Little Life-Changer

Hack It with Hooks

Short on space? We have the perfect little life-changer for you: Go vertical and hang everything from tools to bags.

This Next-Level Coffeemaker Will Be Your Go-To

Cooking & Entertaining

Dana Eisenberg

Kitchen

It&rsquo;s hard to remember a time before single-cup coffee makers. But it is in fact a time that existed. Before machines like the Keurig&reg;, we were all just making pots of coffee every time we wanted some, and that was the way of the world. Then came pods. And single cups. Everyone who wanted coffee could have their specific favorite flavor, on demand, in minutes, with no extra coffee that went unused. And it was awesome. And it&rsquo;s still awesome.

But there&rsquo;s a time and a place for everything, including your standard-issue brewed pot of coffee. Maybe you&rsquo;re hosting a dinner party or a brunch and you need the whole carafe. Maybe it&rsquo;s a Sunday, you&rsquo;ve got nothing but time, and you want the whole pot. No judgment. But unless you have unlimited kitchen space, you probably don&rsquo;t have room for both types of coffee makers.

Until now.

You see where we&rsquo;re going with this. We got ourselves a coffee maker that can do both. Meet the Keurig&reg; K-Duo Plus&trade; Coffee Maker with Single-Serve K-Cup&reg; Pod &amp; Carafe Brewer. With the functionality to use both K-Cup&reg; pods and ground coffee, in a mug or a whole carafe, your options are essentially endless, whether you&rsquo;re alone or hosting a crowd. Brew a 6, 8, 10, or 12-ounce cup, or a 6, 8, 10, or 12-cup carafe. With a &ldquo;strong&rdquo; button (for those mornings), you&rsquo;re able to customize your cup even further.

Aside from its brewing capabilities, this thing is a dream to use. It comes with a reusable filter, has an LED screen display, and has a pause function for when you need to pour a cup before the whole pot is done brewing. Best of all for small-space dwellers, you can put the water reservoir on the right, left, or back of the machine, depending on what works for your countertop.

May your coffee be strong (or less strong&mdash;just don&rsquo;t use the aforementioned button) and your Mondays short!

family & you

Anne Ventura

The Healing Power of Naps

Anyone who thinks they know anything about health, from Ben Franklin to Gwyneth Paltrow, preaches the benefits of a good night’s sleep, as if we don’t already know how awful we feel if we don’t get our 12 hours. Oh, is that just me? OK, six to eight hours. Please don’t tell me you’re one of those people who thrives on four. I don’t like those people. No one likes those people.&nbsp;

But unless you’re sick, a baby, or working at a tech firm in Silicon Valley, there’s not a lot of pressure to nap. We feel compelled to be constantly active, even on weekends: gardening, jogging, coming up with formulas for a kumquat-infused skin care line, or a business plan for that life-coach-on-demand start-up (whose offices will surely include a nap room). We all tend to agree that if the sun is out, we’d best be getting healthy and wealthy. And should we succumb to an afternoon call from the sandman, we’ll pretend we’re just going over to that comfy chair with a book, you know, to get wise. Here are a few ways to get your winks in, good and proper.

A Nap in Time Saves Mind 
According to the zzz experts at the <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/excessive-sleepiness/support/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need">National Sleep Foundation,</a> it's all about timing. They recommend a 20-minute nap to improve focus, performance, and mood, or if you have the luxury of more time, a 90-minute nap to boost memory and creativity. Sleep for too long or too short, and you may find yourself in groggy territory. That’s not where we want to be. For me, that means staying away from my bed—it’s way too hard to get out.&nbsp;

A better choice for a nap of any duration is a sofa, or better yet, a chaise lounge. (Editor's note: our French-speaking friends may quibble over our spelling, preferring instead, "chaise longue.") Once called a fainting couch, this highly specific piece of furniture hearkens back to the days when women wore suffocating corsets that caused them to pass out. Why do they still exist? Because they make such an elegant stage for sleeping away the fatigue caused by centuries of female oppression, or your hangover. No matter the cause, we all deserve a comfortable place of our own to breathe and expand, be it classic or modern, indoors or out. The choice is yours.&nbsp;

Make the couch an even cozier place to get some shut-eye by adding comfortable pillows and throws.

