Day 48: The Dreaded Cabinet

I typically stay away from reorganizing my husband's things.... mostly because he says he can't find anything once everything is all clean and tidy! (HA! He jokes, of course!) BUT... I still leave most of his things to him.... until those things start to intrude on other things, or until those things just get completely out of hand.

One such place is "his" cabinet in the kitchen. It had become a bit of a dumping ground for his work stuff and other random odds n' ends.


When I opened up said cabinet the other day just looking for a plain, white envelope, I experienced a minor avalanche... and also discovered a check for nearly $150, dated over a year ago. Needless to say, it's WAY too late to cash that check, and since I don't want to lose out on any more money simply because of a messy cabinet, I figured I'd put a few new plastic storage drawers and shelves to good use! (I also raided another cabinet in the den that he had stuffed random work-related items in and stashed those things all together in the new, tidy space. That's why it looks a bit more "full" now than it did in the "before" photo!)

See?!?!? A neat, organized space where things are easy to find... and where checks can be safely stored until we get a chance to put them in the bank!


My hubby was a bit shocked at first. But I think even he sees how useful and handy this new layout will be!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 47: The Great Candle Migration

I love candles. And I have a LOT of them. Some of them are colorful or just plain-and-simple decorative pieces that I no longer use. Others are scented candles -- in ALL kinds of scents -- that I am slowly but surely getting to burn.

Whatever the case, my candles were completely taking over one of the most handy and convenient cabinets in my kitchen.


So, I decided to make a change and move ALL the candles to a new designated spot: a decorative wooden chest! (Great tip: keep all like items together in ONE location. Otherwise, you'll make yourself crazy trying to find things or trying to remember which items you put in which spot!)

As you can see, I used one large, plastic basket (that fit just perfectly inside) and filled it with stackable boxes of candles. Then I simply put the other loose items on top and placed my jar candles and burners on the side.


It's still convenient. All my candles are in the dining room now. So it makes sense (and scents), too. (It's not like I moved them to a storage container in the attic or anything!) PLUS, there is an added bonus: I get to use the really cool wood chest that my grandfather bought for my grandmother.... and then she passed down to me!


Voila! Neatly stashed candles.... and an ENTIRE cabinet to use for something else. (I'll have to show you that later on! I'm still working on it!)

Now, THAT's neat!

Day 46: No, the dust bunnies did not eat us alive....

I am alive. Really! And I have been organizing and straightening and cleaning, just as always. But I have not set aside time for blogging. I've just been so busy! July was a whirlwind of activities and deadlines and events! *whew!

At any rate, I've been thinking, lately, about all the stuff in our house, thanks, in part, to watching too many episodes of "Hoarders" and the like.... I believe I went into panic mode after every show! I had a insatiable desire to clean out every cabinet, closet and drawer!

And I will get back to blogging about the projects that I've been working on (including the decluttering, rather than just the making neat!). For now, however, I wanted to share "The Top 6 Excuses For Clutter," as presented by my favorite magazine, Real Simple! See if you can find yourself in any of these! I know I can! Hopefully, that's motivation enough for you to rethink a few items around the house! I know it's changed the way I think!

1. “If I get rid of this wedding vase, I’ll feel guilty.” People feel guilty about gift items others have chosen for them that they don't particularly like, want or have use for. I know I do! And while I may not always display or regularly use these items, they ARE in my house.... somewhere. And these items are taking up space! :(
   
2. “I think this brooch/chair/ugly knickknack might be valuable again.” I don't have too many valuables like that around our house. So this excuse does not really apply to me! But I know many people with collections upon collections.... as well as people with those few "rare" pieces that might just one day be worth something....
3. “But I might need seven sleeping bags one day.” Ah, yes, the fear that as soon as you get rid of whatever it is, you'll need it! I do this most often with clothes.... ones that are just a bit too small that I believe I may one day fit into again. *sigh. But that's another story! ;)
4. “I want this chartreuse muumuu to go to a good home.” Sometimes you just hang on to things because you like them and want them to be useful! Somehow. Somewhere. I have a few things around the house like this. I am not using several decorative items, for instance, but I like them. And I don't want them to just go anywhere. I'd love for someone to really enjoy and appreciate them. So they sit here. In a drawer. Or in a cabinet. Taking up more of that useful space...
5. “If I put the bills away, I’ll never pay them on time.” I don't have this problem; I LOVE to put things in their proper places (even bills), but I certainly understand the "out of sight, out of mind" problem. I suppose this issue would just take some time.... you'd have to make a new habit! Determine where things go, and make a conscious decision to ALWAYS put those things in their places!
   
6. “I want to declutter, but I can’t get motivated.” Indeed. The piles of clutter can be quite daunting. But as they say, you eat an elephant one bite at a time! The whole world does not need to be conquered in a day, and every little task helps! So, as Nike aptly says: "just do it!"
   

For more details on clutter as well as ideas for solutions to the above-mentioned "top 6 excuses for clutter," click HERE, and check out the Real Simple website!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 45: My Organized Hubby?

