Over the last month, our boot camp has been focused on organizing kitchens, tax records, handbags, and kids’ activity or play spaces.  You had the opportunity to devote serious time to these areas.  This week, I am encouraging you to catch up on the projects you have not yet tackled or finished and/or those requiring a tune-up or regular maintenance.

Some maintenance ideas to consider:

• Peek into your pantry and tidy things up.
• Identify ingredients for at least 2 meals this week using items only from your pantry and/or fridge/freezer. The goal is to use what you already have at your disposal.
• Do you have paper clutter building up on a kitchen counter?  Deal with it this week or it will only get worse!

• How do you store handbags you do not currently use?  I clean mine, stuff them with tissue paper to retain a nice shape, and line them up on the top shelf in my closet so that I can see them clearly.
• This week, switch out your purses just for fun.  Transfer the contents to a different purse just to force yourself to keep things simple and organized.

• Have you made an appointment with your accountant?  Bought software to do your own tax return?  Schedule yourself to take care of these items.
• Are there end-of-year tax forms you have not yet received?  Think of investments, child care receipts, charitable donations, free lancing income, etc.
• What is going on with your prior years’ tax return records?  Are you saving more than 7 years worth of returns?  Either scan them and save as electronic files or shred tax file documents which are more than 7 years old.

• Everything related to what and where kids do things requires consistent maintenance.
• Practice tidy routines daily with the kids BEFORE dinner rather than after.  It is a simple MUST do that I learned from Leslie of Organizing McKee Organizing Services.
• Take a pic of the organized space in its ideal condition and show the kids what you expect it to look like at the end of each day.
• Make sure there is a trash can and/or a paper recycling unit in the kids’ activity space to make clean up even faster.

Maintenance is key to any program.  Make the time and identify reasons to keep up the organization you create.

What daily/weekly organizing maintenance routines do you practice?

images: kitchen/tax records/kids’ spaces

Previously on Order Matters’ Organizing Boot Camp:

Kitchen Organizing

Fridges & Pantries

Tax Records

Handbags

Kids’ Clutter & Activity Spaces

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As I was checking out some of my fave blogs last week, I popped over to Cook Kosher.  Cook Kosher is a tremendous resource for foodies, young and old, as well as those who are just navigating the world of cooking.  It is also the largest bank of kosher recipes on the web.  So…what I found on Cook Kosher last week was the story of a pantry transformation.  “Transformation” really is the wrong word to describe what I saw because what I will show you below will demonstrate that it was only small changes that ended up making the BIG impact.

Leah Schapira, food writer, recipe developer, and co-founder of Cook Kosher recently reorganized her pantry and demonstrated the results on the blog. Here is what Leah’s pantry looked like before:

After seeing what her mother-in-law had accomplished with her pantry re-organization, Leah developed a slight case of “pantry envy” and realized that while her own state-of-the-art pantry had the right structure, something was not right.  She was ready for a change and OXO containers came to the rescue:

“First came the research. I called my friend who got her sister to send me pictures of her pantry with OXO containers. I thought about what I needed. I realized my cereals and baking goods needed containers. I buy a lot of basics in bulk. Brown sugar in bags, 10 lb bags of sugar… It only makes sense that I store what I need in the pantry close to my cooking counters, while I can put the rest away in a closet.”

Once the pantry contents were transferred into size-appropriate OXO containers, the pantry had a whole different look to it.  Check this out:

Now the pantry “looks neat and organized and it is easy to tell what is in every container. The only cons I have realized, is that you need to refill the containers when they are empty and that you cannot read the back of the cereal box during breakfast.  That might be a plus, since morning is kinda hectic in my house.”

I think what Leah’s end result shows is that often small changes can have a really big impact.  Whether it is just decluttering or adjusting the height of shelves, grouping like items together, relocating or exchanging a piece of furniture, or containerizing, you might be surprised by the effect it will have on you, your space, and your time.  Leah, enjoy your “new” chic pantry!

I hope that you have either started working on your kitchen this week or have a plan to do so soon.  Think of the problem areas and try to make small tweaks for the better.