Setting a Serene Scene 
The only drawback I can think of with daytime sleeping is uh, daylight. That problem is easily fixed with minimal investment in a good sleep mask; the dash of Hollywood glamour is an added bonus. To make your surroundings more relaxing, spray your pillow with lavender mist or infuse the entire room with a soothing scent like jasmine or vanilla. An essential oil diffuser/alarm will handle the aromatherapy and keep you on schedule.

Yeah, we know you have a clock on your phone. We also know how that screen is draining your precious energy. Shut it down!

Planners, Unplugged: Rediscovering the Classic Date Book

Cleaning & Organizing

Mary Potts

Organizing

Maybe the ancient Egyptians were on to something when they began etching out those hieroglyphs. There&rsquo;s a certain power to the act of putting thoughts down on paper (or stone tablet, if you&rsquo;ve got the shoulder strength to lug that around in your handbag). It&rsquo;s even been shown by science: processing information, summarizing it in your mind, and then capturing it by writing it down is a great way to strengthen recall. It&rsquo;s also a good way to cut back on our exposure to some of the blue light that our devices give off, which can be harmful to our eyes and our sleep.

That&rsquo;s just one of the many reasons a growing number of people are putting down their smartphones, silencing all those irritating app alerts, and rediscovering the ease and effectiveness of classic paper day planners. Whether or not you already consider yourself a &ldquo;paper-planner person,&rdquo; you may find yourself pining for those crisp, real pages if you keep reading.

Find Your Paper Personality

Do you tend to look at the month as a whole, or are you more of a by-the-week person? Perhaps you prefer to take things one day at a time, or organize yourself more around projects, lists, and doodles. With a paper planner, you choose the structure and size that works best for you. And don&rsquo;t forget to keep your favorite pens handy. We&rsquo;re suckers for a rainbow of smooth-flowing gel pens, but a sophisticated, personalized pen has grown-up goals written all over it.

Some may find a blank journal useful as a planner&mdash;one with a gorgeous cover is always an instant mood lifter, too. These can even be used for bullet journaling, the much buzzed-about method of setting goals, keeping track of tasks, and more. There are some fun kits available to get you started, and you can read more about this highly-personalized take on planning <a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Bullet-Journal">here</a>.

Write to the Occasion

For a lot of major life events, the preparation and anticipation are just as important (and exciting) as the big day itself. A wedding planner guides you step-by-step through searching for venues, organizing a honeymoon, and everything in between&mdash;with space to add all your own notes and important appointments. You can even order a personalized planner that features your name and wedding date on the cover.

If you&rsquo;re an expectant mother, a pregnancy journal is a fun way to track weekly milestones, anticipate upcoming doctor visits, and write about all the unique experiences of this time. Some books include places to store ultrasound pics and other mementos, too. After the baby is born, it&rsquo;s a keepsake you&rsquo;ll be so glad to have (once you catch up on your sleep!).

Plus Up Your #Plannerlife

There&rsquo;s something so poised and refined about making notes in a day planner&mdash;especially when you&rsquo;re at a meeting where everyone else is manically tapping on their phones. It just keeps you more attuned to the present moment. Email can wait until you get back to your desk, right?

Your new planner may even inspire you to make a few more upgrades. For starters, try a luxe leather bag in a color that makes you smile or a chic pen that doubles as a tiny massager to soothe those worry muscles in your temples. Or go for a cheeky, sculptural desk accessory. A beautiful vase (definitely pronounce it &ldquo;vahhhhz&rdquo;) is always a feast for the eyes, even more so if placed on an ultrachic writing desk. Reward yourself with fresh-cut flowers every time you turn the page to the next month!

Kara Tomlin

Meet Our New Favorite Kitchen Gadget

We&rsquo;ll start off by saying this: All of the customer reviews on this product on our site are five stars. Yes, all. Customer CCLO09 says, &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re looking for a heavy-duty, all-in-one kitchen appliance, this is the product for you!&rdquo; Allie G. says, &ldquo;I actually am super excited to cook more at home just so I can use this Cuisinart Kitchen Central!&rdquo; That&rsquo;s why we had to bring this ace kitchen tool to your attention. We already love Cuisinart because they make great products that stand the test of time, but the Cuisinart Kitchen Central stands above the rest as a blender, juicer, and food processor all in one. Here&rsquo;s why we recommend adding it to your kitchen arsenal.

