Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Make the Most of Vertical Space
By
Susan Stewart
When working with small spaces, it is imperative to make use of
vertical space. If you can't go out, you've got to go up! Choose a
product that is attractive, and your organization is now doing double
duty as wall decor. Here are 3 tips for making the most of vertical
storage.
1. Pick the color intentionally, not spontaneously. Many people choose a product spontaneously because they like a color they see in the store. When they get home and realize it doesn't match the room they want to put it in, they become frustrated. A little planning can go a long way here. Think through where you will use it and choose your color accordingly.
2. Do not let pockets, baskets, or any container become a "catch all" or that is exactly what it will do. Containers that become "catch all's" are containers that gather dust. No one wants to sort through miscellaneous junk to find what they are looking for. Instead, give things a home and be consistent about placing that particular item (and only that particular item) in that spot. You can still use baskets or containers for these homes.
3. Too many sticky notes or things on a bulletin board or magnet board makes clutter. People tend to post notes as a reminder but when a board is covered with notes, the note doesn't get seen. Using a to do list for lists works better and easier to read. Use the board for morning reminders or motivating quotes.
1. Pick the color intentionally, not spontaneously. Many people choose a product spontaneously because they like a color they see in the store. When they get home and realize it doesn't match the room they want to put it in, they become frustrated. A little planning can go a long way here. Think through where you will use it and choose your color accordingly.
2. Do not let pockets, baskets, or any container become a "catch all" or that is exactly what it will do. Containers that become "catch all's" are containers that gather dust. No one wants to sort through miscellaneous junk to find what they are looking for. Instead, give things a home and be consistent about placing that particular item (and only that particular item) in that spot. You can still use baskets or containers for these homes.
3. Too many sticky notes or things on a bulletin board or magnet board makes clutter. People tend to post notes as a reminder but when a board is covered with notes, the note doesn't get seen. Using a to do list for lists works better and easier to read. Use the board for morning reminders or motivating quotes.
Susan Stewart is a professional organizer and the founder of
Perfectly Placed Professional Organization and Design in the Phoenix
area. Perfectly Placed specializes in bringing peace and order to busy
families through organization. You can find out more about Susan and
Perfectly Placed at her website: http://www.perfectlyplaced.org/
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Stewart
Organizing For College
By
Susan Stewart
It's back to school time and some of you will be sending a young
adult off to college this year. If you are in this position, it may seem
like an overwhelming task so here are a few tips to simplify it for
you. I'm calling it the 3 C's to an organized dorm room.
1. CATEGORIES: This works for ANY room by the way, and not just dorms. Set up the dorm room in zones and store things accordingly in that zone. In a dorm room, your categories may be grooming, dressing, studying, sleeping & eating. Putting things away is easier when you have decided what and where the zones are. Keep in mind that your space is small so bringing only seasonal clothing and making use of vertical space here is also going to help.
2. COMBINE: You will want to combine your efforts with your roommate. Check ahead of time with what they are bringing so you don't end up with duplicates. Some items to share are a mini fridge, microwave, TV, game system & furniture. You'll also want to choose items with multiple uses. For example: an iPhone can be a phone, calendar, iPod and map. Attractive message boards, hooks and shelves serve dual purposes combining utility needs with decoration.
3. COLOR COORDINATE: This is going to come more into play for the ladies than the men but it still stands true in both places. A dorm room is a small space and small spaces look less cluttered when things are containerized and are color coordinated. That's why photos in a catalog look so good. Pick 2 or 3 colors and stick with those throughout the room when picking storage pieces, decor, bedding, etc.
Happy packing and don't wait until the last minute!
1. CATEGORIES: This works for ANY room by the way, and not just dorms. Set up the dorm room in zones and store things accordingly in that zone. In a dorm room, your categories may be grooming, dressing, studying, sleeping & eating. Putting things away is easier when you have decided what and where the zones are. Keep in mind that your space is small so bringing only seasonal clothing and making use of vertical space here is also going to help.
2. COMBINE: You will want to combine your efforts with your roommate. Check ahead of time with what they are bringing so you don't end up with duplicates. Some items to share are a mini fridge, microwave, TV, game system & furniture. You'll also want to choose items with multiple uses. For example: an iPhone can be a phone, calendar, iPod and map. Attractive message boards, hooks and shelves serve dual purposes combining utility needs with decoration.
