Loose Recipes

With Pinterest, clipping recipes from periodicals might be a thing of the past.  Yet those of us who cooked before the Internet are plagued with mismatched piles of recipes we want to try.  Mine are in a folder.  A couple of years ago I at least paper clipped them into categories:  vegetables, main dishes, appetizers, etc.  Even so, it continues to be a struggle to locate a certain one.

Some recipes have been lonely for years, never examined.  There is a better way.  Let's say I want to make BBQ wings for dinner.  By typing a word into Pinterest, twenty or more recipes pop up.  The favorite can be pinned, and it's easy to locate when I need it.  This is so much more efficient than a scrap of faded newspaper with the recipe.  I am going to sit and watch TV today, examining my recipe clippings.  If I've never tried the recipe, out it will go because I know where to find twenty just like it.     A few favorites will be kept until I can put them into a nice notebook, copy them on recipe cards for the file box, or just type and save them into a folder on my computer desktop.

A Decluttered Space Looks Clean

Forgive me if I stray for a day, but this post is important to remember in our quest to simplify our homes.  A decluttered space looks clean.

The past two weeks have been crazy busy for me.  Over the weekend I had stacks of paper work.  The semester ended, so report cards were due (about 4,000 clicks on a computer, not to mention typing comments.)  A HUGE project/event with my students came to fruition that took hours of preparation.  Suffice to say, I haven't dusted, swept, or done any real "cleaning" in two weeks.  Nothing looks gross, but the wood floors are screaming, "Dust mop me!"

It's embarrassing to admit this breach of my normal cleaning routine, but I realized last night, coming home dog-tired at 8:15 PM, that most people wouldn't notice.  The reason is, when you have less stuff, and the stuff you have has a place, your house looks neat and "clean" all the time.  When life happens, you can go two weeks without doing much and still come home peacefully walking into your space.

Today as you look around your home, think about this post.  I challenge you to be even more diligent about simplifying your spaces.  It is liberating in so many ways!

Expiration Dates

I'm not paranoid about expiration dates like others in my family, however, there is merit in getting rid of old food, even if it's dried.  A product's shelf life slowly dies when it's shoved to the back of a cupboard, forgotten for  years.

Today I dove into my spice shelf.  It's really pretty neat and pared down, yet I discovered a box of partially used frosting tubes in varied colors, probably from a cookie project my class did in the fall or even in 2013.  They needed to be tossed.  Also taking up space was half a box of Jello pudding mix.  I'd been saving it because I used the first half for fabulous Twinkie cupcakes a year ago,  fearing that Twinkies might be no more.   Twinkies are currently back on grocery shelves and my Jello is old.

Plastic Containers

In honor of "Kitchen Week,"  I knew I needed to hit another cupboard this morning.  The Tupperware or plastic container cupboard has been purged multiple times, so I wondered if I'd even be able to find something to discard.  Never fear!  Back in the recesses hid some undesirables.

Have you pulled out your collection of containers and lids lately?  It really helps to pull everything out and then put back only what is useable.  How many Cool Whip containers are too many?  Think through what you actually use.  If your family has downsized through the years, you won't need as many (except when the 20-somethings come home and you send leftovers home with them to supplement their time-starved cooking habits.)

So, down on my knees in my bathrobe, after pulling out most of the items, I reached WAY back into the space.  I found a handle to a pan long gone, a topless water bottle we don't use, and a couple other items I haven't used in years.  Two unused items are staying for the time being.  I haven't used my pressure cooker in years or a grinder for making canned jam and sauces.  They may be on the cutting board one of these days, but I don't have time to make the decision today.  That's OK, because four items left my world today, and that's enough for now.

Kitchen Week!

I've deemed this week's decluttering efforts "Kitchen Week!"  We spend plenty of time there anyway, so I'm hoping we can easily peruse through spots in our culinary spaces, purging and organizing the many pockets of stuff that reside in our cabinets.

I went through one shelf that goes deep into a dark, barely reachable area.  The accessible area holds a stack of small dessert-size plates, two stacks of small pyrex bowls, and some kid-friendly plastic plates. Beyond the obvious in the dark recesses, lurked two large margarita glasses from an event we attended.  They served mashed potatoes in the glasses with lots of toppings.  I thought it was a fun idea at the time, but in five years I've never created a mashed potato bar with toppings and served it in those glasses.  Do I need them?  No.

