Nuts and Bolts | Easy Storage Solutions From A to Z | Real Simple

As in: All those loose thingamabobs driving you screwy.

The fix:
Contain nuts and bolts in jars. “Grandpa’s wood-shop solution of attaching glass Ball jars underneath a table or a shelf is tried-and-true,” says Ted McCann, a Brooklyn-based custom woodworker. Nail the lids to the underside of a surface near where you store your tools (see Tools), then twist the jars into place. Put like-size nuts and bolts in one jar and wood screws in another. Also attach an empty jar so that when you’re working on a project, you can keep the hardware for it in one place.

Note from Casey: I remember Grandpa Kester doing this & it does work like a charm. I think I'll have to remember this idea when I move to the Lincoln House. :)

Nuts and Bolts | Easy Storage Solutions From A to Z | Real Simple

Hang It All | 12 Organizing Solutions for Any Home | Real Simple

Whether it's damp towels or an impromptu art show, hanging whatever one can plays a major part in Lauri's master organization plan. "Hanging things is the easiest way to get them out of the way," she says. "But it's also a good visual solution―it lets things be looked at and enjoyed."

Towel bars have been replaced by hooks next to the shower, eliminating the need for folding and just-so draping. An extra hook installed below gives the bath mat a place to dry. "A friend and I were talking about how hard it is to live and raise kids in New York, and all the things we stress about doing right or wrong," says Lauri. "We agreed that the pressure of making sure your towels are perfectly creased and aligned over a bar shouldn't be one of those things. These hooks are a little thing that has made a huge difference to me."

Wall-mounted hooks: $4 and up, containerstore.com.

Note from Casey: We've been hanging our towels on the wall for years. It's the best ever!!! Especially when you have kids who can't fold the towels to make the room look neat again when their done with bath time.

I'm loving these Branch Hooks from The Container Store. I think I'll order a few to see if I can make them work for hand towels at the Lincoln House.
As for the bath towels, I'm loving the Owl, Bunny, and Horse from Urban Outfitters. The door knob might be perfect for the Master Bath. Too cute!

Hang It All | 12 Organizing Solutions for Any Home | Real Simple

Box it | 12 Organizing Solutions for Any Home | Real Simple

In the bathroom, hair ribbons, ponytail holders, and barrettes are a pretty, well-ordered still life instead of the snarled, clumpy mess they become when they're shoved into a drawer. Lauri borrowed an idea from a favorite New York children's store, whose owner displays accessories in similar covered boxes next to the register. "I get great ideas from store displays," she says. "The people designing them have spent a lot of time figuring out how to do it best."

Pink boxes: 40 cents to $3.20 each, containerstore.com.

Box it | 12 Organizing Solutions for Any Home | Real Simple

Contain and Maintain | 12 Organizing Solutions for Any Home | Real Simple

Where there are kids, there will be stuff―lots of it, scattered everywhere. In the children's rooms and bathrooms, Lauri keeps their precious things in containers that look good enough to be showcased on shelves and countertops. She has focused on transparent holders so the kids can find what they're looking for with no "Hey, Mom!"

"Kids are natural collectors," says Lauri. "They pick up things everywhere, and I like to encourage that―even if sometimes I find myself wanting to yell, 'Put that down! That's garbage!' " For collections of shells, rocks, and other found treasures, Lauri buys white-topped clear jars and identifies the contents on office-supply labels. Each jar is a packaged memory. Arranged on a shelf, the collection makes a pleasing display. "I've tried to find a way for the children's inclinations and interests to be incorporated but contained, so that those things don't bother me," Lauri says. "It's part of respecting that the kids have to have their private space, as Douglas and I have to have ours."

Storage jars: $1.50 to $3.50 each, containerstore.com.

Contain and Maintain | 12 Organizing Solutions for Any Home | Real Simple