Plastic Baskets!

I just ordered these cute colorful plastic baskets from Oriental Trading Company here.

Why?

They are my secret productivity weapon.

I am NOT naturally organized but I must fool a few people because I sometimes get complemented for my organizational skills. Maybe I just over compensate for lack of natural talent. I am always trying to figure out better, more efficient, prettier ways of accomplishing regular tasks.

Baskets help, really!

A long long time ago when I was a young mother I remember visiting an older (probably in her 40s!) sister in my ward (church unit). She had a huge gorgeous home. She wanted to find some obscure item to show me and I was absolutely amazed when she said she knew the exact location of everything in her house!

Fast forward to me at age 56, coming home from a three year mission to a house that was lived in, progressively and sometimes overlappingly, by two married children families and a single son with various housemates and a full band (not marching) that practiced, and is still practicing, in my house! Before we left we stored most of our stuff in one big basement bedroom. This was added upon by our children - box after box after box. The garage suffered the same fate. My husband and I have spent that last month digging out.

Here he is - good man at work



Baskets and bins have been my organizational salvation.

Nice, tidy, orderly, cute, contained little baskets - just waiting to be grabbed.

Here are just a few of my many baskets:

Looking good basket


Last thing at night basket


Set the table quick baskets


Salad dressing making basket. I never use store bought dressings - that will be a blog post sometime soon


Making beautiful music baskets


Baking basket - I think it needs 'sub baskets'


Rubber ducky basket - doesn't everyone have one? Here's why we have so many rubber duckies


Ahhhhhhh - put your feet up and relax and sip gourmet hot cocoa basket


By the way - sometime I need to share how I make the best ever, low cal, totally delicious hot cocoa. It's so good that over the years it has completely weaned me from ever wanting dessert. Yes, I'm telling the truth!

I love my baskets.

Update - here's a link to my hot cocoa recipe

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing..." D&C 88:119