Pantry Organization

I'm not sure what it is about my pantry but it seems to get out of control so easily! One day everything is nice and organized and the next day, it is a complete EXPLOSION!

I'm in the process of a pantry makeover right now. I'm trying to limit the mount of processed foods I keep in the house. Instead, I'm trying to make my own convenience foods and do a lot of cooking from scratch.

Anyway, here is the before shot:

It is almost impossile to photograph the inside of my pantry because it is located in a hallway. Also, because I live in a townhouse and don't have a garage, I have to keep my recycling in this closet. It isn't ideal and it definitely adds to the clutter but it is the best option at this point.

And here is the after:

It took me only about 5 minutes to clean out some things and put everything back where it belongs. I'd say this was 5 minutes well-spent!

Small organizational project

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I always seem to be on the lookout for ways to organize and streamline my life. It is amazing how much of a difference a small change can make.

Recently I installed some hooks in my closet to hold belts. I initially purchased this set of hooks as a key hook but I ended up using something else to keep my keys organized.

I only have 2 belts - one black and one brown - but it is amazing how easily I can misplace them! Prior to installing these hooks I'd just keep my belts sitting on the top shelf in my closet. I can't reach things up there very well so it wasn't a great storage place for them.

So now they are easily accessible right inside the closet door.

Organizational System Update

So I've been using my new organizational system for about a month now and I am LOVING it! Seriously, why didn't I do this before? I love seeing exactly which chores I still need to do. Also, knowing that I can pick and choose chores depending on my schedule/mood that week really helps to keep my motivation up.

Anyway, since I do most of those chores once every 2 weeks, I have found that I am starting realize it would be nice to know how long it has been since I last did something. From my list I can easily see that I've accomplished it during my 2 week period but I don't remember exactly when I did it.

So I have tweaked my system. Instead of just putting a mark to indicate that I've finished something, I am now putting the date.


I think this will really help me stay on top of things a lot better.

I've also realized that it is important to allow myself the ability to change things. What works for me now might not work for me next year. Similarly, what works for you might not work for me. Being efficient is all about figuring out the best system for you at this moment.

Why I need a schedule

Prepare yourself blogging world, I am about to reveal something to you - my messy house! No judging here folks - this is an extreme example and is not representative of what my house normally looks like.

Anyway, this is why I need a schedule. When I get off my schedule bad things happen. I don't make my bed, laundry piles up, and apparently I just randomly throw things on the floor.

Exhibit 1: My bedroom - view from the door. Obviously this is a disaster.


Here is the opposite view:

Seriously, I must have just randomly thrown pillows around because they are not generally on the floor, even when I am asleep!

The good news is, even when something looks as bad as this mess, it only takes about 5 minutes to put it all back together.



And all is well in the world again.

Seriously though, this is why I need a schedule. When I have a set of goals I need to accomplish in a day, I tend to be more organized overall. I do not write "make bed" as a goal each day but I find that I make my bed automatically on days where I know I have a lot of things to cross off my to-do list whereas things tend to be more of a mess on days where I have no set plan. Moral of the story - having a schedule works for me. It might not be for everyone but it sure makes a difference in my life!

Quick Declutter project

I've been working a lot on decluttering and getting rid of the random messes in my house. One thing I've noticed is that my fridge area can tend to look cluttered , even if there isn't a ton of 'stuff' there.

I do tend to put a ton of stuff on the fridge - pictures, notes, phone numbers, etc. and for some reason I have a habit of putting my cereal on top of the fridge. The basket with the lunch bag doesn't belong up there but I stashed it there at some point and never got around to taking it down.

To go along with my decluttering theme, I gave my fridge a quick makeover.


I put the cereal boxes in the pantry (where they belong!!) and put the basket and lunch bag in their proper places as well. For the magnet clutter - I got rid of some of the older pictures and moved a lot of the magnets to the side between the fridge and the wall where I can keep them until they are needed. Some of the fridge stuff is necessary/wanted but overall I think this 5-minute makeover made a huge difference!

Now I just need to keep it that way!

2011: The purging continues!

The purging continues!

I was in the mood to go through more things today after work and managed to come up with quite a few more items to give to charity.