3. COLOR COORDINATE: This is going to come more into play for the ladies than the men but it still stands true in both places. A dorm room is a small space and small spaces look less cluttered when things are containerized and are color coordinated. That's why photos in a catalog look so good. Pick 2 or 3 colors and stick with those throughout the room when picking storage pieces, decor, bedding, etc.
Happy packing and don't wait until the last minute!
Susan Stewart is a professional organizer and the founder of
Perfectly Placed Professional Organization and Design in the Phoenix
area. Perfectly Placed specializes in bringing peace and order to busy
families through organization. You can find out more about Susan and
Perfectly Placed at her website: http://www.perfectlyplaced.org
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Stewart
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
What Cluttered Area in Your House Causes the Most Frustration?
- Is it your cluttered kitchen or bathroom cabinets?
- Could it be your desk with piles of papers?
- Maybe your family room is not being used for it's fullest potential because clutter is taking up a lot of space.
- Can you relax in your bedroom area, or do you have disorganization with clothes and books lying around?
- Do you have unfolded clothes in laundry baskets sitting in your family room on the couch?
- Is it taking you too long to cook and prepare family meals because you can't find what you need inside of your disorganized, cluttered kitchen cabinets?
- Do you get frustrated just thinking about cleaning and maintaining the bathroom every week because you haven't figured out the appropriate storage for that area?
- Do you dislike walking into your basement because you have been storing so much of what you have accumulated throughout the years in boxes downstairs?
- Can you park your cars in your garage, or do you use that area to store extra boxes of items that you need to sort through?
- Does it look nice around the entrance of your front or back door, or do you have shoes, mail, magazines, or pet supplies lying around?
After reading many of my examples, you any decide to start in the one area of your home that causes you the most frustration.
You will want to begin by planning your organizing or decluttering project.
Plan an appropriate amount of time for your individual projects. Four hours may be a great amount of time, but even if you have an hour or 30 minutes, you may accomplish a decent amount of work.
After you become accustomed to decluttering and organizing your house, you may easily find that even 15 minutes a day may be helpful if you are busy.
Get your supplies ready, such as: garbage bags, boxes for sorting, labels, etc. You will want to wait until you declutter to buy specific storage containers that you will need to use on a long-term basis.
It is helpful to decide in advance what you want to do with any items that you definitely decide to get rid of for sure. Some examples: local charity, local consignment store, junk removal service, or a future yard sale.
It is helpful to have items removed quickly after your organizing project is completed. It is always a good idea to completely finish one project before you begin another.
Remember to stick with one area that you are working on and do not jump into other rooms at the same time. Focus on one project at time to increase your efficiency.
Some people enjoy working with an accountable friend and they find that method to be motivating.
Others may have a need or desire to hire a Professional Organizer to help them develop specific organizing systems and storage solutions.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Learn How to Organize Your Home
Everyone seems to have a really busy schedule and time is very valuable. When you know how to organize your home and your life, you can focus more easily on achieving your goals. Disorganization can create unnecssary stress. The good news is “you can learn to be organized”. I recently purchased an excellent book for getting organized. It is a step-by-step guide to help you create and maintain order in your home.
You may want to check it out: Yes I Can Organize in 7 Simple Steps; An Empowering Guide To Home Organization. It is a great resource for helping you declutter and organize all areas of your home. Here are some benefits of the book:
- Easy to understand and enjoyable to read
- Contains outstanding information on home organization
- Helps you understand disorganization and the impact it can have on your life
- Teaches you how to take control of home organization and keep your house maintained and in order
- Contains worksheets specifically for home organization
Start today by creating a better and more organized tomorrow that will encourage you to relax and enjoy every moment of your life.
You can find out more about this book by clicking on this link: Yes I Can Organize in 7 Simple Steps; An Empowering Guide To Home Organization. The sooner you get started, the quicker you’ll see positive results.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
The Positive Benefits of Home Organization and Decluttering Your House
You will be able to focus on things that you enjoy, such as: exercise, hobbies, good nutrition, etc.
You may find that you have more time to spend with family and friends.
Hopefully, you won't have the need to purchase unnecessary items because you will have easy access to your items and be able to find everything when you need it. You will learn how to find "the right place for everything in your home."
You may really enjoy the big bonus of having more space in your home once you get rid of your clutter.
An organized house, free of clutter, may help you save time when you need to do your routine daily/weekly household chores.
