I recently tried out the new Rubbermaid ALL in ONE container system. I love it! There are only two sizes of lids with multiple sizes of containers. The beauty is this: you can pair any lid with almost every container. This helps to end the constant search of finding the proper lid when you are putting away leftovers. Simple and brilliant. Finally, an end to having more lids than containers or more containers than lids!

The lids come in 4 varieties and are designed for Read the rest of this entry »

Situation:

An incredibly large pantry with built-in shelves and drawers but a very industrious and busy cook. It seemed to have a life of it’s own and created it’s own systems if we didn’t keep an eye open for small hands and hungry mouths!

Challenge:

There were so many shelves and drawers that it looked deceptively easy to organize. This is a common situation with too much space in pantries, closets or other areas in your home. Because of the expanse of storage space, you keep buying more and more products to fill it up. Sound familiar? This actually wasn’t the issue in this pantry but a good thing to keep in mind if you have a large but out-of-control storage area.

Solutions:

We decided what zones were really necessary to keep everything organized in this space. Zones were super important since this was a very busy mom with a multi-cultural family with a variety of palettes.

Specific zones were created to include:

1. Condiments, Sauces

2. Asian Cuisine

3. Canned Goods: Soups, Veggies

4. Canned Goods: Mexican

5. Baking / Entertaining Zone

6. Rice/Pastas

7. Teas / Beverages

8. Snack Zone

9. Breakfast Zone

These are the zones created specifically for foods. After that we created storage for appliances and other items to include:

1. Entertaining  2. Baking  3. Cooking  4. Paper Goods

Click here to see more specific solutions for storage and zone organizing for pantries. I use these solutions frequently when I work in with clients and you might end up with some new ideas for your own pantry!

PS Please post any good solutions you have developed on your own in the comment form below so that others can benefit from your clever tips and tricks!

Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Kathi,

I can never seem to find anything in my refrigerator. I rearrange my fridge frequently but between my kids and husband, I can’t maintain any type of order. What steps can I take to organize my fridge and freezer?

Sarah, San Diego

Sarah,

Refrigerators can be a challenge, especially when you have many hands reaching in throughout the day. To create long-lasting order, consider how your favorite grocery store departmentalizes their merchandise. Mimic this template and it will be easier for you and your family to remember where to find and return items in your refrigerator.
Every refrigerator has a different configuration. Your solutions might involve a variation of the theme because of your fridge layout.
Start this process by creating spaces for “like with like” for instance, dairy with dairy, meat with meat and so on.
Most refrigerators have a butter door. Because of this, we seldom have a problem locating the butter. The margarine and cheese are probably a different story. If your fridge is not equipped with a drawer for dairy, create your own drawer. Buy a long narrow plastic bin that runs the depth of your shelf. Put all of your cheeses into this container. Following your grocery format, locate lunchmeats and other meats next to the cheese in a similar container.
There are usually more condiments than space within your door pockets. Keep the most frequently used condiments in the door and the remaining sauces grouped together towards the back of your shortest shelf.
Beverages follow a similar pattern. Keep a few in the door and the rest clustered together on the top and back of the tallest shelf, which is generally the coldest zone. If you mix your own juices, keep this decanter next to the other bottles and jugs.
Leftovers and prepared foods should have their own zone on the short shelf. Note: when purchasing plastic storage containers, buy square or rectangular shapes. Round bowls create wasted space and do not fit well side by side.
If your family eats more than a dozen eggs per week, consider forgoing the egg container provided by the refrigerator manufacturer. Instead, stack your eggs in their original cardboard crates on top of each other on the short shelf beside the cheese and meat bins. If the open access of the manufacturer’s bin appeals to you, stack it on top of the remaining closed egg crate. When you are ready to cook breakfast, all ingredients are close together. Grab the eggs, cheese and meat bins and you are ready to create your favorite omelet!
For quick snacks, consider keeping a bowl of peeled carrots, cut celery or other healthy foods in a bowl located on the front of the shelf nearest eye level. This might distract the hungry hands that normally root around and rearrange the fridge.
Stack flat boxes together in the freezer. Frozen leftovers should be stored in square or rectangular containers whenever possible. Juices with juices, ice cream with ice cream and so on.
Store your frozen vegetable bags in the door whenever possible. If you have more bags than door space, consider keeping them in their own plastic bin. This allows you to stack them together and avoid the hazard of them toppling out of the freezer when you open the door.
To optimize morning smoothie preparation, store your frozen fruits in a long narrow plastic bin. Each morning, simply pull this bin from the freezer, choose the fruit necessary to create your desired flavor and return the remaining fruit to the freezer. A smoothie bin makes it easy to grab the ingredients with little effort. It also keeps sticky fruit residues off of the kitchen counter and the freezer shelf.

Please submit your questions to: advice@addspacetoyourlife.com

San Diego Professional Organizer