting your home in order, you might consider adding some to your shopping list. Here is where and how you can use them:
Under the sink: Separate your bathroom essentials into categories to make tasks easier. You can have one for cleaning supplies, another for paper products like toilet paper, cotton balls and swabs, and another for goods like extra soap, toothpaste, and shampoo.
In the kitchen pantry: An organized pantry will cut down on cooking time and also be easier on the eyes. Place like items together: soups/broths, pastas and grains, seasonings, baking supplies and snacks, to start.
In your mud room or entryway: Here, I would organize by person or pet. This will make coming and going much easier. For us, we can get to our shoes and like items easier. For our dog, Lilo, I would place her leash, tennis balls, portable water container, and baby wipes (for wiping her paws after a walk).
In the home office: I would separate the cubes by grouping like items: Cords or cables and chargers can go into one, USB sticks and external hard drives in another, additional office supplies, such as pens, pencils, scissors and staplers in another, and one more for a designated mail kit with stamps, envelopes and return labels.
In the closet: In my experience, clothes do not stay in neat piles, no matter how well you fold them. Instead, lay your folded clothes on their sides inside a cube, so that you can go through the pile by looking down into it. I also like them for items that don’t lie nicely on a shelf, such as socks, swimsuits and undergarments.
Make sure to measure your space before you go shopping. If you want to deck out a plain cube, line the inside with decorative fabric and cut it so you can fold over at least a few inches on each side. You also can decorate the outside of the cubes. For hard-surface cubes, glue on wallpaper or fabric, or paint them a fun color.
Have a question or comment for Joanne? Email her at thefixisinhawaii@gmail.com.