Time for better time management

Many of us feel pulled in many directions at once with our busy schedules, but I've always managed to stay pretty on top of things. Or so I thought! After missing my self-imposed deadline for reorganizing our kitchen, I had to rethink that perception. I do tend to miss deadlines at times, especially those I assign to myself. And I seem to excel at procrastination, especially of unsavory tasks... So, I've decided that it's time for better time management!

I'm looking forward to improving my skills in this area, which will benefit me and my future clients. As I started looking for resources, I turned to my "social network" for book recommendations. Turns out I have quite a few friends that are just as geeky as I am about organizing and self-improvement! :)

Here are the books I've now added to my reading list, which can all be found on Amazon:

• The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management by Hyrum W. Smith
• The Luck Factor by Brian Tracy
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Managing Your Goals by Alec MacKenzie (audio book)
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

I'll share my thoughts on these books in future posts. In the meantime, do have any time management or productivity books you've found inspiring? Please share!

Thanks for reading,

-amy

Conquering My Kitchen

Well, better late than never! I'd originally set a goal of re-organizing my kitchen cupboards and emptying the "final box" by the end of August. Unfortunately other life priorities got in the way - but I did manage to complete the task yesterday (only 2 days behind schedule!). I've now identified "time management" as an area I can improve and have made a list of books to read on the topic! More on that in a later post...now back to our regularly scheduled programming: the kitchen.

To start, I pulled everything out of the problem cabinets and the box. I strongly believe in the organizing philosophy that you have to see everything before you can start making decisions about eliminating items or assigning a space. As you can see, I made quite a mess! Every surface was covered, but it was very helpful.

I then made groups of "like with like" and found that I had a several lids that didn't go with anything and some duplicate dishes, which are now in the garage sale and/or donation box.

The next step: install small hooks near my baking center to hang flour sifters (which look cool as accessories). I then pulled out my nice glass canisters to display on a shelf - they look great with their matching labels and "decorative" contents (almonds, chocolate chips, raisins). And this freed up much-needed space in the cupboards.

Next, I chose a spot for our leftover container system. About a year ago we purchased a system where every size container uses the same lid - talk about a time and sanity saver! I highly recommend something like this. I used UHU tac to secure it to the shelf, which is temporary but holds really well.

Then I started putting things away, beginning with items we rarely use like serving bowls and trays. I located these in the cupboard above the refrigerator since it takes a stool or chair to reach them. I grouped all of my baking supplies together, using a plate shelf to create more space since many of these items are not very tall.

Our appliances are grouped together on half-moon shelves my husband installed (similar to this), making use of a deep corner cupboard near the stove. And finally, I put away all of the Corningware (hasn't had a home since we moved in, unless you count the box!), baking pans, etc. in a cupboard easily accessible from the baking center and stove, stashing the unwieldy cookie sheets in the drawer below the oven.

TA-DA! In less than three hours I have a more usable kitchen and everything has a home. I'm happy with the results, but expect to tweak and improve as time goes along.

Do you have any tips on organizing a kitchen? Found any cool products for making more space?

Spicy Kitchen Update

I hate to admit that I haven't had much time to devote to my kitchen organizing project. I am currently taking an interior design class at PCC and our end-of-term project is due tomorrow, so all of my energy has been focused on that for now.

That said, I did have a minor epiphany -- I'm going to add some shelves to the only empty wall and move my canisters there. Thankfully I already have fairly decorative canisters to hold flour, sugar, etc. and I think they'll look nice on the shelf. And that frees up much-needed space in my cupboards for snack foods (that currently reside haphazardly on top of the fridge and make me frown each time I see them!) and my "Tupperware" and reusable containers.

Also wanted to show off this great shelving item for organizing our spices that makes use of a shelf I can't usually reach. We put this in a few months ago and it's been a great space saver. I just pull down when I need access; push back up when I'm finished.

Note that we've decided to keep our spices, for the most part, in their original containers. While there are nice looking spice systems out there with matching jars, I've found them to be a pain because they usually hold less and then you have to store all of the back-up spice containers somewhere as well. How is that helpful?! Just because something looks organized, doesn't mean it's a good system that you can maintain. Always keep that in mind when buying gadgets that promise the world!

Thanks for reading,
-amy

Closet Mini-Make-Over

Earlier this week, WSJ online did a short article on Veronica Webb's organized closet. I was in awe! Not only at the organization, but the sheer amount of clothing and shoes she has. The life of a model! At least she's making me look better :)

And how's this for coincidental timing? Just last week I did a mini-make-over on my own closet (shared with the hubby) and finally removed all of the sweaters so it's not so crowded. The sweaters will make a reappearance come Fall; and the shorts will then go into storage (a large, clear bin that lives in the basement laundry room). My main goal was to group things together better -- by style and how often worn. It's so much easier to find things now, and I only spent 2 hours!

I'm pretty happy with it, but am looking for better solutions for belts and pants. Think I may have to break down and purchase some nice pants hangers rather than trying to make do with what I already have. Any suggestions for good belt systems? I hate having to take them all off to get at the one farthest in...

Another goal was to remove all the wire hangers from the closet, which I've successfully done, but am now stuck with a rather large pile of them. Apparently hangers are not welcome in the trash or recycling in my town (they wreak havoc on the sorting machines), so I've been trying to find other options. Three ideas I've come across so far:
- return them to your dry cleaners for reuse or proper recycling
- take them to a metal recycling center (and they'll pay you!)
- use them in craft projects

Have a closet you're afraid to tackle on your own? Try doing it in parts, rather than overwhelming yourself in the first try. For example, just sort through all of your dress clothes one evening. And keep reminding yourself that not only are you making more room and making things easier to find, but you can sell or donate anything you get rid of to help your bottom line!

Happy organizing,
-amy

That Box in the Corner

Today's post is about motivating myself to finally conquer that 1 lingering box of kitchen stuff. This weekend will mark 5 months since we moved into our new home and I will not continue to be mocked by that box in the corner of the dining room!


Of course, the reason it's still there is because there is not enough room in my kitchen cabinets currently -- and that caused me to "hit a wall" after 90% completion. I think many of us battle with challenges like this and then lose motivation. But with every challenge comes an opportunity! So, herein lies my opportunity: to re-organize my kitchen cabinets so that everything fits in there, by the end of August or else! I'm counting on this blog to help keep me motivated. I certainly don't want to post on here about not getting this done ;-) I'll update on my progress and share any cool products I come across along the way.

Side note: one area in my kitchen I'm pretty happy with already is the "recycling center." We used a closet organizing system (I believe it's Closet Maid from Lowe's or Home Depot) so that we can sort as we go - and each drawer pulls out completely for easy dumping into our recycling bins outside. I also store the aluminum foil, Ziploc bags, etc. in the top drawer to keep them out of precious drawer space in the rest of the kitchen but still readily accessible.



Thanks for reading,
-amy