Looking for creative, budget-friendly ways to organize and store household items? Look no further! Here are some ideas from Real Simple for repurposing everyday objects to help assist in keeping spaces tidy. For even more ideas, click here.
Business Card Organizer as Gift Card Holder
Desk Organizer as Cupboard Divider
Corkboard as Jewelry Organizer
Shoe Box as Ribbon Organizer
Tissue Box as Plastic Bag Holder
Sur La Table — a tie with Williams-Sonoma for my favorite kitchenware store — is having their big annual sale right now. Time to stock up on kitchen basics and fun new items! Here are a few things I’d put on my list:
flour sack towels
Red Deco Dot Apron
Deviled Egg Platter
Porcelain Cake Stands
Bamboo Salt Box
As I was finishing up my Thanksgiving menu and grocery shopping today I remembered a few tips that make preparing for Thanksgiving so much easier and less stressful. These simple tricks can make a big impact when in the midst of the chaos of entertaining and preparing such a special meal.
1) Create a menu plan.
The menu plan template I created includes the item (recipe/dish), ingredients, where I will buy each ingredient, when to prepare it, what serving vessel I will serve it in, and any additional notes I might have. I print the plan out and use it as my shopping list as well as a guide on Thanksgiving day. Each year I save the document and my chicken-scratch notes to remind myself of what I served that year, which recipes worked, and other lessons learned. The document doesn’t need to be complicated or pretty, it just needs to work for you.
2) Label your serveware.
I generally set out my serveware a day or two before the meal to make sure I have all of the right vessels and to determined how they will work with my tablescape. Once I’ve pulled out all of the vessels, I use post-it notes to label what item will go in what vessel. This not only helps me stay organized, but it is also helpful if you have family who are helping you set out the items — they’ll know where everything goes.
3) Keep recipes and notes in a clear folder.
Once I have determined my Thanksgiving menu, I put all of the recipes in a clear folder along with my menu plan. I take it with me when I go shopping. Before I leave the store I not only check my menu plan/shopping list but I also scan the ingredients on the recipes themselves to make sure I have not forgotten anything. (I hate having to make two trips to the store!)
The clear folder is also helpful because it keeps the recipes clean and visible when cooking. If something spills on the folder, wipe it off and keep on going! No crinkled or smudged paper to deal with next year when you are pulling out your recipes.
I prefer the reusable tabbed clear folders like these. I write the event in pencil and then erase and reuse for my next event.
These sparrow clips are infinitely cuter than the metal office clips we occasionally end up using here at my house to preserve an open bag of cereal or chips. Wouldn’t these make a great gift?
Sparrow Clips available at MoMA store
I love this idea for Fall wall hangings that look like pages from an encyclopedia. Pressed leaves, cardstock, a few twigs and voila! Instant, nature-inspired wall art! They’d also make a great accent resting against the wall on top of a sideboard at a Fall dinner party.
Leaf wall hangings via Better Homes and Gardens
My mother and stepfather were in town recently and, as when any houseguest is coming, I tried to check off a list of items that tend to make the guest room and guest bath comfortable and welcoming for guests.
In the bedroom, I set out reading material, an alarm clock, and a fan. I emptied the closet to make space for their clothes and left a variety of hangers. I set a tray on the console with two glasses and some bottled water…
In the bathroom, I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned! The bath mats were fresh out of the dryer. The mirror was spotless. I set out toiletries and placed a vase with some flowers and aromatic herbs on the sink…
After my parents had arrived I walked past the guest bath and noticed a new box of tissues. My mom had found a stash of them in our supply cabinet and brought one up to the bathroom. Tissues! Of course! Why hadn’t I thought of that?
So that got me thinking about tissue boxes (I confess, this is the stuff that keeps me up at night!). The trouble with them is that, generally, they are pretty unsightly. They come in packages with funky patterns and colors and I cringe each time I set one out.
The solution to masking the ugly boxes is to hide it with a cover. Tissue-box covers, have a reputation of being really tacky, but I have found a couple that are surprisingly stylish.
This one from Restoration Hardware’s metal apothecary collection could work not only in a bathroom but also in other rooms around the house.
Restoration Hardware's tissue-box cover from the Metal Apothecary collection
How about this one for a little tike’s room? Adorable!
monkey tissue-box cover from Target
I love the idea of being able to customize a cover to complement the decor of a room. That’s why this project featured on Design*Sponge (one of my favorite, “go-to” blogs) caught my eye.
tissue-box cover by Brett Bara, featured on Design*Sponge
Brett Bara provides step-by-step instructions on how to sew a cover with the material of your choice. Pick a fabric that coordinates with your room, bust out the sewing machine, zip-zip…. you’ve now masked an ugly box and created a pop of color in your room!