Thank you Leah and Cook Kosher for allowing me to feature your pantry today.  For the full story on this project AND for a chance to win the amazing OXO containers that Leah used in her pantry, click here.

Have a great weekend!

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One of the best things I did last year was reorganizing my pantry.  I am not exaggerating!  Pantries and fridges are places that we encounter daily. When the contents of our pantries and refrigerators are not categorized, visible, and easily accessible, we waste time, money, and precious emotional energy.  Any time you feel like you are not getting anywhere in your effort to get organized, clean out and organize your food storage area and you will feel more in control in no time!  Here are some tips for bringing and maintaining order in this invaluable area of kitchen real estate:

Eliminate expired products and ingredients that you have not managed to use in the last six to twelve months.  Simplify.

Do you tend to rummage through your pantry or fridge looking for things?  If your inventory is organized in groups, you will put an end to the incessant digging.

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It is OK if everything does not fit into your pantry!  Sometimes, a dedicated drawer outside of the pantry or a cart on wheels can be dedicated to food storage and serve your needs.  For example, you can organize snacks for your kids somewhere outside of the pantry or place your baking supplies and mixer onto a compact roll away cart.

Remove foods from boxes and crates and downsize liquids from large bottles into smaller carafes or pitchers.  Why dedicate any of your invaluable storage space to manufacturers’ packaging and the storage of “air?”

Deep pantries and fridges can be problematic as contents often get stuffed in the back and become “lost.”  Maximize your shelf space by using trays, pull out bins, or a lazy susan.  Also, you can adjust shelf heights to your advantage.  If you have a narrow pantry but vertically spacious shelves, invest in tall narrow containers for some of the staples you keep.

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Clear and uniformly-sized containers or jars are the best way to go!  You must be able to see what you have with ease.

Buying in bulk can save you money, but it might adversely affect your organization.  If you have space constraints, limit the quantities of food and supplies you purchase.  Also, don’t fall into what I call the “bulk buying fallacy.”  When you look at a bulk price in the store, you may see a modest savings when calculating out cost/quantity.  However, all of your savings go right down the drain or into the trash when you need to dispose of excess quantity that has expired, dried up, lost it flavour, gone bad…etc.  I have seen it so many times.  Bulk buying often leads to financial loss instead of gain, and this loss does not even account for the additional energy and stress that finding storage for all the bulk food may cause, which is a different cost or expense altogether.  So, choose your bulk purchases carefully, if you make them at all.

Become a careful meal planner and “go deep” into your food supplies on a regular basis.  Use what you have on-hand for meal preparation.  More on that here.

Neglect will lead to the return of disorder.  Go through your fridge weekly and clean it out thoroughly at least once per month.  Tidy up your pantry on the same day that you clean the fridge and you will remain in control!

On Sunday, I cleaned out my fridge (part of my weekly routine) and tidied up my pantry.  It felt good!

How are you doing with your kitchen organizing?  Tell me about your progress.

Are you all ready to rock’n roll?  I was so delighted to hear from so many of you who voiced enthusiasm about joining the Order Matters’ 2012 Organizing Boot Camp.  We will start our program by organizing the heart of a home, the kitchen.  Needless to say, the majority of us spend a tremendous amount of time in our kitchens.  Whether it is for cooking, eating, entertaining, socializing, or doing school work, order in the kitchen is not only critical to our ability to be efficient and effective in the space, but also to our enjoyment at being there.  Our goal this week is to tackle kitchen problem areas and to complete a tune-up throughout this valuable space.

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TOOLS: a notebook and pen, measuring tape, supply of garbage bags, a few large bins/large boxes that can be used for items that might need to be donated/stored…etc., and cleaning supplies.

WORKING REQUIREMENTS: You have a minimum of one week to complete this project.  I recommend that you schedule yourself to dedicate at least 90 minutes each day this week towards your boot camp responsibilities.

WORKING CONDITIONS: Ensure that you have available counter space to spread out, if needed, that your sink is clear of dirty dishes, and that your dishwasher is available.

