Organizing Products I Use - Spice Organizers and Turntables

  
Even before we moved, I knew I needed to do something with my spices. The little grocery store I go to sells locally grown spices in small plastic bags. I love that they are locally grown and that they are much less expensive than bottled spices. However, those little bags get messy, even if you containerize them.

My solution? Little plastic bottles I bought from Uline. Yes, I had to pay for the containers, but only once. Now I can refill them as needed without the cost of the bottles. I used my label maker to label each container.

I was shocked at the number of spices I had! To prevent cooking boredom, I have been trying out a lot of new recipes, hence new spices.  Some of them are on my Pinterest, if you care to check them out.


Next I bought a stair-step spice organizer that expands (got it from Amazon). And no, I didn't organize them alphabetically. Maybe I should. Haven't gotten there yet. :)

You can see the finished product on the right. I did keep some of my bottled spices, especially those  that I like to shake out - red pepper flakes, for example. But when they run out, I might transfer them to my Uline containers. I still have a few unused ones.

Now what to do with all those oils and vinegars? Since my cabinets are very tall and I'm pretty short, I opted for turntables on the second shelf. I have three: one for oils, etc., one for tall spices, and one for vinegars and such. The turntables make all those ingredients readily accessible without needing a step stool.

My mixer and canisters are on the counter, making it a convenient baking area. Measuring spoons and cups, spatulas, whisks, and bakeware are in cabinets and drawers below to save steps.

I love having many of my cooking ingredients available in one place and easy to see and reach. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted for a price I didn't mind paying, but I'm so happy with my choices. It's worth researching different options until you find what you want.

I smile each time I open this cabinet.

More on organizing the kitchen:
Three Steps to Organizing the Kitchen
Organizing Products I Use - Bakeware Organizers
Redbook: Clever Storage for Plastic Wrap, Foil, and Reclosable Bags

Clever Cleaning Tricks that Save Time and Money

   
Hate to spend money on expensive cleaning products? Or you've run out of some of your favorite cleaning supplies and don't want to make a trip to the store? Here are a few ideas for substitutes:

- Smelly drains - to clean drains, pour a hot, strong solution of salt water down the drain (1/2 cup salt for every quart of water)

- To deodorize food containers and shoes, stuff a balled-up piece of newspaper into lunch boxes, thermoses, plastic food storage containers, and shoes. Let them sit overnight.

- Out of paper towels? Clean windows with coffee filters. They leave no lint or residue.

- Out of coffee filters? Use a couple of paper towels.

- Clean stainless steel with olive oil or a vinegar solution (half vinegar, half water).

- Use the above vinegar solution as a regular household cleaner. It's a disinfectant, and it's natural and safe around children. I keep mine in a spray bottle. Cheap, too - $2-3 per gallon!!

- Instead of caustic, abrasive cleaners, make a past of lemon juice and baking soda.

What are your clever cleaning tricks? I have a cleaning problem that stumps me - my coffee maker is silver but not stainless steel. Can't get rid of the opalescent spots. Any ideas?

More on clever cleaning:
A Perfect Solution to Organizing Your Housework
Three Steps to  Clever Cleaning
Green  Spring  Cleaning with Vinegar

Spring Cleaning Your Attic

 
Spring is a wonderful time to attack the attic - it's still cool enough to be able to tackle this decluttering job! You certainly don't want to wait until summer. And the timing is perfect - you may find you have enough for a yard sale. Now that's motivating, isn't it?

Start by walking around your attic to take a mental inventory of what you have there. Designate corners for each category - Christmas, other seasonal decorations, keepsakes, off-season clothing, suitcases and traveling accessories, home repair supplies - whatever categories represent your life.

Now that you have designated certain corners for the categories you have stored in your attic, it's time to sort.

Start in one corner of your attic. You may want to surround yourself with several boxes - one for each category plus one for giveaways. As you sort each item, ask yourself:
- is it necessary?
- have you used it in the last year?
- is it important to you or someone else?
- could someone else use it?

