I've made some changes lately in the way I eat and the way I cook for my family. This has been a gradual change, brought on by a few key factors. I've become increasingly aware of what is in food and what impacts it has on a person's health. The off-shoot of this is that I don't want my kids growing up on processed foods and thinking it's normal. I grew up on vegetables from the garden, we ate the deer and other wildlife that was hunted, our beef came from purchasing a cow down the road, and there was always baked bread and other homemade goodies around the house. I cringe now when I see a commercial for pre-made and pre-shaped cookies that are being marketed as "homemade." Really? If you break down the word, I guess technically they are "made" in the "home" but it's far from the homemade foods that I remember. My children will know exactly what "homemade" really means and I will know what's in their food.
I love to cook. There is something about creating a masterpiece in the kitchen that not only looks good and tastes good, but is good for your family. Whether my family agrees to eat it or not is up for debate, but it doesn't take away that magical feeling. I would much rather create a complete meal with well-rounded and healthy ingredients instead of dumping contents from a box into a pan with some water. Granted, this is an option sometimes for those nights when I'm just too exhausted to cook, but with each night of cooking and each personal success, these nights are becoming fewer and fewer.
Also, a recent health discovery involving cholesterol has really brought our eating habits into focus. Growing up in the Midwest, I was raised on hot dishes (aka casseroles), red meat and potatoes. We ate a lit of chicken too, and the fish we ate was mostly Walleye that we caught ourselves. However, this diet doesn't bode well for cholesterol, something I realized after doing a little bit of research. And while I'm slowly incorporating more fruits and vegetables and less fats into my meals, I need to pick it up a notch. It's out with the frozen pizzas and in with the fish and vegetables.
The good news is that we don't have to cut out pizza all together, which is the favorite food of my son and husband. We just have to cut out the "frozen" part of the pizza. It's actually very feasible to make your own pizza dough and sauce. Add in some fresh vegetables, a little bit of cheese and whatever other toppings you want and you've got a pizza - one that is healthier and cheaper than their frozen cousins.
This is just one example of how an unhealthy and over-processed food can become healthy and still be delicious. Another one would be french toast, which leads me to breakfast this morning.
One of my favorite things to do is make a big breakfast on the weekends, usually Sunday. Again, this stems from my childhood. I can recall countless memories of sitting in the kitchen at Grandma and Grandpa's, all us cousins and aunts and uncles surrounding the table and kitchen island while my Grandma cooked homemade Swedish skinny pancakes on the same griddle my great grandmother used for the same purpose. It was heavenly.
This is why, anytime you are guest at my house in the morning, you can expect breakfast. And I'm not talking about frozen waffles. I'm talking breakfast, the kind of meal that greets everyone in the morning, bringing everyone together and filling tummies with wonderfully delicious food to prepare everyone for the amazing day ahead. This is what breakfast is all about.
Anyway, back to the french toast. Here is my take on french toast for breakfast:
I start with homemade bread. Why? Because it's cheap, easy, and I know what's in it. The best french toast is made from thick slices. The egg bathe I use is the standard - eggs, milk and vanilla extract. My husband likes the batter a little eggy, so I probably add less milk than other people. Instead of frying my french toast, I bake it. The main reason for this is less mess, less standing in front of a stove and less butter. I grab a large cookie sheet (or two, depending on the amount I want to make) and put 1-2 tablespoons of butter on the pan. I preheat the oven to 375F and put the pan in to melt the butter. It's extremely important to have this step - skipping it ensures your eggy bread will bake right into the pan, and instead of french toast slices you end up with some form of mutated french toast that is crumpled, scrunched and missing chunks. It doesn't take long for the butter to melt. Once it's melted, I use a spatula to spread the butter around. I then dip the bread into the egg bathe and lay it on the pan. Once all the slices are on the pan, I sprinkle the slices with brown sugar and cinnamon. I do this with each slice instead of adding it directly to the egg bathe to ensure that every slice gets a little love. Otherwise you end up with one piece covered in eggy cinnamon and nothing on the other poor neglected slices. I put them in the oven for about 10 minutes, then flip them, again adding cinnamon to the other side. I don't add anymore brown sugar because it gets a little too surgery and sweet then. And what to put on top? There are a variety of options! The favorite, of course, is syrup, but I'm not a huge fan of syrup because it's really all sugar, at least a majority of syrups are. Even the "sugar free" syrups are just made with a chemical based sugar substitute. I realize that this is the point of syrup and that there are a variety of real maple syrups out there, but why limit yourself to one topping? For example, this morning, we had a few handfuls of blueberries in the fridge that needed to be used, so I threw them in my handy little mini food processor and blended away. I stirred them once to make sure to get all the big chunks and added a few tablespoons of sugar. Once the french toast was baked through, I made sure to keep the brown sugared sides up on the plate and poured the blueberry sauce over them. Delicious.
