In some houses, the pantry can be a place of mess and chaos. With no organization system, items are frequently lost. You may find yourself running to the grocery store to buy cornstarch, only to later find two more boxes already stashed behind the sugar. Creating a logical and simple organization system for your kitchen pantry can save you frustration and maybe even some money.
Clear it out
1. Before you can start organizing your pantry, remove all items from it and set them on the kitchen floor or table. Clean out any spills or messes in the pantry. Next, toss out any items that have passed their expiration date. If you have any items that you know you will never use (like those three cans of lima beans that no one in your family will touch), consider donating them to a food drive.
Separate
2. Begin separating the food into categories. Items like canned vegetables should go together. Canned fruits go in another pile. Put all spices and seasonings together. Make as many piles and categories as you wish. Everyone's categorization techniques will be different, so do what makes sense for you. If you bake a lot, you might want to have all the basic ingredients together, including flour, sugar, baking soda and brown sugar. Another idea is to keep bottled liquids like oil, vinegar and molasses all together so that they can stand upright and not spill.
Storage Bins
3. Count how many piles you have, and consider their sizes. Visit Marshall’s or home store and check out their selection of storage bins. You can buy plastic containers that fit perfectly on a shelf for very reasonable prices. Buy as many as you need to accommodate the different sizes of the piles. You may want to buy a few extras, just in case, and then return them later if you don't need them. Place the items from each pile neatly into their corresponding bins and arrange them on the shelves in an order that makes sense to you. I like to use a label maker to label container.
Containers Keep it Fresh
4. Good quality containers will keep your food fresher for longer. Also, a barrage of food packaging won’t greet you every time you open the pantry door. Use tall plastic or glass sealed containers to store things like dry cereal, pasta, sugar and flower. Your food will look much more uniform and organized, and will fit better on the shelf.
Make the Most of the Space
5. If your pantry is large enough, you might want to invest in a closet organization system that you can buy at HD, Lowe’s, or Container Store. (Container Store has a great over-door storage that has different size baskets. This can add more storage if you have a smaller pantry.) These customizable storage systems give you plenty of options for storing and organizing different items in practical ways. Shelf space can be doubled and better utilized.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Bring organization to your garage!!
Fall is a perfect time to get your garage in order. I suggest the following 10 steps and practical tips when beginning a garage organizing project:
1. Set aside enough time to work on your project. Back-to-back days are recommended (like an entire weekend), so items that are being sorted do not have to sit out in piles for long.
Tip: Try to plan for a dry weekend, since you'll have to pull many items out of the shelter of the garage.
2. Hire an expert or have people to help work on the project, or it may turn into an overwhelming task that will be abandoned part way through.
Tip: While friends and family may be willing to help, be sure you have a plan and guidance to direct the process from start to finish.
3. Consider what categories of items you want to store in your garage. Does luggage really have to live there, or can it live in the attic or an indoor closet? Should chemicals live in the garage, or can you relegate them to the garden shed? Some typical items that are housed in the garage are recycling, sports and recreational equipment, camping gear, automotive, seasonal décor, garden and tools.
Tip: It is much easier to tackle a garage after you have organized the rest of the house. The garage tends to be a dumping ground for all the unknowns throughout the house. Once you determine the purpose of your interior storage and items have a home inside, when you organize your garage many items can be relocated inside.
4. Once you know what categories of items will live in your garage, begin pulling everything out of your garage and grouping into categories in the driveway or center of your garage. Use lots of boxes for this process.
Tip 1: Obtain boxes of all sizes, since items of all descriptions — from huge paint cans to nuts and bolts — will need to be contained. Tip 2: Don't forget to label boxes with contents as you are grouping them.
5. Reconsider, trash or donate items that do not fit the categories.
Tip 1: Donate or trash items you don’t need. Tip 2: Sometimes, random parts or singular items are discovered in the garage. In this case, if you want to keep them, just store with the most similar category or in a visible place so you remember you have them.
6. Once items have been consolidated by like type, purge any excess, broken or unnecessary items.
Tip: This process takes time, so allow reasonable time to accomplish this task.