If you absolutely must keep the item you're sorting, place it in the appropriate box. Have a trash bag nearby for those things that don't even qualify for giveaways.

Work your way around the attic. You may discover additional categories as you go. You may also find items in your attic which would be better used elsewhere in your home. Be creative - are there some keepsakes you want to keep that could serve as storage containers in your house? Your mother's tea cups could hold jewelry in your dresser drawer, for example. A trunk could hold toys or linens.

Place each box in the corner you have designated for that category.

Now that you've decluttered and sorted, you're ready to look at your storage needs for your attic.


Evaluate each category to see what would best house those items. Do you need large clear storage containers for linens? Do you need small boxes for books? Do you need a place to hang out-of-season clothes? Do you need shelves, drawers, hooks, etc?

Before you go out and purchase storage containers, look around your house, basement, garage, etc. to see if you already have such storage. You may have an unused dresser that would work for storage if it were moved up to the attic, for example.

Label each container with the contents so when you're hunting for something, you don't need to open every container. If you are using clear storage containers, write your list on a piece of paper and slide it down the side of the container so you can read it without opening the box.

When you have completed your attic cleaning, celebrate! Good job done!!

More on spring cleaning:
The Health and Mental Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning
Spring Comes to the Rescue of Winter Depression and Clutter
Spring Cleaning Relationships

DIY Scarf Storage

 
Thread scarves though shower-curtain rings attached to a hanger for wrinkle-free, easy-to-see storage. Another idea from Redbook.

More DIY organizing projects:
What to  Do with those Dry  Cleaning Hangers? - Make a DIY Shoe Rack
Organizing Your Bracelets - Go Vertical!
Organizing Toys Using a Wire Garden Planter

Hoarders Plead Guilty to Child Cruelty

  
I've read about people dying in house fires because their clutter wouldn't allow them to get out or be rescued. This is the first I've read about hoarding becoming child cruelty. The following details an English couple narrowly escaping prison because of their excessive possessions.

"A couple whose obsessive hoarding cluttered the house until their four children had to eat their meals on the stairs, have narrowly avoided a prison sentence.

A man aged 47 and his partner aged 46 were described as 'slovenly' yesterday by a judge who had been shown pictures of their home. Piles of clothes filled the bedrooms, and toys and bric-a-brac picked up at car boot sales made conditions cramped throughout the house.

The couple, from Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey in Central London to four charges of child cruelty by providing inappropriate living conditions for the children between September 2007 and September 2011.

Judge John Bevan said that the couple appeared to blame each other and told them that they were lucky not to have been sent to prison.

'The evidence demonstrates, and one only has to look at the photographs, that you were slovenly,' he said. 'The photographs are dreadful. There was nowhere to eat food other than on the stairs.'

Police and social workers who visited the three-bedroom terrace house found the children eating their meals on the stairs because the kitchen was so cluttered. The children, who are all aged under 16, cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Judge Bevan told the father: 'As an ambulance technician, you should have known better.'

Addressing the mother, he said: 'You were addicted to car boot sales and clutter. The children were unkempt and untidy. Despite claiming you were suffering depression, you were not prevented from going to car boot sales and making the situation worse and worse.'

They were given six-month suspended prison sentences and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work each, in what is believed to be a first such ruling related to hoarding.

Charles Ward-Jackson, for the prosecution, said the house was 'extremely untidy' but that it was clean. The couple ignored repeated warnings after social workers visited the house on a number of occasions.

Judge Bevan said: 'He has got money problems — she seems to spend it all at car boot sales. She shows a number of characteristics common in individuals who hoard, frequently shopping, visiting car boot sales on a weekly basis.'

Bozzie Sheffi, representing the mother, said that her client suffered from depression and was exhausted.

The couple had appeared in court after being bailed, and Judge Bevan told them: 'You can count yourselves fortunate that you are leaving by the same door you came in through.'"