This time around I added:
1 stuffed animal
2 books
1 dress
3 shirts
1 pair slippers
1 bathing suit
1 ipod accessory
1 jewelry box
19 pairs socks
1 hairclip
5 necklaces
1 ring
4 necklace charms
1 pin
2 bracelets
5 pairs of shoes
2 storage baskets

For a total of 51 items added to the pile. That brings my 2011 donation total to 179 items! It feels good to get these items I am not using out of my house and I am happy to know that they will be going to someone who will be getting some use out of them. There is no point in keeping stuff around just to have more stuff, especially when it can be used by someone else.

Here is the impressive donation pile:

Yay! I love how clean and tidy my house feels and I love knowing that my house isn't full of clutter!

New Year, New Organizational System

One thing I have struggled with is keeping on top of my cleaning. I have a busy schedule and often find myself behind on housekeeping. When this happens I tend to spend a whole night catching up, which is neither fun nor time efficient.

So, with the start of 2011, I am trying out a new type of system (Inspired by Jack's mom). I printed out a list of tasks I try to accomplish in a typical week and laminated it.

Then I taped it into the kitchen cabinet where I keep my office supplies. I go into this cabinet every day so I will see the to-do list regularly. I also put a dry erase marker in there so that I can mark the items that have already been completed for the week.

Hopefully by the end of the week everything will be crossed off! I'll keep you updated on how this system works for me.

Beginning of 2011 Purging!

Happy New Year to my faithful reader(s)! Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for posts about my 2011 goals. I have some big ones that I am hoping to tackle so this could be an exciting year!

I am happy to start this year by getting rid of some clutter. I am still working on purging but I am happy with my progress so far.

Here is what is currently in my donation pile:

2 skirts
20 pairs of socks
1 pajama set
1 jacket
3 belts
3 sports bras
3 bras
8 sweaters
9 pairs of pants
5 scarves
25 shirts
1 bookshelf
1 pair of shoes
1 exercise mat
1 hat
1 blanket
3 dish towels
1 pot holder
1 stuffed animal
2 vases
28 books
2 frying pans
1 baking dish
1 decorative plant
1 package of 12 christmas ornaments
2 water bottles
1 plastic 2-drawer storage thing.

Grand total: 128 items!

Not too shabby if you ask me!! I should have at least 1 additional donation in the coming weeks. It probably won't be as big as this one, but every little bit helps in getting rid of the clutter!!

Declutter - part 4

The decluttering continues! Another area I have trouble with is my under the sink storage. It isn't a huge space and there are some obvious things that need to be there and I struggle with finding a balance between what needs to be there and what can go somewhere else.

Here is where I started. I keep my cleaning supplies, garbage bags, dish detergent, light bulbs, and other misc. household/cleaning tools.


I started by taking everything out and quickly discovered why organization is a great tool. Remind me not to buy sponges, dish detergent, or dishwasher soap in 2011 - I think I have plenty. These items have since moved to another storage location because I am not using them at the moment and will be able to keep track of them easier from now on.


Anyway, after taking everything out, I assessed what needed to be there, what should be stored in other locations (laundry stain remover belongs in the laundry room!) and what could be tossed.

I ended up with this:

Everything I use often is within easy reach and I don't have to dig around to find dishwasher soap, etc. Overall this system has been working very well for me!

Stay tuned for more organization related updates

Declutter - part 3

I haven't been posting much, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy! I have been on a serious organization/decluttering kick recently. Here are some updates on my progress.

I tackled the linen closet recently. Basically everything in here is used so I wasn't able to get rid of much but I was able to get it all looking a little more put together.

Here is the before shot:



The linen closet is actually across from the stairs so it is hard to get a picture of it. This was taken from the staircase with my arms reaching over the wall. Yes, these are the efforts I go through for you my faithful blog reader(s)!

So one thing I have always struggled with is the dreaded fitted sheet. I can't fold it. I generally make a decent effort to fold and then about halfway through I give up and sort of roll it into as small a package as possible. As evidenced by the photo, it looks messy and takes up more space than is necessary.

So step 1 in linen closet was to figure out how to fold that darn sheet. So I turned to google/you tube and found this. I agree with the blogger that it may be a little dramatic to claim that "one of the biggest challenges you will face in your life is how to fold a fitted sheet," however, it is definitely up there in annoying/difficult household tasks.

So I watched the video and went to work. And believe it or not, I actually folded the fitted sheets. It felt like a huge accomplishment. I actually am looking forward to doing laundry again so that I can fold another sheet (is that weird?)

