Organizing -- A 14 Week Plan!

Hey everyone!  Just reading the title of this post, I'm sure many of you are doing the old "eye roll," right?  Sorry, but the "OCD Organizing Elf" is at it again!  If you have followed my blog for very long, you know that I love to organize "stuff," I truly do.   I probably could have made a career of this, but too late now, I'm retired from the work-force.  What I enjoy equally as much, is seeing how others organize their homes; so when my friend Toni at A Bowl Full of Lemons put together this 14 Week Home Organization Program," I had to join in.  Toni is probably one of the most organized people I've ever known, & she has such good ideas.  Truly, you should go visit and see her brand new home, too.

I won't be participating in every challenge, but only in the ones that are pertinent to our home.  Since we just finished our kitchen redo (you can see that HERE), it seemed like the perfect time to tweak a few cupboards & have my kitchen well organized as we roll into the holiday season.

This is just an over-view of how our kitchen is laid out.

As you can see, it's a fairly large kitchen with quite a few cabinets, plus a nice desk/buffet and pantry.

Home Decor Storage -- Think Creatively!

Hey everyone!  Hope y'all are having a great week!  I'm so happy, I've started my Fall decorating!  No, we haven't cooled down yet, but I just can't fight it any longer.  However, I'm not ready to share any pumpkins or fall leaves just yet.  You see, I needed to do a little re-organizing of my storage space first.

We are fortunate to have floor-to-ceiling, built-in storage along one entire wall in our garage. 

I was able to claim one cupboard for my decor items.  The Man used to have large tools on the bottom shelf, but I "re-located" those.....lol!  Now just so you know, all my seasonal items are stored in sturdy plastic boxes in over-head storage & there are many boxes -- The Man just rolls his eyes!  I'll have to share that storage one of these days.  It's pretty cool -- you can raise & lower it!  Anyway, another time.

My Kitchen Pantry "From Pandemonium to Organized Bliss"

Hey, everyone.  I'm so excited to be able to cross a major "To-Do" off my long list of "To-Dos" for 2012!  I worked like a fiend yesterday, to get this project accomplished -- Organizing the Kitchen Pantry.  I was so excited and full of energy when I first got started, but after a couple of hours, my enthusiasm was starting to wane.  I thought I was never going to get finished, but I persevered and LOVE the results!  Okay, before I show you the "befores & afters," let me share with you my view on kitchen pantries.  I don't feel the need to add extra pretties, like stenciling or pretty paper.  I want my pantry to be totally functional & organized.  If I had one of those large, walk-in type pantries, I might want to pretty-it-up; but for me, a clean and organized pantry IS ".   I know, I'm strange!   So let's get started, shall we?

Beware the "monster" that resides behind this closed door!

So glad it's a solid door & not a see-thru.....LOL!

EEEK......so much chaos!

It really got this bad right around Thanksgiving -- ya' know, when all the extra items come into play.

Truly no rhyme or reason as to where things are located -- this is so NOT ME!

Not good use of this great additional storage space.

Good grief........

this all came out of the pantry!  I tried to group things together in categories as I removed them from the pantry shelves so that I could better see how much space I needed for each category.

All cleaned, wiped down & swept!  See that wood on the second shelf?

Those are 2x4's (The Man cut them as I needed them) that I will be using to create tiers so I can better see what's on each shelf & utilize the space better.  My shelves are stationary & deep, so I hope this will work.  Got the idea of making my own tiers HERE @ Inspiration for Moms.  Yes, I could have painted them, but really want to make sure the concept works.

Are you ready for the newly organized space?

TA-DA!  I just love how it turned out!

Much better!

There are 2 tiers on this top shelf, but I couldn't get in a very good position to show you the very back.  The "way back" area of this top shelf is for bulk items -- extra olive oil, cannisters of teas, chocolate syrup, etc.  I need my step-stool for those, but I don't have to access them very often.  The front of the shelf is for cereals, coffee (I have a decorative cannister at my coffee station that I refill from the big can).  I also have my meager supply of wine which I typically only need for dinner parties.  Although it's looking pretty tempting right now.....lol!

This is my favorite shelf because it had been in super-chaos condition before.  I was always buying more of an item because I couldn't find it.  I stacked and used several 2x4's on this shelf and can now see every single canned product I have -- well, all the canned veggies, fruits, & tomato products!

LOVE!!!!

The left side of this shelf is baking-related, and the right is for meats, soups, beans & rice.

Snacks, snacks & more snacks!  The Man & I are trying to eat healthy, so our snacks are more on the right side.  Things for our "Grands" are on the left.  I didn't buy any new containers for this re-org project.  I shopped my storage closet for any baskets, bins, etc. that might work.

