Spring Organizing

I organized my pantry/laundry room and office yesterday. I like to do it every few months (not usually on the same day, though!) to clear out the clutter. New things come in and stuff that seemed important isn't anymore.

I like to organize my canned goods according to food colors - all the red stuff together, all the green stuff together. I put all the carbohydrates together (pasta, rice, couscous), baking items together, drinks together, etc. It's easy to find stuff and easy to put things away.

My pantry is open shelving in my basement laundry room, so I'm able to use height - the space above the top shelf - great place for paper products, large serving pieces, large baskets, etc. I tried to organize things according to how often I use them - those serving pieces/appliances I use less often I placed in less accessible places than those items I use more often. I also made summertime stuff more accessible than wintertime stuff.

In the laundry section, I organized all the cleaning supplies together and all the laundry paraphernalia together. Got rid of outdated supplies. Cleaned off the drier of accumulated stuff - a clean surface!

Went through all the drawers and shelves in my office and sorted according to categories, tossed lots of paper, and filed. I have a few hanging files that contain the things I work on most. If I'm faithful to drop them into the files, my desk stays cleaner! By the time I went through the sorting process, I found things I had been looking for and even ended up with an empty shelf! I placed things I used most often closer to me and those I use less often on high shelves.

It feels so nice to have things organized and neat. It's also helpful to be reminded of what I have, where it is, and how I can maintain it.