Also on that shelf were a set of banana split dishes and large parfait glasses we received for our wedding.  Four times total can I recall serving dessert in them.  There is some sentimentality to those, so they will go into a storage container for awhile until I'm sure I want to part with them.

You may be asking, "If the shelf looked neat, why get rid of them?"  I confess, I'm reading a book on being a minimalist, so I'm a little extreme at the moment.  (Thus my thought of putting the ice cream wares into storage…in case I snap out of this phase!)   I have this weird feeling as I get older about having to move or downsize someday, and I really don't want to have to go through everything all at once.  Plus, the more you have, the more there is to dust, maintain, etc.

To conclude, please look into the recesses of ONE shelf today.  Just a quick glance.  Is there anything you don't EVER use that you could donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army and clear out some space?

Spices

We used to tease friend of ours.  After they married, the husband took it upon himself to alphabetize the spices in the cupboard, each lined up perfectly.  He argued that it made sense and helped them find what they needed quickly.  Even though we continued to joke about it, he was right.

Digging for the right spice or herb takes extra time.  Sometimes the little containers are stacked on each other and totter precariously when you begin to move them around.  As you're reading, think of your space.  Does it need decluttering?

I like to cook, so have a wide variety of spices and herbs, but they were all jumbled together as I described.  One day, I had an epiphany!  I took out the once-in-a-blue-moon jars, probably about 8, like celery salt, cardamom, dill, and cumin.  Those went to an out of the way cupboard, not even in the kitchen.   Those frequently used in recipes like parsley, cinnamon, seasoning salt, etc. stayed.  Now, my spice area is neat and each container easy to find.  If a recipe calls for the unique ones, I can walk a few extra steps to find those in my other stash.

If you take on this challenge, give away or toss any extra or old containers you find.  You will save time each time you cook by not having to dig!  And…if you decide to alphabetize them, I won't say a word.

Bathroom Shelves or Closets

Glance at a shelf in your bathroom today.  If need be, pull everything off.  I did  and found a large empty container in the very back.  See if you can get rid of any unused item today.  For today, one shelf is enough, one item is enough.  We still have 342 days of simplifying to go!

Clear the Surface Area

Is any surface in your home bare?  The design craze on HGTV and other places has driven us to feel that our living spaces aren't complete unless matching/coordinating items grace the tops of our dressers, counters, end tables, etc.  Why do we feel we have to place a magazine 'just so' on a coffee table, or many little figurines on top of the piano?

I challenge you to clear off two places of ALL items.  Leave them clear for a week.  If you find it's easier to dust, makes the room seem larger and more relaxing to glance around, clear two additional surfaces and give away more of the tchotchkes you own.

Today I am giving away a snowman doll that used to just sit around as decor.

*Note:  please don't avoid inviting people like me over to your home, thinking we will analyze and criticize your choices.  My posts are only suggestions to bring to mind possible decluttering ideas you may not have considered.  Warm hospitality is infinitely more important than a "perfect" home!

Magazines

Magazines are like stink bugs in your house in the winter…they keep multiplying.  How many have piled up, unread?  If you've read through them, why keep piles of magazines?  Look through your bins, on the coffee table, mail pile, dining room table…wherever they accumulate.  Keep ones you want to read and donate others to waiting rooms, sometimes a library, or friends who might benefit from reading them.

Don't tell, but I put some of my old ones in the school teachers' lounge yesterday, for teachers to read during their lengthy breaks...

Film Cameras

I remember going through airport security, handing each of my 15 rolls of film to the officials to examine individually so the x-ray scans wouldn't damage them.  Before the invention of one-hour photo labs, waiting a week or so to get back my photo prints wasn't uncommon.  Opening the print envelope either brought joy or disgust, as you never knew whether the shots were good until you'd paid for the film development.

Thinking back to those days, I marvel at the ease with which we photograph employing digital cameras.  We have choices to delete those photos where someone's finger is blocking a loved one's face.

My dilemma was my Nikon film camera.  I loved that camera and the photos it took!  Would I ever use it again?  Could I even buy film, and if I could, would any place develop the prints?   Over the summer, I took a deep breath and decided to list my camera on Craig's List.  Maybe someone else could enjoy it rather than it just sitting in my house for more years, unused.  A gentlemen who collects film cameras as a hobby contacted me and bought it.  He told me to let him know if I have any others, as he's trying to amass a collection.

