It’s January! Therefore, I want to organize all the things.

I’m not the only one. The National Association of Professional Organizers has designated January as Get Organized Month. There’s something about the new year that is perfect for evaluating what is working in your home, what isn’t … and how you can make it better.

I love shopping at Goodwill to help me get organized. Check out the Housewares section for interesting containers in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes I shop with a list of items to specifically look for. Sometimes I buy something I love. Then I go home and figure out what to put into it.

And sometimes, I see something truly awesome, but for some weird reason, I pass on it. Then I regret it the moment I get home and realize what I could have used it for!

This lime green case would have been perfect to corral all of the various card games my son received for Christmas. (Who knew there were so many different versions of Uno?) Sadly, I passed on it!

But the items I did purchase are being put to good use.

I was specifically looking for a container sturdy enough to hold wooden spoons. I don’t like rummaging through the kitchen drawers every time I need a spoon. This glass vase was perfect! It is sturdy, looks pretty on the counter and only cost $2.99. Check that item off my list!

I found two other containers that were not large enough for the spoons, but I liked them so much I bought them anyway. I ended up using them to organize art supplies in my basement/studio. One of my intentions for 2022 is to focus on my artwork a little every day. I have the space and the supplies, but they needed organizing.

This container with glass mosaic pieces was only $1.99 and perfect for my watercolor paintbrushes.

And this $1.99 glass container on a pedestal turns out to be exactly what I needed to collect little odds and ends I’ve been saving to embellish mixed-media projects.

My favorite item I found was a wooden caddy that was only $2 thanks to Goodwill’s color-of-the-day sale. I also upcycle all kinds of plastic drinking cups to hold pens, pencils and office supplies. The caddy helps me keep everything in one handy spot on my table. Now I always know where the scissors are!

I tallied up my purchases and I spent about $9 at Goodwill for four useful and unique containers. Where else can you organize your entire life for under $10?

OK—maybe not my entire life. I’m still kicking myself for passing on that lime green case. I’ll have to look for something for all of those Uno card games on my next Goodwill shopping trip.

Happy New Year!

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Courtney Mickalonis

Courtney Mickalonis is an artist, teacher, and blogger at All Things New Again, a furniture and paint boutique in Leesburg, VA. She finds old furniture that nobody loves anymore and makes it beautiful—and useful—again. Courtney teaches furniture painting classes at their Leesburg studio and hosts The Furniture Painting Friday Show live every Friday at 8 p.m. on the All Things New Again Facebook page.