Monday, October 31, 2011

Where'd She Go?!

"Tasks that take 31 Minutes or less... to make your life just a little bit easier!"

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~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

Where'd she go?
Have I organized myself into a corner?
Gotten my hand stuck in a cabinet?

Nah.
The last days of the series will be posted shortly.

You know the great thing about tips for organization?
No expiration dates!

Unlike the bottle of corn syrup...
I found in the pantry this weekend.

Want to catch up?

Day 27 - Take the Pill - Clean the Medicine Cabinet
Day 26 - Creative Uses For Storage Containers (Part 2)
Day 25 - Grab and Go!
Day 24 - Use What You've Got
Day 23 - No, Really...Look Over There!
Day 22 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 2)
Day 21 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 1)
Day 20 - Wish and Gift Lists
Day 19 - Grace and Rest
Day 18 - Easy Free Ornament Storage
Day 17 - Pantries and Shelters
Day 16 - Do You Have a Blue Box
Day 15 - A Blast From the Past
Day 14 - What would make it WORK?
Day 13 - Filling the Wasted Space
Day 12 - Spice Things Up
Day 11 - Clean out Your Purse and Wallet
Day 10 - Simple Safety Tips
Day 9 - Sorting the Sock Drawer
Day 8 - Creative Uses for Food Storage Containers
Day 7 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 2)
Day 6 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 1)
Day 5 - Day 5 - Cleaning and Organizing Your Cell Phone
Day 4 - Getting a Grip on Storage Containers
Day 3 - "Waxing Poetic"
Day 2 - Grab Those Gift Cards
Day 1 - We Dream

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31 Days To a More Organized Life: Day 31 - Creating Your Dream Kitchen and Life!



"Tasks that take 31 Minutes or less... to make your life just a little bit easier!"

Do You Follow Us?
You can become a Google Follower, in the right sidebar.
You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Want our 31 Days Series sent directly to your e-mail?

Find the "Follow Via E-mail" sign-up on the right.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Welcome to Day 31 - The Finale.

Just a heads up, this one will be long. Sorry.
I really want to tie things up and show you how
each of the steps we've taken in the 31 Day Series leads to a more organized life.

A more organized - YOU!

Whether your style is country or industrial - or someplace in between -
one thing remains consistent. A stress-free and healthy kitchen (and life!)
is organized and works well for your individual needs.
Let's take another look at the top photo.


Perhaps you love open shelving.
Notice the heavy platters are near the stove for easy serving. With the holidays approaching, perhaps you want to move your serving dishes closer to the stove - either temporarily or permanently.


Open plate racks make putting away everyday dishes quick and easy. And, they free up drawer space. Your junk drawer doesn't have to be in the heart of the kitchen since you probably don't use it every day. A drawer tucked away on an end might be fine.


Consider the repetitive movements you do every day.
Yep, we're talking ergonomics here. Are your plates and cups stored close to your dishwasher? If not, should they be? Only you know what actions you take in your kitchen that seem to take longer then they should. Consider the storage containers we talked about on Day 8. I keep mine right near the stove for easy portioning and freezing.


Are you lucky enough to have a pull out pantry?
Consider what it holds. Frequently used spices? (Did you check your stock like we talked about?) Vinegars and oils? Small saucepans? Zip lock bags? Maybe this would be a great place for your baking cabinet as we discussed on Day 13.


Speaking of baking, how about having a handy book shelf?


Have a small kitchen like I do?
Make the most of your space and think vertically.


A rolling cart, as we saw in the old 1949 Blast From the Past video on Day 15, can be handy in the kitchen. Use it when you need more space making cookies or for a buffet style dinner - then tuck it away.


Keep heavy pots where you don't have to bend for them.
And, keep the tools you use most close by.


Are you blessed with a kitchen island?
Make sure the height feels right so your back doesn't feel strained. Need a lift? Perhaps you could use bed risers to raise it. Is the island permanent? Use a thick butcher block to make the island feel taller and more in proportion to your body. And, be sure to use any space underneath for storage.
Remember to use what you've got!