4 Reasons to Love Cuisinart Kitchen Central

An Amazing Space Saver

Probably the biggest selling point of the Kitchen Central is that it combines three kitchen appliances into one, saving precious countertop real estate. It uses just one lightweight base. Simply switch out the attachments, and you&rsquo;ve got a totally new appliance. Now you have more counter space for prep and extra cabinet space for more gadgets (although how many more could truly you need after this one?!).

Cleaning Made Easy

The best part about our favorite kitchen appliances is that they help us make great recipes. The worst part is the cleanup. All those parts that you have to *checks manual* -- what? Wash by hand&mdash;in 2019? No, thank you. Luckily, Cuisinart understands the struggle and has made the removable pieces of this Kitchen Central dishwasher-safe, making cleaning up as easy as setting and forgetting, which, if you ask us, is the best way to clean anything.

Bonus: These parts are durable so you can rest assured they will stand the test of time.

Recipes

It goes without saying that having a juicer, blender, and food processor makes recipe options practically endless&mdash;but sometimes it can be hard to know exactly where to start, especially when you are just getting to know your new toy. The Cuisinart Kitchen Central includes quite a few user-friendly recipes to help get you started. You can knead a modest dough, crush ice like a pro for the smoothest drinks, chop or dice just about anything with ease, and make juice with the perfect consistency.

Easy to Use

Power appliances can seem a little daunting at first, with all their fancy accessories and buttons, but the Cuisinart Kitchen Central makes it easy. Though it still has a few moving parts (it is three machines in one, after all), assembly is simple, and you&rsquo;ll find that switching out each attachment is a breeze. The singular base has one knob with three settings (low, high, pulse), so you don&rsquo;t have to spend time guessing which is right for your dish.

Little Life-Changer: This Luggage Has Our Customers Seeing Stars

Audrey Scrivener

Travel

A good suitcase is a lot like air: it&rsquo;s just there, sustaining life, requiring no thought or effort on the part of the user. So the rave reviews racking up on the Latitude 40&deg; N&reg; collections got our attention. What is it about this luggage that has folks handing out five stars and shouting things like &ldquo;Absolutely fantastic!&rdquo; and &ldquo;BB&amp;B&ndash;do not drop this luggage line!&rdquo;? We checked out the reviews, and this is what we found.

The Underseat Bags

Overhead bins are getting increasingly crowded, so a well-designed underseat bag is invaluable. Both the hard and soft versions of these spinners are loved by customers for their capacity, light weight, maneuverability, and durability. The bags&rsquo; interior pockets draw a lot of praise for the way they help travelers organize technology and travel documents. And many packers find them roomy enough to hold a whole weekend&rsquo;s worth of necessities.

&ldquo;I searched for a small carry-on for a long time, then found this one,&rdquo; writes Bleedgold of Buford, Georgia, who got the hardside model. &ldquo;The lightweight spinner makes maneuvering easy. I really like this product!&rdquo;

&ldquo;This has turned out to be the best luggage purchase I have made in years,&rdquo; Lisa of Pittsburgh says in her 5-star write-up of the same bag. &ldquo;It holds so many items with separate compartments&hellip; and can be taken on even the smallest planes without having to be checked.&rdquo;

Medikate of Princeton, New Jersey, really appreciates how this &ldquo;sturdy, well-designed product&rdquo; slides under the seat with ease. She adds, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m short, so I don&rsquo;t like putting my bag in the overhead bin.&rdquo;

The Carry-ons

Both the hard and soft versions of this bag are sized to meet most US and International airline regulations for carry-ons. Our customers are delighted by how practical, well-designed, and roomy these little workhorses are. They single out the zippers and internal pockets again and again in 5-star reviews. Also noteworthy: the easy-glide wheels and the capability to expand 2 inches to accommodate souvenirs.

One 5-star enthusiast, Jacky82 of Woodbridge, VA, loves the softside version so much she says she has already bought four of them. Also buying in multiples is Nana of Ogio: &ldquo;Perfect for air travel,&rdquo; Nana writes. &ldquo;I bought two of these for a trip to Universal Theme Park in Florida&mdash;one was for my grandson and one for myself. They were perfect for our six day trip. They glide easily and fit perfectly in the overhead plane storage, which was exactly what I wanted. The locks are secure and approved by the airlines. These were a great purchase. Highly recommend.&rdquo; Quite a few reviewers shared plans to give these bags as wedding and graduation gifts, by the way.

