Tag Archives: Organization

31 Days: Do the Shuffle

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Today is the last day of 31 Days of Getting it Done. What did I get done the past 31 days? It certainly wasn’t 31 things, and I didn’t blog for 31 days straight. But I’m not going to be hard on myself, I got some small things done that have been bothering me in a big way. There are still a lot of things on my lengthy to-do list, and I’ll tackle them as time and energy levels permit, but for now I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished. And today, I wanted to show you one last small project I was able to tackle before the end of this titillating and life changing series. (HAR-HAR)

Yup, I’m gonna bore with my cupboard arrangements. The cupboard pictured above is really the only cupboard that can hold our plates, bowls, cups and glasses. It’s not the only cupboard in the kitchen, but seems be the one that is most convenient for these items. So, this time I wasn’t moving everything, just the plastic storage tubs and some additional plates that have spent time shuffling around the kitchen.

The top shelf originally held extra plastic storage tubs and a rice cooker, I decided the rice cooker could find a home elsewhere since it’s not used that often and was taking up valuable real estate. By moving out the rice cooker, I freed up enough space to keep all of my plastics on the top shelf. Which allowed me more space on that second shelf for the shuffled plates and some new additions to my vintage glass collection.

Those green glasses have really gotten a lot of use since I brought them home last weekend. At 1.99 for a set of six, I’d say we’ve gotten our money’s worth. Plus, they look cute next the amber colored glasses don’t ya think?

Here’s the final product of my little dish shuffle.

It does my little OCD heart good to see all glassware and plastic items separated and in their own little homes. It also makes it blatantly obvious the over-abundance of plates and glasses I own. But I can’t get rid of them, what if I invite 500 of my best friends and family over for a dinner party some day?

Oh yeah, and today is Halloween, so happy trick-or-treating to all!

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31 Days: Early Christmas

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Two months ago, my sweet mom bought me an early Christmas present, I didn’t take a picture of it in the box or else you’d see it here. My sweet mom gave me a set of flatware, it’s beautiful and shiny and just the right weight. I’m a weirdo and pay attention to the weight of silverware in my hand, I like it be a little weighty, but not so weighty that it falls out of your hand easily.

When I brought my early Christmas present home, I took each piece out and admired it’s shiney beauty, then placed each piece into a large glass vase until I could fix the kitchen drawer that I would be placing my new beauties in. You see, my kitchen still has it’s original cabinets from 1957, with it’s original 4 drawers. Yes, there are only 4 drawers in the entire kitchen, and the top drawer that is typically used for silverware, is narrow and I was always jamming my forks into ledge right above the silverware drawer. Which caused a frustratingly large number of bent forks. A bent fork does not a well set table make.

Anywho, that ledge once held a pull out cutting board, or counter extension or whatever it is you want to call it. Either way, I never used the pull out cutting board because (1) it was nasty and (2) it was super unstable.  Here are the four drawers in my kitchen, you can see where the pull out cutting board once lived.

Also, never mind the nails sticking out of that third drawer. I haven’t pounded them back in so Bubba will get the hint and FINALLY let me go into debt for new cabinets. After four years, I don’t think it’s working.

The other day, as I pulled out yet another bent fork, I decided it was high time I give my shiny new flatware a home.  So, I pulled out my trusty saw, that cuts through old wood like “budda”, and I FINALLY got rid of that annoying little piece of wood that’s been reeking havoc on my forks.

And if I had taken an in process shot of the ledge cutting you would see that here. Instead I’ll show you all of the stuff I pulled out the drawer.

I can’t believe all of that was crammed into that itty bitty drawer, and by the way why in the world do we save those little cracker packs that come with take out salad? It’s not like we don’t have 5 different varieties of crackers in the cupboards. Anywho, after emptying out the drawer and finally cutting through that annoying ledge, it was time to scrub the drawer. Believe me, it needed to be scrubbed, this thing was nasty, and I give the cabinets a good wash down at least once a year.

