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I love the Container Store! A bit pricey, but I always find stuff to use for organizing. I bought some of those 3 tiered rolling carts for the hall closet and some stackable plastic bins (that weren't too expensive) for one of the bedroom closets. I also like those little wire shelf things that let you stack more stuff in your cabinets - I use those in the pantry and with my dishes. Vertical is the way to go - whether it's bins or shelves, you can stack things so much more neatly and access is easy. I also have a hanging pot rack over my island which helps free up cabinet storage for other kitchen stuff.
I do not recommend Sterilite containers. We packed up a bunch of stuff when we were getting the house recarpeted and now we have 3 or 4 containers that are still packed and we have no idea what's in them. Every once and awhile we'll be missing something and say "It must be in one of those containers" and then shrug. However, that would be a good strategy if you ever do decide to get rid of stuff. Pack it away and if you haven't missed it or used it in a year, you may not need it!
Before you buy more "stuff" get to the point where you know what you have to work with.
One drawer at a time, one shelf at a time. Go through it, what has not been used in over a year "trash", "donate, "take up space at a friend's house". Do not hang on to these boxes. Get them out of the house the next day. Mismatched glasware, towels, bowls, out of date groceries, cutsy dustables ... If you do n ot use it it does not matter how dear the person is who gave it to you, how expensive it was and that your youngest broke a tooth on it.
I live with a pack rat. And even my pack rat has actively started cleaning out garage and his cave. If it is not finished by deer season his dear will go hunting with him. Whatever incentive it takes:>)
I have a feeling that most of the problem is not with the amount of stuff but the way it is organized. So, if there are any gadgets, shelves, etc. that helped please let me know!
I think you are wrong about this. You don't need more shelves, you need less stuff. As to your pots and pans, I've had to keep some of mine in my garage because I like my cupboards sparse.
Pretend you are moving. What would you need to get rid of? What haven't you used in the past 6 months? I don't want to hear that you MIGHT want to wear something if you lose xx pounds, or you might want to make a do-dad out of that craft stuff. Six months or out (except for Christmas...Christmas gets thrown out in Jan if you didn't use it.)
It's not easy, but it's sort of fun. Just deal with a small area at a time. One bedroom closet, for example. Have plastic trash bags ready. Take 10 things out for the Goodwill bags. Then 10 more things. Then 10 more things. Do not stop until there is absolutely nothing left in the closet that you do not use. If budget allows, buy all new hangers in the same color (I like those flocked ones), and also a scented deoderizer for the shelf. This part is important....Put the bags into your car and go to Goodwill on the same day, or the next day at the latest. Make sure you write down everything you gave and get a reciept. This will all add up to a good sized donation on your income tax.
It is a GREAT feeling when you leave all that stuff at Goodwill. It's a great feeling when you look in your closet and there is plenty of space. After day one, and your closet is perfection, then you can tackle your dresser drawers,etc. What I'm trying to say is keep it to manageable little bites, and it's not overwhelming.
Try to figure out a homemade solution before you go spend money on organization stuff. Spend time thinking about your workflow and WHY things are disorganized. More often than not, I've found it's a question of "where" and "how" rather than "what".
That is, more often the clutter comes because you don't have a place to store something in the place where it is used, than it is a problem of not having the right container or gadget. For example, computer accessories, cables, and cords don't need a special container or labels or straps. A cardboard box and some rubber bands will work. But they have to be in the place where you use these things, not stored in some remote closet or drawer. If you have to go somewhere else to put something away, it will never get there. Put them in a box under your office desk or next to your computer.
If your kitchen utensils never seem to make it back into the drawer, you've probably designated the wrong drawer for storing these things, based on your workflow. Pick a drawer closer to the space where you prepare food. If there isn't one available, get a jar or other container to keep them on the shelf. If your pots and pans are a mess, perhaps the cabinet you store them in is too far away. Designate a different cabinet or get some nails and hang them on the wall, near where you use them.