Don't have a pantry?
Keep bulk items in storage jars at the ready and - get creative. And, you can keep it simple and put the condiments you use every day out on your table.

Each day, take 31 minutes to do something SMALL.

Take a moment to dream about how you would like your kitchen to look.
How do you want it to flow? Then group, organize, purge.
Do what you need to do to make your life just a little easier.
Afterward, sit back and enjoy the extra time you have with your family.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how
YOU make YOUR kitchen just right.
Tell us below.
Want to catch up?

Day 31 - Creating Your Dream Kitchen and Life!
Day 30 - Keep It Simple
Day 29 - Organizing Your Closet or Coat Rack
Day 28 - Raking It In
Day 27 - Take the Pill - Clean the Medicine Cabinet
Day 26 - Creative Uses For Storage Containers (Part 2)
Day 25 - Grab and Go!
Day 24 - Use What You've Got
Day 23 - No, Really...Look Over There!
Day 22 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 2)
Day 21 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 1)
Day 20 - Wish and Gift Lists
Day 19 - Grace and Rest
Day 18 - Easy Free Ornament Storage
Day 17 - Pantries and Shelters
Day 16 - Do You Have a Blue Box
Day 15 - A Blast From the Past
Day 14 - What would make it WORK?
Day 13 - Filling the Wasted Space
Day 12 - Spice Things Up
Day 11 - Clean out Your Purse and Wallet
Day 10 - Simple Safety Tips
Day 9 - Sorting the Sock Drawer
Day 8 - Creative Uses for Food Storage Containers
Day 7 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 2)
Day 6 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 1)
Day 5 - Cleaning and Organizing Your Cell Phone
Day 4 - Getting a Grip on Storage Containers
Day 3 - "Waxing Poetic"
Day 2 - Grab Those Gift Cards
Day 1 - We Dream


Linking up to:

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

31 Days To a More Organized Life: Day 30: Keep It Simple


"Tasks that take 31 Minutes or less... to make your life just a little bit easier!"

Do You Follow Us?
You can become a Google Follower, in the right sidebar.
You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Want our 31 Days Series sent directly to your e-mail?

Find the "Follow Via E-mail" sign-up on the right.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Welcome to Day 30.

Today, take 31 minutes and decide how to keep it simple.
How about your kitchen table?

You can get fancy, go industrial, rustic, or casual.




Here's what I'm thinking of doing.
For when it's just us, kickin' back.

Bringing a bit of whimsy to the table.


Does your kitchen have a little whimsy?

What can you do to keep things simple?
Tell us below!

Want to catch up?


Day 31 - Creating Your Dream Kitchen and Life!
Day 30 - Keep It Simple
Day 29 - Organizing Your Closet or Coat Rack
Day 28 - Raking It In
Day 27 - Take the Pill - Clean the Medicine Cabinet
Day 26 - Creative Uses For Storage Containers (Part 2)
Day 25 - Grab and Go!
Day 24 - Use What You've Got
Day 23 - No, Really...Look Over There!
Day 22 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 2)
Day 21 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 1)
Day 20 - Wish and Gift Lists
Day 19 - Grace and Rest
Day 18 - Easy Free Ornament Storage
Day 17 - Pantries and Shelters
Day 16 - Do You Have a Blue Box
Day 15 - A Blast From the Past
Day 14 - What would make it WORK?
Day 13 - Filling the Wasted Space
Day 12 - Spice Things Up
Day 11 - Clean out Your Purse and Wallet
Day 10 - Simple Safety Tips
Day 9 - Sorting the Sock Drawer
Day 8 - Creative Uses for Food Storage Containers
Day 7 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 2)
Day 6 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 1)
Day 5 - Day 5 - Cleaning and Organizing Your Cell Phone
Day 4 - Getting a Grip on Storage Containers
Day 3 - "Waxing Poetic"
Day 2 - Grab Those Gift Cards
Day 1 - We Dream


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Saturday, October 29, 2011

31 Days To a More Organized Life: Day 29: Organizing Your Closet or Coat Rack


"Tasks that take 31 Minutes or less... to make your life just a little bit easier!"

