Organization . Amazing . Everyday

Being organized is in your DNA! I envy organized people because they know where everything is in their homes. Ask an organized person where something is and they will tell you exactly what shelve or closet it is in and what is right next to it.  NO wasting time looking for their other black shoe, car keys, a missing sock or something even more important.

Organization does not have to be an extreme and most people fall in the middle of the spectrum, like me! I will admit to spending a lot time looking for things…and I am an empty nester. Having a family can thwart the most organized person efforts.

So when I was invited to join OlioHop’s 15 bloggers writing about organization and clutter I immediately agreed…then panic set in for a few minutes. Being a managing partner of a residential cleaning company I see every client’s home before they begin service….first hand knowledge of where most clutter ends up in peoples homes.

Think you can guess which room it is? It is the laundry room. Yep, no matter how neat and organized the rest of the house is…it is the laundry room where items line the floor, odd socks and everything else that does not have a place ends up.  I get the same response from most clients….just clean the laundry room floor.

So I set out to design the perfect laundry room using Olioboard 3D to create my mood board. It was so easy! There are a ton of tools and you can upload your own images. I am so inspired by the results I plan to redecorate my own laundry room.

My mood board for the perfect Laundry Room

Storage space is the key to keeping this room organized because most LR lack storage. The 2 large storage cabinets flanking the appliances allow for plenty of storage and easy access. Each unit has 3 large compartments and the higher ones can be used for detergent and household products. The lower one is great for kids to store bookbags, shoes and sports equipment.

While the flat surface of the dresser is perfect for folding clothes the drawers give added storage. The wooden planter boxes ...a stylish way to hide the items which usually line the floor of your LR.

Being organized is really about storage space and without enough of it is hard to achieve. This look can be achieved without spending a ton of money. Personally, I love to find a good piece of furniture in thrifts stores and re-purpose.  

Being organized and removing clutter from your home is "freeing"! No more closed doors in my house!

I mentioned several other bloggers participated in Oliohop and I peeked at a few!  Happy to say they are awesome so please read all of them for more tips. 

1. Lesley of @chaoticallycrea --               

BLOG: http://chaoticallycreative.com *chaoticallycreative*

2. Kate of @DabbleInChic --                    

BLOG: http://dabbleinchic.blogspot.com *kdsessoms*

3. Selma of @DesignerSelma --              

BLOG: http://blog.selmahammer.com *selmahammerdesigns*

4. Colette of @frugalfinds1 --                    

BLOG: http://frugal-finds.net *cconway915*

5. Julie of @gosimplysavvy --                   

BLOG: http://gosimplysavvy.com/blog *julieatsimplysavvy*

6. Joanne of @homestyling101 --            

BLOG: http://homestyling101.blogspot.com *homestyling101*

7. Jennifer of @iheartorganize --              

BLOG: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com *iheartorganzing*

8. Marilyn of @Marilyn_Russell --            

BLOG: http://design-magnifique.com *marilyngrg*

9. Tamara of @myurbaneclectic --           

BLOG: http://myurbaneclectic.com *tarcher*

10. Lindsey of @pinkletandc:                    

BLOG: http://pinkletandc.blogspot.com *lindseypinks*

11. Antoinette of @PUSHinteriors             

BLOG: http://pushinteriors.blog.com *PUSHinteriors*

12. Katrina of @seasideinterior                 

BLOG: http://seasideinteriors.ca  *seasideinteriors*

13. Stacy Naquin of @StacyNaquin         

BLOG: http://stacynaquininteriors.com/blog *stacynaquin*

14. Ana of @whitelinenintrs                      

BLOG: http://whitelineninteriors.net/blog *whitelineninteriors*


Don't forget to try Olioboard!


www.olioboard.com

Deep Clean your Kitchen: A Guide

This article, first appeared on the Housewife Bliss website in October 2011. Reprinted with permission by Coryanne Ettienne.

The holidays are now behind us and for the most part we'll slow down on our entertaining and cooking for large groups. Our pantries are leaner; our refrigerators are no longer jam-packed and 

as the cold, dark days of winter remain with us for a while there is no better time to really go through your kitchen and give it a top to bottom scrub. Sooner than we can imagine, the weather will be warmer, the days will be longer and we will want to spend our time outdoors on our decks or in our gardens. 

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Kitchen deep-cleaning guide 

The kitchen is, now more than ever, the heart of the home, and with that lofty title comes the heavy foot traffic and mess that hides behind corners slowly building up into a shocking sight that would send even the cleanest of home owners running from shame.  It might seem like a huge task but deep cleaning your kitchen is good for your health and for your soul.

Roll up your shirt sleeves, put on your cleaning gloves and spend the day (gasp, yes probably a day) making your kitchen sparkle and shine just in time for the holiday season to arrive and messy it up again.

