Is the cabinet under your bathroom sink a dark scary place? Does stuff fall out every time you open the door? Do you have no idea what is under there? Has stuff been lost in there?
Here are some tips to make that cabinet usable again. It is a great storage space if used properly.
1. Take everything out.
2. Clean the cabinet (and the items you pull out). No one wants to pull out a roll of toilet paper that has dust bunnies or dirt on it! Yuck!
3. If the bottom of the cabinet is nasty (i.e. spilled shampoo that won't come up, warped plywood from a leak 10 years ago), put down a nice liner. If you use a light colored liner, it keeps the space in there from looking so dark and scary. Liners are also easier to wipe clean than the particle board that is typically in there.
4. Throw away any items that are past their prime or will never be used. There is no point in holding on to a half-empty (or half-full, however you look at things) bottle of lotion that you don't like and that you will not use. Let it go.
5. Group the rest of the items into categories that work for you (i.e. hair products, lotions, first aid products, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc.) Remember that the items in this cabinet should only be things to be used in the bathroom.
6. Try to contain the categories in baskets or bins. I really like the "itso" bins from Target. They come in a variety of sizes and colors. They also have straight sides and bottoms. Baskets look nice, but a lot of times, things like shampoo bottles, will tip over because the bottoms are not flat. I also prefer the plastic bins for this space since there is always the potential for water to get in there, and baskets would definitely get damaged by this. (Save the baskets for dry areas!)
7. In the containers, put the most used items in the front, where you can reach them easily.
8. If space is limited, get some wire shelves that fit in there. This will almost double your space!
Now that things are grouped together and contained, you will know where they are, and know how much you have. This should keep you from duplicating items, or running out of items when you need them!
Don't be afraid of the cabinet under the sink! Use it to its full potential!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Recipe Organization
I admit it. I love collecting recipes from magazines. I think it is because I was never comfortable in the kitchen before. I am not one of those people that can just make up a recipe with a little of this and a pinch of that. I need guidance. Tell me what to do EXACTLY.
So, I started collecting recipes from magazines. But, as many of you know, this can become overwhelming. All of sudden, there is a stack of ripped out pages of magazines. What do you do with all of them? Here is what I do:
I carefully tear out the page with the recipe that looks delicious (or that looks like the kids might not turn their noses up towards). I keep these pages in a file folder sorted by category (i.e. Entrees, desserts, breakfast, sides, etc.) Now, I used to automatically put them on recipe cards (several at a sitting to try and catch up on them). Then, I realized that even though they look or sound good, we may not really like them. And, why waste my recipe cards, my time, and space in the recipe box for something we won't ever eat!
So, what I started doing was leaving them in the file folder. Then, when I make my grocery list for the week, I pick one to three of those recipes to try. I write any ingredients that I might need for those recipes on the list, and then hang the recipe by a clip on the fridge. After making the recipe and deciding whether or not it is a keeper, I either toss the recipe if it got a "thumbs-down", or I proceed with cutting it neatly, and gluing it to the recipe card. (I am not going to spend time re-writing the recipe when it is so neatly typed in the magazine!) I also prefer to cut out the picture of the dish and glue it to the back of the card. I like to see what the finished product is "supposed" to look like when I am finished cooking it. Plus, I am a visual person, and it is easier for me to look at the picture and decide if it something I want to eat, rather than having to read the ingredients and try to remember why I chose to keep this recipe.
This system has worked for me to keep my recipes contained neatly and to give us variety in our meals. I do recommend that you think twice about a recipe before tearing it from the magazine. Think: "Am I REALLY going to ever cook this, or does it just sound/look good?" Don't just collect recipes to collect recipes. They are meant to be tools to help in the kitchen. Not just one more thing to take up space in the kitchen.
I have definitely gotten a lot more comfortable in the kitchen and now feel secure in making up some meals on my own. Nothing fancy, but more than just mac 'n cheese from a box!
So, I started collecting recipes from magazines. But, as many of you know, this can become overwhelming. All of sudden, there is a stack of ripped out pages of magazines. What do you do with all of them? Here is what I do:
I carefully tear out the page with the recipe that looks delicious (or that looks like the kids might not turn their noses up towards). I keep these pages in a file folder sorted by category (i.e. Entrees, desserts, breakfast, sides, etc.) Now, I used to automatically put them on recipe cards (several at a sitting to try and catch up on them). Then, I realized that even though they look or sound good, we may not really like them. And, why waste my recipe cards, my time, and space in the recipe box for something we won't ever eat!
So, what I started doing was leaving them in the file folder. Then, when I make my grocery list for the week, I pick one to three of those recipes to try. I write any ingredients that I might need for those recipes on the list, and then hang the recipe by a clip on the fridge. After making the recipe and deciding whether or not it is a keeper, I either toss the recipe if it got a "thumbs-down", or I proceed with cutting it neatly, and gluing it to the recipe card. (I am not going to spend time re-writing the recipe when it is so neatly typed in the magazine!) I also prefer to cut out the picture of the dish and glue it to the back of the card. I like to see what the finished product is "supposed" to look like when I am finished cooking it. Plus, I am a visual person, and it is easier for me to look at the picture and decide if it something I want to eat, rather than having to read the ingredients and try to remember why I chose to keep this recipe.
This system has worked for me to keep my recipes contained neatly and to give us variety in our meals. I do recommend that you think twice about a recipe before tearing it from the magazine. Think: "Am I REALLY going to ever cook this, or does it just sound/look good?" Don't just collect recipes to collect recipes. They are meant to be tools to help in the kitchen. Not just one more thing to take up space in the kitchen.
I have definitely gotten a lot more comfortable in the kitchen and now feel secure in making up some meals on my own. Nothing fancy, but more than just mac 'n cheese from a box!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Randomness
A pair of wet, dirty socks in the front yard.
A jumprope on the counter.
A hair rubberband in the dog's water dish.
Nerf darts everywhere.
A ball made of tin foil in the hallway.
These are the types of things we deal with in my household ALL the time. I am always amazed at the random things I find lying around. It's like the treasure that I find in the laundry. I keep all the strange little things I find in the kids' pockets in a small container in the laundry room. (Of course, I keep the money for myself. It is the payoff for having to deal with their smelly clothes.) Some day, when they are older, I will show them all the cool, peculiar things that they carried around with them. It is my version of a scrapbook.
A jumprope on the counter.
A hair rubberband in the dog's water dish.
Nerf darts everywhere.
A ball made of tin foil in the hallway.
These are the types of things we deal with in my household ALL the time. I am always amazed at the random things I find lying around. It's like the treasure that I find in the laundry. I keep all the strange little things I find in the kids' pockets in a small container in the laundry room. (Of course, I keep the money for myself. It is the payoff for having to deal with their smelly clothes.) Some day, when they are older, I will show them all the cool, peculiar things that they carried around with them. It is my version of a scrapbook.
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