The Savvy Five: Organizing Gear

The fall nesting instinct is kicking in and SavvyMoms everywhere are feeling the urge to purge to ensure their homes are in good order before the unmentionable season (rhymes with shminter) arrives.

So in this month’s Savvy Five, we’re sharing our latest organizing gear, finds that we think are going to be just the trick (inspiration even) to get the job done.

Lovell Designs Large Bins
Good for: Stashing books, toys and pretty much anything and everything (we lined up our back hall with them this summer for bike helmets, outdoor entertaining supplies and swim towels)
Why It Made the List: Let’s just say we love Lovell (a mom entrepreneur biz of course). The canvas is tough and durable and holds its shape better than any other similar bins we’ve tried. And we can’t get enough of the floral-inspired designs (printed exclusively for Lovell). You can also find coordinating laundry hampers and pillows if you want to go the whole organizing mile. ($68, for store locator visit www.lovelldesigns.ca)

The Cherry Handbag Organizer
Good for: Finally attacking the bottom of your purse and removing the summer mélange of almost empty sunscreen bottles, ticket stubs from countless summer family attractions and the crumbs from several granola bars
Why It Made the List: Once you’ve dumped out your purse, the Cherry Handbag Organizer will keep everything in order when you put it back in. Not only will changing bags be a breeze, you will always be able to find everything you need when you need it. The sturdy water-resistant nylon bag has special compartments for everything from your cell phone to your lipgloss. We’ve definitely cut down on our ‘looking for keys’ time since we started using it. (From $24, available in two sizes and three colours at www.goneshopping.ca)

IKEA Komplement Drawer Organizers
Good for: Tackling that mass of socks, gloves, underwear, scarves, and more
Why It Made the List: This set of no-installation-required organizers (comes with two of each of three different sizes) brings order to any drawer. We love them for lingerie but they work for just about anything, and you will feel like a professional home organizer after you fill each one up (following the golden rule “like with like” of course). ($9.99, available for purchase online, no trip to IKEA required)

7 Column BusyBodyBook Weekly Fridge Grid Pad
Good for: Getting everybody in the family on the same page, so to speak
Why It Made the List: This magnetic, 7 column pad provides a place for everyone’s comings and goings. It’s perfect on the fridge or on the desk and its dateless format means you can get started with it whenever you want, adding your own dates. Assign one column to everyone in the family—extra ones can be used to note household projects, babysitter instructions, meal planning, personal goals, or school assignments. ($16.99, available at www.goneshopping.ca)

The Good Fairies Sorting Sacks
Good for: Getting the kids to help tidy their toys up
Why It Made the List: We’ve long been fans of The Good Fairies and their lovely memory boxes, and the new Sorting Sacks bring their style to a whole new practical level. Just label each unbleached cotton bag with the erasable chalk marker that’s included and then have the kids fill up the sack with the right kind of toy and bring them back to where they belong. They’re great for bringing toys along on your travels as well. ($24.95 for a set of three sacks, available at www.thegoodfairies.com)

So if you choose to get organized this fall, now you can at least do it in style.

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