Baskets: The Avocado Toast of Your Home

For moms with young kids, baskets (and coffee) are your best friends. Here are my favorite ways to use these cute little catch-alls to save some sanity:

Outgrown basket. Place one basket in each of your kid’s closets. Every few months, or when you see your kiddo try something on that’s a bit too small, toss it in this basket. Twice a year (or more if your kids are younger) go through each basket and take the outgrown clothes to friends with younger kids, donate them, or place them in your hand-me-down bin for a younger sibling. This not only helps save space in closets, but gives you a better view of what clothes your kids currently have and what they might need (or not need!).

Transition basket. Place this larger basket in a mudroom or hall closet, and place items that need to be donated, repaired, or returned (to a store or a friend). Instead of having all these items on a counter or in random spots around the house that you forget about, you know where everything is and it keeps your house tidy. Set a date once a month to distribute these items and unload the basket.

Shoe Basket. No, this isn’t to toss your Louboutin’s in. This basket, mainly for your little ones, is placed right next to your front door so that tiny shoes don’t get scattered all throughout the house. It makes school mornings a lot easier when you can actually find both shoes… and better yet, when your kids can find them, maybe they can even put them on without you having to ask five (or ten) times. Bonus – keep it outside the front door so that when kiddos remove their shoes all that lovely sand and tanbark stays outside.

Sweets basket. I love clear bins... except for the stuff you don’t want your kids to see! In your pantry, place sweets and treats in natural woven or opaque plastic baskets (and up high!) so they remain “occasional” snacks. You could even be extra mom-sneaky and label it with “veggie snacks.”

Find a home basket. Place this basket in an area of your house where bags, purses, and pockets get unloaded, such as an entryway, laundry or mudroom. Throughout the week, add all these miscellaneous items to the bin. Pick one day (mine is Sunday), to spend five minutes taking the bin around the house and putting everything back in its place. This is a lifesaver for avoiding clutter on counters, and also gives you the peace of knowing you have a designated day to put everything away. Saves time and sanity!

Want more ideas for baskets? Head to my shop page here!

You can also find this article on Master Your Motherhood, a company created by moms, for moms. Their mission is to support, inspire and provide tools, knowledge and wisdom to women worldwide to help them Master their Motherhood and be the CEO of their lives.