STAGE 1: Prep work

- Think about your kitchen and its problem areas.  The problems will be apparent.  They will immediately come to mind because they tend to bother you or resurface in your mind frequently. An overcrowded cabinet, a junk drawer, a mountain of tupperware that seems to avalanche on you every time you look for a container for a lunch, purchasing a bag of sugar and later finding that hidden behind the chaos in your pantry you had plenty of of sugar already…Whatever they may be, make a list of big and small organizing issues in your kitchen.  Rate them in complexity from easiest to what might be the most challenging or time-consuming problem to address.

- Rationalize.  Determine why you want to organize these areas and what organization will enable you to do or feel.

- Mentally and, if needed, on paper, break up your kitchen into zones: food preparation, cooking, cleaning/utility area, and food storage.  Depending on the size of your kitchen and its functions, the following zones might also apply to your situation: food serving (if you have a breakfast nook or kitchen table), entertaining (where you store items relevant to special occasions, general entertaining, and holidays), garbage/recycling,  homework/craft activity, and command centre areas (a place for making phone calls, paying bills, maintaining family calendar…etc).  Consider the flow of your usual activities in the kitchen and the current layout of the kitchen contents.  Is there anything that is out of whack?  I am not encouraging you to seek out problems, simply consider possibilities for improvement.   However, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

STAGE 2: It is time to do the hard work

Start with the simplest issue you have identified. 

• Empty out the contents of the area and wipe it clean.
• Sort items into categories.  Sorting often goes hand in hand with the next step…
• If the going gets tough, remind yourself why you are organizing!
  
• Purge!  I urge you to be ruthless.  Eliminate broken, unused, duplicate, and unloved items.  Tell yourself you are making room for an improved, efficient, and effective kitchen (and self).  Using the tools you prepared earlier, discard the garbage, identify items you can donate, move into other areas of your home, or store away.  This might be the most challenging and equally integral step of organizing.  Some of you have mentioned that you plan to move soon.   Shed the clutter now! Do not move it with you to you next home.  More on moving here.
• Assign a home.  Here is where you should ask yourself again whether the previous home was the best possible place for the item.  If the answer is still yes, then don’t change anything.
• Do you need to containerize?  It is not a must.  However, containers can help you keep things sorted and separated, in clear view, and prevent overflow. If you have determined that you want to proceed on the containerizing path, think of what you already have in your home that might fit the bill.  If you do not already have something appropriate, I want you to make a note in your notebook of the type of and measurements for the containers you require (length, width, and do not forget depth).

STAGE 3: Do more of the same

 - Repeat the above steps until you have gone through your list of problem areas.

STAGE 4: Tune-up

- Review the rest of your kitchen and apply steps from stage 2 wherever applicable.

STAGE 5: Containerize & label

- At this point, you might have a list of containers you require as a result of the steps you have performed above.  Go ahead and find containers appropriate for your needs. Label, as it might be helpful to you and other members of your household.

STAGE 6: Maintenance

• Give a tour of the organized kitchen to your partner, children, and others in your life and kitchen.  Educate them of the various kitchen zones and specific changes you might have made.  Stress that it is important to you that this order be maintained.
• Establish routines to maintain the order you worked hard to create.
• Clean up after meal prep.  Never go to sleep with a dirty kitchen!
• Tackle organizing challenges as they arise following the steps in stage 2.

Let’s call this Phase 1 of Kitchen Boot Camp as on Wednesday, we will speak specifically about pantries and refrigerators.

So…what are the problem areas you will work on this week and why?

Do you get a sinking feeling every time you look at the area surrounding your kitchen sink?  Is it cluttered?

Keeping only the basics by your sink, such as a soap dispenser and a container or caddy for your sponges, will make a world of difference!  I use a beautiful recycled glass bottle with a spout for my green dish soap.  My sponges are housed in a small silver caddy.  I love the way it looks.

Follow these two quick steps to feel better about your kitchen sink area:

Image via Martha Stewart.  1. recycled glass bottle 2. glass dispenser 3.  ceramic dish soap dispenser

Image via The Wright House via Oksanamamale on Pinterest.  1. farmer’s market basket 2. cake stand jadeite 3. UMBRA saddle sink caddy