After our upcoming kitchen remodel, my goal is to have as few things as possible cluttering the countertops. There are certain essentials, however, that need to be there — like our KitchenAid mixer and our Boos board.
We love our Boos board and use it everyday for chopping vegetables and herbs. We are careful to use a separate plastic board, though, for working with meats of any kind so that we can keep everything sanitary and clean.
I recently fell in love with this cutting board system by Joseph Joseph which offers an organized solution for keeping cutting boards from “cross-contamination.” Its sleek storage container and four color-coded chopping boards are not only aesthetically interesting, but practical as well. The illustrated tab on each board helps a cook easily identify the boards to ensure the same board is used each time for similar food types.
I am not sure if I need to add anything else to my already very full kitchen cabinets and countertops, but if I did, it might be this!
Index Cutting Boards available on A+R
a great way to organize cutting boards
We’re remodeling our kitchen in a couple of weeks and so I’ve begun the process of cleaning out cabinets and drawers in preparation for the new cabinets. It’s amazing what kitchen tools we’ve accumulated over the years. As people who love to cook, we’ve become “gadget and appliance freaks,” always loving to try new tools.
But the process of purging and sorting has really made me think about what the essential tools of the kitchen really are. What are the things that I could not do without? Here’s a list of my essentials — which I’d highly recommend adding to any registry!
All Clad Measuring cups and spoons — I am in love with these measuring cups and spoons and am still grateful to the friends who gave them to us as a wedding present! I love that the 1 cup measuring cup has marks for smaller quantities like 1/4 cup and 3/4 cups, that way I don’t have to dirty multiple measuring cups. They are also very sturdy and feel substantial in the hand.
All Clad measuring cups and spoons
Kitchen Aid Mixer — Makes the perfect batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. Need I say more?
Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer
Heat-resistant silicone spatula — I use this when I cook, when I bake… it is my go-to mixing spoon and I love that I never have to worry about it melting.
OXO heatproof silicone spatula
Nesting bowls — I use these every day. Ev-er-y-day! I keep them in the cupboard in two sets so that they are easier to lift out.
glass nesting bowls
Colander — I prefer this type of colander to the large mesh colanders as the latter are very hard to clean — especially after draining pasta.
Footed Colander
Creamer — My Apilco Creamer comes in handy for not only serving up cream with coffee, but also when making small batches of vinaigrettes or for serving sauces.
Apilco Porcelain Creamer
Zester — We use this microplane zester way more than I ever would have imagined. It is easy to use and washes fairly easily, too.
Microplane Rasp Grater
Whirly Pop — OK, this may not be an essential, but I really can’t live without it! My husband and I love homemade popcorn and the Whirly Pop makes the best popcorn we’ve ever had.
Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper
Off-the-shelf wedding planning guides are helpful ways to keep contracts, fabric swatches, and inspiration photos and articles organized in one place. Often times, however, they don’t fit exactly what a bride needs for her particular wedding.
I love this idea from Martha Stewart, which allows a bride to organize her wedding planning materials just the way she wants them. These decorative folders can be customized with fabric matching the color scheme of the wedding.
The folder facades would be helpful for any party, not just weddings. Get organized today!
Martha Stewart's Folder Facades
Cookbooks, entertaining, and etiquette books read like enthralling novels for me, and I pour over every photo and blurb. I could spend hours soaking up all of the practical advice and being inspired by the recipes and ideas.
The newest entertaining book in my library, thanks to a dear friend, is Entertaining Simple, by Matthew Mead, who hits the nail on the head when it comes to simple, easy ways to dress an impactful table. Mead reviews the elements of the basic table “wardrobe;” offers clever ways to reuse the same serving piece in multiple, stylish ways; provides clever decor ideas; and caps it all off with delicious recipes.
I particularly appreciated his focus on how to use the ordinary elements in one’s home — egg cups, glass votive holders, cake stands — and turn them into extraordinary focal points on table.
Looking for a gift for your favorite entertainer? Look no further!
Entertaining Simple, available from Amazon
The Rex & Regina Blog shares both trendy and traditional ways to extend gracious hospitality through weddings, other social occasions, and at-home entertaining. Learn more about Rex & Regina.