7. Determine where you want each type of item to live by frequency of use and available space. Recycling should live near the entrance to the home for ease of use. Tools should live near the workbench, and so on.
Tip: Think about valuable real estate when you are considering available space. Parking space and those shelves at eye level or within reach are valuable real estate. Less valuable real estate would be very high or low shelves, and should be reserved for less frequently accessed items.
8. Install additional built-in cabinets or obtain modular storage if needed.
Tip: Home Depot or Lowe’s have many options.
9. Re-locate remaining items into their new sensible home within the garage.
Tip: Don't buy containers, bins, baskets, and boxes to organize your items until this far into the process. A big mistake people make is purchasing the fun plastic bins too early in the process, and then discovering that they don't have the correct sizes, sturdiness, etc.
10. Commit to a regular schedule of maintenance for your newly organized garage. Promptly put things away after using them, and order will truly be restored!
Tip: Get your quarterly or bi-annual garage maintenance on your calendar. If it doesn't make it onto your calendar, it is far less likely to happen.
1. Set aside enough time to work on your project. Back-to-back days are recommended (like an entire weekend), so items that are being sorted do not have to sit out in piles for long.
Tip: Try to plan for a dry weekend, since you'll have to pull many items out of the shelter of the garage.
2. Hire an expert or have people to help work on the project, or it may turn into an overwhelming task that will be abandoned part way through.
Tip: While friends and family may be willing to help, be sure you have a plan and guidance to direct the process from start to finish.
3. Consider what categories of items you want to store in your garage. Does luggage really have to live there, or can it live in the attic or an indoor closet? Should chemicals live in the garage, or can you relegate them to the garden shed? Some typical items that are housed in the garage are recycling, sports and recreational equipment, camping gear, automotive, seasonal décor, garden and tools.
Tip: It is much easier to tackle a garage after you have organized the rest of the house. The garage tends to be a dumping ground for all the unknowns throughout the house. Once you determine the purpose of your interior storage and items have a home inside, when you organize your garage many items can be relocated inside.
4. Once you know what categories of items will live in your garage, begin pulling everything out of your garage and grouping into categories in the driveway or center of your garage. Use lots of boxes for this process.
Tip 1: Obtain boxes of all sizes, since items of all descriptions — from huge paint cans to nuts and bolts — will need to be contained. Tip 2: Don't forget to label boxes with contents as you are grouping them.
5. Reconsider, trash or donate items that do not fit the categories.
Tip 1: Donate or trash items you don’t need. Tip 2: Sometimes, random parts or singular items are discovered in the garage. In this case, if you want to keep them, just store with the most similar category or in a visible place so you remember you have them.
6. Once items have been consolidated by like type, purge any excess, broken or unnecessary items.
Tip: This process takes time, so allow reasonable time to accomplish this task.
7. Determine where you want each type of item to live by frequency of use and available space. Recycling should live near the entrance to the home for ease of use. Tools should live near the workbench, and so on.
Tip: Think about valuable real estate when you are considering available space. Parking space and those shelves at eye level or within reach are valuable real estate. Less valuable real estate would be very high or low shelves, and should be reserved for less frequently accessed items.
8. Install additional built-in cabinets or obtain modular storage if needed.
Tip: Home Depot or Lowe’s have many options.
9. Re-locate remaining items into their new sensible home within the garage.
Tip: Don't buy containers, bins, baskets, and boxes to organize your items until this far into the process. A big mistake people make is purchasing the fun plastic bins too early in the process, and then discovering that they don't have the correct sizes, sturdiness, etc.
10. Commit to a regular schedule of maintenance for your newly organized garage. Promptly put things away after using them, and order will truly be restored!
Tip: Get your quarterly or bi-annual garage maintenance on your calendar. If it doesn't make it onto your calendar, it is far less likely to happen.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Help my makeup has taken over!!!
Makeup organization will help you take better care of your cosmetics and apply makeup faster. Here are four simple steps for makeup organization.
A gal's makeup bag can get a little scary if you don't take the time for makeup organization every six months. We're busy in the morning and putting every eye shadow and every brush in the right order just doesn't happen everyday. By clearing out the old and a little organization skills from me, it will make life a little simpler.
