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You are here: Home / Archives for organizing

Organizing: Stop and Do It!

November 4, 2013 by Tracy

Organizing: Stop and Do It!
Organizing: Stop and Do It!

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Josh Lowe)

I know it is fall, but I’m in spring cleaning mode. The brisk air has rejuvenated me. With my living room and dining room cleaned, I am concentrating on my kitchen.

As I was organizing my pantry and consolidating to save space, I was adding items to my shopping list. If I found our supply low on an item, I jotted it down. As I make out my grocery lists, I will check the deals for the items on the list.

Having run out of garlic powder recently, I had placed the empty container on our counter to replenish. When organizing the pantry, I sorted through the extra spices and found a full container of garlic powder to substitute for the empty one.

While rearranging and taking inventory, I found many of my spice containers on the rack less than half full. Since stopping to find a needed spice while cooking is not convenience, I try to always keep a backup of each spice I use.

I purchase spices in containers that usually don’t fit on the spice rack. So, I refill my small spice containers kept on the door of my pantry with the larger supply.

In using time wisely, I stopped cleaning and organizing to refill the spice containers to save time when cooking and needing those spices. I stopped because if I passed it, then I knew I would forget to come back. By stopping and doing, I got it done.

Now my spice containers are full, my pantry organized, and our products consolidated. With the pantry done, I’m on to more cleaning and organizing in the kitchen to get my home in order before the holidays.

As I come to a project that needs to get done, I will stop and do it! Getting it done is another item off my to-do list and saves me time later. 😉 Happy organizing!

Question: What do you do when you get to a project in the middle of another project?

Filed Under: Household, Maintaining, Organizing Tagged With: organizing

Organizing: Consolidating to Save Space

October 28, 2013 by Tracy

Organizing: Consolidating to Save Space

Organizing: Consolidating to Save SpaceEntering a different phase of our family life, I am adjusting to my children’s growing independence. They are becoming more dependable and taking on more responsibilities. With their new ventures, I am adjusting to the growing pains.

One such pain is my pantry. Feeling like I just organized my pantry, I was a bit disheartened when I found empty boxes, items on shelf 3 that should be on shelf 4, and 2 opened boxes of the same cereal.

Though I really want to fuss as I spend my time organizing the pantry and I saw my efforts fleeting, I was glad I was alone in the kitchen.

Yes, alone in the kitchen without someone at my feet. Actually, I was alone in the house as Miss 3 was spending the day with her Grandparents while the older two were at school.

Realizing that the reason for the added inconvenience was a good thing, I calmed down. Wanting to have responsible children does not come without side effects.

If I need to organize my pantry more often because my children forget or just put an item where they think it goes, then that is a small price to pay for the amount of responsible practice they are getting.

In working through my pantry, I found that this organizing session needed consolidating to save space.

Consolidating Multiple Opened Packages

As I emptied and organized my pantry shelf by shelf, I found the following items having multiple opened packages:

    • 2 boxes of oatmeal packages
    • 2 boxes of pop tarts
    • 2 boxes cracker snacks
    • 2 bags of sour cream and onion chips
    • 2 bags of chocolate chips
    • 2 boxes of Rice Krispies

In addition to the multiples, I found two empty boxes that held granola bars and cracker packs which I removed. Then I consolidated the multiple opened items into one package each. Adding those empty packages to the trash, I freed up quite a bit of space.

Consolidating Snacks

Organizing: Consolidating to Save SpaceWith my children eating 2 to 3 snacks a day, I keep an assortment of fruits, vegetables, yogurt, crackers, and granola bars available.

As the boxes are opened and the items begin to disappear, I find stray packages of snacks throughout the pantry.

To save space and keep all the items together, I consolidate the miscellaneous snacks into one large Ziploc bag. This is the bag I take on field trips, outings, and errand runs.

Since I never know how long we might end up waiting or if someone forgets a snack, we have sustenance and extras to share.

As I adjust to this new and exciting phase of our family, I am learning more patience as processes I have practiced for years are getting invaded. I am happy to share this space to help my children learn, but I will need to watch it more carefully.

With little reminders and upkeep, I can use the contents of our pantry to teach my children how to develop their growing independence. Working with them will take time, but the investment will be worth the time and energy. Happy teaching through organizing!

Question: How are you teaching when your system gets disrupted?

Filed Under: Household, Organizing Tagged With: organizing

*Expired* Fresh Home Digital Bundle through August 15, 2013

August 12, 2013 by Tracy

Fresh Home bundle picPatiently awaiting the arrival of my Kindle, I am ready to get reading the many e-books I have downloaded to my computer.

The best thing about e-books is the space savings in our homes and the immediate access to the download.

When I was alerted to the following fantastic e-book bundle, I knew this deal was just too good to keep to myself.

If you are in the market for cleaning, organizing, and time management tips and tools, then you will want to snag this Fresh Home Digital Bundle of 16 books for $15.  