At one point, I toyed with the idea of painting the old cabinets, so I experimented a little with this drawer. Then I got scared and decided I’d just deal with the old paint a little longer. Maybe I’ll get up the nerve again one day, we’ll just have to wait and see. But back to the dirtiness, see? Even after scrubbing, it was still looking a little less than hygienic, so I decided it was time to just give in and do the old lady thing, contact paper. I hate contact paper, but when you are dealing with old cabinets with splintery wood and chipping paint, and you don’t have the time, patience or gumption to fix the problem, contact paper is an easy solution. And it gave me enough confidence in it’s cleanliness to put my new flatware in it’s new home.

I still need to buy a smallish square container to put in the lower corner, but for now it works. And I get to finally use my Christmas present!!

31 Days: Shoe Hoard

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The other day, I finally mustered up enough energy and bravery to organize my shoes. I may have a small footwear addiction…

After lining up all members of my shoe army, I counted 56 pairs present. Honestly, I don’t see how I can deny it now, I do have a footwear addiction. I don’t know how it started, but it’s there, and it’s taking up waaaay too much space in my teeny little house. Since cleaning out the bottom of my closet two years ago, the collection has grown. Most of the shoes I’ve been stumbling over and shuffling around have only been worn a couple of times. Some of them have never been worn, as they were victims of impulse internet buys, ya know the kind that look cute and comfy until they arrive on your door step and you immediately realize those sweet Riding Boots won’t fit over your cankles. The disappointing buys that taunt you every time the closet door opens, and remind you of your imperfections as well as your inability to remember return dates. Yeah, those things, aren’t worth the mental space nor the physical space they demand. So, out went a good 20 pairs of demeaning wedges, painfully narrow boots, deceptively comfy looking flats, and flip flops way past their prime. I plan to list the new and never before worn shoes on eBay to see about getting a little of my money back, but the rest have either gone in the trash or have found a new home amongst the racks of Goodwill.

And the remaining members of my shoe army now reside in these little plastic shoe boxes. How quaint of me to use them for shoes right?

Then I neatly stacked them at the bottom of my dark closet.

After a few days of this system, I have come to the conclusion that it doesn’t work. I will either need to figure out how to build a shoe rack, or try cleaning out the top shelf of the closet (which regrettably has become an abyss) and try them up there, or conjure up a nice spell for a bigger closet that will accommodate my shoe and cardigan hoard (the sweaters are a post all by themselves). Another thinning of the herd may also be required. Of the 56 original pairs I am now down to 36 pairs of shoes that I love, but could possibly be past their prime or just not be the most comfy. What is a girl to do? Because ya know, there aren’t bigger issues in the world.

31 Days Day 10 :Sorting the Etc.

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It would seem that life has been getting in the way of blogging lately, which would explain my absence on days 8 and 9 of this 31 Days of Getting it Done challenge. I’ve been getting things done, they just aren’t exciting things, or bloggy things, think more work things, things that allow me to continue to receive a paycheck. Which honestly, is a little more important than making sure I’ve got a post up everyday. Have I ranted mentioned the time it takes to get these guys (meaning a blog post) up and running? I mean we’re talking a good 2 or 3 hours including photo editing and thinking up a coherent string of words to put a post together. So, do you forgive me for ignoring the blog for a few days?? I really hope so, because I’m ready to jump back into the swing of things, at least until life gets in the way of my fun.

When I left you last, I showed you some sweet non-entry way ideas from Pinterest. Quite inspiring actually, I had planned on mounting a few baskets to the wall like in this photo:

Thanks to my teeny house, the vintage locker baskets I had planned to use wouldn’t fit anywhere in my pseudo entry way. I tried them on either side of the door, but in each space they just seemed to stick out too much. And with my abundant gracefullness, (HAR-HAR) I feared many bumps and scrapes on my hurried exit out the door on work day mornings. So, it was a no-go, instead I realized the only way I would be able to even think about making changes to any area in my home would be to actually clean it. What a concept right? A clean house really is a happier house. I started my little cleaning frenzy in the areas by the front door. Here’s what I started out with:

It’s a cluttered mess right? A bit shameful, but I am only sharing it because it doesn’t look like this anymore, I’ve got my pride people. Also, notice the “etc.” sign? Yeah, that pretty much sums up my home. Actually, I have two “etc” signs…

A top my ugly wall heater resides my secondary “etc.”. Speaks volumes doesn’t it?