If the area around your back door is a mess, you probably don't have the necessary storage space close enough to the back door so that you can put things away promptly. This causes you to trail things about the house or just dump them in a pile when you walk in the door. Again get some nails and use them as hooks for coats and scarves and bags. Use cardboard boxes as catchbins for shoes and toys and other things. Put a chair by the door so you can sit down and unload all these things, instead of having to go to another room to sit down, where you will likely leave all of your stuff and create clutter.
If you have lots of little things to store, over-the-door pocket organizers often work better than drawers. You can store things and retrieve them one-handed, and more quickly than if they were hidden in drawers. And they utilize vertical space that people often overlook.
If you're not sure where the most logical storage place is or what type of container is the best, take an item that is clutter right now, for example a cell phone. Trace it back to where it first enters the house, the back door for example. Stand there and close your eyes and imagine where you would put it if you could. Usually it's within arms reach. Then put something there so you can store it properly next time.
I worked at the Container Store in college and I saw so many people make this mistake: they bought a 'thing' and then tried to change their habits to suit that thing. It doesn't work that way. It's the opposite. You need to analyze your lifestyle and workflow and then find a 'thing' that supports your life. There may indeed be something you need to buy to keep you organized, but more often than not, you can find something around your house that will serve the purpose (at least temporarily until you figure out if you like that method or not).
The best way to keep things clean and organized is to go through and sort what is needed and what is excessive. Keep what is needed get rid of what is excessive. After you have done that put the items kept in the cabinet, on the shelf, in the drawer etc how you want them then...................put them back the same way every time they are used. That is the ONLY way to keep things clean and organized. You can have 100 containers full of stuff but that is useless IF you don't put said stuff back into said container when you are done using it.
IF you put it back where it belongs, how it belongs each time you use it, it will be there the next time exactly as it was found the time before and the time before.....
That is what is so overwhelming. Everyone has tips but no one seems to show if things were a long term solution. I get the whole throwing stuff out, and selling stuff, etc. What I am seeking are organization tools like cupboard organizers, etc. I would rather not run out and buy these if they only ended up contributing to the problem. Some things seem too good to be true. Anyone on this board a great organizer?
How do you keep your cupboards organized, your drawers organized? Do you and your dh on the same page with organization? My dh definition of cleaning is shoving things into drawers and cabinets whereas mine is everything has its place. Maybe they just need better places. But, throwing out everything simply because it doesn't fit in my cupboards seems a bit premature. Our cupboards didn't seem to be built for an entire set of pots.
my suggestion:
write up a lists of tasks for cleaning in the house. if your spouse is not the greatest organizer, give him the tasks that don't require organizing. mopping floors, vacuuming, etc. you take the tasks that are organizing.
as for storage. i bought a nice bucket at container store. it's a mop bucket that has another piece that fits into it. i store 75% of our cleaning supplies in there.
kitchen sink, i just have everything that is relevant to that room.
cupboards - organize your dishes and glasses based on use.
pantry items - go through and organize your spices. half of them have gone bad anyways. there's a great book "the cheapskate next door" that i just started reading. he recommends going 1 week every year without spending a dollar. you wind up clearing out your cabinets of all the canned items you've accumulated as a result - he said. i haven't tried it.
but try and use something from your cupboards every day for 2 weeks. that'll help you consume the stuff, and then just don't replace it.
My home is very small...1200 sq ft. I've found that a combination of getting rid of what I dont use and being organized about what I do use works well. I had a handyman install shelving in all my closets and I use organizers from Organize.It and The Container Store (and other places) in all my kitchen cabinets. I also store any excess items neatly in my garage:
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Every once and awhile we'll be missing something and say "It must be in one of those containers" and then shrug. However, that would be a good strategy if you ever do decide to get rid of stuff. Pack it away and if you haven't missed it or used it in a year, you may not need it!
Very helpful advice! 