Scrub your walls, skirting boards, back boards and floors.  Start from the top and work your way down, the daily dirt that has been piling up is no longer noticeable to you, but the difference you will see from a light scrubbing will make your kitchen brighter and more inviting.  Don’t forget to move all large appliances and large furniture away from the walls to ensure that even those hidden areas are given a deep clean.

Clean out your refrigerator and freezer.  Frozen food diminishes after 6 months, and odours can penetrate the surface of even the cleanest fridge, so take the time to follow my guide to loving your refrigerator and freezer.

Clean your dishwasher.  One would think that an appliance that cleans for us would not need cleaning itself, but alas, that is not the case. If your glasses have ever carried a musty or sour smell, washing your dishwasher will put a stop it by following this simple 30 minute deep clean routine:   use 1 part vinegar, 3 parts warm water to wash the inside of your unit, clean out the filter (usually located at the bottom of the unit), wash the racks in warm soapy water and then place a 1/2 lemon on the top rack and run a high temperature wash.

Wipe down your cupboards and drawers.  Any number of undesirable elements can collect in your drawers and cupboards, vacuuming them and then washing them down with a damp cloth can turn a drab storage area in to a sparkling clean one.

De-clutter your pantry.  Spices, if stored well should last up to 6 months in  your pantry.  Your pulses, grains, rices and pasta that have not been stored in air tight containers may be ready for replacement, and those condiment jars that you had to have 3 years ago, if not yet used are just taking up space.  Check the expiration dates on everything and only keep items that are usable. Once done,  make a list of what you need to replace and restock your pantry using this pantry guide.

Examine your cookware.  Warped baking pans, scratched non-stick pans, mismatched lids and chipped serving platters, no matter how well loved, have lived a good life and need to be replaced.

Sharpen your knives.  A dull knife not only wastes time in the kitchen, it is dangerous. Your knives should be sharpened every 6 months.

For more fabulous household tips please visit Coryanne Ettienne at her blog HousewifeBliss

How to clean your pantry in 5 simple steps

This article was originally published on the Housewife Bliss website, on October 2011. Reprinted with permission by Coryanne Ettienne.

After the holidays my pantry looks as though it's been ravaged by a tornado - perhaps even two! This is the perfect time to clean out the pantry by taking advantage of our emptier shelves. Soon Spring will be here and we will, once again, find ourselves in the thick of entertaining, hosting garden parties and barbecues. 

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Peaking into someone’s pantry is a bit like peaking into a private diary of daily life, there is always a story to tell and not always one that you want everyone to read.  Like those candied gingers that you bought last Christmas but never had the time to create the magazine recipe that called for them; the hidden packets of ramen noodles that you swore you would never buy, but keep hidden away for emergencies; and the 17 tins of tomatoes that you buy each time you go the store because you can’t remember if you need them or not.  Cleaning out the pantry is not something people do often, but when it is done, it makes you feel fabulous and you can’t help but show it off …yes I have been know to be so delighted with my sparkling clean and orderly pantry that I could not help but ask a friend to “be a dear and hand me the sugar in the pantry, the bowl seems to be running low”.

5 Steps to a cleaner, prouder pantry

Step 1 |  Purge :   Place a large rubbish bin by your pantry and start purging everything expired and all those half empty cracker boxes that are no doubt stale by now.  Flours, spices, and dried herbs will only last for 6 months, be ruthless now to avoid disaster when you use them next.  Sugars and syrups have a long life and may only need to be tidied up.

Step 2 | Clean: Fill a bowl with warm sudsy water and wipe down all the shelves and walls.  If you use lining trays or baskets, give them a good clean too.  Once done, sweep your pantry floor and vacuum the corners. Before placing everything back into your pantry, dust your boxes and wipe down your cans.

Step 3 | Donate:  Take stock of your tinned goods.  If you are bursting at the seems with canned goods, place them in a donation box to drop at a food bank later …..and make a mental note of your tendency to over stock on your canned goods.

Step 4| Organize : There is a method to everyone’s madness, here are my 2 cents on organzing a pantry….

• Use old jars to store flour, salts, sugars, rice, pulses and other loose items that need to remain airtight.
• Everyday items should go at the most accessible levels;
• Excess & seldom used items should go at the top;
• Periodic items should go at the bottom;
• Cluster your items by type so you always have a view of what you have;
• Use baskets to keep track of smaller items and for those easy access items that you are forever needing (like snacks);
• Be creative with  your space, pantry doors are fabulous storage areas.

Step 5 | Restock: Make a list of everything you purged that will need to be replaced, and if you feel like a complete re-organziaition is in the future, think about what you want to store, how you want to store it and what you need before heading to the shops…there is nothing worse than coming home with organizing supplies to find that none of them really work for your pantry.

For more fabulous household tips please visit Coryanne at Housewife Bliss!