The large basket on the left is holding paper/plastic products like cups, plates that we sometimes use when we have the entire family together.  The two baskets in the middle are for onions & potatoes.  I found a plastic lid (that I wasn't using) that fit the top of this wire shelf so the messies from the veggies wouldn't get all over the shelf or the floor.  Using the wire shelf gave me added space underneath for my disposable gloves.

I found this taller bin (again, I already had it) that works perfectly for my extra boxes of zipbags, plastic wrap, & my large package of napkins also fits in it.  I put this large basket to good use housing our bottled water.

I have a command hook on both sides of the pantry.  This one holds my plastic bag holder, but I may replace it with a metal one that I've seen.  I also keep my broom and dustpan tucked in here.

My apron is hanging from a command hook on this side.

This wire system is so great when it's functioning as it should.

You have to see one more shot of the over-all look!

Swoon!

Hope you enjoyed this tour of "Pandemonium to Organized Bliss."  The Man is calling me the 

"OCD Nana," but he quite enjoys being able to find what he's looking for and I enjoy not hearing him ask "where is such and such?"  I call it a win-win!  Anyway, thanks so much for stopping by, and please come again!

I'm happily linking to:

21 Days to a Clean Organized Home @ Inspiration for Moms

It's Party Time @ It's So Very Cheri 

Organize DIY Party @ Organize With Sandy

Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple 

Making The World Cuter Monday @ Making The World Cuter

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Piece of Work Wednesday @ Primitive and Proper

What We Wore & Made @ Rae Gun Rambings

Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple

Potpourri Friday @ 2805

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Show Me What You Got @ Not JUST a Housewife

Home & Family Friday @ Home Is Where My Story Begins

Inspiration Friday @ At The Picket Fence

One Project at a Time @ A Bowl Full of Lemons

I'm joining the "Challenge" at Thistlewood Farm

Studio Closet - Organized!

Hey, everyone!  Hope ya'll had a great weekend.  It was kind of a relaxing time around here, except for a trip to Costco on Saturday (we just won't learn!).  We also went to a movie, "We Bought a Zoo," which I would absolutely recommend to everyone.  It was soooo......GOOD!

Anyway, I have an organizational project that I've been working on and wanted to share.  You may have thought you had seen enough of my "Studio," but (sigh)......there is more!  If you missed the two previous posts, you can check them out HERE & HERE.  When I did my previous tours of my favorite room in the house, I was desperately needing additional storage in my studio closet, so I steered clear of sharing that space with you.  Then The Man took pity on me (aka: tired of me nagging) & helped me put together what I needed.  Since I've been told that I make my posts too long, I really tried to do fewer pics, but I don't think I was very successful......lol!  Come on, let's look around!

My original plan for this closet was to have sewing/quilting on one side and scrapbooking on the other.  But....in order to utilize the space to it's fullest potential, I had to mix it up.  I have most everything labeled, so it isn't difficult to find what I need.

It's a Magical, Mystical Tour - Part 2!

Hey everyone!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, got what was on their wish list, ate lots of good food & is all set to welcome in a brand new year!  We had a fantastic time with our family this year;  Santa was plenty generous, my waistline is suffering because of all the delicious food I've consumed, & I'm enjoying this week of putting away the decorations, cleaning up and reorganizing for the start of the new year.  I think it's really fun when some of our "party hosts" do a "best of" or "anything goes" kind of blog party, because it gives everyone a chance to take a breath and regain their footing after all the holiday chaos.  For me, in looking through my posts, I discovered one that I never finished so that's what I'll be sharing.

Back in mid-October,  I did a tour of my new "Studio," which you can see HERE.  At the time, I shared that I would be doing a follow-up or Part 2, where I would do more details on how I store my various supplies.  This will truly be "photo overload," so if you wish to skip Part 2, I totally understand.....lol.  If you are game, here we go.  I will be duplicating some of the photos from Part 1 for continuity-sake.....just so ya know!

As you enter the room from the hallway, you see my old kitchen island, which is now my new crafting island & cutting table.

Recycling -- Do You Do It or Not?

Hey everyone!  I have a bit of a dilemma & need some input.  We moved from a town that had "NO" recycling going on, even though trash was picked up twice a week which would have made it easy to make one of those collection days for recycling.  It just wasn't a "forward-thinking" kind of place.  Now we live in a total "recycling town," and I love it.  My dilemma is how to handle the sorting process inside.

This is what we have outside.  "Blue Can Monday" -- pickup of newspapers, glass, cans, plastics.  "Black Can Friday" -- everything else.