I find that I focus and concentrate better and feel more productive and less stress with work when my house and office are organized.
You may increase your confidence to invite your friends over to your home again.
You may find that you have more time to spend with family and friends.
Hopefully, you won't have the need to purchase unnecessary items because you will have easy access to your items and be able to find everything when you need it. You will learn how to find "the right place for everything in your home."
You may really enjoy the big bonus of having more space in your home once you get rid of your clutter.
An organized house, free of clutter, may help you save time when you need to do your routine daily/weekly household chores.
I find that I focus and concentrate better and feel more productive and less stress with work when my house and office are organized.
You may increase your confidence to invite your friends over to your home again.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Paper Management Workshop
Welcome to My Paper Management Workshop
Photo Credits: By Upupa4me
I would like to begin by telling you a little information about myself. I am a registered nurse and I also earned by diploma in medical transcription.
I have several years of nursing experience and I even had the wonderful opportunity to write and teach a few online medical assisting courses on the college academic level.
However, I have always had a great passion for organizing my house. I studied many resources about home organization and decluttering a house. There is so much helpful information to learn. I decided to continue to pursue my interest in this field.
Now, I am very proud to tell you that I am a trained Professional Organizer. I successfully completed the program listed below and I enjoyed my training very much.
We support the Institute for Professional Organizers™ Fast Track Method™ Training Self-Study Program developed by experienced organizers.
You can learn how to start your professional organizing business and how to organize. The program includes 8 hours of online videos, a comprehensive manual, and personal coaching. You can study from the comfort of your own home.
So, now you are a little more familiar with my training. We will get onto our topic of paper management. I thought it would be fun and interesting to start with one of my favorite videos. As you get to know me, you will soon find out that I am a visual person and I truly enjoy many helpful videos regarding home organization.
Video Below Titled "How to Organize Your Files with Freedom Filer Filing System"
Video Below Titled "How to Organize Your Files with Freedom Filer Filing System"
I wanted to mention the fact that people are not born organized. Organization and paper management are important skills that can be learned just like learning how to cook, ride a bike, or drive a car. It takes motivation, time, and practice.
Please keep in mind that paper management is not a one-time event, it is a process and it involves maintenance.
Learning Objectives of My Paper Management Workshop
The A.R.T. of Paper Management
Positive Benefits of Organizing Your Paper Information
How to Develop a Paper/Information Processing Center
Where to Start with Paper Management
Filing Strategies
How to Know What Paper to Toss and What Paper to Keep
Where to Keep Your Paper Information and How to Maintain Your Files
Helpful Products and Systems for Organizing Paper Information
Helpful Products for Tracking Finances
Benefits of Organizing Your Paper
A major benefit of organizing your paper is you will know exactly where to look for the specific information you need for many important transactions such as:
Financial and Estate Planning
Investments and Bank Statements
Bill Paying
Tax Preparation
Health Records
Educational Records
Property Records
When your paper is processed, acted on and maintained in the correct manner, you are rewarded with the positive benefits of efficient financial record keeping. You will be able to quickly and easily find the information you need when you need it.
You will have a less cluttered environment. You should be able to focus on your priorities and goals, not piles of disorganized paper.
The A.R.T. of Paper Management
Information comes to us in many forms such as emails, letters, etc. The most important factor is what we actually do with the information after it arrives.
Three Important Categories for Sorting Your Papers
1. Action - The paper/information needs your action, such as current bills to be paid.
2. Reference - You may need the paper/information for future reference, such as tax receipts.
3. Toss - You don’t need the specific paper/information and you don’t need to take action on it.
Create a Paper Processing Center
I would like to include a helpful video at this point in our Paper Management Workshop that correlates with our discussion.
Video Below Titled "Solve your Paper/Filing Problems: Command Center for Paperwork"
Assign a specific area for each activity within the paper processing center including:
Action papers
Reference papers to be filed
Trash
Recycling
Shredder or separate container
Move items needed to support each paper processing activity to their proper zone such as reference papers to file, action papers, recycling, etc.
Where to start
This may be a great time to include an appropriate video regarding this topic.
Video Below Titled "Paper Organization - How to Set Up a Filing System"
Once you have processed your most recent papers, you can work on your piles of paper and filed papers in old systems.
File strategies
A common question I hear from people is “how do I know what paper is important and how long do I keep it?”
Before you decide whether or not to keep a certain piece of paper, you need to decide its purpose.
