Clutter-Free Living With Kids

The best compliment I get when people come over to my house is that it doesn’t look like any kids live here. “Where are all the toys?” they ask.

My secret is hiding all the kids stuff in baskets and containers, lots of them, in all shapes and sizes. I have a basket for magazines, baskets for stuffed animals and cars, a crate for books, containers for legos and trains, even a basket for kids socks by the front door. My favorite are these Senegalese baskets I purchased 3 years ago from Serena & Lily, because they have lids. They’re pretty pricey for baskets, but when they went on sale, I bought a set of three. They’ve proven to be worth every penny. They are the most useful pieces of furniture in my house and essential to keeping a kid-free looking home. Don’t get me wrong. I love kids stuff. It’s cute and colorful. But there’s a place for everything and I like to keep the kids stuff in the kids room, and leave my living room looking like a living room, rather than a daycare.

I’m always pleasantly surprised when people say that my home is clutter-free, because I know what lurks within all those baskets. On a normal day, it looks like a toy store has exploded in my living room and there are legos, crayons, and stuffed animals strewn everywhere. The beauty of baskets is that they contain, conceal, and are decorative all at once. And they make clean-up super quick. In a matter of minutes, I can throw everything into their designated basket and my living room looks clean, organized and put together.

Here’s the before picture (how my house usually looks):

And 5 minutes later (right before guests arrive):

I just noticed that these baskets are on sale again and I’m tempted to buy another set for my bedroom to put all of the stuff my husband throws on the floor, on the bed, on the chair, and all-over the room. Baskets are the key to a happy home.

-Catherine Lo