Do You Follow Us?
You can become a Google Follower, in the right sidebar.
You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Want our 31 Days Series sent directly to your e-mail?

Find the "Follow Via E-mail" sign-up on the right.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Welcome to Day 29.

Soon our homes will be busy with the hustle and bustle of family, friends and munchkins. Besides menu planning and getting the shopping list in order there are some other tasks that we should tackle. A few days ago we cleaned and organized our medicine cabinets.

Today, take 31 minutes to think about your coat closet.
Do you even one? Some of us don't.
Perhaps you only have a foyer.


Perhaps you only have part of a wall - like us.
Make the most of what you have.

It was functional.
Sorta.
But, surely not much to look at.

For about $12, I spray painted some hangers...
And, made our own wall rack.

So, use what you have.
Stretch that purging muscle a bit.
Make things a little easier for your guests...
And, for YOU!

Where do you hang YOUR coats?
Tell us about your closet or wall space below.

Want to catch up?


Day 31 - Creating Your Dream Kitchen and Life!
Day 30 - Keep It Simple
Day 29 - Organizing Your Closet or Coat Rack
Day 28 - Raking It In
Day 27 - Take the Pill - Clean the Medicine Cabinet
Day 26 - Creative Uses For Storage Containers (Part 2)
Day 25 - Grab and Go!
Day 24 - Use What You've Got
Day 23 - No, Really...Look Over There!
Day 22 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 2)
Day 21 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 1)
Day 20 - Wish and Gift Lists
Day 19 - Grace and Rest
Day 18 - Easy Free Ornament Storage
Day 17 - Pantries and Shelters
Day 16 - Do You Have a Blue Box
Day 15 - A Blast From the Past
Day 14 - What would make it WORK?
Day 13 - Filling the Wasted Space
Day 12 - Spice Things Up
Day 11 - Clean out Your Purse and Wallet
Day 10 - Simple Safety Tips
Day 9 - Sorting the Sock Drawer
Day 8 - Creative Uses for Food Storage Containers
Day 7 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 2)
Day 6 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 1)
Day 5 - Day 5 - Cleaning and Organizing Your Cell Phone
Day 4 - Getting a Grip on Storage Containers
Day 3 - "Waxing Poetic"
Day 2 - Grab Those Gift Cards
Day 1 - We Dream


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Friday, October 28, 2011

31 Days To a More Organized Life: Day 28 - Raking It In


"Tasks that take 31 Minutes or less... to make your life just a little bit easier!"

Do You Follow Us?
You can become a Google Follower, in the right sidebar.
You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Want our 31 Days Series sent directly to your e-mail?

Find the "Follow Via E-mail" sign-up on the right.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Welcome to Day 28.

Could your garage, basement or tool shed use a clean sweep?
Today take a look around at your gardening tools, rakes, brooms, etc.


Maybe take 31 minutes and see if you can't find a better solution.


Maybe you've got it all under control.
Or, maybe...you are like me...

And, you're just as likely to step on a hoe and bang yourself in the head as you are to actually find the rake you need.


Want to catch up?