I haven't regretted my decision to let it go.  My challenge to you is to consider decluttering such items as cameras or other devices unable to be used because of technological advances.

Inside Your Vehicle

A decluttering strategy I picked up was to put items to be donated in your vehicle so the next time you pass a donation center, you can drop them off.  I've been carrying a pair of old eyeglasses for about four months in my cup holder, wanting to drop them at an eye center that uses them for needy people in other countries.  Today I challenged myself to carry out that task THIS week.

What's been living in your car or van for too long?  Make a plan to declutter that area.  Treat yourself to a clean sweep and a vacuuming for $1.50 at most places.  Climbing into your clean, clutter-free vehicle will give you (and probably your family) a sense of calm.

...But It's Still Good!

I am a school teacher.  Anyone who has inherited a classroom from a retiring educator understands that teachers can be hoarders and often leave behind file cabinets FULL of items that are "just too good to throw away." When that happened to me, I didn't have time to go through the former teacher's things, but planned to.  After two years of teaching without her stuff, I just trashed it all and then had plenty of cabinet space for my own things.  Other teachers have come around saying, "Anyone need chalk?  The teacher before me had a massive stash; I now have a white board."

This week I tossed an entire box of overhead transparency markers.  They still work, I assume, but we haven't used overhead projectors for probably seven years.  It is really difficult for us to throw out things that still have life, so to speak.  But, I reason, why keep them around?  If it's too difficult to throw them away, ask friends or relatives if anyone wants the items.  No response?  You can always donate to Goodwill and let that company determine if it's worth selling at their stores.

Don't feel responsible for things.   They have no feelings.

The OUTSIDE of Your Refrigerator

The outside of a refrigerator often collects as much clutter as the inside!  We throw out outdated leftovers from the inside.  (I cringe, remembering a tale my son told about cleaning out their college apartment's refrigerator at the end of the semester…mold growing inside plastic containers of old food…) What about the magnetic outside?

How many items are outdated on the exterior of your refrigerator?  Do any photos need to be exchanged for more recent ones?  How many magnets does one need?  Are there any lists you tacked to the fridge that are now unneeded?  Take a hard look at the outside of your refrigerator.  Just by clearing off everything and leaving it bare, your kitchen will seem larger.  That is a drastic step, but I encourage you to think through what you leave stuck to the fridge.

I still have my favorite items stuck on…a couple photos of family, shopping list and meal planner notepads, and probably fifteen favorite magnets.  I did throw out multiple magnets that were from plumbing companies, etc.

It's amazing how decluttering something that simple makes a difference!

Organizing vs. Decluttering

All the department stores are featuring large tubs and organizing bins right now.  Stacks and stacks are available for people's New Year's resolutions of "I WILL become organized."  It's definitely a worthy goal.

I personally love bins and boxes.  Seeing those craft rooms on Pinterest with all the neat cubbies with matching bins makes me feel peaceful.  However, more often than not, bins are used to just squirrel away excess clutter that fades into the forgotten places in our memories.

Do you know anyone whose modus operandi is shoving stacks of papers that need sorting into bins?    At least these dear ones care enough to not let it pile up around the house. We have a couple drawers and bins at our house that have remain untouched for years.  Thus, my point about bins.  If you do use bins, here is a link to a great article on how to avoid the forgetting what you've stored.

http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.ca/2014/05/uheart-organizing-diy-attic-storage.html

To close, my advice is ALWAYS declutter first, get rid of excess, and then you won't have much to organize.

Books

I feel a fierce protection for books, especially as e-books become popular.  Perhaps it's habit, but holding a book and turning real pages is still preferred to clicking buttons on an e-reader.  I should be thrilled with Kindles, Nooks, etc. because they eliminate the clutter of too many books.  I just can't let go of my preference for books.

That said, there are ways to cut down on clutter from books.  Any that you've read and won't read a second time could be donated.  Any you read and didn't even like or finish should be gone.  College textbooks become obsolete very quickly.  Gulp, thinking about how much you paid for them, and let them go.   If all your books don't fit lined up neatly on the shelves you have, they are clutter.  Keep your favorites, of course.  I also feel fiercely loyal to libraries.  Borrow a book for free.  Return it.  No clutter!

Today, several books are being donated or given to friends to read and pass on.