This bundle is only valid until Thursday, August 15, 2013. After that date, each e-book is sold separately. Happy cleaning, organizing, and using time wisely! ~ Tracy

Fresh Home Digital Bundle

A Bowl Full of Lemons and Clean Mama have come together to bring you an amazing set of e-books and tools. These fantastic resources will help you get your house clean and organized and your time in order. This exclusive bundle will only be available for the next four days, so grab yours now! While this bundle is valued at over $100, it is available to you, our readers, for only $15 (or less than $1.00 per e-book or tool)! “Fresh Home” is the perfect bundle to get you back on track as a new school year begins and new routines are being implemented in your home.

Fresh Home Ebook Bundle Ad

The “Fresh Home” Bundle is a collection of 16 e-books and tools devoted to getting your life in order. What’s included:

  • Click here to buy nowthree cleaning e-books
  • one cleaning printable kit
  • one emergency preparedness e-book and printable kit
  • one babysitting kit
  • three time management e-books
  • six organizing e-books
  • one complete household binder printable kit

Everything you need to get your house clean and organized is in this fresh new bundle! Keep reading to learn the details about each home management e-book and tool….

Fresh Home Digital ebook bundle

CLEANING

Clean (Enough)
($4.99)
Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed Homemaker is packed full of practical tips and advice to encourage you in your high calling and help you become a less-stressed housewife.
Perfect Cleaning Schedule
($5.99)
Christine has put together an easy step-by-step plan for you to create your own cleaning schedule that fits your lifestyle, your preferences, and your family. It will help you Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule.
Cleaning Around the Seasons: Deep Cleaning On Your Schedule
($10.00)
Cleaning Around the Seasons is a comprehensive guide for anyone that needs to do some deep cleaning and doesn’t know how to start or where to fit it in to a busy schedule. With an easy to read style and quick start approach, you can read it and get started all in the same day.

ORGANIZING

Project Organize Your Entire Life
($4.99)
Inside this easy 50-page read you’ll find a new approach to starting down the road to a simplified and more organized life. Rather than instructions on how to fold your T-shirts or organize your pantry, you’ll take a look at your daily habits and weekly routines to start thinking differently about how to efficiently spend your time.
10 Steps to Organized Paper
($5.00)
Can you imagine being able to find ANY piece of paper in your house anytime you needed it? 10 Steps to Organized Paper will motivate, encourage, and walk with you step by step while you turn your mountains of paper into organized systems.
Getting It Together
($3.99)
Getting It Together is an e-book designed to help you set up your own Home Management System that works. It includes a step-by-step tutorial, and over 30 printables that you can use to start your system right away!
The Busy Mom’s Guide to Getting Organized
($5.00)
Getting organized is the key to keeping busy moms sane. As a professional organizer (and mother of two active boys), Sara Pedersen shares her favorite tips and easy processes to guide you to an organized, efficient, and happy life. You’ll learn how to organize your time, your clutter, your kids, and the abundance of paper and other things in your busy life.
Emergency Preparedness: Organizing An 8 Week Step-by-Step Survival Station In Your Home
($10.00)
Emergency Preparedness outlines step-by-step directions on how to put together an Emergency Survival Station in your home. The e-book also comes with a “printables kit” for the Emergency Binder with several pages to fill out your family information.
Simple Living – 30 Days to Less Stuff and More Life
($2.99)
Need a bit more simple in your life but unsure where to start? Simple Living is written for you. Using minimalist principles Lorilee has created a 30-day course, taking less than 1 hour a day that she guarantees will give you a simpler life.
“Who Knew? Get Organized Now!
($4.99)
All of us want to be more organized…and here are secrets and strategies for doing just that! In this ingenious book, the authors of “Who Knew? 10,001 Easy Solutions to Everyday Problems” reveal how to clear clutter once and for all, with ingenious organizing ideas, secrets for repurposing items you already have at home, and much, much more. “Who Knew? Get Organized Now!” uncovers hundreds of tips and ideas to help you clear away clutter and become more organized than ever before!

TIME MANAGEMENT

Tell Your Time
($2.99)
Tell Your Time: How To Manage Your Schedule So You Can Live Free outlines Amy’s straightforward, step-by-step approach to controlling your schedule and ensuring the important things don’t fall through the cracks.
28 Days to Timeliness: Tips and Confessions From a Semi-Reformed Late Person
($2.99)
Full of useful tips and funny confessions, “28 Days to Timeliness” is packed with practical information that will help teach you how to manage your time so you can be on time.
Plan It Then Do It – Living on a Dime
($19.95)
“How To Get Organized” is designed to help you organize your time better. It includes pre-made schedules and lists along with information to help you make your own customized schedules.

