How To: Organizing the Fridge

Now, granted, I do not have children, do not particularly enjoy cooking, and dislike grocery shopping but I happen to absolutely love organizing my kitchen! With that said, I have always been interested in finding a better way to organize my fridge. It seems that I can never get the shelving configuration quite right, at least not enough to make it versatile and functional. And things seemed to always be finding new homes every time I peered in to find something to eat. Even after I decided that the deli drawer should, in fact, be used for sandwich fixing's it seemed to reach out and grab tortillas and other random foods.


What to do?...Well in my case the answer to that question has been--experiment! After many moons I think I may have found a configuration and some improvements that may work. Keep in mind this has not been tested yet and my fridge is not really full right now, but I liked what I did enough to get my label maker out and in my book, that's commitment! :) I posted a picture and as you can see, I assigned certain shelves and gave them a name. Although there is presently nothing but a tiny bit of egg salad on it, I designated one whole shelf to left overs. That should be enough space for us, but someone who cooks more might need more. I also used a bin/basket system (like I do in many other areas of my home) to corral like items. I used one for meat, one for bread and one for yogurt. I even used an open basket in my fruit drawer for my apples. They seem more inviting and easier to get to that way. One of my favorite things that I did was give my eggs their own little home. I moved my deli drawer up just high enough for them to slip comfortably underneath. I also took out a shelf that seemed to be taking up space in order to make more room. And there you have it--an organized fridge! The only problem I have right now is that I keep opening the fridge just to see how great it looks! We'll see how it holds up and in the meantime you might consider trying an idea or two in your own. Good luck and don't forget to comment and share your fridge success stories!

The 7 Habits of Very Organized People

The following is an article from one of the organizing newsletters I receive from Maria Gracia's website http://www.getorganizednow.com/.

Have you ever wondered how some people could be so very organized, when you're struggling on a daily basis just to get your home looking halfway presentable and to get at least a few items checked off of your To Do list?Most organized people follow a few simple rules. Here are the 7 habits of very organized people.

1. They have a place for everything. Every item they have has a consistent, assigned home. The home for books is on the book shelf. The home for toys is in the toy room on the toy shelves. The home for blank greeting cards is in the greeting card organizer in the office.

2. They put things back. Whenever an item has been removed from its assigned home, it is used for whatever reason and then immediately returned to its home when no longer in use. There are no temporary holding places. It's just put back where it belongs, right away.

3. They write things down. Organized people make lists and notes, and keep these in one consistent place such as a planner, notebook or calendar. They don't try to remember things in their heads. They let the pen and paper (or the computer) work for them. They reference their lists and notes on a daily basis.

4. They don't allow papers to pile up. Papers to file are filed each day, not left to grow into mountains. Mail is opened over the recycle container so papers not needed don't even have a chance to multiply. Kids permission slips are signed right away and sent back to school with the kids. Bills are tucked into a bill paying system until bill paying day, and paid bill statements are filed away that day. Magazines are read within a week or two and then recycled or donated.

5. They don't procrastinate. When something has to be done, organized people schedule time to do it and then they keep that scheduled appointment. They know that the more they delay, the more likely deadlines will be missed or opportunities will pass.

6. They set goals and assign deadlines. They know if they want to get things done, they need to know exactly what they want the end result to be and by what date. They review these goals often and set aside time each day to work on achieving them. They review what they've accomplished and never forget to reap the rewards.

7. They only keep what they use and/or they enjoy. They can't stand anything taking up space that doesn't have a useful or pleasurable purpose in their lives. They're big believers in simplicity. They breathe easier knowing they've lightened their loads and can move easily without having to climb over boxes and piles of clutter.

Unique Product!

Hi all! I was doing some online shopping for a client today and ran across this really cool coat rack that I thought would be so much fun to have. And in comparison to the other cool items on this site, it's a bargain--only $30! The antler version would be especially perfect if you like to hunt as much as my sister's boyfriend! :) If you are interested, the website is: http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/coatracks/

Tip of the Week: Kitchen

Okay, this tip is going to seem really obvious to some of you, but it's a really good one for the kitchen. I used to think that I had to store all my glasses in one cupboard, all my plates and bowls in another cupboard and all my platters in another cupboard etc. Then I read something in the book Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder by Susan C. Pinsky that showed a picture of a cupboard with no dishes stacked on top of each other and no nesting. I was intrigued, since for me nesting was getting in the way of putting clean dishes away quickly and easily. I also noticed that the dishes shown in that same cupboard were one complete set of dishes instead of all bowls or all glasses and mugs. So, even though I have more than one set of dishes and glasses that I enjoy using, I decided to make the cupboard directly above my dishwasher the "everyday dishes" cupboard (shown left). I chose one set of dishes that we use the most (with the exception of the deep bowls from another set that my DH uses every morning) and one set of glasses that we use the most and removed all others. I then designated a cupboard just a little farther away from the dishwasher for the secondary dishes (shown right) and glasses that we use less often. So I basically have two full sets of dishes that I love and use and I've noticed that having my most used "everyday" set of dishes so close to the dishwasher makes putting away dishes a breeze! So spend 30 min. and "get busy and bee organized" in your kitchen today!

Quote of the Week:

"Organization is like exercise.

It's not very effective if you do it only once; you have to keep at it."

-L.A. Organizing Pro Jill Pollack (jillpollack.net)

Product Picks of the Week

How do I choose? There are so many great products out there that help you get organized it really it hard to choose which ones to highlight. I will start with those I love best.

My favorites happen to seem the geekiest until you've tried them!

#1 Classico Overtank magazine holder for the bathroom. Love it!

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?PRODID=10014674&CATID=64473

#2 Dream Drawer Dividers. Great for sock drawers and any drawer fot that matter.

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?PRODID=72062&CATID=69446

#3 Cargo Document Boxes. I have the magazine files and I love them! They are sturdy and stylish. They come in other colors but I happen to love the nutmeg because it goes with almost any decor.

http://www.organize.com/caofboxsetnu.html

"Norganizers Anonymous"

If you love to organize then you have come to the right place! Organizing is my passion...okay so it's my obsession! So much so that a few years ago my DH cleverly suggested that I name any future organizing business "Norganizers Anonymous". I don't know why he felt the need to add the N to Organizers but I guess that was all part of the joke!

Although I have not developed a 12-step program for those obsessed with organizing, I have since started my own organizing business called Busy Bee Organized. In addition to running my organizing business (which has been the best career decision of my life), I love to spend my free time organizing and reorganizing just about anything I can get my hands on. It's my career and my hobby. My favorite things to organize are closets...closets have so much potential! I also love problem-solving and looking for new, fresh ways to approach an organizing dilemma.

So, if you are a fellow professional organizer, you love (or even like) to organize or if you are just looking for some tips, ideas or some great organizing tools and supplies, I would love to share ideas. Let the organizing begin!