PHOTO COURTESY SHUTTERSTOCK

Look, I’ll admit it, I’m not the most organized person around (it doesn’t come naturally to me) — but I aspire to be. 

Between myself, my husband and our two elementary-school-age daughters, we’ve somehow managed to amass quite a bit of stuff over the years. And while chucking everything into the basement when company comes over is appealing, it’s not a long-term solution. 

Besides, I’m a grownup now, and I need to handle the clutter in an adult manner — at least, that’s what I tell myself in the mirror.  

Through trial and error, along with reading a ton of positive reviews, these are the five tried-and-true, easy-to-use items I’ve found on Amazon that have helped me create at least a semblance of order out of our home’s chaos. 

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Stack it Up

If your kitchen is anything like mine, you’ve got a whole contingent of water bottles from different eras rattling around in a kitchen cabinet; we have Hydro Flasks, Nalgene bottles and my daughters’ most prized possessions — their Stanley cups. Enter this water bottle organizer. With compartments large enough to hold even your biggest Stanley, the clear, acrylic water bottle organizer, which comes in a pack of four, features a stackable, space-saving design specifically made for the cabinet. I have several stacks of them, and it’s such a joy to be able to easily find my go-to bottles in the morning without digging through a pile of similarly shaped items.  

Price: $21.59. Buy Here 

Hairy Situation 

This was a clutch find for my long-haired girls, who own a mess of scrunchies, clips, barrettes and other hair ornaments. Another stackable, space-saving design, these circular storage bins are an easy way to contain accessories. Besides hair products, the set of three clear compartments, which easily sits on a vanity or bedroom dresser, can fit cotton balls, makeup and cosmetics.

Price: $15.99. Buy Here 

Ornamental Design

For years, my husband and I re-wrapped our Christmas ornaments in the original boxes (or pieces of newspaper) after removing them from the tree. Why? Because that’s the way our parents did it. After the last holiday, I leveled up my organization game with a couple of these portable ornament storage boxes. Able to house more than 100 ornaments, each piece gets its own special tray, supported by adjustable cardboard inserts. Stripping the tree in 2023 was a breeze; once finished, I zipped up the sturdy rectangular units and used the handles to transport them back to storage to await next year’s festivities — and I threw away all the messy paper and crumbling boxes while I was at it.     

Price: $14.99. Buy Here 

Hang It Up

My husband and I share our primary suite’s walk-in closet. And while not small, exactly, it isn’t a custom closet either; there’s a lot to be desired regarding space and shelving. While I dream of one day having my own closet apart from his sweaters, a realistic solution to our dilemma has been these folding pants hangers. Each hanger consists of five sturdy rods upon which you can hang pants, scarves or, in my case, lots of leggings. The collapsible hangers also can be hung horizontally or vertically, creating more space in your closet. 

Price: $26.99. Buy Here

Store Wars

From snacks and sandwiches all the way up to gallon plastic bags, my upper cabinets were overrun with clunky cardboard containers for food storage baggies. Designed to fit into a kitchen drawer, these bamboo dispensers for your baggies are cute and convenient. Each dispenser is laser engraved (no peeling labels — hooray!) with the type of bag it holds. They’re also compatible with most big-name food container brands, among them Ziploc, Hefty and Glad.   

Price: $25. Buy Here