By HELEN VNUK

My house was pretty much under control before I had kids. I had plenty of things, but I knew where to find them. I had cans of food neatly lined up in my pantry. I had books grouped by subject on the shelves. I had CDs in alphabetical order.

Since having kids, my house is now overflowing with things. Or, to be more accurate, clutter.

I have so many fluffy toy animals in the house that I swear they must be reproducing when I’m not looking. As for Lego, there are apparently 62 bricks for every person in the world. If you haven’t got your 62, I may have them. Embedded in my foot.

I don’t have a lot of spare time and I don’t have a lot of space, so the only way I can get on top of all the clutter in my house is to have smarter storage. (Or for my kids to do their fair share of the housework, which I can’t see happening anytime soon).

Here are the best storage hacks I’ve come across:

1. Storage hacks for the bedroom.

2. Storage hacks for the bathroom.

3. Storage hacks for the kitchen.

4. Storage hacks for the kids’ bedroom.

What’s your best storage hack?

Make a hole in the tip of a pacifier and stick a dropper through it. And presto! An easy medicine dispenser.

Bathe your child in a laundry basket so their toys don't float away.

Trace your kids feet so you can do their shoe shopping without them

Need a place to put the kids down? Make a hammock with a bedsheet and the dining table.

For an easy at home faucet extender, just cut up an old lotion bottle.

Next time the boogieman strikes, spray some homemade monster spray. It's the cure to a parent's sleepless night.

When it comes to solving sibiling arguments, this is how some mothers do it.

Push your kid on a swing from afar using a string or rope. Or maybe don't. Unless you happen to be wheelchair bound.

Freeze your baby's pacifier the night before to soothe teething gums.

Turn your household chores into a game. Your kids won't know the difference.

Get your children to sit on an exercise ball when they do their homework. It'll improve their concentration.

Let your kids play on the monkey bars to improve their penmanship. It helps strengthen the upper body and the fine tune motor skills that can lead to better handwriting.