More on hoarding:
Are You Turning into a Hoarder? Find Out.
5 Causes of Disorganization
Hoarding - There are No Easy Answers!

Organizing Products I Use - Bakeware Organizers

 

Our new house has a lot of cabinet space, but it doesn't have one of those tall skinny cabinets for my cookie sheets, jelly roll pans, wire cooling racks, and pizza pans. So I created my own space by buying Copco Bakeware Organizers at Amazon. The only cabinet tall enough to store these pans was under the sink - not the ideal, but it works. 

I used another one in a different cabinet for cutting boards. (Sorry my pictures are not very bright!)

As you can see, to the right of the cutting boards, I store my large pans in a Honey-Can-Do KCH-02165 Cushion Coated Steel Wire Plate Rack. I'm sorry to sound like an advertisement, but I wanted you to be able to find them should you want them. They are available on Amazon, but I've had mine for years and I think I got them at Walmart.

I use another one in my pantry to store pie pans and cake pans. What I love about all these organizers is that things are stored vertically. I don't have to stack my bakeware on each other, and I can take out one item at a time without having to rearrange the entire group.

In the past I have even used these plate racks to store some of my plates! I love to entertain, and dishes are my weakness, so I have quite a collection. But I have found another plate rack I adore, which I will show you soon.

More organizing products I use:
Organizing Products I Use - The Arrow Clothes Hanging System
Organizing Products I Use - Under-the-Sink Drawers
Organizing Products I Use - Steel Shelving

Don't Fall Prey to Guilt-Ridden Clutter

   
Have you ever given in to the thought, if I buy this, I'll be a better .... ? Even though it doesn't really fit with your reality? If I buy this new set of knives, I'll cook more. If I buy these new gardening tools, I'll work more in my garden. If I buy these new dishes, I'll entertain more.

Tempting, but it usually doesn't work. Before you buy, ask yourself if it's really something you want to do, if it fits with your lifestyle at present.

Are you guilt-tripping yourself with "shoulds?" I should cook more, I should have a lovely garden, I should have more people over. Why torture yourself? Be who you are, enjoy your giftedness, and shine at being yourself! Do those things you were created to do!

Resist assuaging your guilt with new purchases. It will save you money and clutter!! Enjoy looking at them while shopping, but give yourself the freedom to say no!

Maybe you'll never be a great cook, or gardener, or entertainer. That's ok! But maybe you're a great artist, mother, or carpenter. Make room in your home for things that reflect your talents, not your guilt-ridden aspirations.

More on decluttering your life of unnecessary clutter:
Align Your Life with Your Design
Clearing Out Emotional and Physical Clutter
10 Types of Emotional Clutter

Where to Recycle Your E-Waste in Bozeman

It's a pain to get rid of old computers, printers, and other electronic equipment, isn't it? It's nice to be green whenever possible, so when I was looking to find a place to recycle an office printer, I started researching how this could be done here in Bozeman.

I was told that on Earth Day weekend, such items could be brought to the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. But I discovered that they are no longer doing this.

Gallatin County offers e-waste recycling. I'm including information from Gallatin County below on recycling e-waste. They also list several additional options to recycling these products, one of which is Staples. When I asked an employee at Stapes if they charge for recycling, he said they did not, contrary to what the county states below.

However, in all the cases, you must take or mail your electronic equipment. This was not too appealing to me, as the printer to be recycled was big and heavy.

My solution? Dumpnjunk! Dumpnjunk will recycle your e-waste for free. Even though their website states a specific day of the month to recycle e-waste, they collected the printer the next day. And they were even kind enough to haul it down a flight of stairs at no charge.

They will also remove the remains of your spring cleaning for a fee. So if you need to get rid of your junk without making a trip, Dumpnjunk just might be your solution, too! I found them very easy to work with.

