June came and went and July was in and out like a blaze. Just before we enter (savor) the final month of summer, let’s recap the list of Live Simply field-tested favorites. Stand out products in their own right, all 7 will help keep you organized while at home and on the road (plus there’s one to protect your pearly whites).  

1. Maple racks

This no frills rack proves once again, that Simple is best.

I started off with a much “fancier” lid rack for a client’s kitchen, and could not have been more disappointed by it. Its dividers could be moved and it had rubber feet, but it didn’t succeed in doing the one thing I actually needed it to, which was allow me to store said lids stacked. So I took it back to basics and in so doing, fell in love with this maple peg rack. Available in a taller version or a shorter one, it works amazingly well to stack things like lids, lightweight trays, plates, and so on. Also, it’s about three times cheaper than its alternatives.

2. Wine holders

FTR, this product successfully contains bottles of wine just fine. So there’s that. Recently, though, I employed a crew of them to contain water bottles in a client’s kitchen cupboard. It turns out that doing so is a brilliant way to avoid the dreaded bottle-roll-and-tumble act. 

3. In-drawer knife rack (also available here)

Frankly, I’m surprised I haven’t mentioned this sooner. For those with an excess of kitchen drawers, or who prefer to have as few things as possible out on their countertops, this rack is the perfect way to safely store knives in a drawer.

4. Packing cubes (Large // Medium // Small)

I first mentioned these in a post about organized packing. Then, taking my own advise, I ordered them for myself. I’m happy to report that I believe them to be entirely fantastic.

Using these cubes allows you to organize the contents of your bag, compress the contents within the cube and separate between your clean and dirty clothes via separate zippered sections.

I used one for my dressier clothes, one for my workout wear/pajamas/etc., and one for my underwear/bras/swimsuits/etc. Then, I made one of the Laundry zippered sections for darks and one for lights. While traveling, it was stupidly easy to keep my bag neat and to prevent the clean and dirty from co-mingling. When I got home, I unzipped the laundry sections over the respective hampers and boom boom boom.

Will never not travel with these again.

5. Charcoal teeth whitener

Brush your teeth with this black powder and prepare to marvel at how much more effective it is than any other whitening product you’ve tried in the past, minus any pain or sensitivity. 

I’ve been using it for a little over three months and let me tell you: it works. For those wondering, I ordered the peppermint flavor, and am happy to report that it has absolutely no taste whatsoever.

The only caveat to this product that you must be aware of going in (or you will curse me endlessly) is that it is messy. You must be intentional about how you spit, and about any flicking of the brush. And you will likely need to wipe up your whole sink area for good measure after using it. Alternatively, you might consider using it in the shower.

But still, a mess that’s worth it.

6. Foldable travel bag

If it’s possible to truly love an exceptionally lightweight bag, then I am head over heels for this. It’s as light as air, folds up into itself into a bundle that’s smaller than a loaded diaper, and then unfurls into the most impressively expansive bag. This makes the bag the pinch hitter of the travel world. Pack it in your suitcase and then pull it out when you need a place to put your souvenirs, or your dirty clothes, or your small child (I wouldn’t put it past this puppy to fit one of those).

City and I had one with us in Greece this summer, and it came in so handy that he requested to use it again on his next trip. I quickly bought another one.

7. 8 Compartment supply caddy w/ removable dividers

This caddy is clean, sleek, and features a few inner, removable dividers. It’s the perfect thing for keeping things like pens, pencils, crayons, and so on at hand on an arts and crafts table.

P.S.

If you have strange but fully functioning knees, and/or a curvy bottom half, and/or you generally hate wearing shorts, these are the shorts for you.