by: Marilyn Bohn
As I went out to feed the birds today I sunk up to my knees in snow as I
made my way to the bird feeder. And more snow is expected for the end of
this week. I know this kind of weather makes some people have cabin
fever. Do you get cabin fever?
I was working with a woman who said her therapist told her to get
organizing. He told her even if you don't do any more than move one can
to the other side of the shelf you have done something and that is a
good thing.
In my jargon as a professional organizer of homes I would say doing this
is taking baby steps. If you are having cabin fever and want to get
outside but can't because of the weather and it is too early for Spring
cleaning here are 8 tips on organizing your home.
Let's start with the kitchen:
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Pantry or food shelves: Put like items together, soups in one place, and
canned vegetables in another and canned fruits all together, pasta in
one place—you get the idea.
Everything has its place so when you need it
you will save time and easily be able to see what you have. (It just
might scream 'take out' pizza night.)
If you haven't done this for
awhile it is a good idea to make sure the cans or bottles are still good
by checking expiration dates and check to see it is bulging. If it is,
it is definitely spoiled and you need to get rid of it. |
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Snacks: Place them in a basket at a convenient level to grab and go. Or
if you have family members that you don't want to get into them, hide
them.
Lids: Do you have plastic or glass bowls used for storing left-overs? If
the lids are always all over the place, put them in a basket by
themselves which makes it easy to match to the bowl and eliminates
hunting for the matches. If you keep the lids on the container that
takes up a lot of space in your cupboard.
Dishes: Do you have enough room for all you have? Get metal stacking
shelves that can double the amount of space in your cupboards. They come
in many sizes and there are corner ones as well as straight ones that
are adjustable. It is a good time to determine if you like or need all
the dishes you have. If you see you never use some as you don't like
them or you have too many for your needs or space; then donate to a
charity.
Silverware drawer: Place the silverware in a container made for that
purpose. Larger serving pieces can be placed next to it. Does your
container slide back and forth as you open the drawer? A simple solution
is to use sticky Velcro on the underside of the container—works great
for bathroom drawers too where containers tend to want to slide about.
Pans: Place the ones you use most frequently toward the front of your
shelf (if you hang them you have no problem with finding the right size
when you need it). If you have pans with a finish that can be chipped or
scratched paper plates between the pans prevents this from happening.
If you have medicines in the cupboards check their expiration dates and
make sure little children can't get into them.
Have vases become squatters under your sink? If they belong in a
different place, move them to their home.
Kitchens are often the hub of the home so a well organized one makes
everyone happy. While you are waiting for Spring, or if you live where
it is already Spring check out those cupboards, take an inventory and
Get Organized now.
About The Author
Marilyn Bohn's Bio
Marilyn is a creative organizer who has been organizing for over 20
years. She is a member of the National Association of Professional
Organizers and is working towards becoming a Certified Professional
Organizer. Professionally she has been organizing homes and offices for
over two years. She holds a bachelors degree in Social Work. She has
reared five daughters and currently lives in Utah.
Go to her website
http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find free organizing
tips, interesting blogs and more helpful articles on organizing.
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