Kitchen Organization

One of my goals is to get most items off my kitchen counters. This is easier said than done when you just lack storage space. I have gone through a lot of items and put them in a "get rid of spot" for my garage sale next spring, but I still have stuff cluttering up my counters.

There are a few things that I just think belong on the counter. 1 - the coffee maker. 2 - the utensil holder/turny thing. 3 - the mixer.

Since it is inevitable that some extra things will remain on the counter, I want to make them look neat, clean, and organized. I got an idea from a magazine that I am very excited about:

This large white tray does not fit in my cabinets. So, I decided to put all of my daily-use items that just hang out near stove on the tray. Ta da! I got rid of two areas of clutter and they are all very handy, sitting right next to the stove.

First, we have the sea salt grinder.

 And, we also have regular salt. I prefer keeping it in this little $.74 dish than the entire carton or a salt shaker. It is easily accessible when using a measuring spoon or just your fingers.

Next is the cooking spray. I like this to be handy so I can use it at all times.

Then the black pepper grinder. I love black pepper.

And, the olive oil. I go through this stuff pretty fast.

This is actually a new oil for me. A recipe I am trying this week calls for it and I have actually wanted to try it. It is on the tray and we will have to see if it stays.

There are a few things I still want to add to the tray. I would like to get two spice jars (ceramic with a cork lid) and load them up with my most-used spices. I hate digging around in my cabinets for my spices (and I have another idea coming soon for organizing that area). I just need to figure out which two spices get the most attention before I buy the jars. Are there any other items you would add?

I was very happy with the result. Such a simple change, but it cleaned up the cluttered area well. And when my kitchen is cleaned and organized, cooking is SO much more enjoyable!

The Mission, should I choose to accept it...

The mission of today is: clean and organize my mess of a desk. To get me going, I may have to go get a chai tea from Metro Coffee because, in case you didn't know, they have the best chai tea, hands down.

And if that didn't look messy enough, here's another view.

The reward to getting this done, as well as the deadline, is a wedding and fun with friends at 3pm. And oh how I love deadlines and rewards!

I shouldn't have to worry about our dog getting bored. He has become quite the lazy bum, or you could call him and lover of comfort.

Yesterday, our furnace had some trouble keeping the house warm due to the freezing cold temperatures. It was 59 degrees inside; toasty compared to the outside temps and wind chills. So we bought some firewood and have been enjoying the warmth, and the smells, of a wood fire. Since Hubs had the day off, Ransom and he cozied up next to the fire to enjoy some reading.

July 22, 2009

Last night, Hubs and I were thumbing through my planner, sorting out vacations, trips, events, etc.

On July 22nd I had written, 2yr Anniversary.

Hubs: Two-year anniversary of what?
Feath: Haha. Very funny. You know what.
Hubs: No, really, what?
Feath: Our WEDDING. Duh! (I didn't actually say the duh part, but I should have to make the conversation more fun.)
Hubs: Two years? Really?

The light suddenly clicked on in my brain and I realized my error. It will be our THREE-year anniversary.

Who says women are supposed to be better at keeping track of these things?

MIB - Missing In Blogging

It's been five days since my last post...that seems like a lifetime in Blogland. Life has become relatively calm and that will force me to get creative with my posts. For now, I'll give you a quick update.

After a fantastic, relaxing weekend with family, I came rejuvenated and ready to get back to normal life. I had been having frequent freak-out sessions which produced headaches and fatigue, but really accomplished nothing. It just does not work for me to live without a schedule, a purpose, and a goal. I had not purchased a planner yet for 2009 and everything in my head was weighing down on me. I would walk into walls, forget to turn off appliances, and just feel completely lost at all times. Of course, this all resulted in needless tears.

Now, my planner is with me at all times, I have a schedule and I make goals for myself each day. I'm still catching up from my weeks of chaos, but soon I should be back in a routine of working out, reading my Bible and preparing for Bible studies, and keeping our house in order. I am amazed at how much energy I already have after just a few days of being focused. It's also amazing at how much more fun I am - ask Hubs.