From Kris688, of Austin: &ldquo;Great for the price! I was able to fit five days worth of clothes and a couple of pairs of shoes without using the expandable part. It&rsquo;s lightweight, which made it easy to lift into the overhead bin. So happy with my purchase.&rdquo;

The Checked Bags

Offered in 24- and 28-inch for the softside and 25- and 29-inch hardside models, these big boys got big love from our customers&ndash;mostly for being lightweight, easy to pack and pull, and loaded with great features like zippered compartments, a wet bag, and the option to expand to pack even more stuff. Our customers tend to do their research, and many wrote to say that after checking out competitive brands with big names and hefty price tags, they purchased Ascent.

While softside luggage tends to be popular because of its relatively light weight, hardside luggage has the considerable advantage of offering more protection for its contents. Made of durable ABS plastic with polycarbonate coating for extra strength, the Ascent&rsquo;s hardside gets high marks for maintaining appearances. The softside models, in rugged 840 denier plush twill polyester, also get high marks for their light weight and durability. So the choice is really a matter of personal preference.

Angeleno AJ200, who purchased the hardside case, agrees: &ldquo;This large spinner bag fits a ton of stuff inside and has very useful dividers for accessibility. There are even small zippered pockets on the X-strap that secures one side, which are perfect for small items like kids&rsquo; socks or chargers. I was comfortable putting some delicate items like cameras inside, thanks to the hard shell.&rdquo;

Atlanta&rsquo;s Spirit called out the wet bag in her 5-star review: &ldquo;You can use it for a wet bathing suit, but I used mine for mouthwash and body lotion. You sure can&#39;t lose with this one!&rdquo;

From Tushgem of Monterey Park, California, comes this envy-inspiring 5-star review: &ldquo;Love my new luggage set!! One for cruising (29&quot;), one for European train travel (25&quot;) and one for weekend trips (20&quot;). And I&#39;m off and running!!!

BooZee, of Seattle sums it all up: &ldquo;I have been through many different luggage lines. These are very affordable, so don&rsquo;t waste your money on expensive luggage.&rdquo;

Happy trails!

Little Life-Changer: The Emeril™ Lagasse 360 Power Air Fryer

Erin D. Bush

Holidays

If 2018 was the year of the Instant Pot®, 2019 is the year of the air fryer. We all love fried foods, and now we finally have an appliance that lets us enjoy all of that delicious crispy goodness in a healthier way. Our current favorite of these miracle appliances is The Emeril™ Lagasse 360 Power Air Fryer.

We’ll admit, though, its name does it a bit of an injustice. It really should be called the Emeril™ Lagasse 360 Power Air Fryer-Roaster-Broiler-Rotisserie-Dehydrator-Oven-Toaster-Pizza Oven-Slow Cooker. Although we get that that’s a mouthful. This thing is small but mighty and is a game-changer for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and meal prep. Killer fries and wings are just the beginning! Here’s why we’re loving it.

Major Space-Saver

This air fryer looks basically like a toaster oven, but it’s actually nine appliances that take up the space of just one. Its small size makes it useful, too. It heats up quickly and, for fast meals, we end up using it more often than we do our actual ovens.

Holiday Helper

If you’re responsible for hosting any upcoming holiday gatherings, you’re probably at least a little bit stressed out. If not, we want what you’re having. This air fryer makes it easy to whip up delicious main dishes and sides that will taste like they required way more effort than they actually did.

5 Thanksgiving Dishes to Make in an Emeril Lagasse 360 Power Air Fryer

This Thanksgiving, use your air fryer to create some delicious, easy, stress-free sides. Just throw these into the air fryer the morning of the holiday.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Toss brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in a single layer in the basket, and roast for 5 to 7 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. They’ll come out perfectly tender, crispy, and ready for your guests to devour.

Garlic Parmesan Au Gratin Potatoes

Slice potatoes thin, and dip into a mixture of ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup cream, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon onion powder. Layer and top with Parmesan and Asiago cheese. Cook for 10 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown, and you’ll have light, buttery, and cheesy perfection to complement your meal.