Action vs. Reference Information
Is it information you will need in the future or is it something you need to take action on?
If it is information you will refer to later, do you need to keep it in paper form or can it be safely stored electronically?
If it is information you are actively working on now or will need in the next few weeks it is an “action paper”. Action papers may sit out appropriately on a desk or work space for quick and easy access.
If it is something you will need to refer to "at a later date in the future," such as last year’s income tax records, you can file it in a reference or archive filing system.
What to Keep and How Long
Each situation is individual for the person. For financial records, always seek the professional advice of a CPA for your specific requirements.
You may want to keep your tax returns indefinitely.
Where to Keep Your Records
Once you have sorted through your papers and decided what to keep, you need a place to safely store them.
Products and Systems for Your Action Papers
When creating your own filing system, you may wish to choose a labeling system that works best for you. Think of how you want to access your information.
Action Papers: Keep action files in a vertical manner on the desk top in a file box.
Meetings scheduled
Bills to be paid
Cards to mail
Invitations
Registrations to be mailed
Invoices
Appointments
Phone calls to return
Products/Systems for Your Reference Papers
Now, is a good time to introduce another helpful video for our workshop presentation.
Video Below Titled "Quick Tip: How to Organize Your Filing Cabinet Files"
Your reference papers should be filed in a Reference Filing System. You can label your files by category alphabetically or chronologically. You can store your reference documents in a filing cabinet.
Create a hanging file folder tab for each main category and manila file folder and label for each subcategory. The labels should make it easy for you to find the contents.
Products/Systems for Your Reference Papers
At this time, I would like to add an excellent video presentation regarding this subject.
Video Below Titled "The easiest way to label your file folders: Freedom Filer"
You can use prepackaged labeling products or create your own labels that work best for you.
Some common categories or labels for reference papers are:
Finances
Taxes
Insurance
Personal Property
Vital Records
Health/Medical History
Employment Records
Education Records
Products and Systems for Your Reference Papers - Tax Records
Pocket accordion files can be useful for the following:
Receipts
Tax Filing
Investment Documents
Bank Statements
Credit Card Statements
Income Statements
Charitable Deductions
Medical Expenses
Miscellaneous Expenses
Child Care Expenses
Business Expenses
Products and Systems for Tracking your Finances
There is Financial software such as Quicken or Quickbooks.
Products and Systems for Digital Financial Records
Actually, the more paper information you can store in a digital format, the less physical space you will need to store information.
The Neat scanner is one tool that can help you in storing information digitally. Neat is a desktop scanner and digital filing system that can scan receipts, business cards and documents. A great advantage is that it includes software that identifies and extracts the important information and automatically organizes it for you.
Helps you organize:
Receipts
Bills
Medical Forms
Business Cards
Bank Statements
Credit Card Statements
Maintenance
You should regularly process your papers to keep your information maintained and organized. You can sort your incoming papers using the ART of Paper Management system. A good habit is to file your reference papers once at least once a week. File your important information in your reference file system.
Summary
When your paper is processed, acted on and stored properly we are rewarded with the benefits of efficient financial record keeping.
You be able to find the information you need when we need it. You should have a less cluttered environment and be able to focus on your priorities and goals.
I hope you enjoyed our Paper Management Workshop. Please take a look at our Declutter Workshop when you have a chance. I am looking forward to developing my Time Management Workshop in the future. Please check out FreedomFiler by clicking on the image below. I have two of their filing systems and I just love them.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Why Do You Think Our Homes Accumulate Clutter?
- Clutter may be caused be delayed decisions.
- You haven't taken the time to decide on appropriate areas to keep your specific items in your home.
- Procrastination: maybe you feel overwhelmed about organizing or decluttering your house.
- You may be experiencing that frustrating "all or nothing" feeling about home organization. For example: you may think to yourself, "I will never have enough time to get my organizing projects done. There is just too much to do. So, why should I even start?"
- Maybe, you have a very busy family schedule and you haven't been using a good weekly/monthly planner for routine chores/tasks in the home.
- Possibly, the family doesn't realize your home organization goals and you may get easily distracted with many interruptions throughout the day. It may be very helpful for you to communicate your short-term and long-term organizing goals with your family. You may decide to have family members participate in your plan. This may be especially important in helping to keep your home maintained after you have everything set up the way you like it.
- You may have felt the lack of energy or motivation to complete organizing projects in the past.