If you prefer to dispose of your e-waste yourself, here are options listed on Gallatin County's site:

ELECTRONIC WASTE (E-WASTE)

Where:	Logan Landfill 10585 Two Dog Road
When:	Monday - Saturday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm.  No appointment necessary.
Fees:	Household = $27/ton, Minimum of $5.00
	Commercial = $48/ton, Minimum of $5.00
Contact:	Logan Landfill Gallatin Solid Waste District 406-284-4029
Special Instructions:	The e-waste should be separated from the rest of the load and will be disposed of separately.  Please tell the Scale House Operator when you arrive that you have e-waste to drop-off for recycling.

When recycling e-waste, protect your privacy

Before recycling your computer, consider erasing the hard drive to protect your privacy and security. Simply deleting files from your "recycling bin" does not permanently remove them from the hard drive, and with some work, they can be reconstructed and accessed again. Free software known as "erasers" or "disk sanitizers" are available online to systematically write 1's and 0's over all of your data on the hard drive, this will render any personal data on the drive unreadable. Visit MT Department of Environmental Quality for free software that wipes your hard drive clean.

Other Disposal Options

Costco Trade-In Program gives you cash cards good for purchases and pre-paid shipping to recycle your used electronics.  Sign up on the website, send in the equipment, it will be evaluated and then you'll receive a gift card in the mail.  For laptops, cell phones, LCD monitors, digital cameras, mp3 players, blu-ray, gaming systems and more.

Dell and Staples Launch Free E-Recycling for Dell Customers. Consumers may now recycle their Dell brand computers, monitors, mice and more at any Staples branch for free.

Staples in Bozeman will accept any brand computer monitors, CPUs, printers and fax machines for fee.  Keyboards, mice and speakers are accepted for free.  Staples 

Office Depot in Bozeman sells shipping boxes at various prices which you take home and fill with your e-waste.  Then, bring the box back to Office Depot and they will ship your e-waste to a recycler.  

More on recycling: 
What to Do with those Dry Cleaner Hangers? - Make a DIY Shoe Rack 
Managing Paper, Part 1  
Need Some Christmas Cash? How to Sell Your Old Phones, Equipment and Gadgets 

Spring Cleaning Your Car

  
With all the snow we get over the winter, we are continually tracking muck into our cars. I'm so happy that spring is here, which means when we clean our cars they might stay that way for a while!

It's time to swap out that winterizing kit (blanket, ice scrapers, hand warmers, etc.) for spring and summer items: sunscreen, bug spray, outdoor toys, water, etc. If you carry a set of extra clothes for your child, you may want to exchange winter clothing for spring or summer clothing. It's best to keep such things containerized, as they can become missiles in a sudden stop.

Take a look throughout your car to see if you have outdated or unnecessary items - old maps, empty CD cases, nonworking pens, etc. Make a clean sweep of the car, removing such items.

Check your car registration and insurance card to make sure they are current.

Make sure your emergency kit is up-to-date: jumper cables, extra washer fluid, flashlight, flares. I keep mine in a plastic container in the back of my car. I also store my reusable grocery bags there, too, so they're not drifting all over the car.

But our biggest struggle is clutter. I read recently that women are more guilty than men when it comes to car clutter. Whatever the case, it's easy for that clutter to collect! Here are a few ideas to tame that trend:

- Ask each person in the car to look around them when leaving the car and throw away any trash they see. When we had foster daughters, they drew the line at other people's tissues, however! If you have a trash can in your garage, it makes it that much easier.

- Make a rule that if you bring it into the car, you must take it back out. Even if your kids are eating something on the way to school, they need to take it into the school when they go. Finding two yogurt containers upside down in the cup holder is not pleasant!

- I'm not a good waiter. So I try to remember to use the time while stopped at a light, waiting for someone, etc., to pick up trash and clutter. When we travel, I try to remove trash each time I get out of the car for a break.

- When we get snacks while traveling, I ask for a bag which we can use for trash.

- If you have children who like to bring toys along in the car, limit them as to number. Just make sure it's not a container with a jillion little toys inside! Consider getting a back-of-the-seat organizer to hold your child's snacks, drinks, toys, books, etc.

