Decluttering Is the Secret to Staying Organized With Kids, Says Shawn Johnson East

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East and her husband, former NFL football player Andrew East, lead very busy lives: they’re both retired athletes raising three small children while juggling speaking engagements and, in Johnson East’s case, even being an Olympic correspondent. 

For some, staying organized can feel like an impossible task while life’s moments get in the way, but the couple has found a way to make it possible—even during back-to-school season. 

There’s a Place for Everything, and Everything Has Its Place

This is the motto of the East family. Organizing is more Johnson East’s passion, growing up as an only child with lots of organization at home—and that’s why the couple’s recent partnership with Rubbermaid made her so giddy. 

“I would say organizing now is just like having a place for everything, truly,” Johnson East says. “And prepping it and making sure it's accessible for kids. But having the place for their backpack, having all their snacks in a container, and having all their breakfast options in a container.”

And to keep everything in its place, the family uses Rubbermaid Brilliance containers—and lots of them. 

“I feel like that's when you know you are a married mom—when Rubbermaid storage containers really bring you joy.”

Their favorite thing about keeping their pantry and refrigerator organized? The aesthetic. The Rubbermaid Brilliance collection's storage is modular, so everything stacks neatly and you can see what’s in each container. 

“I think there's nothing better than taking a step back and just taking in the fully organized look.”

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Decluttering Takes the Gold in This Household

Johnson East is a major fan of decluttering—and nothing is off-limits in the East household. 

“I purge so heavy-handed—the more the merrier,” she shares. “My decluttering process is whenever Andrew goes out of town, it's time to declutter.”

The pair agree that East is more of the type to want to hold onto things, so he lets Johnson East have complete control over what goes and what gets to stay. 

“It really is hard because you get emotionally attached to certain things,” East says. “But, ultimately, you realize you don't need most of most of the things.” 

And this makes decluttering all the easier for Johnson East who declutters everywhere from their closet, their refrigerator, and their kids’ toys. 

Taking Things Day-by-Day Is Still Super Important 

Even while in Paris for the 2024 Olympics, staying organized wasn’t a perfect process. Johnson East is a big fan of fully unpacking and putting luggage away, even in temporary stays, but with their busy schedules and keeping the kids entertained, their nightly closing shift cleaning was pushed to the side—so getting back into their usual routines at home was super important. 

East grew up with four other siblings at home, so organization doesn’t come as easy to him. As a family, they take organization day by day and work to establish routines that work for the entire family—after all, kids can throw a real wrench into your plans. 

The couple has a Sunday night debrief where they set up their expectations for the week, set up their calendar, and get the house prepared—but things like meal prep are a day-to-day task thanks to the kiddos. 

It’s all a work in progress, though, as the family settles into their routines this school year.