Wow! I'm not sure how this happened -- perhaps the neatness is finally rubbing off?!?! -- but my husband has done something pretty clever to straighten up his work truck!

Now, I've tried in the past to help him out by purchasing several neat items for his vehicle (like a small trash can, a window visor organizer, etc., etc.), but nothing seemed to work for him. The organizational items would be there... no doubt. But they would not be in use. See... that's kind of a necessity. If you want your organizational helpers to help you out, you have to actually USE them! ;)

ANYWAY, he kind of surprised me the other day when I peeked in his truck and spotted a very neat tool sitting by the driver's seat.


It's a handy dandy, sturdy car organizer with LOTS of compartments and pockets. So he can now store his work invoices, checks, pens, business cards, phone and various safety items, like glasses, hats, earplugs, etc., etc. He's already mentioned how nice it is to not have to tear around through the front seat in a mad frenzy, trying to locate needed items.... Go figure!



It's FABULOUS! I am so proud!!!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 44: Haphazard Coupons, NO More!

If y'all did not already know, I am a BIG fan of Etsy (the website with TONS of handmade goods and products). I look through this site practically everyday, and I am never disappointed! I am ALWAYS finding such neat and clever things!

One of the items I stumbled across the other day was a coupon organizer. Now, when I was a kid, I was constantly cutting out and organizing coupons for my mom. I thought it was fun! She had a coupon organizer, but it was a boring, tan-colored, velcro-close thing. It was handy for holding coupons, but that was about it.

And I had not really thought about coupon organizers until I saw this item on Etsy in a "store" called "Grandma's Little Lilly."


At first, I just put this little cutie in my "favorites." But then, as I looked at the growing mess of coupons, savings cards, restaurant freebies and other items, I figured I should go ahead and invest in a handy little item to tidy up my purse... and to organize all my coupons (so I could actually use them!)!

So.... here is the organizer I bought. It's such a cute fabric, and it came with little tabs and labels for just about anything you could imagine!


And here it is with my coupons, all in alphabetical order!

Now my purse is clutter free, and I can find what I'm looking for when I'm at my favorite grocery store or restaurant!

Oh, and as an added bonus, the organizer has a button-closure, so you can actually attach it to your shopping cart for extra ease of use! Here is a photo I "borrowed" from Rhonda's Etsy shop to show you its usefulness!



Now, THAT's neat!


BTW: To get to Grandma's Little Lilly and check out the coupon organizers and other neat stuff in this Etsy store, just click here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/grandmaslittlelilly
(These are great for YOU and make super gifts, too!)

Day 43: The Copycat Strikes Again!

My loyal "Neat Get Neater" blog follower (and sister-in-law... and perhaps soon-to-be-self-proclaimed "neat freak"?!?!) has done it again! Inspired by a post on organizing bathroom drawers, she went straight to work on her OWN!

She states: "...after I saw your blog I thought MAN I REALLY need to tidy [the bathroom drawers] up...so last night I did just that. I found all these great drawer organizers at Target and I went to town."

So, for a little inspiration for the rest of y'all out there in bloggy world who have yet to organize your untidy bathroom drawers, here are her BEFORE and AFTER shots!


Great use of all those containers! Amazing how neat and tidy everything gets! :) (Neat freaks everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief!)



No more rummaging for stuff! LOVE it! :) (More collective sighs from the neat freaks!)


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 42: Forget About the TOP of The Fridge...

...have you seen what's underneath and behind the refrigerator!? EEEwwwww!

I was recently inspired to clean behind -- and under -- our refrigerator after seeing a little tip in the May edition of Real Simple magazine on this dirty (but necessary) job (see pg. 209)! So, if you have at least an extra 15 minutes, then this might be a nice thing to tackle (it not only helps keep things clean and dust-free, it can help keep your refrigerator in shape, too!).

*BTW -- it's recommended to do this at least twice a year! OOOPS! How about once every 3 years.... since that's how long we've been in this house!

So.... here is what I discovered when I gently wiggled my fridge back and forth out of its little spot in our kitchen. YUCK!

(NOTE: Real Simple warns you to unplug the appliance and be very cautious not to disturb the water hose, if you have an ice maker!)

Then I grabbed my Swiffer and mopped up all the loose dirt and grime. I then used a damp cloth to finish cleaning the floor and the back, sides and top of the fridge. You can use a brush attachment on your vacuum to get a really good clean (or to help clean a really big mess). I did not take this extra step today since the Swiffer caught just about everything! Also, I did not unscrew the back plate to get to the refrigerator coils. I did, however, clean out the plate and wipe off all the debris. (Apparently there is a special tool called a "refrigerator-coil brush" just for cleaning the coils on your fridge. But I don't happen to have one of these.... do you!?!?!)


The hardwood floor looked pretty good when I was done, so I did not have to take any extra steps to de-gum it! But if your floor looks bad, Real Simple suggests a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 gallon warm water for most surfaces (but NOT for tile or stone).

Now, THAT's neat!