Cornbread Stuffing

Use your favorite <a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/blogs/recipe/savory-cornbread-stuffing-recipe-with-sausage-and-sage">cornbread stuffing recipe</a> and place in a pan, then bake at 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Let cool, serve, and enjoy.

Dinner Rolls

Form dough into round balls and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Brush with melted butter immediately after removing from the fryer. Serve buttery, soft, and flaky deliciousness.

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Create your batter using ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 2 large eggs, 15 ounces canned pumpkin, and 12 ounces evaporated milk.

Pour the sweet potato batter into the pie shell and bake at 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 mins. You’ll end up with impeccably flaky pies for your family to enjoy.

Meal Prep Master

If you&rsquo;re thinking of putting the air fryer away after the holidays, we have two words for you: meal prep. We love crisping up brussels sprouts and broccoli and roasting potatoes to use as side dishes and salad toppers throughout the week. If you&rsquo;ve got vegetables covered, we&rsquo;d like to remind you that you can make a rotisserie chicken in this thing.

If you need us, you can probably find us over by the air fryer.

Little Life-Changers: Cleaning the Kitchen

Cleaning

OXO Good Grips® Soap Dispensing Palm Brush

Keep one of these by your sink at all times. It&rsquo;s the quickest way to wash your pots and pans since you can dispense soap right from the brush. It&rsquo;s also pretty awesome for cleaning more difficult tools, like spiralizers.

Scrub Daddy® Lemon Fresh Sponge

If you know, you know. If you don&rsquo;t know, we&rsquo;re telling you now. The Scrub Daddy&reg; Lemon Fresh Sponge is a sponge and scrubber in one&ndash; it softens in warm water and becomes coarser in cold water. You can use the mouth to clean silverware, and it won&rsquo;t scratch. Plus, it smiles at you while you clean.

Casabella® 3-Pack Bottle Brushes

You know that thing when you&rsquo;re trying to clean a glass or water bottle, but you can&rsquo;t actually get all the way to the bottom of it? That&rsquo;s actually not a thing you have to deal with at all. These bottle brushes can get into the bottom of champagne flutes, water bottles, and into all kinds hard-to-reach crevices.

Bar Keeper's Friend® 21-Ounce Cleanser and Polish

This stuff is not just for barkeepers. Everyone needs it. We&rsquo;re pretty sure it&rsquo;s made from unicorn dust or something, because we honestly can&rsquo;t believe how well it actually works. Use it to clean stainless steel cookware, ceramic cooktops, and more. It makes getting rid of lime and rust look like no big deal.

Little Life-Changer: Hack Your Home With Hooks!

If there’s one thing the Kardashians have taught us, it’s that there’s no such thing as too big a closet. If there’s one thing real life has taught us, it’s that we need to work with the closet we have, and not necessarily the one we want. And depending on your living situation, that can mean a really small closet. Same goes for kitchens. And bathrooms. We all want our homes to look like they’re on the cover of a magazine. But, for most of us, they just don’t.

But, a small space is no excuse for a disorganized space. And, as you might have guessed, we’re here to help. While there are lots of ways to get organized, we’re going to start with one of the simplest ways, which happens to be one of our favorites: hanging lots of hooks. Specifically, hanging lots of 3M Command Hooks, which are easy to use, durable, and don’t require power tools or putting holes in your wall.

Here’s the rundown on how to make the most of your closets, kitchens, bathrooms, and more.

Closet

Have you ever suffered from “tons of clothing, nothing to wear syndrome?” Most of the time, that syndrome is caused by the fact that you can’t see all of your options because of overcrowded shelves and hangers.

First, you’ll need to pare down. Take everything you haven’t worn in a year out of your closet, sell and donate things that are in good condition, and toss or upcycle the rest. Then, store everything you like and wear that’s not currently in season. Now that you’ve got the things that you need right now, it’s time to make more space using, you guessed it, hooks. Here are our favorite ways.

Bags

Bag pileup is the worst. You end up using only the two that are on top, and the ones on the bottom go overlooked and get squished. We like to hang these on the inside of the closet door, or on the wall closest to the bedroom door. Use different sized command hooks at different heights to hang all your backpacks, handbags, and purses. You’ll be able to see and access everything, all while making good use of dead space.

