3 easy, inspiring organizing ideas I’m trying this fall
An entryway with no hangers and a food waste basket on the kitchen counter? Managing editor Johanna Sjöholm picked the most tempting ideas for organizing your home from the Kotona website. You’ll definitely want to give them a try!
1. Break tasks into tiny steps like Kati Jukarainen does
We definitely need to get the entryway clothing storage under control, and we absolutely must tackle the piles of stuff in the kids’ room. In the midst of busy day-to-day life, big and complicated tasks can feel overwhelming, which is why they often remain undone (and keep bothering us year after year). That’s exactly why I was instantly inspired by Kati Jukarainen’s 25-step decluttering list.
The idea is to break tasks into pieces that are as small as possible. There’s no need to revamp your entire home, a room, or even a single closet all at once. Instead, maybe this week you’ll tackle unused chargers and cords, next week the mid-season shoes that no longer fit, and the following week toss out any expired cans from the fridge. Of course, Kati’s list won’t suit every household exactly as-is, but it’s easy to adapt. And when you write tasks down in list form and check them off as you go, you can really see how much you’ve accomplished.
2. A visible food waste basket inspires cooking with leftovers and helps reduce waste
I already mentioned expired canned goods! They’re a real headache at our place, as are any foods that end up mummifying in the back of the kitchen cabinets. Food influencer Satu Koivisto has solved the problem in a brilliantly simple way: she keeps a food waste basket on the kitchen counter and places a few items from the pantry in it at a time when their best-by date is creeping up.
“When they’re out in plain sight, they actually get used,” Satu advises.
And of course, you can place a second food waste basket in the fridge!
Read all five of Satu Koivisto’s tips for organizing the kitchen here. In her tips, Satu draws inspiration from restaurant kitchens.
3. It’s worth having a trash can and even makeup in the entryway if you want (but you may not need a single hanger at all)
A couple of years ago, I had the chance to interview the mother of two, Johanna Alasuutari, who has organized her family’s entryway in an admirably thorough way. Many of Johanna’s entryway insights stuck with me, and I’ve already incorporated some of them into our own entryway—like a bits-and-bobs board where we can conveniently hang keys, pens, reflectors, an umbrella, and a shopping bag.
What’s especially inspiring about Johanna’s entryway is that she’s given the boot to everything unnecessary and introduced some surprising elements that make her family’s day-to-day life easier. For example, one of the sliding closet doors was removed because it was always open and in the way anyway. She also got rid of every hanger and installed hooks instead. Meanwhile, her family’s entryway includes a small trash can (so trash brought in from the car can be tossed right away), a laundry hamper (the more places you have for dirty clothes, the more likely kids are to put them there), and a mini makeup station (Johanna often found herself putting on a bit of lipstick while the kids were putting on their jackets or coveralls).