- Often times, a major lifestyle change may cause a change in the normal flow of organization in your home. Here are a few examples: a birth or a death in the family, new marriage or a divorce, job relocation, or health problems.
What is clutter?
- Clutter is anything in your home or office that does not serve a purpose or function in your life anymore.
- Clutter may include items in your home that are broken or nonfunctional.
- Clutter may be material items in your home that you do not need or love.
- Clutter could also include unnecessary duplicate items in your home.
- You may be surprised to realize that having too many storage containers that aren't actually be used in your home may add to your existing clutter problem. That is the main reason it may be suggested that you declutter your home "first." Then, it should be easy to figure out exactly how many storage boxes to buy and specific sizes you may need.
- Clutter could also consist of accumulated items of trash to be thrown away or removed in an appropriate manner.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Friday, June 14, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Are You Thinking About A Professional Organizing Career?
Photo Credits: By Rubbermaid Products
Are you interested in becoming a professional organizer? We support the Institute for Professional Organizers™ Fast Track Method™ Training Self-Study Program developed by experienced organizers.
You will learn how to start your professional organizing business and how to organize. The program includes 8 hours of online videos, a comprehensive manual, and personal coaching. You can study from the comfort of your own home.
You will learn how to start your professional organizing business and how to organize. The program includes 8 hours of online videos, a comprehensive manual, and personal coaching. You can study from the comfort of your own home.
- Determine specific organizing needs for their clients by completing needs assessments
- Develop individualized organizing plans of action for clients
- Choose the best organizing systems for their clients, so they will be able to easily maintain their home environment on a long-term basis
- Select appropriate organizing products
- Conduct a routine follow-up with their clients to make sure their new organizing systems are working well for them
- Organize and declutter kitchens
- Conduct Time Management Workshops
- Declutter and organize basements
- Paper Management, including action files and reference files
- Conduct Declutter Workshops
- Write books or articles about organizing the home
- Organize and declutter garages
- Virtual online organizing
- Declutter and organize attics
- Coaching about organization, including phone consultations
- Home office organization
- Closet organization
- Residential organizing
- Business organizing
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Tips on How to Organize Your Bathroom
Photo Credits: By Carrie Qualters
- Try to keep counter tops free of unnecessary clutter. This will also help with daily clean-up and maintenance.
- You can use a shower caddy to keep your frequently used bath and shower products handy.
- It is nice to coordinate a few pretty counter top vanity accessories, such as a toothbrush holder, soap container, etc.
- Drawer dividers may come in handy for organizing cosmetics or hair supplies inside drawers in the bathroom.
- Plastic containers may be used inside bathroom cabinets to store "like" or similar categories and supplies. You could have an individual container designated for dental care supplies, and another container for skin care items, etc.
- It is helpful to have any first aid items or supplies contained in one local area, so they will be easy to find if necessary.
- You could get a decorative container to display pretty towels for company.
- If
you are interested in a nice organizing
product that can store beauty and bath supplies, you may want to
check out
http://www.organizedatoz.com/Neatnix-Stuff-Bucket-Black-Swirl-p/507.htm?Click=7114.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Zones for Family Room Organization
Photo Credits By: Carrie Qualters
It may be helpful to have a true vision of how you want the room that you will be organizing to look in appearance. Also, you should decide on the main purpose and function of the room.
Photo Credits: By Carrie Qualters
You may decide to select a few different zones for your room when developing your organizing plan. One specific room in your home may need to be multifunctional for your family. A family room is a good example of this type of room.
Photo Credits: By Maegan Tintari
It is a common practice for many people to actually incorporate a little office space into their main living area. A nice office desk and a few coordinating shelves may easily blend into a family room environment.
The advances in today's technology make it conducive for moms, dads and teenagers to want a little office space of their own at home. The family room is a common place to organize a small corner area dedicated for a desk, chair, and a few shelves.
Photo Crefits: By Carrie Qualters
Another popular section of a family room is an area set aside specifically for reading and enjoying some relaxation.
As you can easily see, one family room could function well with the following three individual zones:
1. Television/Movie/Gaming Zone
2. Home Office Zone
3. Reading Zone
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
25 Tips For Organizing Your Kitchen
Photo Credits: By Sonja Lovas
Are you ready to read about some helpful tips on the subject of organizing the kitchen? I think the above photo is a prime example of a beautifully organized kitchen.