See? Things like that - super simple. No recipe needed. Just conscience thought about what and how you're cooking. Instead of frying every slice of french toast in butter, it was baked in a total of 2 tablespoons. Instead of drowning the slices in sugary syrup, they were delicately drenched in a homemade blueberry sauce.
A little awareness and thinking goes a long way when cooking. For starters, I add more fruits and vegetables. It really is easy to do. We've been able to do this in part to shopping in bulk since you can buy 5 pound bags of frozen vegetables that have the same nutritional content as fresh ones (I advise to stay away from canned vegetables as they often contain some sort of preservative and a butt load of sodium). Instead of adding fats like butter and oil to add taste to food, use spices and herbs instead. Also, I try and make things from scratch as often as possible. It's cheap and doesn't take a lot of time.
If you're having a little trouble getting started, don't worry. Like I said, this has been an evolution in process for quite some time now. The first step is to pay attention. Read labels and think about what's in the food you're eating. Second, look for inspiration. Cook books and recipes are a great way to start the imagination. Don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. Third, always think "how could I make this," especially when in the grocery store. I often go to the frozen foods section and look at all the one-skillet meals that are in bags. I look at the ingredients, then instead of buying the meal in the bag I go buy the ingredients and make it myself. No, it won't taste the same, and that's kind of the point. By making it yourself and using better ingredients, it will taste the way food is supposed to instead of tasting like a salt and fat.
Ah, food. Some of my best memories are centered around food. Every family get together turns into a giant all-you-eat buffet of the best potluck dishes every created. And while at that time, mashed potatoes came from boxes and vegetables were in tin cans and you could microwave a meal in a cardboard tray, this wasn't what I grew up on. Therefore, my children shouldn't and won't either. Instead, they'll grow up in the kind of home where food and love are always guests at the same table.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Irrational Nesting Paranoia
Ah Nesting. That time during pregnancy when every expectant mother turns into an organizing germaphobe. This phase of mental instability has never made my life seem more messy.
I had a bit of a breakdown yesterday and unfortunately due to hormones, it came out as anger instead of tears. Luckily, my husband and son understand and love me very much and hid accordingly until the moment passed. The good news is that I turned my frustration into action and checked quite a few things off my to-do list.
It started with my second foray into bulk shopping. I was very excited about this and couldn't wait to see how much money I saved - or didn't save. While I spent less that the first time (which I was hoping/expecting) and I know I saved compared to buying the same quantities in a grocery or department store, there were quite a few items that I intended to buy in bulk but that weren't available. Some of these items were there last time, so I was confused and annoyed that they were nowhere to be found this time. That is one downside to shopping at bulk stores since they don't always have the same products or stock all the time.
This only meant that I had another stop to make, which I attempted. My 2 1/2 year old had other ideas. I learned a valuable lesson that day: If your toddler behaves exceptionally well in one store and then asks to go home, don't push your luck and try go to a second store. The same behavior will not be exemplified. Just go home.
If there is one thing I completely dislike, it's coming back home with a list that's not checked off. And in this case, thanks to my son, I had quite the list. This time was especially irritating, as I had anticipated on buying most of the items at the bulk store.
After unloading the car, I then realized that I simply didn't have any room for all the bulk items I'd just purchased. I had anticipated on purchasing shelving and organizing the cellar in the basement and pantry in the kitchen before my next bulk shopping spree, but that didn't happen.
This is about the time when my hormones convinced me to become completely irrational. From this point on, everything in my house was messy and out of order, and to a person who is nesting, this is one of the worst feelings in the world. Yes, parts of my home were unorganized, but to me, it was a filthy mess, one I was forcing my child to live in. Therefore, I was a bad mother. Not only that, but by natural design I was also a bad wife and bad housekeeper. See how this irrational thing works? None of this is true, by the way, and I know this. But in my mind yesterday, these were my thoughts.
So instead of crumpling up into a ball and crying while clutching a bag of Dove chocolates, I went into action. I cleaned out the cellar in the basement (mostly) and got all the second-hand destined items in one pile. I finally called the Salvation Army and got information regarding pick-up. The excellent news is that they will come pick up your junk up to 30 miles out of town. All I need to do is call back on Monday and schedule an appointment for Monday - Friday. I think I'll be able to breathe easier and relax once that massive pile of junk is out of my house.
I still didn't have shelving to put in the cellar, so I couldn't organize to my full intent. But with a lot of junk out of there, at least I could walk around and see what kind of space I had. Part of me wanted to go back into town and buy some shelving units, but I wasn't about to have a repeat of that morning. So instead of putting it on my list and knowing that it may or may not get done, I went on this handy little website called Amazon.com and bought some. I ordered a few other things that had been on my list for a while, so I got free shipping, meaning I didn't spend anymore money than I would have if I'd gone back into town. The best part is that I saved my sanity, because now I know they are on their way and that in a few weeks I can really sort through things and become organized. And by that time, the massive junk pile in the basement will be gone as well.
