Our Favorite Books to Inspire Organization

 As many of us strive for more streamlined and intentional living in 2024, I thought it might be helpful to share some inspirational reads that have personally resonated with me and align with the principles of The House Finch.

More than Enough by Miranda Anderson

Miranda, a local author, not only provides insightful tips but also champions the idea of embracing fewer physical possessions to make room for more quality time and enriching experiences. Her perspective on decluttering and simplifying aligns well with our mission to create harmonious and functional living spaces.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

A classic in the realm of organization, Marie Kondo's book offers practical advice in an easy-to-read format. Her philosophy of keeping only items that "spark joy" is a timeless principle that resonates with many seeking a clutter-free and joyful living environment.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margaret Magnusson

Despite its seemingly morbid title, Margaret Magnusson's book is a thoughtful guide, particularly beneficial for those over 50. It emphasizes the importance of decluttering while we are healthy and alive, sparing our loved ones the burden of dealing with our belongings later on. It's a compelling reminder of the value of intentional living.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

While not directly related to organization, Clear's "Atomic Habits" is an excellent resource for cultivating positive habits. It offers valuable insights into understanding and transforming your habits, which can be instrumental in maintaining an organized and clutter-free home.

I hope you find these recommendations valuable and that they provide the encouragement, tips and motivation you're seeking on your organizational journey. Should you want to borrow any of these titles, I am happy to loan my copies out to you for a month! Just shoot me an email to request one. If you have any questions or if there's anything specific you'd like help with, please feel free to reach out. We're here to support you in creating a home that reflects your vision of order and tranquility.

Wishing you a wonderfully organized and fulfilling year ahead!

Happy New Year!

Meghan

Drop Zone Disaster?

Is the entrance to your home a mess? Do you have piles of paperwork on your countertops and jackets lying on furniture? Are you constantly scrambling to get out the door when your family members can’t find their belongings? Raise your hand if you can relate to any of this? Click here to read our best practices for having a drop zone that isn’t a disaster.

Here are our top 5 tips to having a drop zone that helps your family find the things they need and even put them away!

1. Have a home for shoes & some guildines for what shoes get to live there. In our home we have a shoe rack next to the door we use most. Adults get space for 1-2 pairs of shoes and kids have bins for socks, shoes, mittens, etc. While it doesn’t always stay this tidy, 30 seconds of work can have it reset.

2. Don’t feel like all of something has to fit in one space. Our home has three spaces for jackets because that’s how things fit. Adult jackets in front coat closet near door we don’t use often. One jacket for each child lives on the dowel hooks above and extra coats go on command hooks & hangers in nearby closet.

3. Make it EASY for your family to put things away. Consider hanging hooks lower than usual so your kids can actually reach them. Let Command Hooks be your friend and a temporary solution for your kids while they’re little. There are plenty of nice looking Command options these days. Label things by person if need be so it’s clear for everyone when they’re cleaning up.

4. Have homes for paperwork and mail. We use magazine boxes as a temporary landing zone for everyone’s paperwork.

5. Make a list and create homes for additional items that are constantly brought in and out of your home. This might include keys, sunscreen/bug spray in the Spring/Summer, hats/mittens in the Fall/Winter. Then determine where they should go that make sense. On a tray, in a basket, on hooks, etc.

We hope these five practical tips will help your drop zone stay tidy!

Pantry Organization Best Practices

Pantries are a space that seems easy enough to tackle, but for some reason you never end up dealing with it. Here are our top ten best practices when it comes to setting up systems for this high trafficked space in your home.

Turntables

These help you keep condiments up high, but still be about to reach them.

Cohesive Bins

White bins limit visual clutter and look cohesive.

Decanting Cereal

1. Organize a stocked pantry. Shop BEFORE you organize and make sure the food you have on hand is at capacity or most of what you usually have on hand. What could be worse than organizing this space perfectly, only to have your spouse make a huge Costco run two days later…

2. Follow expiration dates. While these dates can be controversial, I tend to follow them for one reason. If something has been sitting in your pantry for two years that is a sign you don’t need it and are very unlikly to use it. Toss it and change your shopping habits moving foward to only purchase items you will use.

3. Turntables are back! Also referred to as lazy susans by some of the older generation, these are great for condiments, spreads or even cans. Tuck them into an awkward corner and maximize that space.

4. Coordinate containers for a streamlined look. Go with white bins or baskets to create less visual clutter or clear ones if you want to easily see what is in a bin.

5. Decant only if you are willing to spend the time to maintain the system. Decanting is the new work for taking things out of the original packaging. If you want a beautiful pantry, decanting can help, but only take things out of boxes/bags if you plan to spend the time to restock as often as you empty these containers. Personally I only choose to decant flour/sugar into large glass containers and cereal into OXO Pop containers.

6. Heavy items low, light items high. Makes sense right, wouldn’t you rather have a roll of paper towels bonk you on the head than a can of seltzer.

7. Most frequently accessed items should be within arms reach. Middle shelves for high frequency items, low shelves for snacks for little people (if needed), and higher shelves for rarely used categories.

8. Store a collapsible stool nearby. These are easy to store and so helpful to safely reach those higher nooks.

9. Create zones. Groupings of like foods will help everyone find what they need when hungry or ready to cook. Once you’ve grouped items, find the appropriate sized container and make a section for it on your shelves.

10. The more people using your pantry, the more important labels are. There are lots of ways you can label things, I bet you have options lying around your home. My favorite easy method uses binder clips and index cards cut into the desired size. You can also use small white gift tags, purchase clip on labels or write directly on a container.

Common Pantry Zones to Consider:

• Breakfast

• Dinner

• Pasta

• Cereal

• Spices

• Condiments

• Sauces

• Canned foods

• Bread

• Potatoes

• Spreads 

• Paper products

• Lunch boxes

• Snacks 

• Bars

• Pouches

• Bagged snacks

• Boxed snacks

• Backstock

• Sweet 

• Salty

• Baking

• S’Mores

Comment below with your top tips for keeping an organized pantry! If this was all too daunting we’re still happy to come organize your pantry for (or with) you!