Archive for the ‘Organizing’ Category

Kitchen & Meal Time Organizing Tips

In many households the kitchen is really the heart of the home. You definitely want to make this room a relaxing family space but also practical to make family meal times and cooking as stress free as possible.

Here’s a few kitchen organizing tips to help get you started:

Organize Your Work Stations: To make cooking easier you want to make sure you have everything you need close at hand.  Designate an area for preparing the meals. It’s good to keep your spices and seasonings close to this area. You’ll also want to have chopping boards, knives and mixing spoons close at hand. Have another area planned for serving and keeping all your dishes, serving spoons, place mats and utensils.

By incorporating work stations into your kitchen and keeping everything you need near each work station, you’ll save a lot of time.

Organize Your Fridge: Clean out your fridge and organize things in categories to make finding them easier when you’re in a rush. It’s a good idea to keep all your dairy products together. Place cold cuts in tightly sealed plastic containers and label them. This will keep them fresh and also make it easier to find. You can do the same thing with cheese and left over foods.

Separate your fruit and salad items from your other vegetables so that you can find them easier. Often times you’ll forget you have those tomatoes in the back drawer and end up buying more. By keeping things organized you’ll waste and spend less.

*Read my post: What’s in the Back of Your Fridge?

Organize Your Pantry: Arrange your pantry or cupboards according to foods. For example: keep all your canned goods in one place and cereal in another. Keep items you use the most within easy reach and put away those appliances you never seem to use. They’re just taking up your counter space!

Plan Your Meals: This is by far the easiest way to organize your meal times. Take a few minutes and write out a meal plan and shopping list for the upcoming week. Buy everything in advance and stock up on items you use regularly and have a long shelf life. Then stick your menu on your fridge, glance at it each morning and plan ahead. Thaw any meat that needs thawing or chop and add your items to your crock pot.

Click here to Get Organized Now -  More Ideas, Tips, Tools And More To Help You Organize Your Home, Your Office And Your Life!

How to Have More Spare Time to Do the Things You Want to Do

I love having spare time to do things that I like to do such as reading, relaxing or even working online blogging, don’t you?

The fact is, spare time is a luxury for moms who are very busy trying to keep order in the house.   Moms are multi-taskers who have to make sure that meals are prepared, clothes are clean, the house is clean and that the kids have their needs met regarding education, appoints  and events, etc.

The good news is that you can do certain things to make every precious minute count and in turn leave you with more spare time…

1.  Plan ahead – Create lists.

If  you have errands to do, you can save gas and time by doing them all on a certain day.  Using a list will help you make sure that you don’t get distracted and forget anything while you’re out.

Keep a shopping list on your refrigerator and immediately add anything that you’re running low on while you’re cooking.  This will save you time from constantly running to the store.  You’ll also save money because each time you go to the store, you’ll more than likely pick up extra items.

Also try to go shopping in the evenings or at least on days when there are less people in the store. Why waste an hour fighting the crowds when you can be done in 30 minutes.

2.  Plan meals – Thaw foods in advance.

Plan meals for the upcoming week so that you can add the ingredients to your shopping list. Keep your meal plan handy on the fridge so that you can know what foods need to be thawed in advance. This will save you extra time and money.  You won’t be tempted to pick up fast food or run to the grocery store when you already have your food thawed and your meal planned.

3. Buy in Bulk - Stock up on sales.

If you have sufficient space, then plan ahead and buy things in bulk. Also, watch for sales on items that you frequently use and stock up on them. You’ll save money and precious time by not having to go to the supermarket so often.

4. Pay Your Bills Electronically – Create a workstation.

If you’re able to do this, then you’ll even more time by not having to write out and mail checks. If you really can’t or choose not to do this, then set up a work station to keep your checkbook, stamp, envelopes and pens close at hand.

You can also have a calendar with all your important dates and appointments written on there. Go a step further and have an inbox for mail and papers that need to be filed. You’ll never waste time looking for those things again.

5.  Don’t Let the Housework Pile Up – Schedule tasks throughout the week.

There’s nothing worse than spending your weekends cleaning. If you do a little bit each day you won’t ever need to spend a whole day cleaning. For example, do a load of laundry daily rather than letting it all pile up for Saturday.  Schedule other tasks such as vacuuming and dusting on certain days throughout the week.