- If you allow eating in the car, opt for dry snacks rather than gummy ones. They are much easier to clean up with a vacuum and less likely to get enmeshed in the carpeting or upholstery.

- Make sure drinks have lids, especially when stored in cup holders on the door. Slamming the door and an open drink is not a good combination!

- Keep what you need readily available: sunglasses, phone charger, tissues, paper, pens, fingernail file (Yes, I file my fingernails while waiting at lights, too! I told you I was not a good waiter.)

- As you do your errands, consider using a basket or green shopping bag to carry your items from the car into the house - you can do it in one trip!

It's nice to start out fresh for the spring and summer months! And nice to be prepared for fun ahead with an organized, clean, and equipped car!

More on spring cleaning:
Statistics: The Health and Mental Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning
Green Spring Cleaning with Vinegar
Spring Cleaning Relationships

Organizing Products I Use - The Arrow Hanging System

    
As we were preparing to move, I was concerned about the lack of space in our new laundry room to hang clothes coming out of the dryer. We have just enough room for the washer and dryer and that's it! So I started investigating!

The solution I liked best is the Arrow Hanger AH12/R Instahanger Clothes Hanging System. I got mine from Amazon for about $18 apiece. What I love is that it's very compact when not in use.

The metal rod holding the clothes is very sturdy and can hold several pieces of clothing, even heavy jeans! I got two of these - one for each of the side walls of the laundry room. So when I'm taking clothes out of the dryer, I put mine on one and my husband's on the other - just makes it easier when putting clothes away.

I have loved finding organizing solutions that work in our new home! Stay tuned for more ...

More on organizing products:
Organizing Products I Use - Under the Sink Drawers
Organizing Products I Use - Steel Shelving
Bags Are Messy - Box Them Up!

Organizing a Family Reunion

I discovered the following article on organizing a family reunion - great tips!

"Family reunions are a great way for families to maintain a bond and stay abreast of the latest happenings within the family. Some families host an annual reunion, while others go years between reunions. Regardless of how much time has passed since your last family reunion, organizing such a gathering can be quite an ordeal.

When planning a family reunion, those trusted to organize the event will be met with many challenges. But the following tips should help the process go as smoothly as possible.

Start early.

The earlier you start to organize your family reunion, the more time you and your family members will have to find deals on hotels or transportation. That’s especially important today, when many families are more spread out than ever before. Planning early also gives organizers time to find fun and affordable means of entertainment, such as group trips to a sporting event or an amusement park. Even if your family hosts an annual reunion, start planning early so family members from far and wide can make plans to attend.

Use social media to your advantage.

Social media has made it easy to keep in touch with distant relatives, and organizers can use this tool to their advantage when planning a family reunion. Post ideas for entertainment to social media and get feedback from relatives. Solicit suggestions for activities and assign different tasks to different family members who have confirmed their attendance. Use social media to keep track of that attendance as well, especially among those family members who have not yet committed but have implied a desire to attend. Search the Internet for websites designed to help you plan and organize your event.

Choose a central location.

Though it might be sentimental to hold the reunion in a city or town where your family has its deepest roots, such a location might not be practical for families who have branched out geographically. When choosing a town or city for the family reunion, try to find a central location that’s accessible to the largest number of prospective attendees. For example, if half of your family now calls the West Coast home while the other half lives along the East Coast, then a location in the middle of the country is equally accessible for all. This also gives travel enthusiasts the chance to do some traveling while also reconnecting with their family members.

Arrange for transportation ahead of time.

If your family reunion won’t be in a big city with reliable public transportation, then it’s best to arrange for transportation ahead of time. Some family members will drive to the reunion, so confirm who is driving and the capacity of their vehicles. You might be able to get by with relatives carpooling around town to the reunion and other events. If not, you might want to rent a van or bus for the weekend so those without access to transportation can travel together while in town. Do so ahead of time so you or your family members are not scrambling for transportation come the weekend of the reunion.