This isn't to say that we don't have spontaneity and that we aren't flexible. We are both of those things, but my overall, day-to-day life needs structure. My mom raised me that way, and it works.

Speaking of my mom, she is recovering and doing well. I say that now, though tomorrow will may be a different story after she tries moving it for the first time.

And, I went to purchase some of my favorite mugs from Starbucks today. I had a coupon for 10% off the entire order, but the cashier only took 10% off one item (my drink). It irks me because the coupon was the only reason I went to buy more mugs. I should have gotten about $1.90 off my purchase...I only got $.35. I want to march right back down there and get my rightful savings.

So, would you go back and ask them to re-run your transaction or just forget about the $1.55?

Organizing again

This is the newest addition to our apartment. It is an attempt to organize our lives better. Constantly, we are reminding each other of "something" that is going on. This has caused frustration, annoyance, double-planning, and confusion. To eliminate lessen this, I purchased a white board that has each day of the week pre-printed. Now, we can write out our schedule on this white board - which is located in a very prominent, well-traveled area (the fridge). Whenever we pass by, we can be reminded of the week's events.

I have wanted to buy this for a while now. But, we decided to try out the idea on a piece of paper for a couple or weeks (so we didn't waste money). After 2 weeks, the piece of paper was irritating my anal-self (if plans change, I can't just scribble out the event, I need to re-write the entire week so it looks pretty again), so I made a trip to BB&B. This board was originally $9.99, on sale for $7.49. I pulled out my stash of 20% off coupons and bought it for $5.99!

On the packaging, very prominently displayed, were the words "Magnetic." Being in a hurry, I grabbed and bought. Only to realize, when I got home, that it isn't stick to the fridge magnetic. It's stick a magnet to the board magnetic. Oh well. It isn't anything magnetic tape couldn't fix.

Organizing Fiend

On Saturday, I tackled my closet. Actually, my side of the closet. It was a long overdue project and finally frustrated me so enough that I couldn't take it any longer. Here is what I was up against:




So, after a trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond, 2 bags of trash, and 2 bags of clothes to give away I ended up with this:



Doesn't this look great!!! Comments of congratulation would be well received! I am so proud of this project - probably too impressed with myself, but it has inspired me to continue the theme of organization throwing-out-crap-that-we-don't-need-nor-will-ever-use-again into every room in our aparment!


Next project - the laundry room!

To Do List

Now that I am back home, I see things all over the apartment that need to get done. I think the excitement of going to Hawaii took over my life and in the process I did not see how unorganized our apartment is right now. My parents and Richard can attest to the fact that I am not the type of person who naturally puts things back exactly where they should go after using them. I am known to fold laundry, but not put it away for a couple of days. Instead of hanging a shirt back on the hanger, I lay it on the shelf underneath the hanging clothes. Instead of putting the shoes on the shoe rack, I set them beside the shoe rack. My intentions are always to come back and put them away... The only exception is in the kitchen. I can't stand the kitchen to be messy since it is the first thing everyone sees when they walk into the apartment.

In admitting these things to you, I must also admit that I have areas of anal retentiveness as well. My books and movies MUST be in alphabetical order on their shelves. Any notes or homework assignments must be neat on the page, or I will rewrite them until they look neat. I cringe when I have to cross something out that I have already written, or if I have to squeeze something in. I'm cringing as I type this just thinking about it.

I am also infamous for making a list, then losing it. Making a new list, then losing it. You get the picture. Each list may or may not have the same tasks on it. So, what better way to not lose a list than post it on our blog? Plus, this gives my readers the chance to be my accountability. I will add and cross off those things as they get done or need added.

Things to do:

• Clean and organize my dresser drawers
• Clean and organize my side of the closet
• Study Isaiah 40:35-40 for Saturday morning study
• Call a lady from church about childrens music in August (do tonight!)
• Clean out the sliding door track - eww
• Find places for all the crap on the dining room table
• Vacuum and talk to Amanda about getting the carpets cleaned

That's a good start. I'll add as I think of more.