Jewelry

How is it that every time we put a necklace away, it’s totally tangled when we go to put it on again, even if we haven’t touched it at all? What exactly is happening to our necklaces when we’re away from them? We’d like to do a thorough investigation. In the meantime, we’ll settle for hanging them. Use small hooks for necklaces and bracelets. You’ll be able to see everything you have clearly and they won’t be knotted when it’s time to use them again.

Accessories

Things like belts, scarves and ties can go on specialty hangers if you have enough room. If you don’t, use hooks! Use them on the closet wall or the inside of the door. This arrangement also works really well for hats!

Clothing

Hang bulky sweatshirts, especially the ones you wear often, on the doors or walls of your closet. You’ll be able to access them easily as you’re walking out. Another way to use this hook is to treat it as additional hanging space. Put hangers on it and use it for shirts!

Kitchen/Pantry

Do you have that recurring nightmare where you go into your kitchen, try to open the drawer where you keep your tools, and a spatula that’s sticking up in just the wrong way makes it so you have to engage in a wrestling match with the drawer to get it open? And then you realize that it’s not a recurring nightmare at all but an actual, real thing that’s happening to you? Us too. Or, that was us, until we decided to uncrowd the drawer and start hanging some of our tools on the walls.

Use Command Hooks to hang spatulas and turners, tongs, wooden spoons, and measuring cups. They’re also great for oven mitts, trivets, and baking gear. Use them the pantry to hang dish towels and cleaning supplies, like brushes dust pans, and brooms, and to hang baskets that can be used to store smaller items.

Bathroom

Bathrooms never have enough storage to keep everything you want in them. And when it comes to the shower or bath, we often just leave shampoo and body wash bottles in the corners of the bath, which is generally fine except for when they fall down into the bath and you have to bend down to get them, and you hope the thing that fell isn’t your razor because ouch.

Hang a shower caddy (or two) on the wall, and a soap dish both in the shower and by the sink. A razor holder will hold your razor safely. The bathroom collection’s mildew-resistant design means you’ll be able to use the items for a long time.

Little Life-Changer: Brookstone Super Stretch Bath Towel

Home & Decorating

Sometimes, you get out of the shower, dry off, get dressed, and go about your day. Other times, you get out of the shower, sit around in your towel for anywhere between 45 minutes and four hours, and then eventually prepare yourself to leave the house. Those precious moments are something we lovingly refer to as towel time. Towel time is special, and can be used for anything from watching TV to blow-drying your hair, or cooking, cleaning, even having a (solo or not) dance party. What you do with it is up to you.

Not all towels are created equal, especially when it comes to towel time. That’s not to say we don’t love all—OK, most—of our towels. They just each possess a different skill set. And there’s one towel we’ve found that helps us do life, and towel time, better. That would be the Brookstone® Super Stretch Bath Towel. It’s a little life-changer.

Made with a blend of super-soft cotton and spandex, the Brookstone® Super Stretch Bath Towel stretches 40 percent larger than its original size. It hugs your body and stays firmly in place, so that while you’re lying around, or meal prepping or solo dancing, you don’t have to worry about the towel falling down. It’s seriously plush and absorbent, and it will hold on to its softness wash after wash. Trust us when we say you need this towel in your life. Check out our video to see it in action.

To complete your collection, grab a few of its companion hand towels and washcloths, too, and put them in every bathroom in the house. Though we can’t recommend them for dancing around the kitchen, they do stretch nicely for your washing and drying needs.

Lisa Thomas

Freshen Up Your Fall Closet

Spring isn&rsquo;t the only time for cleaning. Sweater weather is here, which means it&rsquo;s time to clear out your summer clothes, dust and vacuum your closet, and swap in your fall wardrobe and accessories. If the thought of organizing your closet seems daunting, don&rsquo;t worry. We&rsquo;ve rounded up affordable and creative solutions to make the most of your space. Let the chaos-free closet organizing begin!

Hang in There

Sleek and sturdy velvet hangers save space and are good for warm, heavy suits. For accessories like ties, belts, and scarves, go vertical! A hanger with coated hooks will help protect your delicate items while saving you precious closet space. Roll up bulky sweaters and keep them in a hanging organizer.