Day 31 - Creating Your Dream Kitchen and Life!
Day 30 - Keep It Simple
Day 29 - Organizing Your Closet or Coat Rack
Day 28 - Raking It In
Day 27 - Take the Pill - Clean the Medicine Cabinet
Day 26 - Creative Uses For Storage Containers (Part 2)
Day 25 - Grab and Go!
Day 24 - Use What You've Got
Day 23 - No, Really...Look Over There!
Day 22 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 2)
Day 21 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 1)
Day 20 - Wish and Gift Lists
Day 19 - Grace and Rest
Day 18 - Easy Free Ornament Storage
Day 17 - Pantries and Shelters
Day 16 - Do You Have a Blue Box
Day 15 - A Blast From the Past
Day 14 - What would make it WORK?
Day 13 - Filling the Wasted Space
Day 12 - Spice Things Up
Day 11 - Clean out Your Purse and Wallet
Day 10 - Simple Safety Tips
Day 9 - Sorting the Sock Drawer
Day 8 - Creative Uses for Food Storage Containers
Day 7 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 2)
Day 6 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 1)
Day 5 - Day 5 - Cleaning and Organizing Your Cell Phone
Day 4 - Getting a Grip on Storage Containers
Day 3 - "Waxing Poetic"
Day 2 - Grab Those Gift Cards
Day 1 - We Dream


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Thursday, October 27, 2011

31 Days To a More Organized Life: Day 27 - Take the Pill - Clean the Medicine Cabinet


"Tasks that take 31 Minutes or less... to make your life just a little bit easier!"

Do You Follow Us?
You can become a Google Follower, in the right sidebar.
You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Want our 31 Days Series sent directly to your e-mail?

Find the "Follow Via E-mail" sign-up on the right.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Welcome to Day 27.

Whether we like it or not the holidays are coming.
(Me, I love them!)

And, like it or not we might have snoopy Suzies going through our medicine cabinets. If nothing else, there a good chance that one of our guests along the way will take in a little too much Charlie Brown or egg nog...and need an aspirin.

When is the last time you cleaned out your medicine cabinet?
Take 31 Minutes today and purge, like we did with our spices and our dreaded junk drawers.

Dump all the expired medicines. Some say not to flush them. Others say not to toss them in the trash. You make the call.

Next day...
Once you've purged, here's how I organize my cabinet.

I start with the tallest items.
Can I store them under the sink?

(Like the giganto-sized Listerine bottle which apparently my husband bought in case Andre the Giant were to come to town for a Princess Bride reunion and need a place to stay. "Sure, Andre, come on over! We'll put you up. Bed? Um, we'll push two together and you can sleep diagonally. Listerine, no problem - we've got you covered!" May he rest in peace.)

Anyway, my giants live under the sink.
Take everything out of the cabinet - including the shelves. (If your shelves aren't removable, now is a great time to watch Princess Bride or help Linus find the Great Pumpkin.)

Consider your stuff.
Do you have lots of little things, makeup, Ben-gay, ointments, that are short? Do you reach for them often so they should be on the bottom shelf? (See how I'm assuming you're short like me?) Or, should the the taller stuff be on the bottom?

Then take the tallest and measure from the top or bottom - depending on what you decided. Put in that shelf and fill it with all the stuff that is the tallest. Then, take the next tallest and do it again. Till your down to the tiny stuff, and that can be on a micro shelf - since really that's all it needs.

Yeah, I realize I keep wavering between first person and second person narrative. I'm okay with that...lol.

One last thing.
I keep a "Health" container in the pantry.

It's shoebox sized and holds things like cough syrup, expectorants, band-aids, cough drops, pocket-sized tissues. You get the idea. When we start sniffling, I pull out the box. But, when we are healthy, it's put away so we have lots more room in the medicine cabinet.

So, what did I miss?
What tips do you have for keeping an organized bathroom?

Want to catch up?

Day 31 - Creating Your Dream Kitchen and Life!
Day 30 - Keep It Simple
Day 29 - Organizing Your Closet or Coat Rack
Day 28 - Raking It In
Day 27 - Take the Pill - Clean the Medicine Cabinet
Day 26 - Creative Uses For Storage Containers (Part 2)
Day 25 - Grab and Go!
Day 24 - Use What You've Got
Day 23 - No, Really...Look Over There!
Day 22 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 2)
Day 21 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 1)
Day 20 - Wish and Gift Lists
Day 19 - Grace and Rest
Day 18 - Easy Free Ornament Storage
Day 17 - Pantries and Shelters
Day 16 - Do You Have a Blue Box
Day 15 - A Blast From the Past
Day 14 - What would make it WORK?
Day 13 - Filling the Wasted Space
Day 12 - Spice Things Up
Day 11 - Clean out Your Purse and Wallet
Day 10 - Simple Safety Tips
Day 9 - Sorting the Sock Drawer
Day 8 - Creative Uses for Food Storage Containers
Day 7 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 2)
Day 6 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 1)
Day 5 - Day 5 - Cleaning and Organizing Your Cell Phone
Day 4 - Getting a Grip on Storage Containers
Day 3 - "Waxing Poetic"
Day 2 - Grab Those Gift Cards
Day 1 - We Dream


