Creative Containerizing #1

Staying neat and organized doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a bunch of plastic containers.  Plastic doesn’t lend itself to much…style.  Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good clear plastic bin.  They're great for items out in the garage or attic that you want to keep dust and bug-free, but it's not the best looking option for your bookshelf, bedroom or kitchen.  This will be the first of an ongoing series of blogs about creative, fun and eye pleasing containers.   I’m excited, who’s with me?!

For starters, let’s talk about lidded baskets.  YES, they exist!  You may have to do a little bit more searching to find one, but trust me, they’re out there.  Check out these fantastic large baskets (pictured) I recently found at Home Goods.  The great thing about a natural fiber woven basket is that it matches almost any décor and is more eco-friendly than plastic.   But why do I need a lid?  To hide what’s inside of course!  In the kitchen, a lidded basket is a great option for storing those homeless extra party favors, plates, cups and cutlery.  You can use it for rarely used cabinet cloggers like grilling tools, extra vases, the fondue set, snow cone maker and Jello molds.  Or go ahead and use it anywhere in the house for regularly used items like pet food & supplies, candles, shoes, toys - the possibilities are endless!  Just keep it a "One Subject" basket - kitchen and bathroom items should never mingle.   And the beauty of it is that it can be out and accessible in your room while still looking streamlined, orderly and stylish. 

Lost recipes no more!

After days of gorging on holiday goodies, food might be the last thing on your mind BUT come next year you'll wish you had gotten that veggie dip recipe from Aunt Milly or that fantastic soup recipe from cousin Bob.  Now's the time to gather the goods and compile them into an easy-to-use recipe binder.  Not only will this save you time (no more searching through paper piles or trying to remember which of your 15 cookbooks had that great turkey gravy recipe) but it will also keep your favorite recipes preserved for years to come (Great Grandma's hand-written sugar cookie recipe deserves more than being shoved in the junk drawer with butter finger smudges). 
For your recipe binder you'll need the following:

• 1-1/2" or 2" 3-ring binder
• clear, plastic, acid-free sheet protectors
• 8-1/2 x 11" acid-free card stock
• scissors
• photo-safe double sided tape

Sort all the recipes you've printed off your computer, ripped out of magazines or collected from friends and family.  Make photo copies of pages that have recipes on the front and back.  Start by organizing into simple categories:  Dessert, Snacks, Breakfast, Appetizers & Sides and Dinner.   If you're are a culinary artist and have a massive recipe collection, use totally separate binders for categories (Meat, Dessert, Appetizers, Pasta, etc) and dive deeper with your categories; your meat binder should have separate tabs for beef, poultry, fish, lamb and pork.  There's no right and wrong here so go ahead and add or subtract categories based on the types of recipes you have.  Once sorted, take the time to cut small recipes from full magazine pages so you only see the recipe and not extra unrelated text.  Tape small recipes onto the card stock with double sided tape and slip into the sheet protectors.  If you have 2 recipes you use for corn bread, put them both on the same page for quick comparisons.  Full page recipes can simply be inserted into the sheet protector.  Add them to your 3-ring binder and use your favorite divider tab method to label.  I'm a big fan of Post-it's durable divider tabs, they come in different colors and you can always peel them off if you change your mind.

Initially, this will take a bit of time, but once the bones are in place the upkeep is a breeze.  Keep a few extra sheet protectors in the back of the binder to quickly add new favorites.  Happy cooking!

Happy Holiday Organizing!

Green ornament storage solution

With the arrival of all the new gadgets, toys and clothes into your house this holiday season, remember the "one IN, one OUT" rule.  That simply means, if you get a new jacket Christmas morning, consider donating your old one to charity.  This rule is key to keeping your closets and cupboards neat and never over-flowing.  Green Tip:  when it comes time to un-deck the halls, place small ornaments in an old egg carton for save storage.  Wrap delicate ornaments in white tissue or paper for added protection and to prevent die stains.  Label your boxes on the top and side and be specific, ie "Christmas - Outdoor lights," rather than just the name of the holiday.  Next year you'll easily find exactly what you need, when you need it.

Live your best with LESS!

Welcome to the Erin's Simple Solutions blog, where you can learn all about organizing tips for your home, garage, office, car, attic, anywhere!  I also like to share green tips and tricks because as important as it is to get organized, it's also important to know what to do with the stuff you want to get rid of.

I encourage you to share your organizing challenges and I'll do my best to offer suggestions to get your spaces the most efficient they can be.  My best advice is always to Keep it SIMPLE.  Don't let your "stuff" cause you unnecessary stress.  Live your best with LESS!