Having a game plan with the bulk storage situation made me feel a lot better. Then it was time to focus on the nursery. The only number in my head for the last few days is 13 - 13 weeks away from my due date. 13 weeks to organize and decorate the nursery. 13 weeks to prepare for my maternity leave from work. 13 weeks. 13 weeks. And the paranoia starts in again.
There is so much that needs to be done in the nursery that I can't do right now - particularly repairing some spots on the walls and painting. I also want to wash everything and organize things, but I don't have a dresser yet. I still need to go buy one, and then have that painted too. And then I need a lamp. And curtains. And storage bins. And things to decorate the walls....
Again, I thought about going back into town and getting all these things, but I didn't for the same reasons as above. And seeing as how I want to buy used, I wasn't able to just hop on a website and buy them. So I did what I could - I prepped the room for painting buy moving things out that didn't need to be in there. That was about all I could do. But, I have a plan, and if I need to, I will bribe my friends and family with liquor and food to come get the painting done since my husband is incredibly busy traveling with work. And I'm impatient, and nesting, and therefore irrational.
The last part of my paranoia is that we're still remodeling our home. I've come to the realization that we will probably be in various construction projects in various parts of the house for the next 10 years or so, and I'm okay with that because it's worth it to get your dream home. It's just the mess that it creates and the constant cleaning up after that I have yet to get used to. This bothered me before, but I'm extremely aware of it now because of the nesting. For example, my husband does some work in the downstairs hall and I now have to dust the whole house. I would say "want to" because this is the honest feeling, but my irrationality turns it into "have to." At least now, my toddler can and is willing to help mommy clean the house. We just put on a little music and power clean - and he's quite handy with a mop for his small stout stature.
So that's what we're doing today because when you have Irrational Nesting Paranoia, the cleaning and organizing never stops. My home will be organized and clean to my satisfaction and nothing like construction or bulk shopping is going to get in my way. The one good thing about the mess - my living room and my son's room are littered with puzzles, crayons and Matchbox cars, some of which I helped contribute too. And I think that's the only thing keeping me from going completely insane right now - those moments when I take a break, relax and play games with my son. Because I have a million other things to do, but compared to playing with him, they are not even important and simply don't exist for a little bit. This is the the thing I need to remember most when my nesting hits and I feel it's the only thing that will get me through the next 13 weeks with sanity.
I had a bit of a breakdown yesterday and unfortunately due to hormones, it came out as anger instead of tears. Luckily, my husband and son understand and love me very much and hid accordingly until the moment passed. The good news is that I turned my frustration into action and checked quite a few things off my to-do list.
It started with my second foray into bulk shopping. I was very excited about this and couldn't wait to see how much money I saved - or didn't save. While I spent less that the first time (which I was hoping/expecting) and I know I saved compared to buying the same quantities in a grocery or department store, there were quite a few items that I intended to buy in bulk but that weren't available. Some of these items were there last time, so I was confused and annoyed that they were nowhere to be found this time. That is one downside to shopping at bulk stores since they don't always have the same products or stock all the time.
This only meant that I had another stop to make, which I attempted. My 2 1/2 year old had other ideas. I learned a valuable lesson that day: If your toddler behaves exceptionally well in one store and then asks to go home, don't push your luck and try go to a second store. The same behavior will not be exemplified. Just go home.
If there is one thing I completely dislike, it's coming back home with a list that's not checked off. And in this case, thanks to my son, I had quite the list. This time was especially irritating, as I had anticipated on buying most of the items at the bulk store.
After unloading the car, I then realized that I simply didn't have any room for all the bulk items I'd just purchased. I had anticipated on purchasing shelving and organizing the cellar in the basement and pantry in the kitchen before my next bulk shopping spree, but that didn't happen.
This is about the time when my hormones convinced me to become completely irrational. From this point on, everything in my house was messy and out of order, and to a person who is nesting, this is one of the worst feelings in the world. Yes, parts of my home were unorganized, but to me, it was a filthy mess, one I was forcing my child to live in. Therefore, I was a bad mother. Not only that, but by natural design I was also a bad wife and bad housekeeper. See how this irrational thing works? None of this is true, by the way, and I know this. But in my mind yesterday, these were my thoughts.
So instead of crumpling up into a ball and crying while clutching a bag of Dove chocolates, I went into action. I cleaned out the cellar in the basement (mostly) and got all the second-hand destined items in one pile. I finally called the Salvation Army and got information regarding pick-up. The excellent news is that they will come pick up your junk up to 30 miles out of town. All I need to do is call back on Monday and schedule an appointment for Monday - Friday. I think I'll be able to breathe easier and relax once that massive pile of junk is out of my house.
I still didn't have shelving to put in the cellar, so I couldn't organize to my full intent. But with a lot of junk out of there, at least I could walk around and see what kind of space I had. Part of me wanted to go back into town and buy some shelving units, but I wasn't about to have a repeat of that morning. So instead of putting it on my list and knowing that it may or may not get done, I went on this handy little website called Amazon.com and bought some. I ordered a few other things that had been on my list for a while, so I got free shipping, meaning I didn't spend anymore money than I would have if I'd gone back into town. The best part is that I saved my sanity, because now I know they are on their way and that in a few weeks I can really sort through things and become organized. And by that time, the massive junk pile in the basement will be gone as well.
