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Newsletter Archives
December 2011
Fresh Start
November 2011
Organizing for a Flight
October 2011
Closet Organizing
September 2011
Organizing for Retirement
August 2011
Warning Signs of Disorganization
July 2011
Essential Organizing Tools
June 2011
Where Do I Start?
May 2011
Reclaim the Garage
April 2011
In Case of Emergency
March 2011
Organizing for Dementia
February 2011
Organizing for Guests
January 2011
Paper Overwhelm
December 2010
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization Revisited
November 2010
Just in Case…Organizing for Death
October 2010
Kitchen Organizing
September 2010
Photo Organizing
August 2010
It’s the Small Things
July 2010
Procrastination
June 2010
Expert Organizing Tips
May 2010
Tips from my Clients
April 2010
Tips for Setting Up a Garage Sale
March 2010
Unusual Ways to Organize
February 2010
Staging your Home for Sale
January 2010
Favorite Places to Buy Organizing Products
December 2009
Wrapping It Up
November 2009
Prepare the Pantry
October 2009
Costumes & Decorations
September 2009
Enough
August 2009
Help for the Home Office
July 2009
Getting Crafty
June 2009
A Better Bedroom
May 2009
Eco Organizing
April 2009
Getting Ready to Garden
March 2009
The Path To Clutter
February 2009
Easing Into Downsizing
January 2009
Organizing For Renovation
December 2008
Organizing For Next Year
November 2008
More Of My Favorite Organizing Tools
October 2008
Making Life Easier
September 2008
Clearing The Closet
August 2008
How To Let Go Of Stuff
July 2008
Managing Medical Records
June 2008
Road Trip Organizing
May 2008
Collections Instead of Clutter
April 2008
Getting Ready for Tax Time
March 2008
Where to Begin
February 2008
When You Want to Help
January 2008
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization
December 2007
Organize for Air Travel
November 2007
Organize for Small Spaces
October 2007
When Life Happens, Reorganize
September 2007
Bathroom Organizing
August 2007
Paper Organizing
July 2007
Uncluttered Kids' Rooms
June 2007
Top Ten Organizing Tools
May 2007
Grapple The Garage
April 2007
Managing Your Time
March 2007
Spring Organizing
February 2007
Help for Caregivers of Aging Parents
January 2007
National Get Organized Month
December 2006
Year End Organizing
November 2006
Give Thanks for Being Organized
October 2006
Holiday Kitchen Organization
September 2006
In Case of a Weather Emergency - Organize!
August 2006
Back to School Organizing
July 2006
Declare your Independence from Summer Clutter
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ORGANIZING TIPS OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER 2010
Kitchen Organizing
The kitchen is the heart of the home and the hub of activity. It is also often the collector of clutter. Use these tips to transform your kitchen into a place you enjoy.
- Zone your Kitchen: Observe where you gravitate to bake, prepare breakfast, gather dishes for meals. Store items relating to those functions in the areas you use them.
- Clear Out and Clean Out: The kitchen is valuable real estate. Go through top to bottom, front to back and evaluate everything in your kitchen. Toss the trash. Donate the items not used anymore.
- Gather and Contain: Group things that are alike. If you have small items, put them in clear containers so they do not get lost on the shelves and in drawers.
- Get Rid of Black Holes: Many homes have deep pantries or inside-corner cabinets which act as black holes hiding whatever is stored there. Turntables and slide-out drawers will change your life in such situations. Even clear bins are helpful as slide-outs. Adhesive battery powered lights are useful in dark cabinets.
- Beware of the Clones: Plastic drink bottles, cups, and food containers seem to clone themselves in cabinets to the point they take up a disproportionate amount of storage space. Take them all out of your cabinets and group like items. Then have an honest talk with yourself about what you really need. Donate the rest.
- Instant Face Lift: Clear off the front of your refrigerator. The kitchen will immediately seem less cluttered. All the photos, reminders, and business cards are white noise on the refrigerator. File or frame what you need to keep.
- Keep Five: Keep 5 bags each—plastic, paper, and shopping bags with handles. Like plastic ware, bags have a way of cloning themselves in your kitchen. People keep stuffing bags into every nook and cranny until they have literally hundreds.
- Clip It or Bag It: Once a food package is open, it often does not close securely. Opened bags expose food to moisture and insect/rodent infestation. Use chip clips, clothes pins, twist ties, or zip bags to protect your food and keep your shelves clean. There are also many varieties of plastic or glass storage containers that are sized specifically for certain food items.
- Protect your Back: Store your heaviest items near waist level so you won’t have to bend over or reach overhead to retrieve them.
- Spice It Up: There are a number of ways to organize spices to suit anyone’s preferences—cabinet door racks, stair step shelves, drawer organizers, turntables. The key is to group all your spices in one place so you don’t end up with 3 bottles of turmeric.
©All Sorted Out, 2010 All Rights Reserved
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