If you live in an area that does recycling, what is your preference for sorting?  Do you have this kind of system that fits inside a cabinet?  I think I have a cabinet where this might work, but the receptacles would have to be fairly small.  

Or would you opt for this kind of thing?  I also have an area at the end of a cabinet that would fit one of these.

Right now, I've got a small container in two different areas which isn't working for my organized mind.  But that's another issue in and of itself & we won't go there.....lol!

I would truly appreciate any and all comments, pictures, whatever.  Thanks for stopping by.

CAS

.............And So it Begins!

Hey everyone!   Hope you're having a great Friday & that you aren't the brunt of too many "April Fool's" jokes today!  I don't usually play that game, but I used to when our kiddoes were, well, little kiddoes.  They thought that was really fun.  The Man may or may not even remember what day it is, but I'm always a little bit ready for any jokes he might have up his sleeve.  We'll see how the day goes.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a photo of the new house we are buying & that I would be taking (or dragging) ya'll on this journey with me.  I thought today would be a good day to start some of that.  We should be closing on the new house at the end of April, so I am getting really excited & a bit anxious about all that has to be done.  Over the last few weeks, I've been getting estimates on moving & that's been a real shocker.  I'll share some of that in a bit.

First, let me show you where we are right now & where we are moving.  Yuma is point A on the map & Gilbert (our new home) is point B.  Gilbert is a suburb of Phoenix.  Between Pt. A & B is about 200 miles or approximately 3 hours driving time.  Yes, if you are wondering, Yuma is super-close to both the Mexico & California borders.  Super-close!

I have gotten four estimates on moving.  I had them figure for two ways -- we pack or they pack.  I won't even tell ya' what it would be if they pack!  The estimated poundage for our "less than 1700 sq. ft. home" has varied from 10,000lbs. to 16,000lbs.  Seems like a BIG difference to me.  Charges have ranged from, get ready, $1000 to almost $6000!  Can you believe that?  The real kicker is that the lowest estimate is from a Gilbert mover who will drive to Yuma, pick up & drive back!  Now, if you are thinking that maybe this Gilbert Co. is so much less because they aren't reputable, I questioned that myself.  I checked them out with the BBB & they had an "A" rating with no complaints.  They've also been in business for over 20 years, & they are family-owned.  I intend to check out references, but they are looking pretty good to me. 

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=809

So today, after The Man gets home from work, we are off to pick up a few of these.......

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=659

.....and some of this.  Well, actually, I'm getting a few rolls of unprinted newsprint from our local newspaper.  I've been told this is the best paper to use, because then I won't have to wash everything when I unpack it.  Yay for me!

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1674

This is where I plan to start the packing process.  This is my sunroom decor closet, so lots of glass & small items.  I plan to use boxes that, once packed, The Man can slide them back on the shelves.  I have this aversion to having moving boxes stacked here and there in a home that's for sale.  That being said, I am willing to have some stacked in the garage, however.

I'm really anxious to get this process started, but will probably wait until next week to actually begin since we have another Open House scheduled for Sunday.  Last week's Open House was cancelled due to our realtor having a family emergency.  So, once again, I'm off to do some "spiffin 'n polishin" but The Man is helping with some of that tomorrow.

In all this "hubub & chaos" that IS my life right now, I realized I reached 200 followers last night!  Actually, my 200th follower shared that with me in an email.  

She is Martina at Northern Nesting, & you should definitely check out her nice blog.

All I can do right now is say "THANK YOU" to all of you who follow my blog.  It still amazes me that so many of you are interested in what I have to share.  I am truly flattered & hope I can do something nice, in the way of a give-away, in the future.  I count so many of you as really good friends, & if even a few of you feel that way about me, then I am very lucky!

I am happy to link up to these wonderful parties:

Inspiration Friday

Fridays Unfolded

It's A HodgePodge Life

Feature Yourself Friday 

Come in and I'll hang up your coat.

Well, yes, that would be me trying to be clever.  We are onto Challenge 8 at A Bowl Full of Lemons and as you probably guessed, it's the coat closet.  We do have one, but not all Arizona houses do.  What we have is very small (about 3' wide), and I utilize all of it.  As you might expect, there are numerous other things besides coats & jackets in this closet.  It really isn't too messy, though, so let's take a look.

Before

This is what is residing in this space besides coats/jackets: a 2-tier cube-thing w/canvas inserts, a basket full of recycle bags & umbrellas, 2 fold-away wheeled crates, 2 dining table extensions, map books, stadium cushions, some books, sunhat, small cooler bag, lap desk, bed tray.  Surprised, aren't you?  Well, guess what?  Most of this stuff is staying.