Having a game plan with the bulk storage situation made me feel a lot better. Then it was time to focus on the nursery. The only number in my head for the last few days is 13 - 13 weeks away from my due date. 13 weeks to organize and decorate the nursery. 13 weeks to prepare for my maternity leave from work. 13 weeks. 13 weeks. And the paranoia starts in again.
There is so much that needs to be done in the nursery that I can't do right now - particularly repairing some spots on the walls and painting. I also want to wash everything and organize things, but I don't have a dresser yet. I still need to go buy one, and then have that painted too. And then I need a lamp. And curtains. And storage bins. And things to decorate the walls....
Again, I thought about going back into town and getting all these things, but I didn't for the same reasons as above. And seeing as how I want to buy used, I wasn't able to just hop on a website and buy them. So I did what I could - I prepped the room for painting buy moving things out that didn't need to be in there. That was about all I could do. But, I have a plan, and if I need to, I will bribe my friends and family with liquor and food to come get the painting done since my husband is incredibly busy traveling with work. And I'm impatient, and nesting, and therefore irrational.
The last part of my paranoia is that we're still remodeling our home. I've come to the realization that we will probably be in various construction projects in various parts of the house for the next 10 years or so, and I'm okay with that because it's worth it to get your dream home. It's just the mess that it creates and the constant cleaning up after that I have yet to get used to. This bothered me before, but I'm extremely aware of it now because of the nesting. For example, my husband does some work in the downstairs hall and I now have to dust the whole house. I would say "want to" because this is the honest feeling, but my irrationality turns it into "have to." At least now, my toddler can and is willing to help mommy clean the house. We just put on a little music and power clean - and he's quite handy with a mop for his small stout stature.
So that's what we're doing today because when you have Irrational Nesting Paranoia, the cleaning and organizing never stops. My home will be organized and clean to my satisfaction and nothing like construction or bulk shopping is going to get in my way. The one good thing about the mess - my living room and my son's room are littered with puzzles, crayons and Matchbox cars, some of which I helped contribute too. And I think that's the only thing keeping me from going completely insane right now - those moments when I take a break, relax and play games with my son. Because I have a million other things to do, but compared to playing with him, they are not even important and simply don't exist for a little bit. This is the the thing I need to remember most when my nesting hits and I feel it's the only thing that will get me through the next 13 weeks with sanity.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The Junk Room That Was
Happy New Year everyone!
I was blessed with a long weekend and decided to make ample use of my time by cleaning and organizing, particularly the junk room. As my nesting as now seemed to hit full force, any bit of dirt or clutter irritates me to no end. This weekend was the perfect opportunity to give into some of my OCD tendencies by cleaning and organizing, since I would have not only the stamina but the time as well.
First, let's talk about the Junk Room. Everyone has one, whether it's a room, a closet or a drawer. You know, that dark hidden place in your home where all the odds and ends find their final resting place, never to be seen or heard of again. It's the room you put things so you simply don't have to look at them, the place that guests don't see and that is never shown nor talked about outside of the immediate family. Yes, that room.
Well, I'm going against that taboo and revealing our Junk Room to the world - but only because it is no longer a Junk Room. It is now an organized, labeled, spacious area that one might actually want to spend time in. The best part is that this transformation only took me one and a half days from start to finish, meaning that it doesn't actually take a lot of time. I also never lost steam or focus, even after a night's sleep, meaning that it also doesn't take a lot of concentration to do something like this. In short, if I can, then anyone can, and probably better than I did. I've chronicled my journey below with steps and tips that I discovered along the way.
BEFORE:
See, it's awful. Completely horrendous. Despicable. And now you know my dirty little secrets.
STEP 1: Clear the Room
With so much stuff, it was impossible to go through everything and make any sort of progress. For one, there was no space. For two, the room was dirty and needed a serious deep clean. For three, trying to sort and organize in the middle of chaos would not make the chaos go away. Instead, it would be very easy to get frustrated because you're only moving stuff around and not really taking inventory of what's there. By clearing out the room, you have the opportunity to move things into other rooms right away, thus instantly getting rid of some of the clutter. It's also easier to work with a blank slate once the room is cleared because you know exactly how much space you have and what needs to go into that space, making it much easier to put it away.
But you have to clear all of it - cabinets, drawers, closet, etc. I even emptied out the filing cabinet. There were a few exceptions to this in my case, particularly the gigantic "donate" pile that is ever present. There wasn't a need to sort through this (one should never do that - it's how clutter multiplies) and I knew it was going to stay in that room, so there was no sense in moving it out only to move it back in. The other exception was my husband's things, which already had designated and practical areas, so I left it and worked around it.