Once the weekend comes around, the house should be fairly organized gaining you some spare time. You may just have to give the bathroom and kitchen a little extra cleanup attention, leaving you with plenty of time to enjoy your family.

6.  Eliminate Time Wasters -   Lose time wasters and gain extra time.

Many people complain they have no time.   The fact is, we all have 24 hours in a day.   Check to see if there are some big time wasters that you can eliminate such as talking on the phone, playing games on the computer, watching too much TV, etc.   Ah, instant time gained!

7.  Eliminate Unproductive Tasks - Give up perfectionism.

There are some tasks that we always feel just “must” be done…yet, if we were to really consider it more… it’s really not as necessary as we think.   Gain more time by giving up perfectionism or tasks that are meaningless.  Nobody sees the dust underneath that cabinet.  Try cleaning it once or twice a year instead of weekly and save tons of time!

8.   Delegate – Create a family team and work together.

Sometimes we feel like we must do everything ourselves.  Learn to ask for help.  We deprive our children the joy of helping and learning to work when we force ourselves to do it “all”.  Tell your family that you are a “team” and then work together on many household projects.

9.  Organize Your Life – Don’t waste time hunting for lost stuff.

Don’t you hate wasting time looking for stuff?  Save this wasted time by organizing your house.  The time spent doing this will save you a lot of time and hassle in return.

Create a home and place for everything. For example, have a place near the front door where you can hang your keys and purse. Don’t forget items like umbrellas, hats, gloves and scarves for those rainy or cold days.

Some additional things to pay attention to: set up storage for the kids toys, get creative organizing your clutter in baskets or containers near the area where you’ll use the items and create a system to organize all those magazines and books.

As a final word, you can’t buy more time.  The key to having more spare time is simply saving time that you already have.

Feel free to share you time-saving tips with us here…

How to Declutter Your Home – Tips and Ideas

I’ve been “decluttering” my home this summer.  It’s quite a task since things have gone astray during the past school year.  But, with a determined stride I’ve taken on the tasks.

Three words to keep in mind when you decide to declutter your home…

Storage, storage and storage.

1. Make sure you assign a place for everything.

There’s one motto my dorm mom had when I was in college,  “A place for everything and everything in it’s place,” she often quoted.

Decluttering simply comes down to finding a place for everything and making sure everything is in its proper place.

And I know this next tip is going to hurt…

2.  Get rid of what you no longer need.

Some people determine what to get rid of by identifying what they haven’t used in over a year.

I try to decide if I really need it or if I can live without it?   Do I want it bad enough that I’m willing to pay for storage space?  After all, if you keep everything, you will indeed someday have to move to a bigger house or pay for some storage building.

3.  Make a plan of attack.

Don’t fret!  It won’t happen over night, but it definitely will happen if you take small steps.

First, get each bedroom area organized…

Take a day and sort through clothes and toys in your kids’ rooms.  Either sell, give away or throw away what isn’t needed anymore. Get age appropriate storage units, label things and help teach the kids to put their own things away.

Next, get a laundry basket for each family member and start with the least cluttered room of the house, so you’ll see success quicker and stay motivated.

Put everything in the baskets that doesn’t belong in that room. Then assign everyone  a deadline to find a home for everything in the basket, or you will (even if it’s file thirteen).

Keep a big trash bag nearby for stuff you know needs to be gotten rid of immediately (like junk mail). Do this for each room of the house.

Once everything is in the correct room…

Evaluate each room and decide what kind of storage is needed to keep things organized. If there is very little clutter left in the room once the personal belongings are gone, then you’ve got less work to do. If the room still looks chaotic, decide if the items really need to be in that room or relocated, stored or sold/given away.

Tip: Upkeep can cut down on future work.  If you use the basket trick daily, going from room to room, it should be easy to stay on top of things.

Different rooms will have different storage needs…

What works in the family room won’t necessarily work in the kitchen. Take your time and research the options out there and find a system that works best to help your family declutter your home.

Create your Own Mini Breakfast Corner Nook

Busy moms need to think ahead.  Do what it takes to create some swift action during the drowsy morning hours.

I decided to make one corner of my kitchen dedicated to quick breakfast gatherings.   Here’s a picture of the cabinet I cleared out for breakfast supplies:

The little white bin inside is for stashing some paper plates.  (I’ve decided to forgo paperplates for awhile.)   There’s bread (& toaster below),  little stackable brown cups, kids multivitamins, oatmeal, cereal, bowls for cereal,  bread, peanut butter to swipe on toast, breakfast drink mixes etc.