Contain What You Can’t Hang

Rather than folding and stacking your softer, thinner clothes, like cotton shirts, camisoles, and leggings into piles that will inevitably fall over and make a mess, roll them. Then store them in a clear, over-the-door shoe rack placed (where else?) over your door. Or, hang the rack facing sideways on a clothing rod.

Tuck your rolled clothing into clear shoe boxes and place the shoe boxes on shelves or in a dresser drawer (if a dresser fits in your closet). When using a drawer, place dividers inside to keep softer garments in place and to group them by category.

Restyle Shelving

&ldquo;I have too much shoe storage,&rdquo; said no one ever. When you&rsquo;ve run out of space on your shoe racks, magazine holders can be used to store your flats and flip flops right on your shelves. Simply place them into the holder vertically, and line them up pair by pair. They&rsquo;ll be easy to see and easy to access.

For your clothing, shelf dividers are a must-have. Use them to keep stacks of shirts and pants from falling over. For the top shelf of your closet, use collapsible bins to hold things like sweatshirts and sweatpants. They&rsquo;re lightweight and fold easily when you&rsquo;re not using them.

Give Closet Clutter the Boot (and Shoe)

Boots take up a lot of space as they are, and tend to topple over and then subsequently take up even more space. Use boot shapers to keep them upright, and store them right on the closet floor. If you have the space, a revolving rack is another way to keep unruly boots and shoes in check. Here&rsquo;s a hack: A mounted coat rack on an otherwise unused wall is another way of storing shoes. Simply hang them from the pegs!

Take Control of the Kid’s Closet

Organizing ideas for a kid&rsquo;s closet are not all that different than those for your own. Just think small. For example, rather than stretching kids&rsquo; clothes out on adult-sized hangers, preserve their garments by placing them on kid-sized ones. Have a baby? Use storage options that grow with your child. Sure, babies go through a lot of clothes, but the garments don&rsquo;t require much vertical space. Store more by hanging three tension rods stacked vertically. As your child grows into larger clothes, remove a rod.

Have several children sharing a closet? Use labels to separate clothing by size or name. And add a step stool to help kids get to stuff that&rsquo;s out of reach.

Kristy Ojala

10 Cute Corner Storage Solutions

Whether you simply strongly dislike a sad, empty corner in any room, or you’re looking to maximize the few corners in a tiny space, a corner table or series of corner-friendly shelves can host a surprising number of tchotchkes. Framed photos and delicate plants are up, up, and away from the danger zone of most pedestrian traffic; cool vases and pieces procured from travels around the globe can be held aloft and adored; favorite art books can be displayed as sunlight filters over them.

Here are our 10 favorite options for storing our favorite items in underused corners.

Tiered Corner Tables 
If you’re all aflutter with the gold-and-matte-black accent, try this Art Deco–inspired, three-shelf table for a living room or bedroom corner. It’s just begging for a sweet etched perfume tray, vintage copy of Vogue, and a Champagne flute. (Dried flower in bud vase optional.) Constructed from steel and glass, it can hold up to 50 pounds—so don’t be shy.

A handsome, timeless corner table can not only store and display all your randomly sized treasures, it also acts as a sleek accent (we love the Monarch Specialties bookcase in walnut and white). For those with pets and small children, high-tiered shelves are a good spot to store breakables and electronics.

Quick and Easy Storage 
Nothing sells us on a product more than the tagline “no tools required,” and this Wakefield corner cabinet is a cinch to set up. While it’s mainly for bathroom storage, we can also see it in an entryway or bedroom corner. Customer JoppaChocoholic from Maryland notes, “I also found natural seagrass baskets at BBB to perfectly fit the spaces to better organize our toiletries and other gear in this space. We are very happy with this purchase.”&nbsp; 
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Use a corner unit with cabinet doors to hide and organize bathroom supplies and small appliances.

Warm and modern, a bamboo corner shelf can punch up any room, store lightweight items, and complement a maximalist color scheme. It’s particularly great for bathroom storage, since bamboo is moisture-resistant.

Best for Books 
Closed sides and glass shelves are ideal for storing odds and ends that either don’t fit in your regular bookshelves or deserve a little extra attention, such as coffee-table books.

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