TOOLS

Babysitter Notebook (JOYS)
($7.00)
JOYS Babysitter Notebook is a simple pdf for busy moms who want to empower their babysitters to make the best choices, no matter the situation.
Citrus Paper Company – Chevron Binder Set
($10.00)
Citrus Paper Company’s complete home binder printable set includes ALL of their binder printables to keep your life and finances organized and beautiful!
Clean Mama Printables – The Cleaning Kit
($10.00)
Clean Mama Printables’ Cleaning Kit is a comprehensive tool sure to streamline your cleaning routine and maximize the time you spend cleaning. This simple, printable kit has six original documents and introduction sheet that can be used together or separately – any way that works for you!
buy now
Important Details:
  • Please remember to backup your files. We are unable to send you copies of the e-books that have been deleted or lost.
  • Please do not share your bundle with anyone else – it is intended solely for the person who purchased the bundle. Please be respectful of the authors’ copyrights.
  • After purchasing, you will automatically receive an email (to the email address you provide) containing the download link. Please check your spam folder if you cannot find the email.
  • Please download and backup your Fresh Home e-Book Bundle purchase. You have 5 download attempts to access your files. The download link expires on 10/31/13. After that date, we will not be able to provide new links to download.
  • Due to the digital nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. If you do have questions regarding the downloads, or how to open and save them, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page before contacting us.
  • The Fresh Home e-Book Bundle is only available from 9 a.m. EST on August 11th to 11:59 p.m. EST on August 15th.
  • If you have any questions or issues with any of the e-books or tools included in this bundle, please contact that author directly.

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each Fresh Home e-Book Bundle. Thank you for your support of Using Time Wisely!

Filed Under: Cleaning, Household, Organizing Tagged With: organizing, e-books, time management, cleaning

Organization: School Paperwork

February 18, 2013 by Tracy

Organization: school paperwork

Organization: school paperworkOver the course of the last two weeks, I have been sorting through my children’s paperwork from this current school year.

When I had one child in school, I seemed to keep the papers under control. However, with two in school, the paper load has more than doubled, and I have become lax in organizing.

When I started this project, which by the way is on-going, I had a pile of paperwork with both my son and daughter’s paperwork. (Yes, everything from school went into one big pile.)

Organizing: School paperworkStarting with an open space on which to work and a movie for enjoyment, I proceeded as follows:

1. Sort into His and Her piles

2. Take one set and sort by subject

3. Place piles into folders or notebooks

4. Pack away until the end of the year

Organizing: School paperwork

With more than half of the school year complete, I am aiming for the finish line as I keep my children’s school paperwork organized. Though I will still pile it up throughout the week, I have a system in place to take the additional documents.

Keeping the paperwork in check is an on-going process but worth the time and energy. Happy organizing while using time wisely!

Question: How often do you file your children’s school paperwork?

Filed Under: Household, Organizing Tagged With: organizing

Start Saving from Scratch – Part 1 of 6

November 1, 2012 by Tracy

Start Saving from Scratch
Start Saving from Scratch

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Without constant attention, my kitchen, meal planning, coupons, and grocery shopping trips began spiraling downward. Yikes!

Now that life is getting back to my normal, which is still very busy but manageable, I am pressing the reset button.

If you have wanted to start saving on your grocery bill – using coupons or not, then tag along with me in this 6-part series on Start Saving from Scratch.

Part 1: Organizing the Food Supply

The best way to save money, energy, and time when feeding my family is to make meals with the food we have in the house. However, with numerous individuals helping in the kitchen recently, I’m not really sure what items I have. To start saving from scratch, I take an inventory while organizing my food supply areas.

Pantry

The time it will take to organize your pantry depends on the size of your stockpile. If you purchase multiple items at discounted prices, then you probably have lots of items in your pantry.

When I organize my pantry, it takes about 30 minutes to an hour. I have designated specific shelves for different items. This arrangement saves time and energy when retrieving a desired product.

While I organize my pantry, I jot down items that need replenishing on my grocery list and make notes of any meal ideas on my menu plan.

Freezer

My side-by-side refrigerator/freezer houses frequently used items. Organizing my inside freezer takes less than 15 minutes. This short time frame is nice because my outside freezer needs another deep clean complete with defrosting.

Organizing my well-stocked freezer takes somewhere between 1 and 2 hours. However, knowing what freezer cooking options I have available saves our family money, energy, and time.

Refrigerator

The easiest of the three spaces for me is organizing the refrigerator. Routinely having a leftover night keeps our refrigerator cleaned out. Spending less than 15 minutes, I can take a quick inventory while organizing my refrigerator.

To start saving from scratch organize your food supply. With the food supply areas organized and an inventory of what is on-hand, you are ready for part 2 – coming next week. To be continued . . . Happy organizing!

Question: Which food supply area takes you longer to organize: pantry, freezer, or refrigerator?

Filed Under: Menu Planning, Food Tagged With: organizing

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