1. Make two groups of items: A simple way to get started is to divide everything into sections, I prefer to keep the items I use everyday (base, mascara etc) and cosmetic tools in one bag and in another bag I keep only eye shadow (I LOVE eye shadow and have lots of it!) I like to use bags that will easily stack together. I also use a label maker to label my eye shadows; this helps you locate the color you want quicker. This is a great way to store your makeup in your bathroom. You may need another bag if you have lipstick and lip liner etc, I don’t use either so I just carry my lip-gloss in my purse. I prefer bags vs. storing in a drawer-much easier to clean and when it’s time for vacation you just grab and go.
2. Examine the products. Ask yourself the following questions:
* Does it have an odor?
* Do you wear it and have you worn it in the past 3 months?
* Does it look good on you? I know that one sounds funny, but how many women do you know that is hanging on to a lipstick even though they hate it and never wear it? Yeah, I can think of five off the top of my head too.
* How old is it? Aged cosmetics are not good for anyone.
3. Clean everything. Clean your compacts, your makeup bags, cosmetics tools, any place that you keep your cosmetics and your cosmetics themselves. Makeup dust goes everywhere and over time builds up. It will be a little bit of a shock when you first see your compacts looking brand new again.
4. Make a list. Make a list of products you are running low on or need to replace. A beauty list to shop with will make it easier for you to run in and get exactly what you need.
A gal's makeup bag can get a little scary if you don't take the time for makeup organization every six months. We're busy in the morning and putting every eye shadow and every brush in the right order just doesn't happen everyday. By clearing out the old and a little organization skills from me, it will make life a little simpler.
1. Make two groups of items: A simple way to get started is to divide everything into sections, I prefer to keep the items I use everyday (base, mascara etc) and cosmetic tools in one bag and in another bag I keep only eye shadow (I LOVE eye shadow and have lots of it!) I like to use bags that will easily stack together. I also use a label maker to label my eye shadows; this helps you locate the color you want quicker. This is a great way to store your makeup in your bathroom. You may need another bag if you have lipstick and lip liner etc, I don’t use either so I just carry my lip-gloss in my purse. I prefer bags vs. storing in a drawer-much easier to clean and when it’s time for vacation you just grab and go.
2. Examine the products. Ask yourself the following questions:
* Does it have an odor?
* Do you wear it and have you worn it in the past 3 months?
* Does it look good on you? I know that one sounds funny, but how many women do you know that is hanging on to a lipstick even though they hate it and never wear it? Yeah, I can think of five off the top of my head too.
* How old is it? Aged cosmetics are not good for anyone.
3. Clean everything. Clean your compacts, your makeup bags, cosmetics tools, any place that you keep your cosmetics and your cosmetics themselves. Makeup dust goes everywhere and over time builds up. It will be a little bit of a shock when you first see your compacts looking brand new again.
4. Make a list. Make a list of products you are running low on or need to replace. A beauty list to shop with will make it easier for you to run in and get exactly what you need.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Get yourself organized for vacation!
Going on vacation is something we all look forward to, yet it can cause quite a bit of stress during the preparation. Here are some quick tips to make the process of preparing for vacation go more smoothly:
o Packing List - type up a general packing list for each member of the family. Save it as a document in your computer. When preparing to leave, print them up and hand them out. This way no one will forget toothbrushes or special medicines. :)
o To-Do List - as long as you are typing up that packing list, type up a to-do list for vacation preparation as well. Include things like "put newspaper and mail on hold" or "ask neighbor to feed fish" and "clean out fridge." Again, every time you are preparing to leave, you print this up and check off the items.
o Contact List - Keep a vacation contact list on file as well. Include emergency contact numbers, addresses for postcards, etc.
o Big Trip Preparation - if you are going away for an extended vacation or you are traveling internationally, there will be more things to do to prepare. Make a complete list of all that needs to be done (passport update, money exchange, etc). Open your calendar and break down the items so you only have a few things to do each week, leading up to your vacation. For example, passport updates should be handled 6 months out so there is no stress or rush. Money exchange can be done a few weeks out so you aren't running to the bank the day before you leave. Plan ahead so you aren't completely frazzled the week of your departure.
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