The biggest thing with this step is that you are simply clearing the room. You are not organizing yet, meaning you should not be going through things like paperwork and files to decide if you're going to keep it. Just get it out of the room. You'll have time to go through things and organize later. This can be very hard to resist, and I found myself doing this a couple times, but it will only sidetrack you and delay the progress.
You can start sorting, however, but very general sorting. Again, you're not organizing, so don't try to plan where things will go or how they will look in the room. The room isn't even empty yet, so it's like trying to decorate a home when the plans aren't drawn and the foundation isn't poured. You'll have time for more specific sorting and organizing, so don't waste your time with it now.
You will find garbage, though, so have a trash bag ready. And you'll also be able to make snap decisions on things to donate. If you already know that something is going to be donated or will live in another room of the house, don't be afraid to get it out of the rest of the clutter. Also, as you're digging through the piles of stuff, be prepared for what you might find, like mouse droppings, big scare spiders, an Ace of Base CD or even worse, cassette...
Take a few moments every once in a while to stand back and admire your progress. This will help keep you motivated as you might realize that you didn't have as much junk as you thought. Once the room is starting to clear out, it's not so scary after all.
Here are the pictures of what the room looked like after everything was cleared out - and temporarily in the downstairs living room.
STEP 2: Clean, Clean, Clean
Once everything is out of the room, grab a vacuum, some baking soda, and a bucket of hot soapy water. Then clean and clean and clean. There is no sense in putting things back into a dirty space. First, I vacuumed - everything. We're in the process of remodeling the basement (yes, still...) so everything was caked in dust and dirt. And it's a basement, so there were nasty cob webs in every corner. Then I wiped down every surface with warm soapy water. Since it's a basement, it tends to smell musty, so I added some natural scent to the water to give a fresh clean smell. Once I was done wiping down all the surfaces, I sprinkled an entire box of baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for about a half hour while I took a break and ate some lunch. Then I vacuumed again, and it smelled much better.
STEP 3: Begin Sorting
Now that you've got the room, you can really begin sorting things into piles. Again - you are not organizing yet, so don't try fit things into bins and spaces. Instead, create piles so you know exactly how much you have. This will also make it easier to decide what things should be grouped together.
Now is when you can finally go through everything, opening files and folders, tearing everything apart. Remember, the goal is to end up with less stuff back in the room than what you took out. Now is when you can take the time to decide what to do with your excess. Here are some guidelines and questions to ask yourself:
1. Do you need it?
A: This is a simply yes or no. There may be things that you never actually use, but still need (like instruction manuals and tax information). If the answer is no, then you can either toss it or donate it.
2. When was the last time you used it? When is the next time you'll use it?
A: These are for the items that are purchase with great intent, but are never actually used. If you find yourself thinking "Oh yeah, I remember this. I was going to do this with it" there should be an alarm going off. Statements like this breed clutter. If you meant to do something with it but haven't yet, then you're not going to. Don't argue, I'm right and you know it. Instead, it's just taking up space and should either be donated or tossed. The golden rule is that if you haven't used it in the last 6 months or year, then it needs to go. Likewise, if you can't think of a time in the near future (like 6 months) when you'll use something again, chance are you won't actually use it, so you might as well get rid of it. Of course, everyone can make their own exceptions to this rule.
3. Will someone else actually use it or is it trash?
A: This is kind of a cryptic message. I am all for donating and second hand and fully believe that one person's trash is another person's treasure. But I also know how "donate" piles can be an angry monster living in your basement (just look at finished pictures if you don't believe me). Is there really use for allowing something to take up space in your home, then hauling it to a second hand store only to have it be discarded there. Don't be afraid to throw things away.
As you'll probably also find a lot of outdated paperwork, it's also a good idea to have a paper shredder and box for recycling handy.
STEP 4: Organizing - with Bins!
You've sorted through all your things and decided what to keep. All of these things are now in neat little piles all over the room, allowing you to get a sense of the amount of space they will take up. Now - grab the bins and start putting things away.
Now would be a perfect time to go purchase storage containers if you haven't done so already. Even if you already have some containers, you may need more or different shapes. This is the most creative and fun part of the organizing process, so be creative when using storage containers. Not everything has to be put into plastic totes. Think outside the tote. When I search for storage, I look everywhere - candles, home decor, garage and outdoor sections, office organization, kitchen accessories and my favorite - dollar sections and second hand stores. I also go for all textures, shapes and colors - wicker, plastic, metal, white, black, bold and patterned. Have fun with it! And if you have an awesome storage container that just isn't the right color, then paint it or cover it with decorate paper (contact paper is awesome for this, by the way). It doesn't matter what your storage looks like because it can be changed. What matters is that it will work for your organizational needs, which is also why it's best to have a variety of shapes and sizes.