Most people have busy schedules every day and it is so easy for their kitchens to become somewhat disorganized at times. Good organizing habits and a little daily maintenance can help to keep the kitchen area clean and free of clutter.
When my kitchen is organized, it definitely saves me a great deal of time and effort when I am preparing my family meals. I can cook more efficiently and I actually enjoy cooking a little more when my kitchen is decluttered. I have a great passion in general for organizing the house. That is the main reason that I became a professional organizer.
Many women need to spend a lot of time in the kitchen each day. It may be helpful to keep the kitchen organized, so your time spent in the kitchen is more enjoyable. These are some of my organizing ideas and tips that I personally use in my own kitchen.
- I try to keep all kitchen countertops free of unnecessary clutter.
- It is helpful to clean up and wipe my kitchen countertops immediately after preparing my family meals.
- We load the dishwasher after meals. I make sure the kitchen sink is clean and free of any dishes every evening before bedtime, so our family can enjoy a clean kitchen for breakfast.
- Every evening, I clear the countertops of any unnecessary clutter that may have accumulated throughout the day.
- When I clean my kitchen, I organize one cabinet at a time and just concentrate on that "one specific task" until I complete it and move on to the next task.
- I place most of the kitchen items that I frequently use in an appropriate safe area where I have easy access to them.
- It may be helpful to keep any kitchen appliances that you do not use on a daily basis inside your kitchen cabinets, instead of keeping them on top of your countertops. (This may provide some extra space for your food preparation area.)
- You may decide to place large or heavy kitchen appliances that are not routinely used everyday on a bottom shelf inside a lower kitchen cabinet. (A possible example would be a large or heavy-duty kitchen mixer that is only used periodically.)
- I keep "like"or similar items together inside my cabinets, such as the following categories: dinner plates, bowls, glasses, coffee mugs, pots and pans, etc.
- I have a Lazy Susan for my collection of spices that I use for cooking every day.
- I labeled clear plastic containers to keep my vitamins in specific categories.
- There are a variety of pull-out shelves that you can purchase for kitchen cabinets. These are helpful for easy access to your frequently used kitchen items.
- I had a few drawers in my kitchen that used to be "junk" drawers, until I neatly organized everything by using individual drawer dividers.
- In my pantry, I have placed all of the items with the oldest expiration dates in the front section of my shelving. I will be more likely to use these items first.
- I routinely label all of my left-over food stored in my refrigerator with the content and the correct date.
- I try to clean and wipe inside of my refrigerator before I go to the grocery store for a large order of food. I do a visual inventory of the food items inside my refrigerator and freezer before I go to the store, so I am less likely to buy duplicate items when shopping.
- I keep one separate list of any specific items that I need to restock my pantry when I go to the store each week to buy my groceries.
- If I happen to come across a kitchen item that I haven't used in quite awhile, I place the item in a separate box and put it away for a month to see if I still need to keep that item or I may decide to donate it.
- Also, we keep one separate "donation" box at our house to collect any items that we no longer need or want anymore.
- I keep a labeled basket in one specific area in my kitchen to collect the mail until I sort through it each day.
- It is so nice to have a dedicated area in the kitchen to have a small desk and a little shelf, or even a basket for your favorite cookbooks. The desk area is a great place for menu planning and paying bills. An action folder on top of your desk may be helpful to remind you of current bills, letters, appointments, etc. The desk area is an excellent place to keep your calendar, bulletin board, or weekly menu planner posted for your family.
- Recently, I have narrowed down my very large collection of cookbooks. I decided to only keep the ones that I use frequently. I donated several cookbooks. There is a nice consignment store in our area that even sells used cookbooks, which is helpful.
- I have been cutting out some of my favorite recipes from magazines and keeping them all togehter in plastic protector sheets inside one special binder that I made specifically for recipes.
- I also made one individual binder with various categories: home organizing projects, vacation plans, school projects, home improvement plans, decorating ideas, etc.
- Lastly, I use a printed grocery list that I can easily modify each week.
Photo Credits: By Susan Serra, CKD
I thought the above photo was a beautiful example of a desk area within an organized kitchen.
I hope you enjoyed our discussion about organizing tips for the kitchen. Also, you may want to check out a helpful link regarding specific organizing products: Kitchen Cabinets and Pantry Organizers at
http://www.organizedatoz.com/Shelf-Organizers-s/46.htm?click=7114.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)