Anywho, after some shuffling, throwing, dusting, and a little bit of mild cursing, I had some nice piles.

A pile for magazines, catalogs, movies and hard back books. I really have no idea how any of those things got thrown underneath this little table, but there they were. And also, a flying pig, maybe he made an appearance because I was finally going through our “etc.”

I didn’t realize what a magazine hoarder I had become, all of these are Better Homes and Gardens. Wonder what that says about me.

After all the dusting, shuffling, and mild cursing, I ended up with a much cleaner and less cluttered space to put my keys and sun glasses.

I replaced the random magazines, movies, and books with a basket that now houses the yarn for my current TV watching crochet project.

Ahh…much better.

 

And I got it all done while my faithful companion kept a close eye on me a top her perch.

The joys of sorting through the etc, not exactly my idea of a good time, but the outcome is oh so rewarding.

House Nuisance

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In my Home Goals for 2012 I mentioned a quote that has been floating around the blogosphere for a while now:

“Have nothing your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris

In keeping with this thought, I’ve been trying to tackle those areas in my home that have been of particular stress inducing, hair pulling, wanna-give-away-all-of-my-earthly-possessions-and live in a yert nuisance.

One of those many nuisances has been our mini-linen closet in the hall. You see, we have this weird half closet that houses bath and bed linens. The other half, the top half, of this closet opens into the bathroom by the sink, this is where we store toiletries. That’s another story for another day, I’m taking baby steps, and believe me when I tell you the bathroom closet is not a baby step, it’s a giant I’m a big girl look how I can organize my home with one hand tied behind my back while juggling two rabid squirrels with the other type of step. (Yes, I got tired of hyphenating.)

Anywho, here’s where I’m at with our bed and bath linens:

 

Do you have any frustratingly cluttered areas in your home, or is your entire home frustratingly cluttered?  Hair pullin-let’s-just-buy-a-new-house-because-this-one-is-dirty sort of cluttered, not that I know what that would feel like.

We all need more thyme…

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With my dirty house and uncompleted projects, not to mention my frazzled mind,  I thought it appropriate to share some time management tips I’ve found while lurking around the web. Maybe it will encourage me to actually implement them in my own life. Hopefully, then all the painting and cleaning and organizing will finally get done!

{Table and Home}

1. Keep a list. Yeah, this would be a good tip, only if I could keep track of my list. But funnily enough, those helpful little lists always end up being found at the bottom of my purse a month after the fact.Maybe I should clean out my purse more often. Or stop making lists and then sticking them in my purse!

{Margarets.com}

2. Evaluate how you spend your time. O.K., this is a big one for me. And I must make a confession here, I am a TV junkie! The first thing I do when coming in from work is turn the TV on. Of course after petting the dog, and getting a plate full of yumminess that the sweetie has concocted. If I were to omit the TV portion of my evening, that would free up a good 3 or 4 hours of time that could be spent making my casa the casa I know it could be. (Yes, I am militant about giving my house a pep talk.)

{BestBuy.com}

3. Plan your week. This could be helpful, at one point in my life I remember that Monday’s were always grocery shopping and laundry days. Now a days, Monday’s are come home plop on the couch and watch Monday night sitcoms.  No laundry gets done, which my overstuffed hamper can attest to, and our pantry is filled with food that the sweetie has deemed acceptable. Honestly, I haven’t found Ramen noodles acceptable healthy fair since I was a 21 year old college student. The ingredients for his yummy meals are usually purchased that evening. So, we never have food on hand to prepare a quick and healthy dinner. If I do not set aside an evening to do laundry then I at least need to re institute my Monday night trip to the grocery store.

There you have it, three good solid tips to a more timely life! That sounded like it should be in an obituary. Maybe, 3 time saving tips to allow you to get your house clean and still watch Monday night sitcoms!