As a Latina mom, juggling everything from home, work, school schedules, sports and child activities, and yes, meal preparation while having sense of mental sanity can be challenging at times. Through trial and error I have adopted many practical approaches in my home organization, including yes, blasting la música while cleaning.  These are all items that I use in my home and that have changed the way I organize and I can't wait to share them with you In hopes that they can help you too.

12 Mom Organizing Must Have Items for Every Latina Home 

1.   The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing in English or La magia del orden in Spanish

I read this book a few years ago and it changed my life, it changed the way I view cleaning and organizing. Marie's very simplistic approach to only keeping the things that bring you joy and happiness really changed the way I view my home. You can take her approach and either go very minimalistic or simply start to keep the things that you truly love and appreciate. I highly recommend this book. The biggest change for me was in the way I organize my clothing and the way I fold my clothing.

After a few years of implementing Marie’s method I can tell you that my drawers always look amazing and I can actually find our clothes!  I know she has written other books and she's not as strict in her organization as she was when she wrote this book, but it's definitely worth reading.

2.  Aurora AU800SD Professional Strip Cut Paper Shredder

I had a problem with the way I was organizing my mail. I don't understand why we STILL get junk mail. This became a problem because mail would just accumulate and wouldn't be tended to for weeks. Mail was simply a drag. It wasn't until I spoke with Yeinsy Contreras, my accountability partner, organizational guru, and guest on my podcast,  Latina Mom Legacy,  that I realized my approach to mail was all wrong.

She recommended that I purchase a portable paper shredderthat I could house next to the mail station and create a habit of shredding daily junk mail.   As I've adopted this new habit I can tell you that I love my paper shredder and love getting rid of junk mail. It gives you a sense of instant gratification as you instantly shred your mail and get rid of something that isn't serving you.  This simple change has completely changed something that was very painful and now has become something to look forward to.

3. Skylight Calendar: 15-inch Digital Calendar & Chore Chart

This is my refrigerator calendar and I absolutely love it!  Yes, it is a splurge, BUT, hear me out, the mental sanity you get in return is priceless.  Here's why:

• It syncs to your calendars.  Any updates you create on your phone, google, or outlook calendar will appear instantly.
• No need to write it out and have various calendars.
• You can add chores for family members to help keep everyone in the casita accountable and responsible.
• You can change the views from daily, weekly, to monthly.

The best part?   There are fewer fights with my husband that used to sound like, "Why didn't you tell me?"  First thing everyone does when they wake up, ok maybe not the first thing, people have to pee and brush their teeth, but second thing we do is look at the calendar to see what's going on for the day, week, or month.

The original DOES NOT come with a magnet that you can just attach to the refrigerator, so I recommend you get the magnetic attachment separately.  The original one looks more like a picture frame, which is ok if you have a great deal of counter space.  We have a tiny kitchen so space is at a premium.

By the way, the calendar also has the option for a subscription for added features.  I don't use this.  I mean, I don't really need another subscription to keep track of.   You don't need the subscription to have the main function of the calendar, which to me is the biggest feature.

4. OneSpace 6-Cube Organizer

As I mentioned before I like to be practical and in my opinion, the cubby furniture or the cube organizer organizing furniture is by far the most versatile piece of furniture that you can use.  I said versatile, not necessarily a designer piece.   I own several pieces of these and I've used them for multiple reasons.  I have a larger one in my kitchen that we use to put cereals and where my storage bins go.  I have another similar one in my daughter's creative space that comes with drawers. I know where my storage containers are and anything that is basically too large to fit in in the pantry or in the cabinets. 

I also have one in my living room where we put pictures and also houses the keys, and face masks, and anything that we need to get out the door.  I have one in my daughter's room that we use as a bookshelf to keep her books organized and anything that that she needs these are and my husband has a couple of these in his office which he uses in his music studio. We love how versatile these are and you can buy storage cubes that compliment these.  It's a great piece of inexpensive furniture that you can invest in.