I did get rid of a couple of things.  I got rid of the books and weeded out the recycle bags.  One of the canvas cubby inserts holds gloves, scarves, stocking caps, etc.  Yes, we are wearing those things now when we go for our 5:30 am walk -- it's cold in the desert in the wee hours!  The other canvas insert holds my knitting/crochet projects.  I'm such a domestic goddess!

After

The basket fits nicely on the shelf & still holds recycle bags & umbrellas.  I know, I know!  We live in the desert, so what's with the umbrellas?  Have you ever seen or been in a monsoon?  Umbrellas - NEED!  One thing that I did that made a significant difference was to hang everything in the same direction.  They fit together better on the rod and look nicer.  Did everyone know this before me?

Okay, that's a wrap (get it - wrap, coat) for this little challenge.  Sorry, I'm just feeling a bit goofy tonight.

Hope y'all had at least as much fun as I did and please come back soon.

CAS

Organizing Challenge #7 -- The Pantry

I'm linking to A Bowl Full of Lemons for Challenge #7 -- The Pantry.  If you've been following along, you might notice that I skipped #6 which was organizing your dresser.  That one I will be modifying to another area of clothing storage that is less personal.  Yes, I'm being modest & the items we store (The Man & I share the main dresser) in the dresser are all of a very personal nature.  You get my drift?  I will be sharing some other storage in our bedroom and will probably post that later today.

Now on to the Pantry.  You might call me a "food hoarder" because I like having plenty of everything in my pantry.  I really don't consider this to be a problem area for me as far as it being organized.  I'm a bit obsessed about labeling & love my label maker.  Sad but true.  This pantry-cabinet was the most expensive piece of our kitchen cabinets when we remodeled our kitchen several years ago, but worth every penny (to me, anyway).  I grocery shop every 2 weeks at my regular grocery store (Walmart) & about once-a-month at either Sam's Club or Costco.  Every once-in-awhile, instead of doing my run to Walmart, I shop my pantry & plan meals accordingly.  Those meals are a bit less inspired & are much more basic, but it helps to clear out the pantry.

This is the outside.  It's pretty big.

The inside.

Once again I prefer not to take everything out -- way too much chaos!  I do wipe down shelves in here frequently, so it stays clean, but it does get messy.  I had not had a pantry for over 20 years until we remodeled this kitchen, so this thing is in constant use and I love it.  The first shelf is where we have snacks, protein bars, & all manner of munches.  This is the shelf that gets the most use and can get cluttered the quickest.

Before

I bought the clear plastic containers w/white lids at Walmart several months ago.  They have worked very well for holding everything from almonds to beef jerky.  Yes, we love the 100 Calorie mini bags of popcorn, regular & Kettle corn!

After

This 2nd shelf is the heaviest.  Being OCD that I am, I need to have all my main course needs on one shelf -- soups, canned meats, vegetables, side-dish mixes, etc.  This proved disastrous not long after the kitchen was finished and I stocked the pantry.  Apparently the manufacturer of the slider glides didn't plan on the weight of goods that I would be putting on these shelves, and the shelf collapsed.  The Man had to replace all the glides with heavy-duty ones.  No more disasters!

Before

It's hard to have all of this look organized, but it is.  I've had the labels across the front of the slider drawers for quite a long time.  It really helps when The Man is helping put groceries away.  Hmmm?  I can see we are definitely going to be having more soup meals!

After

This is kind of the sweet and/or baking shelf.  This is where I keep canned fruits, juices, pie fillings, cake mixes, puddings, etc.  To me, if it's sweet or goes into making something sweet, then it belongs on this shelf.  I do not keep flours & sugars here in the pantry.  I have a separate baking area & cabinet storage for all those items.

Before

After

This is my "Misc." shelf.  This is where I keep potatoes, yams, onions and anything that really does not have a specific category (at least to me).  I didn't make any changes to this area, so the Before is also the After.

The upper part of the pantry holds more of the bulky items or things that I purchase by the case at Cosco.  This is also where my cookie sheets, stones, & cooling racks are stored.  

Before

After

I used to keep the tall coffee dispensers over the refrigerator, but I use them a lot and this is easier to access.

I added one of those 3M easy remove hooks on the inside of the door for my apron(s).

I added another one of those hooks here for a calendar.  This is my menu calendar.  I plan meals for 2 weeks as I'm doing my grocery list.  I then write my menu for each day on this calendar -- in pencil in case I have a change of plans.

I'd say this pantry is truly the "work horse" of our kitchen.  I hope you enjoyed looking behind closed doors and seeing just what kind of food gets prepared around here.  Don't judge!  Please come by again soon.

CAS