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March 8, 2013

What To Do With The Clutter On Top Of The Refrigerator

The only reason the top of my refrigerator looks like this, is because I have a 3 year old that visits me a lot. The house is already baby proofed, but he still manages to find things he shouldn’t have. When I see him going for one of those, I quickly grab it and stick up high, where he can’t reach.

This morning before going to work it caught my eye. Everything up there does have a place, even if it is the Goodwill bag. So for today, this was going to be my project.

Timing myself is something I occasionally do, and it took less than 10 minutes. No doubt, in another month it will be cluttered with new stuff and I will again be decluttering that area. My rule for me is when I declutter an area I donate and/or at least toss something in the trash.

I spotted something in that mess that I haven’t used, ever, it was a set of glass coasters for the living room. The attraction for 3 year old was that fact that they were glass and shiny. Someone out there would really like to have these so they went into the goodwill bag.

I’m often asked by women… Where should I start? My answer is usually… Start with what bugs you the most. This morning for me it was the top of our refrigerator.

Done, Success, and it didn’t even take a full 10 minutes!

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February 9, 2013

How To Get Rid Of Spiders

We found a spider today in the shower and after doing research we thought it might have been a Brown Recluse. That then motivated everyone in the house to look up ways to get rid of spiders. What caught my attention on the link below was the paragraph on organizing.

http://www.pestexterminator.com/spiders-states/

Keep rooms clutter-free and well-organized to avoid spiders who love making a home in small hiding spots.

Coincidentally I had just watched a Horders episode on TV that showed lots of cobwebs. Even in my own home and outside in the garden those cobwebs weave fast and large ones can appear over night.

If you find that you have camel spiders. well I think you may have bigger problems then clutter!

Don’t give spiders a chance to find a cozy home in your clutter.


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February 2, 2013

Nuts Gone Bad

Cleaning out a pantry doesn’t happen often around our houses. Many of us are forced to clean out the refrigerator because you can see and smell the rotten food. Most pantries are filled with foods that are made to last and things like cereals and granola bars do last longer than the milk that goes with it.

My Special Holiday Recipe… Coke and Condiments

This last Easter we had a smaller group than usual. We do the typical family holidays together and everyone brings something to lighten the load. We all have our specialties and mine is quickly offering to bring beverages and condiments (olives, pickles etc).

Occasionally I get stuck with something big like potato casserole but not this year. This year I did a simple salad and said I would help with putting together some of the other dishes since my sister-in-law was going to be out of town.

People started to arrive and we had plenty of food.  My brother had one more dish he wanted to add to our spread. It was his gourmet green bean recipe with toasted almonds. Things were going well until he did a taste test. Yuck! Something went terribly wrong and no one wanted to get food poisoning, especially on Easter.

We figured out that the nuts had gone bad. When I asked how long they had been in the pantry his answer was.. I don’t have a clue.

The dish was ruined. Not to worry because there were plenty of other dishes and there are always leftovers.

So the question is, How long does food last in your pantry?

The answer is, Not as long as you would like it to.

Most items bought from a grocery store have an expiration date. If you have homemade canned jars without a date it is hard to say. There is always the smell test and if you can’t tell then there is the taste test.

Buying in bulk is tempting but think this through and ask yourself if it is even possible to use that much mayonnaise or go through that bag of rice in 5 years? If you own a restaurant then it would make more sense that you would shop in bulk. If you have a large family or a party, it makes good sense. If you’re cooking for 1, 2 or even 3 or 4 people it may not be necessary to buy in bulk.

Today would be a good day to look in your pantry. Start by throwing out expired items. Try and use up what you have. Plan your meals. Go to the pantry and see what you can come up with without going to the store.

How does Paella sound for tonight?

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July 21, 2012

Decluttering The Fridge, Inside And Out

As we are getting ready to have another family move in with us, I begin to look around the house with new eyes. I notice things I haven’t noticed before like the hole on the inside of the refrigerator door. It didn’t bother me and wasn’t a shock because I see it every time I open the fridge. Although it is an old fridge, it still works, so I wasn’t in a hurry to buy a new one. However earlier in the week when I looked again the hole seemed bigger. Not sure if it was because I was more sensitive to others seeing it or if in fact it was bigger, nevertheless I knew it was time.

Is That Woolly Mammoth Steak?

Getting a new fridge and being forced to go through all of the contents is similiar to buying a new home and being forced to face all of your stuff. The perfect opportunity to declutter and finally read all of those expiration dates.

The first thing to happen was everything inside had to come out. It was a colder day today and that made it easier to put all of it on the table on the back porch until I could restock the new one. There were a few dates that had expired and those were put in the trash. Fortunately it was trash day.

Dates on several of the sauces were good but I knew they would not be consumed anytime soon so they were tossed. Decluttering the closet is harder than the fridge because when the food in the fridge gets bad you can smell it and sometimes you can even see the blue and green fuzz that begins to grow.

20 Years of Dust

Next I took off all of the magnets and papers pinned to the outside of the fridge. Old stuff was tossed into the trash with a few of the old magnets, and photographs were put in photo books.  My husband and I then moved the old one away from the wall so I could clean the floor. What a shock! Seriously packed with dust and grime. When was the last time you cleaned under your fridge? For me, it’s obviously been awhile.

The doorbell rings and it’s time for action. They hall off my old one and the new one is in place. New, fresh and clean.

As they were taking the old one away I thought just for a second… maybe I should have sold it online or kept in the garage for those big parties I might have one day…

The thought lasted one second and it was nice to say good bye to the old one and welcome my new one.

Is it Really Worth It?

In doing a little research I learned that older appliances use more electricity. Many of you want to keep the old fridge or freezer in the garage but think twice before doing this. Do you really need it? Could it be a fire hazard? Are there toddlers around that might crawl inside? Can I afford to pay for more electricity?

If you are not in the market for a new one then today is the day to clean out the one you have. Start with things that are expired. Wipe away the drips of jelly, juice and milk. You can make it look neet by properly using the egg holders and drawers.

Then take care of the outside. It’s time to remove or replace old photos that have been pinned to the fidge. You might have old notes and messages that could be thrown away.

Maybe it’s time to replace the bible verse with a new one. How about Matthew 6:19-21.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,   where moths and vermin destroy,   and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,   where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

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April 23, 2012

How Long Do Spices Last?

Question:

Do spices last forever?

Answer:

No

Growing up I thought spices lasted forever. After all, my mom and grandma had the same spices in their cupboards for years. My mom, and her mom, and her mom’s mom  cooked the best meals ever, and the only spices I remember them using were salt, pepper, seasoning salt and cinnamon.

Doing research on this subject wasn’t hard. There are zillions of cooking websites and blogs that discuss everything to do with cooking. Full disclosure…I am not a cook. Yes I have cooked meals for my family for many years and now that I work full time my favorite isle in the grocery store is the frozen food isle but occasionally I get brave and cook something new and different.

Continue Reading

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April 10, 2012

Organizing Can Save a Life

March 18 – 24, 2012 was National Poison Prevention Week. I happened to catch an article online warning Grandparents about how many calls Poison Control Centers get everyday with possible poisonings from Grandparents medication.

In 201o close to 4 million calls were made to centers around the country. In children about 40% of poisonings were from medications and the other 60% were household products. Poisoning is the 4th leading cause of death among children.

http://www.aapcc.org/ is a site with lots of good information to prevent that from happening.  I will have my own grandson here soon so now is a good time to declutter and organize not only the medicines around the house but cleaning supplies as well.

Understand How to Deal with Poisons… Call Poison Control

My family has first hand experience when it comes to poisoning. In 1966 my little sister was in a neighbors garage  and swallowed  pool acid. One of the neighbor boys saw a coke bottle that had been filled with pool acid and handed it to her.

They said before giving IPECAC, call a poison control center.

The acid burnt her throat, mouth and baby teeth, not when she swallowed it but when she threw it up.

She survived but has had problems as a result of that accident.  We made hundreds of trips through out the years to and from the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.  First we were told she would not survive, but she did.  Then we were told she would not ever be able to talk, but believe me, she can talk.

Take Action

So now is the time to organize your medicines and cleaning supplies.

Let’s start with expiration dates. Most of our houses end up with all sorts of half used medicines. Gather old medicines and take them to your local pharmacy.

Keep the medicines you use in their correct bottles. We think we will remember but sometimes we don’t.

Keep out of reach for children!

Last time my grandson was here he saw my husbands blue shiny cough drops by the side of the bed and could not resist. Crawl around like a 2 year old and see what they see.

Cleansers and Detergents

It’s amazing how many bottles we have under every sink.  The pink, yellow and blue liquids in those bottles look a lot like kool-aid. If you have kids around remember there are so many options out there that are safe. Even if they are safe it is a good practice to keep up high. You really don’t want baking soda all over your carpet, do you?

Spring is a good time to get rid of old medicines and cleaning supplies.

Cleaning and organizing could save someones life this year!

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April 8, 2012

Great Grandma’s Blue and White Dishes

Today was a big day in my life of decluttering.  It’s important to remember that decluttering is a process. I’ve been studying this for over 20 years, and even I have held on to things for whatever reason.

One of those things I’ve held onto for over 30 years… my Great Grandma’s blue and white dishes.  Some of the pieces are chipped and I never had a complete set.  More importantly:  I HAVE NEVER USED THEM.

The reasons for keeping

  1. There was print on the bottom of a few of them that said “Nasco Lakeview Blue and White Japan” and I thought maybe they were really expensive.
  2. Some of the other pieces had “Willow Ware Royal China” on the bottom so I thought maybe they once had belonged to a Queen.
  3. I knew they would sell for lots of $$$$ once I had the time to figure out the eBay thing.
  4. One of my sons might need dishes for their college dorm.
  5. Saving it for that mountain cabin we might buy down the line.

I am Not Going to be a Millionaire from eBay

Well, I finally checked ebay and actually found some of the same pieces for sale from $2.95 and up. Some of the pieces had nothing on the bottom so I can safely assume she bought them at  TG & Y, or Pic and Save  (our favorite stores back in the day).

The mountain cabin never happened and my sons used paper plates all through college.

I kept 2 cups and 2 saucers for a display in my garden (another one of my hobbies). The rest are ready to go to the Goodwill.

Memories

My memories of my Great Grandmother are wonderful. Our trips to Park Pantry in Long Beach, CA in the 60′s for their chocolate pies to the Chinese food in Belmont Shore. She taught me how to cheat at checkers without getting caught when playing my Great Grandfather and our wonderful family picnics.

You are not your khakis, and your Great Grandma is not your Great Grandma’s dishes.

Today is a Good Day!

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