Still alive and organizing...my pantry

It's been a long time since I've posted on here. Tisk tisk. My apologies (to you and to myself). I've been battling with some health issues (nothing to worry about!) and thus took a break from the computer and blogging for awhile...and then found it hard to get back in the groove. So here's to getting my groove back ;-)

My next organizing project -- now that I have some mobility and strength back in my right arm** -- is to tackle our pantry. It is a mess. I've determined that we don't have enough space and thus have asked my lovely hubby to bring in the second set of wire shelving (it sits out our covered patio for now, mostly collecting dust and random things). I'm excited to rearrange this entire space to make it more usable and more attractive. And I'm excited to tell you all about it once I'm done. Which should be this weekend -- wish me luck!

First step: sort everything on the current shelves (and floor) into "like with like" piles so I know what I'm dealing with
Second step: get rid of anything expired, stale, that we don't like, have too many of, etc. (I'll donate to a food bank anything that's still good but that I don't want anymore)
Third step: clean both sets of shelving thoroughly and warm up the label maker ;)
Fourth step: put things away in similar categories, with things I use most often easily accessible, adding labels where appropriate
Fifth step: CELEBRATE and take photos to share with y'all!
Final step: reassess in a few weeks and make adjustments if needed (this is the part most of us forget -- don't blame yourself if your system fails. That usually means it's the wrong system for you, not that you're doing anything wrong. Be willing to make changes to fit how you really use the space and stuff!)

The above process is a loose guideline to how you can approach most organizing projects...

Happy organizing,
-amy

**A short note about my random injury and subsequent medical fun: I woke up one morning in June with what has been called by my physical therapist as "quirky female hormonal shoulder." I'm still determining if she says that to the 5+ patients she gets each year with this, or if I was the "quirky" part of the name :) Apparently some hormones in my body sent a false signal to my right shoulder that there'd been a trama and my nerve became very inflammed and all the muscles literally locked down my shoulder!! OUCH. I am recovering now with the help of PT and hope to be back to normal within the next 6-9 months. The silver linings? (1) I've learned to do an amazing amount of tasks with my left arm, including eating and using the computer mouse (which is very good exercise for the brain), and (2) I've had lots of time to read and explore myself and what I want to do with my life. I've started a new blog on this journey of self-improvement if you want to check it out...

Sanity saver in the kitchen: prep before baking (or cooking)

I love to bake. And I tend to get excited and easily distracted while doing so, and thus I found this tip from Complete Organizing Solutions to be right on target. Prepping everything ahead of time can really help, especially if you get interrupted by kids, the doorbell, the phone, cats... It prevents you from getting 2/3 of the way through and finding out you don't have enough of something. Or even worse, forgetting where you are in the recipe and forgetting a key ingredient (or adding something twice, not that I've ever done that...).

Yes it gets a few more bowls and such dirty, but the sanity you save far outweighs the extra work. Plus, I find that measuring everything out ahead of time makes me feel like I'm on my own baking TV show. A dash of this, a cup of that, and ta-da! Awesome.

Happy baking,
-amy

Corralling loose tea

My husband and I have recently developed a love of loose tea. We've always been tea drinkers to some extent, but we've really enjoyed thinking"outside the tea bag" and exploring the different varieties available. Switching to loose tea over bagged tea has cut down on tea-related trash at our house too (the bags and their wrappers can add up!) but presented us with a new challenge. How do we store this beautiful and delicious tea so we can easily use it?

Well, we've stumbled across a great solution that's working so far. We purchased clear-lidded, magnetic containers at IKEA usually meant for spices and such. You can purchase metal strips to put on your walls and then stick these containers to the strips (they also make larger magnetic bins you can put utensils and other items in). This is a great way to store things within sight and reach without taking up valuable counter space!

Instead of using the magnetic strips, you can use other metal objects such as a range hood or refrigerator, which is what we're doing. Now we have our 6 favorite teas within quick and easy reach right above the stove. I even used our label maker to indicate which is which. Check it out!

And now to enjoy a hot cuppa...
-amy

Cool way to display your photos

I subscribe to the awesome service, Groupon, where you can purchase coupons that are usually pretty insane deals (there is a minimum amount of coupons that must be sold; it's group purchasing power on the Web!).

Anyway, today's deal really caught my eye because it's for this cool service called CanvasPop -- you can have any digital photo turned into one or multiple canvas art displays. You upload the photo from anywhere and alter it how you want it (you can also use digital art you've created instead of a photo). The Groupon is for 50% off ($80 for $40)!

I'm considering this for our bedroom revamp (yes, still a work in progress!) and using some great photos from our hiking and backpacking trips. Eye-catching art that's very personal. I love the idea. Check it out!

Thanks for reading,
-amy

Inspiration for your closet

I regularly read other blogs about organizing and sometimes I get so inspired I just have to share. This tip from "The Organizing Junkie" is fantastic. She just did a major purge of her clothing as she switched from winter to summer and now I can't wait to tackle my own closet...again! I purge several times a year based on space issues and seasonal changes, but I like her statement that just because you have space doesn't mean you should fill it. If you haven't worn something in a year, consider parting with it -- donate to Goodwill or sell it at a consignment shop. (For my Portland peeps, a friend of mine owns a consignment shop you should check out sometime, for clothing, household items, furniture, etc. -- Reviva!)

With the money you make selling your clothes you rarely or never wear, you can purchase items you really love and fit you right! :) Any excuse to go shopping...

Happy purging,
-amy