All The Totes & Baskets You Need To Get Organized

Post Christmas decluttering is in full force at our house and by the looks of my Instagram feed, it seems as though a LOT of people have the itch to re-organize! First comes decluttering, then comes spring cleaning, then comes fun in the summer sun…or something like that! 😉

Over Christmas break, Chris and I braved our basement and gave it a complete organizational 180. Our basement is less than exciting with cement floors and cinder block walls, but we utilize it to the fullest. It’s our drop zone for everything that doesn’t have a spot and it was in desperate need of a Marie Kondo moment. And it got one!

My organizational kick continues this week with a few small updates that make big impacts. But first, shopping!

For starters, I just cannot with the mismatched totes in our basement. The job felt incomplete with old, stained, and mismatched bins so I bought a set of large matching clear storage containers from Walmart to officially call the basement complete!

But the main area I wanted to focus on was our “pantry” cabinet. It wasn’t overflowing, but I couldn’t tell you what was behind that first layer of food. Expired chick peas and 5 bottles of honey I’m sure. And the real gamble was what was in those white baskets. Whatever it was, it either rotted or multiplied. So the theme of this story is: if I can’t see it, I’ll never use it.

I bought a handful of storage containers to get me started with the “pantry” and I’ll dive into my favorite pieces in a minute, but first, a cheesy before & after feels appropriate right about now.

Same amount of food, same amount of space…just organized much more efficiently! I took advantage of vertical space and now everything is visible at first glance! Here’s the 5 piece basket kit I used and the tiered riser.

I’ve realized that you don’t need every size of every tote or basket. 2-3 standard sizes should get you through most projects and then you can sprinkle in more specific organizational pieces to finish the job if necessary.

These are my go-to’s, the basics, and my new favorites for organizing.

For starters, I like big totes and I cannot lie. Being able to tuck everything from one category (i.e all the Christmas decor) into one box for safe keeping makes it much easier to find things later on. Organization 101: All totes must…MUST be clear or else I might as well donate what I put in them because I’ll never look in there again. The medium size is perfect for keepsakes, paint supplies, crafty things, etc. And I love having a short and stout tote that slides right under my bed. That’s where I hide my purse stash!

Again, clear baskets are game changers for closets, offices, storage shelves, and kids toys! Walmart Home just launched a collection of clear baskets and organizers with The Home Edit and I snatched up a bunch the day they launched! Honestly, I’m really impressed with the quality too. Organization 102: Pick baskets with straight edges (opposed to those that taper in) to maximize space.

(Note: Some pieces from the Walmart x Home Edit collection sold out right away but keep checking back for a restock!)

I purchased this 5 piece set which has two basket sizes for our pantry cabinet and these alone did wonders. One size for vegetables and snacks and the others for drink mixes, salad ingredients, etc. It’s no longer a mystery what we’ll find in them. I also love having smaller containers for drawer organization. Desk drawer & junk drawer, you’re next. You know how some people can’t stand the thought of their food touching on their plate? I’m the same way with my drawers. My pens simply cannot touch my push pins and tape…is my ocd showing yet?! 😉

Sometimes you don’t want everyone to see the goods. Decorative baskets may be more useful in closets, on open shelving, and walk in pantries. This is where I often prefer to have one (maybe two) styles of baskets in one (maybe two) different sizes. Have fun with these!

These are staples. I purchased the 3 tier risers from The Home Edit x Walmart Home collection and I can finally see beyond the first row! But you know what I love even more than that? Matching containers for cereal and seasonings. These have fantastic reviews! And next on my organizational wish list is putting all our seasonings in these adorable glass jars. I just need to find a proper drawer for them first. My tip: use this embossing label maker to label your space jars!

I love our wood hangers but someone (and I can’t remember who now that I’m put on the spot) mentioned that they’re kinda space wasters because they take up a lot more space on the rod. These black velvet hangers are much slimmer and grip your clothes!

As for shelving, I’ve tried so many – plastic, wire, metal, industrial and these are my favorite by far! Come in a bunch of sizes, very sturdy, and easy to adjust the shelves if necessary. And lastly, can we talk about this genius storage tote for ornaments! No more unfortunate breaks!

Now how can you look at all these bins and baskets and not get at least a *little* excited to organize?!