We asked pro organizers for strategies that help them conquer chaos in their own lives. The result: secrets that will streamline your day and restore your peace of mind (promise!)
Take inspiration from Jenkins, who uses a Victorian-era dresser to organize her entry. “The drawers hold gloves, hats, and other outdoor accessories, and the mirror on top gives us a place to do a spot check before we leave,” she says. Another popular option: cube storage systems with fabric bins for each family member’s gear.
Make organization a no-brainer with thoughtful placement. Put sports equipment or school bags on the way to the car or very nearby. Then kids can grab them as they’re headed out the door and put them right back as they return. “The farther away you put those things, the harder kids have to work and the less likely it is that things will get back to where they belong,” says Tokos.
Get the most out of entry storage by giving each group of items its own designated space. Labels can help. Says Morgenstern: “If a shelf or a cabinet or a drawer is marked miscellaneous, it’s easy to put things into but impossible to retrieve things from.”
Create a neat place to power up phones and tablets. Make one, as we did, by drilling holes in the bottom of a wood mail sorter, to thread cords through, then give it a coat of color.
Life Before Equal Pay Day: Portrait of a Working Mother in the 1950s
Jennie Magill with her family in the background.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesWorking mother Jennie Magill shopping with her children at the super market.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie and Jim Magill in the kitchen.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie Magill and family in the kitchen.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Wifely kiss is Jim's reward for helping with the dishes.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie Magill at work.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Companionable lunch with the girls from store is lots better, says Jennie, than a sandwich in solitude at home. "Through Jennie's friends at work," says Jim, "I've met a lot of people I wouldn't have met otherwise."Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Her work is a source of pride to Jim. "She' has done a terrific job. And when I tell her about my work she doesn't brush it off."Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Going home, Jim always picks Jennie up at Carson Pirie Scott branch. The ride home is a chance to talk without domestic distractions.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie and Jim Magill coming home from work.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Taking over the family reins when she gets home, Jennie holds Jackie, 2, who tests cake which he "helped" housekeeper Sophia Flewelling (left) to bake. Sophie runs household smoothly while parents are gone.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie Magill and family.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie Magill ironing with her daughter.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie Magill with her children.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Jennie Magill comforting her crying daughter.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie Magill with her children.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie Magill reading a story to her children.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Bill-paying is disagreeable, but it reminds them of how well they live because Jennie works. "It's nice not to have that lost feeling," says Jim. "Now when we see a piece of furniture we want, we buy it."Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJennie Magill kisses her children goodbye.Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