Host the reunion when the weather outside is warm and welcoming.

Unless you’re a family who enjoys hitting the slopes and wants to reunite on the black diamond, then host the reunion at a time of year when the weather is warm. This allows all of you to enjoy the great outdoors, and people are less likely to feel cramped or claustrophobic. The warm weather is also more amenable to activities like three-legged races, water balloon fights and, of course, the barbecue, a staple of many family gatherings."

More on organizing family events:
Organize Your Family Vacation
Organize a Fun Activity List
Organizing Spring Break Fun

Plastic Bags are Messy - Box Them Up!

It's always handy to have plastic bags on hand, but they're so messy! Here's a way to store them neatly: in an empty tissue box!

No need to buy a storage gadget for this! The easiest DIY ever!

More on simple storage:
What to Do with those Dry Cleaner Hangers - Make a DIY Shoe Rack
Organizing Your Bracelets - Go Vertical!
Entry Closet Door Organizer

Let's Celebrate! Affirming Our Children

Here's a blast from the past, an updated previous post:  
 
Sometimes we as parents see positive choices that our children make and don't take the time and energy to communicate our appreciation and/or excitement. While we were foster parents for teenage girls, I was inspired by a lecture by Cecil Burger, a therapist in Akron, Ohio, to celebrate good decisions our children make, positive change in their behavior, accomplishments as a result of hard work or persistence, etc.

He suggested we do something to affirm our children's accomplishments - from a complimentary word to throwing a party! When our girls were growing up, I kept a "goody box" that contained little things I had picked up here and there. When one of them made a difficult decision, showed an act of kindness, or some other outstanding action, I rewarded her with something from the goody box.

I also vowed to voice my praise whenever a complimentary thought came to mind. Why keep it to myself? What an encouragement to say it aloud!

My suggestion: acknowledge and affirm anything we want our children to repeat.

So what does this have to do with organizing? Organizing doesn't mean we are only intentional about where we keep our things, but how we live our lives. We are living our lives intentionally to create an atmosphere in which our children can thrive. We are being intentional about how we pass on our legacy by living out our passions, priorities and values.

More on intentional parenting:
Planning and Intentional Summer for Your Child
Creating Routines and Systems
An Intentional Christmas - Teach Your Child How to Give this Holiday Season

Dinner in 10 - Chicken with Cranberry/Mandarin Orange Sauce

  
Here's an entree that takes about 10 minutes: Chicken with Cranberry/Mandarin Sauce that I got from Woman's Day Magazine years ago. It's a great combination of flavors and a good way to use up those cans of cranberry sauce!

Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray. Cook chicken tenderloins on medium heat for five minutes on each side or until no longer pink inside. I salted mine with garlic salt.

Meanwhile, mix a can of whole berry cranberry sauce, a can of drained mandarin oranges, and sprinkle in some red pepper flakes. Red pepper flakes are powerful, so treat gingerly. Heat in the microwave until warm but not too hot. Serve over the chicken.

Serve with couscous and fresh veggies.

How simple is that? I always try to keep cans of whole cranberry sauce and mandarin oranges on hand for a quick meal. Chicken tenderloins can be cooked without thawing. Voila! A quick meal when cooking sounds overwhelming.

More quick cooking:
Super Simple Time-Saving Meal - Horseradish Encrusted Salmon
Organizing Dinner in 2013
Organizing Dinner - Double or Triple a Recipe

The Pefect Solution to Organizing Your House Cleaning! :)

My daughter Sara sent this to me a couple of years ago. Thought it's worth repeating. Hope you enjoy it!!

How to clean the house:

1. Open a new file on your computer.

2. Name it " Housework ."

3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN.

4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN.

5. Your computer will ask you, " Are you sure you want to delete Housework permanently ?"

6. Calmly answer, "Yes," and press mouse button firmly.

7. Feel better? Works for me! :)

More on cleaning:
Spring Cleaning with Vinegar
The Health and Mental Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning
Three Steps to Clever Cleaning