Tackling the Chore List: The Basket Trick

Tackling the chore list is a moving target. I realize I do okay when it comes to daily maintenance, not so good when it comes to weekly deep cleaning. We’re lucky to have help twice a month in that department now, so you can understand if it tends to slip off my radar from time-to-time.

But I love the basket trick: At the end of the day, grab a basket and go through the house to pick up all of the misplaced items and then redistribute to rightful places. We’ve actually started using two or three baskets—one or two for the kids’ things (the majority) and one for ours. If they’re already asleep, Aron and I can opt to leave the baskets outside their doors. It just takes a few minutes to pick up the day’s clutter, with no running back and forth from room to room.

Of course, all the better if the baskets are pretty! Years ago, we brought home as many baskets as we could from Bali, but they’re not so easy to pack. Here are five favorite options you can order online:

Collapsible seagrass baskets with handles that come in multiple designs—for $25. (Also, pictured).

Cotton Rope baskets. More structured, they look good on shelves.

French shopper baskets. Can be slung over a shoulder for using at farmers’ markets, too.

Macrame baskets that work as boho decoration when they’re sitting out.

Structured seagrass baskets with tassels.

What tips would you share for conquering the chore list?

P.S. Our laundry room with our baskets, and an actual home-cleaning chore list from Jenny—the one from whom I first learned the basket method!

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