This is also the time to start thinking about how the room will be used. For example, our Junk Room was primarily a dumping ground, with the main area for dumping being right inside the door. Instead of trying to change this habit (because it simply wouldn't happen), I organized the room to avoid the clutter. I first moved the large black filing cabinet as it hindered the flow into the room and could be causing part of the dumping. After all, why go around the filing cabinet when I can simply dump stuff in front of it. However, I knew there needed to be containers in that area since it would still be a catch-all, and I needed a table to set those containers on. So I took an old dresser from the laundry room and put it at the entrance where the filing cabinet was. It's low enough to not hinder the flow and provides a great surface. Now not only did I have a surface for the catch-all baskets, I also had extra drawers and storage.
This is also the time to designate zones and areas for certain tasks, like office, bedding, games, photos, etc. You can then designate even further within these zones, like an area for mailing supplies within the office zone. A great way to establish zones is using large shallow trays (see office area below). Also, don't be afraid to put containers within containers. It sounds redundant, but so useful and very pretty.
The best thing is to keep moving and organizing until everything has found a home. You may find yourself moving things from one spot to another and back again, but this is all part of the process. Think of it like putting together a giant puzzle and you're just figuring out how all the pieces fit together.
STEP 5: Labels
It simply doesn't do any good for everything to have it's own place if you can't remember where that place is. This is where the wonderful world of labels come in. You don't have to be crafty to have pretty and sophisticated labels. Sure, you can make your own, or you can print some off the internet like I did.
There are also several ways to attach the labels, the most popular being twine or string. You can also use, things like label holders, key rings or double stick tape (which is what I used).
AFTER:
So much better! It's a room again! With a floor!!
The catch-all area right inside the door - now referred to as inboxes because it sounds way more organized. There are bins for papers and anything else that ends up here. There is also a magazine holder labeled "Jackson's Art" as he brings home art almost every day and previously it was scattered about the room. I knew it would end up in the catch-all area, so instead of putting it in the baskets only to move it to another spot, I put the designated spot within the catch-all area. NOTE: His art will eventually be put into a large binder with clear plastic sheets for protection. That way his art work can be on display with the rest of the photo albums.
Part of the office area (printer, a magazine holder with paper and the paper shredder are to the right). I used shallow baskets to corral all the other containers and designate the zone. See the pictures below for examples of placing containers within containers.
Just because things are hidden in cabinets and closet does not mean they cannot be organized. In the cabinets, I used more bins and baskets to contain like items, keeping things together. Labels on the outside send a reminder to what's hidden inside.
I tried to use the built-ins to my advantage, even though I'm not a big fan of these. There actually isn't a lot on the shelves - compared with before when there wasn't any place to put things. It ended up looking pretty bare and not very appealing, so the unused containers I had became decorations. They take up the visual space and add some color, making the space feel lived in and used instead of like a storage area.
The dresser now holds sheets, pillow cases and other fabrics that can all be in their own space and hidden away. Not only that, with such a large surface, there is room for the computer, the inboxes, and a free space in between.
The labels I used. There are also orange and blue ones. You can print them either with words or blank and write your own descriptions. Very easy to use!
One final note: you can always and should always organize. Don't wait for something. For example, we will be remodeling this room one day and replacing the paneling with actual walls, tearing out the built-ins and moving the closet. But we're not doing it today, and it may be a while before we get to that stage. Likewise, in 5 years, this might be a play room instead of a storage area for office supplies. But today, it's our storage area, so it needs to work for how we live right now. The beauty of organization is that it can always be reorganized. It allows a room to change with you, only in a much easier fashion. Not only can we find things now because everything has a place, we also gained an extra sleeping area that's perfect for a blow-up mattress. We gained a whole other room to our house, and as long as we keep it organized and use it efficiently, then it will always be an extra room in our house instead of being shut behind a door like it doesn't exist.
One more shot of before and after:
It is such a liberating feeling. Not only did I clean out some physical junk, but I also cleaned out some emotional and spiritual junk too. I got rid of this weight of things that had been holding me down. Now I can use my home the way I want to and the way my family needs to.
Happy New Year and Happy Organizing.
I was blessed with a long weekend and decided to make ample use of my time by cleaning and organizing, particularly the junk room. As my nesting as now seemed to hit full force, any bit of dirt or clutter irritates me to no end. This weekend was the perfect opportunity to give into some of my OCD tendencies by cleaning and organizing, since I would have not only the stamina but the time as well.
First, let's talk about the Junk Room. Everyone has one, whether it's a room, a closet or a drawer. You know, that dark hidden place in your home where all the odds and ends find their final resting place, never to be seen or heard of again. It's the room you put things so you simply don't have to look at them, the place that guests don't see and that is never shown nor talked about outside of the immediate family. Yes, that room.
Well, I'm going against that taboo and revealing our Junk Room to the world - but only because it is no longer a Junk Room. It is now an organized, labeled, spacious area that one might actually want to spend time in. The best part is that this transformation only took me one and a half days from start to finish, meaning that it doesn't actually take a lot of time. I also never lost steam or focus, even after a night's sleep, meaning that it also doesn't take a lot of concentration to do something like this. In short, if I can, then anyone can, and probably better than I did. I've chronicled my journey below with steps and tips that I discovered along the way.