Check the Medicine Cabinet

The medicine cabinet has a door which shuts.  It is an unspoken rule that as a guest in someone's bathroom, you don't open that door.  That would be considered a violation of privacy and a potential risk of razors and bottles falling out onto you.  Additionally, often a plethora of products reside in medicine cabinets that are not medicines.

Take a look at yours today.  If there are any expired medicines, dispose of them.  Use a critical eye while sorting.  I found a bottle of sunscreen we'll never use, so out it went.

Good Deal vs. Extra Stuff I Don't Need

On a mission to spend a Wal-Mart giftcard, I entered the exercise department.  I wanted a new Leslie Sansone walking DVD.  On dark or inclement mornings, I walk inside to her enthusiastic tempos instead of braving the outdoors.  I have every line memorized, believe me, so thought a new, fresh DVD would make mornings a little more motivating.

Single copies were sold out.  However, a three pack remained with 3 DVDs, a stretch band, weight chart, diet plan, and more!  Price wise, it was less than purchasing separate DVDs.  I debated.  My simplify mindset then kicked into gear.  Why have three AND another band when you only need one?  Would you really use them all?  I decided to wait.

To NOT bring clutter into the house is a habit we must hone constantly.

Hair Products

At age 16, I lived on the island of Haiti for a summer.  Since we had to bring a vast amount of canned food along for our team, our personal luggage was limited to a certain poundage.  I had to leave my shampoo behind, along with other heavy items, to lighten my load.  As a teen, I guess I must have just rolled with it, figuring I'd figure something out once we got there.  Thankfully, I was able to purchase some obscure brand of shampoo in a tiny, remote island shop that lasted me the summer.  That shampoo was like gold to me…I really needed it, and it took care of my hair care.

It was a simpler way to live.  We each had one duffle bag of clothing and personal items for nine weeks!

Looking around my bathroom, I have WAY more health and beauty aids that take up space; many are unused.  I just threw out some spritz-on coconut oil hair product that really doesn't add any moisture to my hair.  My challenge today is to simplify your hair routine.  Are there unused products cluttering your bathroom or sink?

Bringing in the New

After-Christmas-sales are almost finished.  Items have been picked over.  I offered a suggestion to my daughter about buying Christmas wrappings, labels, letter paper, etc. during the sales and keeping it until next Christmas…great bargains.  She wisely told me that she wasn't sure she'd be living in the same apartment, so didn't want to store it all year only to move it.

If you buy ahead, be sure to place the items in a place you'll find them when the event comes:  birthday gifts in a certain box always, the perfect card for a loved one's event in your greeting card box, Christmas paper, labels, etc. with your ornaments so you'll find them when you decorate next December.  "Oh, look!  I forgot I'd bought this stuff!"  Contrast that feeling with finding your stash the following April when you couldn't find it for Christmas.

If you don't have designated spots for buy ahead items, think that through today and come up with a plan.

Gift Cards

While in the grocery store yesterday, an announcement came on:  "Cash in your unused gift cards at the coin machine!  Cash for unused gift cards!"  At first, I felt a twinge of resentment, thinking of needy people trading in well-meaning gift cards from churches or community organizations for cash, then using the cash for unsavory purposes.  My mind then went to the fact that the coin machine always keeps a percentage.  Then, in ADHD fashion, I thought, "Why not?  If you have a gift card to a sports store and you don't need any cleats or badminton racquets, get cash for what you want!"

Retail businesses push gift cards because a large percentage are never redeemed.  If you have gift cards in your home from this past Christmas, or Christmases past, USE them!  If it's been six months or more, you should just spend them on whatever you wish.  Don't hoard them for a future unknown date.  My son bought me a 5x7 inch pouch with dividers.  I file my gift cards in it and keep it in the glove compartment of my car.  That way, if I'm out and about and take an impromptu trip into a retail store or restaurant, I have the card with me.

Practice what I preach…I have had an Amazon gift card sitting on my desk for, well, let's say a VERY long time.  I've been meaning to check and see if I loaded it onto my Amazon account.  I just checked this morning, and yes, I've used it and it's been dead for a L..O..N..G time.  Now it is in the trash.

Today, take stock in your gift cards and make a plan!