Organize spoons & forks:

I use a picnic caddy for storing knives, spoons and forks to grab a quick bite.  I also have purchased three bar stools – one for each son to sit down and eat.

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How to Stop Clutter Before it Gets a Chance to Grow

Everyone needs a starting point. Here is a list of things you can begin with to start and continue the process of becoming organized. The main point with becoming organized is to stop being disorganized right now and turn a new leaf.

Start here:

* When the house gets too messy, do a ‘10-minute tidy,’ where everyone in the family drops what they are doing and cleans for ten minutes.

* Divide your house into sections and then spend five minutes in each of those areas when the house is in disarray. Use a timer to keep you on track.

* To minimize the amount of time spent on errands, keep a running list of what tasks need to be done, then try to do them just one day a week.

* Prioritize what is bothering you the most. Once you have a list, you can go from there and figure out what to do first.

* Assign chores with job descriptions and alternate them among children each week. For example, one child can be assistant cook one week, and part of the clean up crew the next.

* Sort and recycle mail as soon as it arrives.

* Limit your laundry duties to one day a week.

* Have a basket for small items instead of having them here and there.

* Keep a basket in the living room for anything that needs to be put in another room at a later time. Empty the basket each night.

* When you purchase one item and bring it into the house, pick one item to leave the house either through the trashcan or the charity shop.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE “ORGANIZED”?

The topic of organization is quite popular right now. People strive to become organized in all facets of their lives. But what does “being organized” mean? Simply put, when you are organized, you know where various items are, you are aware of what you are doing and you definitely know where you are going.

Being organized is not just a term, but it is an act. To become organized is a state of mind with many actions taking place to become a person prepared for anything that happens in life. Yes, having an organized household helps a person to take on anything that is thrown to them at any time of their life.

Many people believe that they are organized, but when they are asked to locate an object or when they walk into their house and piles of papers are all around, knick knacks scattered on various shelves and tables, mail covers the kitchen table, they suddenly realize that they aren’t organized. Their living space is cluttered and in disarray. They are not prepared for what is about to happen. What if some friends drop by? Unexpected out of town guests?

Where does the average person start when it comes to being organized? How does one become organized to begin with? How does a person stay organized? Before those topics can be discussed, a few things need to be defined and expanded on for clarification.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE ORGANIZED

It is a popular belief that being organized and having to keep all your stuff orderly is painful and time consuming and that the thought of being organized causes extreme stress. This is false in all aspects.

Walking into a room that is organized, where there’s no clutter, no piles of clothes laying on the floor, no newspapers thrown on the floor, is actually calming. Why is it calming? The calmness comes from everything being in order. You can walk into the room and immediately sit down in a chair and place a cup of tea on the table instead of having to clear out the things from the chair and clean off the table before you can set the cup down.
Being organized can also be relaxing. It only takes five to ten minutes to put away items from the day and then you can settle down with a good novel. When your area is clean and tidy, then a person doesn’t feel guilty for sitting down to read or spend time with the family.

Organization actually reduces stress. Everyone knows about April 15th, income taxes are due. Most of the general population is stressed out because they have to locate receipts, income statements and other papers for preparing their taxes. People who have organized all their paperwork into one or two folders or boxes has an easier time and less stressful time in preparing their taxes. The same is for any situation where you need to locate papers quickly.

Research has found that a sense of peacefulness is found in areas that are organized versus areas that are cluttered. This again relates to the calming feeling that you also get. For example, every morning, if you wake up, make your bed, pick up items from your bedroom that do not belong, then when you return that evening for bedtime, the room is peaceful and ready to be slept in. It is a definite peaceful feeling that makes a person feel satisfied as well.

Most people feel more confident when they have an organized area. Knowing that they can organize and achieve a goal brings about confidence. Also knowing that this feeling of confidence can be catching, not only can it be prominent in their home or office, but it can expand to other areas of their life or possibly other people in their household.

Once a person has become “organized,” they have this ability to be able to take on more and to achieve more in their life. The person has recognized that they have a problem and the problem has been solved then they can do more with their life, become a better person. It has been seen that a person who constantly lives in a cluttered area becomes secluded, but once they break free from the clutter, their lives become lives of happiness and full of achievements.