five bite-size organizing projects you can finish in a weekend

We are on the heels of Memorial Day and while this holiday weekend is typically filled with larger family gatherings and BBQs, this year will be different given world affairs.

With so many changes to the way we handle celebrations currently, you might want to consider using this upcoming long weekend to manage a decluttering or organizing project. Here are five bite-size project ideas that you could cross off your to-do list in short order.

under the kitchen sink

If it's been awhile since you've decluttered + organized under your kitchen sink, there is no time like the present. It can be very satisfying to pull everything out, assess what you have and want to keep and say goodbye to what you no longer need. When organizing, consider using all of the depth and vertical space you have. If you want to brighten the space, use some of Neat Little Nest's favorite under-the-sink organizing products to make the space look just as beautiful as it can be functional.

Containers with easy-to-open lids or no lids at all are great for under the sink.

health and beauty essentials

If I were a betting kind of gal, I'd wager to say that you might have some expired health and beauty products in your home. If you haven't gone through them in some time, gather everything up and take a look at expiration dates and toss what's past its prime.

The number inside this symbol tells shelf life.

For many beauty items, the packaging holds the clue for how long the item is good after it's opened. When you see the cap symbol, the number inside tells you how many months or years the product is good after it has been opened.

Organize your "keepers" in a way that is easiest for you to find what you need when you need it. For makeup, you might organize in a bathroom drawer using small plastic bins to divide subcategories. For medicine, you might prefer to fit it all into one bin labeled "medicine" or you might prefer to divide into smaller categories like prescription, over-the-counter and children's medicines.

To help you complete your health and beauty organizing project, here you will find some of Neat Little Nest's favorite products to organize health + beauty essentials.

Stackable clear containers make it easy to see what you have and work well in small spaces.

decant baking supplies

I've decluttered + organized a lot of pantries and I often find dried up bags of brown sugar along with flour and sugar spilling out of half-used bags. To combat this, I recommend decanting your all-star baking supplies into air-tight containers.

Decanting pantry items has a couple of benefits. It helps keep your product fresh and clear containers make it very easy to see when you are running low. I often recommend plastic containers if you have small children and glass containers for those looking for a more eco-friendly option. I like to choose containers that visually go with the rest of the items in the pantry and kitchen to give everything a streamlined visual appeal. Here you will find some of Neat Little Nest's favorite decanting containers.

These bins from OXO feature scoops on the top for convenience.

utensil drawer

If you're like a majority of my clients, there is a chance you will have some type of all-in-one storage container in a drawer with your utensils in it. And, if you're like most of my clients, the rest of the stuff you need to fit in the drawer doesn't fit very well because the all-in-one solution isn't quite an all-in one best solution for the drawer.

I too had this issue when I was a first-time homeowner so many years ago. The all-in-one storage container isn't a bad choice, but if you're looking to use every inch of your drawer space, there are solutions that can be more customized for better utilization of your specific drawer dimensions. I recommend using drawer inserts made of bamboo or plastic as well as using a plastic customizable solution like the one shown below. Many of Neat Little Nest's favorite drawer dividers and inserts are available online.

Try to use every last inch when organizing your kitchen drawers.

laundry room supplies

For most people, myself included, the laundry room seems to be the last place that gets any TLC. It's unfortunate since we spend so much time in there. I found so much more joy when doing laundry after I refreshed and organized the space. While a full-on redesign can be fun, sometimes all you need is to declutter + organize to maximize the space.

I recommend dividing your laundry items into subcategories when organizing, like wash products, specialty cleaning, spot treatments, and the like. When selecting containers to organize, consider ones where you don't need to take the lids on and off to speed up the cleaning process. For examples, if you use pods to clean laundry, it's a lot easier to just reach your hand into a container and grab a pod than lift a lid off each time (obviously if you have young children in your home, you need to utilize a safe solution). Here you will find Neat Little Nest's favorite laundry room organizing supplies + wash products.

Glass cookie jars with lids removed make it easy to grab what you need quickly.

There’s nothing more gratifying to me than a few projects that you can start and finish in the same day or weekend. They are a nice checkmark on the list of to-do's with the bonus sense of accomplishment. If you choose to take advantage of an extra handful of hours this coming weekend and work on your top few home areas to declutter + organize, we at Neat Little Nest are sending you virtual encouragement.

Happy Organizing!

Photo credit: Jes Lahay Photography

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