Anyway, with that accomplishment under my belt I went to work on organization and purging. I got rid of 1 blanket and 1 hand towel and went through my toiletry stash to find some items to include in my donation to the food bank.

Here is the end result:


Much better! I am committing to keep this closet in order because it really makes me feel put together when I open that closet and see everything ordered so neatly. If nothing else is clean in my house, this closet will be tidy!!!

Declutter - part 2

Another area where I seem to have trouble staying organized is my pantry. I like to stockpile to reduce my grocery budget but sometimes it results in having a little too much stuff and thats when stuff goes bad and is wasted. Getting something inexpensively is no deal if it goes bad before you can eat it!

So as part of my decluttering/organizing, I decided to tackle the pantry.

Before













After - much better


Please someone remind me the next time I buy pasta that I basically have enough to support Italy at the moment. All pasta deals must be donated or ignored until I can get through what I have.









The second motivation for cleaning out my stockpile is that I adopted a family for Christmas and wanted to include some groceries with my gifts. So after going through everything, this is what I set aside for this family. How exciting is this? This is why stockpiling is a good idea! All of these items I got for free or significantly reduced and so it isn't a huge deal for me to share. YAY!

Declutter - part 1

I've been trying to simplify my life and get rid of clutter and things that I am just not using. I'd much rather have less stuff to clean and know that the stuff I got rid of is getting used by someone else. No need to keep stuff hanging around when others can use it!

In conjunction with this decluttering, I've also been focusing on cleaning and organizing - 2 of my favorite activities! Yep, I'm a dork.

But seriously, I just love a clean and organized house.

This weekend I took on the task of cleaning out my shed. Since I moved into my house in April, the shed has been a dumping ground of misc. items that I didn't want to deal with or didn't know what to do with. This had to end.

Exhibits 1 and 2: The mess


Notice how the shed is so FULL of stuff that you actually cannot step foot in it. Now, it isn't a huge space but there is no need for this mess.




So I bought some shelves and got to organizing.





Exhibits 3 and 4: The Result



SO much better! Notice how you can see the floor. This is where my bike goes. Now I don't have to keep it in the dining room. Bonus.

Messy

Recently I've been having a little trouble keeping the clutter under control. Now a lot of this is because I've been out of town and otherwise running around like a crazy person but that is no excuse for the disaster that my house is quickly becoming.

As an example, here is my dining room table (which tends to be a catch all due to its location next to the front door).

In addition to the somewhat normal things (purse, mail, etc) you can see that a lot of not so normal stuff has been making an appearance (bug spray, garlic, box, etc).


Now, there isn't a cocker spaniel on the table but the general clutter is basically getting out of control. Needless to say, decluttering is high on my priority list.

Scrapbook Organizing - Results!

So you may remember the scrapbook supply disaster that I have ben trying to get under control. Well, I think I made some good progress. I still have too much but at least it is a little better under control.

Of note, I got rid of the suitcase. I saved some of the paper that was in the suitcase but was able to condense it into the other tupperware container. So, what I have left is - one large tupperware container with paper, scissors, glue, etc, one binder with stickers, and one small tupperware container with memorabilia - photos and other things that I want to save for scrapbooking or at the very least to put into an album somewhere.

I need help with photo organization. Right now I have photos in this container and in some dresser drawers. They are uncategrized and still in the photo envelopes. I feel like there must be a better solution for this. Any ideas?

Purging

This past weekend's productivity involved getting rid of a decent amount of stuff. This was a good trip because it got most of the stuff that has been hanging out with no home out of my house. This was stuff that just didn't fit well in my new house. Hopefully someone else can put it to good use! I gave away some other things too that were already in the car - primarily clothes. Sad thing is, I still have quite a bit to get rid of. I am thinking I will probably make a point to go through my house this week and grab any other misc. things that I am not using and don't need. The good thing is that I am definitely in the mood to get rid of stuff so that should make things a lot easier!

Here is the pile of stuff that left my house!

Organization project!

My scrapbooking supplies are OUT OF CONTROL. Seriously. My mission for this week is to get this mess a little better under control and to get rid of things I don't need. I know there are tons of scraps of paper in there that I really don't need to keep. I might purchase some sort of shelf system or organization system because the multiple tupperware/suitcase system isn't really working for me. And yes, I have a suitcase full of paper. I am actually embarrassed to admit that.
Hopefully by the end of this week there will be a picture of a nice tidy scrapbook supply center!

And it won't look like this: