Get Organized Pittsburgh

It’s Valentine’s day and we thought we would share this quote from a recent article in ClosetsDaily.com. Writer Denise Butchko states, “A recent poll featured on The Nate Berkus Show said that when people were asked which they like more – cleaning their closet or having sex – 31% said they preferred cleaning their closet.”

My reaction? WOW! I guess I’m in the right business! As an organizer and closet designer I see the “happiness” a clutter free space can bring clients. I am often surprised at the way clients work very hard for several hours while we are there and seem to always have more energy at the end of a session then when they started. But I have yet to have a client light up a cigarette when they leave!

Follow this link to find the full article titled Clean Your Closet or have Sex? via ClosetsDaily.com.

So what would YOU rather do?

(Photo credit: ClosetsDaily.com)

Add a little clean up time before meals instead of before bed. It’s almost time for dinner, your children are smelling your meal and it’s the perfect time to get them to think about cleaning up before they eat. I’ve found that waiting to clean up at bedtime usually means they want to take their time because they don’t want to go to bed. But EVERYONE wants to eat right? And they usually want that right now (at least I know my kids do)!

Give it time, 15 minutes before dinner is served, direct a quick clean up of a certain area, toys, entry, laundry. Suggestions like “Let’s just take care of this and when you’re finished dinner will be ready.” Remember to let them do it. As soon as they finish, it’s time to set the table and sit down. Everyone is ready to eat and you’ve got a mostly tidy home. Can’t beat that!

We love this product the Lay-n-Go product for easy LEGO clean up. For more toy storage ideas check out our collection of Play Area ideas on Pinterest and be sure to give us a follow there too!

Congratulations you have made it to our last segment of our holiday prep plan! The last step is to take a look at your dinning room and all of the special things that make a beautifully set table.

We can begin with the china closet. First, if you have several sets what do you really love and use? Are there legacy pieces that have been passed down to you that you DON’T love but you keep because you feel it is a way to respect the person that gave them to you? Are there items that you are not using you are holding on to them for your children? If you can let go, do it! But if you don’t like them, it is likely your kids wont like them either. Think about the items you use often and put the items you are saving for your kids in a less active place!

China is usually best sold on eBay. It is fairly easy to ship and more importantly it has great identifying marks that make it easy to buy. Many people have guilt about selling something that was given to them by a loved one. I try to get them over that hurdle by suggesting they would be giving it to someone who can use and love it. Listing it on eBay is a great way to feel like you are respecting the item. The proceeds from the sale can then be donated in the name of loved ones to their favorite charity. If you need help with eBay, contact Joan Sakai, eBay Trading Assistant at joansakai@hotmail.com or call her at 412-771-9593 http://myworld.ebay.com/2000joni/

How about those linens? Which ones are your favorites? What about that one with the stains from Uncle Moe knocking over the wine glass that one Thanksgiving? Keep the ones that you really love. Make sure they are not stained and if they have napkins make sure there are enough. I mark the edge of mine with little dots that tell me the size. Zero dots means zero table leaves, one dot is one leaf, two dots is two leaves and three dots is three leaves. If your dining room storage is limited you can also hang up the larger linens and keep the smaller more frequently used linens in the drawer.

Remember that keeping an item does not show love to a person and when it comes right down to it you will never set a table with your second or third best linens!

It is one thing to organize the pantry, and cabinets and to keep the sink and counters clean, it is another to be organized about shopping and meal prep. These things go hand in hand because knowing what you have will help you get on track to making something with it! I read that most home makers have about 21 recipes that they draw on for the majority of what they prepare in the kitchen. A great first step is to write down your 21. I wrote mine on index cards and I actually asked my family members what meals they liked the most. This was actually really surprising and nice to hear. On Sunday nights I try to pull those out and shuffle through to get inspired and produce a shopping list from there. I have found that if I at least know the protein we will be having for 5 evenings out of 7 I actually seem to be able to put the rest together more easily. I also try to look at the week ahead and match the easy meals to the busy days.

As for cookbooks. I personally have one small shelf for them in my kitchen. I keep this lean and mean because too many choices creates stress. There are tons of ways to get recipes so why use valuable space with cookbook when magazines can generate new ideas to keep things fresh. Magazines have a 6 month expiration date in my house and i scan or clip what i want from there. The internet is my biggest friend in the kitchen now. I just google the ingredients I have on hand and I instantly have a recipe to try. If I like it I save it in my recipe file on my computer. Searching through there is easier than paging through books for me.

I also get help. One day while we were having a discussion about family chores I mentioned that shopping and cooking were a few of the many things that occupy my time. My kids commented that they could cook one day a week if I took over a dish night for them. That became a Wednesday night routine for years. It gave them a new respect for cooking, they learned a few simple dishes and when I helped or took their cooking night I got a great big “thank you” for my effort. (TIP: I tried to never complain about what is served and it was fun to have them self critique because ultimately they had to eat what they prepared and after lots of taco nights they tried some new things.)

Need help storing those loose recipes you’ve collected from your favorite magazines?

We suggest, if you are looking for a way to contain your loose recipes we have found the Recipe Relish to be a fantastic product that offers way more function than a office store binder. Head to their site to learn more about the Recipe Relish and how it might help you to keep your recipes in order.

Here’s to knowing what is for dinner!

Leslie