BEFORE:
See, it's awful. Completely horrendous. Despicable. And now you know my dirty little secrets.
STEP 1: Clear the Room
With so much stuff, it was impossible to go through everything and make any sort of progress. For one, there was no space. For two, the room was dirty and needed a serious deep clean. For three, trying to sort and organize in the middle of chaos would not make the chaos go away. Instead, it would be very easy to get frustrated because you're only moving stuff around and not really taking inventory of what's there. By clearing out the room, you have the opportunity to move things into other rooms right away, thus instantly getting rid of some of the clutter. It's also easier to work with a blank slate once the room is cleared because you know exactly how much space you have and what needs to go into that space, making it much easier to put it away.
But you have to clear all of it - cabinets, drawers, closet, etc. I even emptied out the filing cabinet. There were a few exceptions to this in my case, particularly the gigantic "donate" pile that is ever present. There wasn't a need to sort through this (one should never do that - it's how clutter multiplies) and I knew it was going to stay in that room, so there was no sense in moving it out only to move it back in. The other exception was my husband's things, which already had designated and practical areas, so I left it and worked around it.
The biggest thing with this step is that you are simply clearing the room. You are not organizing yet, meaning you should not be going through things like paperwork and files to decide if you're going to keep it. Just get it out of the room. You'll have time to go through things and organize later. This can be very hard to resist, and I found myself doing this a couple times, but it will only sidetrack you and delay the progress.
You can start sorting, however, but very general sorting. Again, you're not organizing, so don't try to plan where things will go or how they will look in the room. The room isn't even empty yet, so it's like trying to decorate a home when the plans aren't drawn and the foundation isn't poured. You'll have time for more specific sorting and organizing, so don't waste your time with it now.
You will find garbage, though, so have a trash bag ready. And you'll also be able to make snap decisions on things to donate. If you already know that something is going to be donated or will live in another room of the house, don't be afraid to get it out of the rest of the clutter. Also, as you're digging through the piles of stuff, be prepared for what you might find, like mouse droppings, big scare spiders, an Ace of Base CD or even worse, cassette...
Take a few moments every once in a while to stand back and admire your progress. This will help keep you motivated as you might realize that you didn't have as much junk as you thought. Once the room is starting to clear out, it's not so scary after all.
Here are the pictures of what the room looked like after everything was cleared out - and temporarily in the downstairs living room.
STEP 2: Clean, Clean, Clean
Once everything is out of the room, grab a vacuum, some baking soda, and a bucket of hot soapy water. Then clean and clean and clean. There is no sense in putting things back into a dirty space. First, I vacuumed - everything. We're in the process of remodeling the basement (yes, still...) so everything was caked in dust and dirt. And it's a basement, so there were nasty cob webs in every corner. Then I wiped down every surface with warm soapy water. Since it's a basement, it tends to smell musty, so I added some natural scent to the water to give a fresh clean smell. Once I was done wiping down all the surfaces, I sprinkled an entire box of baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for about a half hour while I took a break and ate some lunch. Then I vacuumed again, and it smelled much better.
STEP 3: Begin Sorting
Now that you've got the room, you can really begin sorting things into piles. Again - you are not organizing yet, so don't try fit things into bins and spaces. Instead, create piles so you know exactly how much you have. This will also make it easier to decide what things should be grouped together.
Now is when you can finally go through everything, opening files and folders, tearing everything apart. Remember, the goal is to end up with less stuff back in the room than what you took out. Now is when you can take the time to decide what to do with your excess. Here are some guidelines and questions to ask yourself:
1. Do you need it?
A: This is a simply yes or no. There may be things that you never actually use, but still need (like instruction manuals and tax information). If the answer is no, then you can either toss it or donate it.
2. When was the last time you used it? When is the next time you'll use it?
A: These are for the items that are purchase with great intent, but are never actually used. If you find yourself thinking "Oh yeah, I remember this. I was going to do this with it" there should be an alarm going off. Statements like this breed clutter. If you meant to do something with it but haven't yet, then you're not going to. Don't argue, I'm right and you know it. Instead, it's just taking up space and should either be donated or tossed. The golden rule is that if you haven't used it in the last 6 months or year, then it needs to go. Likewise, if you can't think of a time in the near future (like 6 months) when you'll use something again, chance are you won't actually use it, so you might as well get rid of it. Of course, everyone can make their own exceptions to this rule.
3. Will someone else actually use it or is it trash?
A: This is kind of a cryptic message. I am all for donating and second hand and fully believe that one person's trash is another person's treasure. But I also know how "donate" piles can be an angry monster living in your basement (just look at finished pictures if you don't believe me). Is there really use for allowing something to take up space in your home, then hauling it to a second hand store only to have it be discarded there. Don't be afraid to throw things away.
As you'll probably also find a lot of outdated paperwork, it's also a good idea to have a paper shredder and box for recycling handy.
STEP 4: Organizing - with Bins!
You've sorted through all your things and decided what to keep. All of these things are now in neat little piles all over the room, allowing you to get a sense of the amount of space they will take up. Now - grab the bins and start putting things away.