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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

31 Days To a More Organized Life: Day 26: Creative Uses For Food Storage Containers (Part 2)



"Tasks that take 31 Minutes or less... to make your life just a little bit easier!"

Do You Follow Us?
You can become a Google Follower, in the right sidebar.
You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Want our 31 Days Series sent directly to your e-mail?

Find the "Follow Via E-mail" sign-up on the right.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~
Welcome to Day 26.

Waaaaaay back on Day 4 we talked about Getting a Grip on Storage Containers. Later on Day 8 we discussed some Creative Uses for Food Storage Containers

Welcome to part 2!
Woo Hoo!
I was reading a little Martha and this pic reminded me of what I use to keep my twine tangle-free.


It was then I realized that I might just have a Part 2 in me...
Since I re-use so many containers.


This little cutie is holding my Penzey's double-strength vanilla. (Can see the vanilla bean hanging out inside.) Why is it in the plastic and not the glass jar it came in? The bottle top spontaneously broke, dontcha know. Which is fine cuz this works, too.


This wasn't so much a food container - even though it looks a bit like a canning jar. It was a fancified candle. And, now it's our drink mix container.


Speaking of candles, this small jar is where our whole nutmeg live. We bought in bulk. We have enough for a foreign nation. Perhaps I should hold a giveaway. Perhaps I should contact the United Nations Relief...


I wonder what you thought was in this jar.
It's a large re-used candle this time - and it's holding our baking soda - which lives in our baking cabinet.

And, it's fresh.
Yours is too, since you took a gander at Day 12's Spice Things Up!

So tell me, what have I missed?
How do you re-use containers?

Want to catch up?

Day 31 - Creating Your Dream Kitchen and Life!
Day 30 - Keep It Simple
Day 29 - Organizing Your Closet or Coat Rack
Day 28 - Raking It In
Day 27 - Take the Pill - Clean the Medicine Cabinet
Day 26 - Creative Uses For Storage Containers (Part 2)
Day 25 - Grab and Go!
Day 24 - Use What You've Got
Day 23 - No, Really...Look Over There!
Day 22 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 2)
Day 21 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 1)
Day 20 - Wish and Gift Lists
Day 19 - Grace and Rest
Day 18 - Easy Free Ornament Storage
Day 17 - Pantries and Shelters
Day 16 - Do You Have a Blue Box
Day 15 - A Blast From the Past
Day 14 - What would make it WORK?
Day 13 - Filling the Wasted Space
Day 12 - Spice Things Up
Day 11 - Clean out Your Purse and Wallet
Day 10 - Simple Safety Tips
Day 9 - Sorting the Sock Drawer
Day 8 - Creative Uses for Food Storage Containers
Day 7 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 2)
Day 6 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 1)
Day 5 - Day 5 - Cleaning and Organizing Your Cell Phone
Day 4 - Getting a Grip on Storage Containers
Day 3 - "Waxing Poetic"
Day 2 - Grab Those Gift Cards
Day 1 - We Dream


Linking up to:
Me and My BoyshomeworkBoogieboard CottageMakingThe Prairie HomesteadPhotobucketThe Girl CreativeSomewhat SimpleTransformation ThursdayHookingupwithHoHThe Shabby NestThirty Hand Made DaysThe French Country CottagePhotobucket

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