Empty Cases

The Pixar film, Cars, case has been sitting empty on our shelf for probably seven years.  I once took the DVD to school to show a clip on times in racing, loaned it to someone, and haven't seen it since. Keeping the case has kept hope alive…maybe someone will find it and return it, or maybe I will stumble upon it in my cluttered filing cabinet.  Thinking realistically, now I believe I can remove the case from it's prime spot on the shelf.

It's the same with old CD cases.  We had seven or eight empty cases from CD's sitting in a CD changer within a car we sold.  (Whoops…bonus for the buyer).  We kept the cases…why?

Even if your stuff fits nicely on the shelf and doesn't look bad, it's still needless clutter.

Repeats

As I was exercising this morning, my mind and eyes wandered to our shelf containing DVDs.  Since moving to Blue Ray, we've obtained some of the same films we had in DVD format.  Certain people in my family can notice the difference in clarity…I'm just happy to be able to see the picture without reading glasses!  We really do not need multiple copies of the same movies.  I pulled the extra DVDs off the shelf and put them in the "ask the kids if they want them" pile.  If they don't, I'll either sell the films or donate.

Utensil Overload?

Have you pulled all the kitchen utensils out of a kitchen drawer or container lately… or ever?  You might be surprised how many multiples and unneeded items are clogging the space.  If something like a melon baller is only used once a year, designate a spot elsewhere for that type and only keep those tools nearby that have frequent use.   Multiples or those you'll never use again can be donated.

Close the drawer!

Will cupboards not close?  How about various drawers?  Is there an avalanche threat if a certain closet door is opened?  That's a sure sign that clutter resides in those places.

I was reaching into my utensils drawer in the kitchen, and it wouldn't close when I finished.  As I fished around for the offending utensil, I found an aluminum potato cooker.  It was turned sideways and jamming the drawer.  It hit me that I was holding onto something I never use.  It was handy when I didn't have a microwave and helped potatoes cook more quickly.  It has a little bit of sentimental value as it's the "K" for kitchen utensil that my son took to kindergarten when they were learning the "k" sound.  His teacher told me she'd never seen one of those before, and I felt proud that my first born was already going "above and beyond" in his school work.  But…the fact remains that it is now superfluous to my life.

This photo will be my memory of this "K is for Kitchen" tool

Begin noticing overflow in your home.  That's always a good place to start decluttering.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Shel Silverstein wrote a poem about a girl who said she could eat a whale.  No one thought she could do it.  She did eat the whale, though it took her 90+ years to do it.   When I look at my yard with all the leaves to rake, it makes me not want to even start.  BUT, when I think about bagging five bags per day, I realize I can finish in eight days!

All this is to say, don't get discouraged when looking around your home.  Little by little, slow and steady…you will make progress.  Plus, by going slowly, you develop better decluttering habits.

Today I am giving away several Christmas decorations and ornaments that have no significance. I may find even more as I put decorations away and realize there are items not even used this year still in the boxes.

Mugs To Go

My question to you is how many mugs per person should there be in one household? When you are cooking turkey, they recommend 1 - 1.5 pounds per person. What about mugs?

Over the holidays we had more people in the house.  Never once were all the mugs used even with the Keurig going,  hot chocolate flowing, and dirty ones being put in the dishwasher.  Add in the five new mugs I received as teacher gifts (do you think the kids notice that I drink coffee most mornings??), and they won't even fit on the shelf.

That is too many and can be considered clutter.  Today I am culling my mug collection to a reasonable size, and the rest can go to Goodwill.

"Simplify: one per day" Returns!

It has been three years since I've blogged about simplifying my life.  In that time, many more blogs and magazine articles have been written on ridding your home of one item per day.  It's just a good idea.

You will need a bin for give aways.  When it is full, take it to your favorite donation center like Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Join me in this challenge!

2015 - Christmas Cards and calendars

I'm back to the mission of getting rid of one item per day!  This morning I'm tackling Christmas cards.  My policy is to tape them to the refrigerator during the holiday season.  They look festive, and my adult kids and local friends enjoy seeing pictures and greetings from people they've known.  I took them down this morning and put them in the trash.  Heartless?  No.

Do I ever keep any?  Yes.  A friend of mine, also a teacher, has a "Happy File" into which she places notes from students or their parents.  When she has a bad day or week at school, she goes to that file and remembers she IS a good teacher from those notes.  I have one of the cheap photo boxes from a craft store that is my Happy File.  A few holiday greetings from my class went into the box today.