Now would be a perfect time to go purchase storage containers if you haven't done so already. Even if you already have some containers, you may need more or different shapes. This is the most creative and fun part of the organizing process, so be creative when using storage containers. Not everything has to be put into plastic totes. Think outside the tote. When I search for storage, I look everywhere - candles, home decor, garage and outdoor sections, office organization, kitchen accessories and my favorite - dollar sections and second hand stores. I also go for all textures, shapes and colors - wicker, plastic, metal, white, black, bold and patterned. Have fun with it! And if you have an awesome storage container that just isn't the right color, then paint it or cover it with decorate paper (contact paper is awesome for this, by the way). It doesn't matter what your storage looks like because it can be changed. What matters is that it will work for your organizational needs, which is also why it's best to have a variety of shapes and sizes.
This is also the time to start thinking about how the room will be used. For example, our Junk Room was primarily a dumping ground, with the main area for dumping being right inside the door. Instead of trying to change this habit (because it simply wouldn't happen), I organized the room to avoid the clutter. I first moved the large black filing cabinet as it hindered the flow into the room and could be causing part of the dumping. After all, why go around the filing cabinet when I can simply dump stuff in front of it. However, I knew there needed to be containers in that area since it would still be a catch-all, and I needed a table to set those containers on. So I took an old dresser from the laundry room and put it at the entrance where the filing cabinet was. It's low enough to not hinder the flow and provides a great surface. Now not only did I have a surface for the catch-all baskets, I also had extra drawers and storage.
This is also the time to designate zones and areas for certain tasks, like office, bedding, games, photos, etc. You can then designate even further within these zones, like an area for mailing supplies within the office zone. A great way to establish zones is using large shallow trays (see office area below). Also, don't be afraid to put containers within containers. It sounds redundant, but so useful and very pretty.
The best thing is to keep moving and organizing until everything has found a home. You may find yourself moving things from one spot to another and back again, but this is all part of the process. Think of it like putting together a giant puzzle and you're just figuring out how all the pieces fit together.
STEP 5: Labels
It simply doesn't do any good for everything to have it's own place if you can't remember where that place is. This is where the wonderful world of labels come in. You don't have to be crafty to have pretty and sophisticated labels. Sure, you can make your own, or you can print some off the internet like I did.
There are also several ways to attach the labels, the most popular being twine or string. You can also use, things like label holders, key rings or double stick tape (which is what I used).
AFTER:
So much better! It's a room again! With a floor!!
The catch-all area right inside the door - now referred to as inboxes because it sounds way more organized. There are bins for papers and anything else that ends up here. There is also a magazine holder labeled "Jackson's Art" as he brings home art almost every day and previously it was scattered about the room. I knew it would end up in the catch-all area, so instead of putting it in the baskets only to move it to another spot, I put the designated spot within the catch-all area. NOTE: His art will eventually be put into a large binder with clear plastic sheets for protection. That way his art work can be on display with the rest of the photo albums.
Part of the office area (printer, a magazine holder with paper and the paper shredder are to the right). I used shallow baskets to corral all the other containers and designate the zone. See the pictures below for examples of placing containers within containers.
Just because things are hidden in cabinets and closet does not mean they cannot be organized. In the cabinets, I used more bins and baskets to contain like items, keeping things together. Labels on the outside send a reminder to what's hidden inside.
I tried to use the built-ins to my advantage, even though I'm not a big fan of these. There actually isn't a lot on the shelves - compared with before when there wasn't any place to put things. It ended up looking pretty bare and not very appealing, so the unused containers I had became decorations. They take up the visual space and add some color, making the space feel lived in and used instead of like a storage area.
The dresser now holds sheets, pillow cases and other fabrics that can all be in their own space and hidden away. Not only that, with such a large surface, there is room for the computer, the inboxes, and a free space in between.
The labels I used. There are also orange and blue ones. You can print them either with words or blank and write your own descriptions. Very easy to use!
One final note: you can always and should always organize. Don't wait for something. For example, we will be remodeling this room one day and replacing the paneling with actual walls, tearing out the built-ins and moving the closet. But we're not doing it today, and it may be a while before we get to that stage. Likewise, in 5 years, this might be a play room instead of a storage area for office supplies. But today, it's our storage area, so it needs to work for how we live right now. The beauty of organization is that it can always be reorganized. It allows a room to change with you, only in a much easier fashion. Not only can we find things now because everything has a place, we also gained an extra sleeping area that's perfect for a blow-up mattress. We gained a whole other room to our house, and as long as we keep it organized and use it efficiently, then it will always be an extra room in our house instead of being shut behind a door like it doesn't exist.
One more shot of before and after:
It is such a liberating feeling. Not only did I clean out some physical junk, but I also cleaned out some emotional and spiritual junk too. I got rid of this weight of things that had been holding me down. Now I can use my home the way I want to and the way my family needs to.
Happy New Year and Happy Organizing.
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