5.  Woven Storage Baskets For Organizing 

One of the methods under Marie Kondo is to organize everything in your home in bins or baskets and these baskets are amazing.   They're very strong and this is where I house all of my linens, my rolled up towels, and just about everything that go in drawers.  These then these get stored either on shelves or in drawers and they come in multiple sizes. These are also great for organizing small spaces.  I go a little more in depth about maximizing small spaces as I was named an expert in anApartmentGuide article. Check out the featured article: How to Declutter Your Home Fast: Tips From Our Experts | ApartmentGuide

6.   Pack Refrigerator Storage Bins, Clear Plastic Fridge

I love using clear bins especially in the kitchen for my refrigerator and for my pantry and again everything is organized and compartmentalized or separated so that it's easier for you to one organize and it's also easier for you to find.  I have multiples of these throughout the home and throughout the kitchen.  In the refrigerator we have bins for fruits,  vegetables, cheeses,  and yogurts.  These are great to organize your refrigerator or your pantry.  You can also get stackable bins that make it easy when space is limited. I have bins with salty snacks, bins for dry goods, bins for sweet snacks and again it's just a way to be able to organize and see everything at a glance and it also makes it easier when it comes to cleaning.

7. LETMY Broom Holder Wall Mounted - Mop and Broom Hanger Holder

Many mop and broom organizers out in the market just have enough space to put your mops and brooms or are too large.  I love this mop organizer because it actually has additional hooks that you can hook your mops and brooms onto or that you can add additional items like maybe an umbrella or maybe some cleaning cloths. It's the simple addition of the hooks that makes a big difference in organizing your cleaning and dusting supplies.

8. OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser

In the bathroom I have many smaller clear bins where I have cotton and Q tips and organize all of my items in the bathroom cabinet with these easy roll out drawers.  One thing that I love and that I've actually gifted is this wipe dispenser because it it's sleek, it's functional, and it's a way that you can keep your wipes organized and presented to your guests in a very nice way.

9.  UTTY Multipurpose Portable Drying Rack – Hang Sports Equipment

If you're a sports mom like me ....we're a hockey family, housing sports equipment and finding places to store equipment and to dry them was a challenge until I found this hanging hook system. It's perfect because you can  hang them in different places, either in your basement, outside, or designated space.  The multiple hooks provide ample area to hang different sports equipment or different items and it really gets them organized and in one spot. You don't have to have them scattered all over the floor or all over the home.

10.   Over The Door Shoe/ Multi Use Organizer 24 Large Mesh Pockets

I love these multifunctional over the door organizersthey can be used for shoes or just about anything.  I've used them for multiple uses like shoes and I hang them over closet doors and others I've used to organize my daughter's small toys.  You can also use it to organize small things like socks, underwear, or scarves. These are really effective and they provide a lot of organization in a small or tight space.

11.  10-Drawer Rainbow Organizer

If you have a child that loves to do art or that has a lot of Lego toys or small toys this is great multifunctional and multi use bin system that they can use.  It is also colorful and fun for them.   We use these bins to house everything from Lego in my daughter's play area and we also have another one to sort all of her art supplies.   It's really a great way to help keep them organized and teach them the importance of everything having a home and place.

12.  Keychain Tape Measure

This may seem like a silly item but it is one that I use time and time again and so it's important that when you're organizing and when you're making purchases that you measure the space that you have so that you can maximize the space and it's usage.  One thing that I have attached to my keychain is a mini tape measure and this is super helpful because not only do I know exactly where I have a tape measure at all times, but I use it to measure drawers or cabinets or spaces in the home prior to going to the store.  Once I am in the store I am able to use my keychain tape measure once again to see if the items will actually fit within the space. This is a very simple item that is so practical and will make a world of difference in your mom life period.

Final Thoughts on Organizing Must Have Items for Your Casa

Maintaining an organized home doesn't have to be a difficult task.  The key is to find practical ways and practical items that help you and make organizing a simple part of life. Sometimes it's as easy as adding something like a paper shredder to change the way you do things. It can also mean the difference of having a clear bin versus an opaque one to know where things are located. Finding ways to make our lives easier as moms will help us in maintaining our homes organized  and keeping our mental sanity.  It ensures that we spend less time cleaning and organizing and more time on the those things that are important to us, like our familia.

For more tips on organizing and cleaning listen to episode 404 of the Latina Mom Legacy with Yeinsy Contreras on organizing the home. This Spanish episode provides the Latina mom ample ways that she can change her home life to help her live a more fulfilling one.