Why I Labeled My Fridge (And You Should Too)

As seen on Huffington Post

Professional Organizers and Labels go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly (or nut-free soy butter and jelly, depending on your allergies).  So, it is shocking to me that it took me this long to put labels inside my refrigerator.

For 6 weeks after I had my third child I didn’t work. By this I really mean that I worked exclusively from home and didn’t do any on-site client visits.  This meant that I spent WAY more time in my house than I normally did.  After the haze of newborn sleep deprivation started to wear off I began to notice things again.  All of the sudden the consequences of the exhaustion of 3rd trimester followed by the demands of a newborn caught up with me.  The “maintenance” step of my organized home had fallen through the cracks and I started to walk through the house and every closet I opened or room I went into was making me crazy.  I actually said those words so often that it became a running joke between my husband and I.  I would walk into a room and say “Oh my gawd Ben” and he would always reply with “let me guess, the room is making you crazy?!?!?!”.  I became fixated on the fridge though.  As a nursing mom to a ravenous newborn I am constantly hungry, so I spent many frustrating hours searching through the fridge looking for food.  One day I just couldn't take it anymore and I pulled EVERYTHING out.

There are few things more satisfying to me than emptying a space thoroughly cleaning it out and putting everything back in an organized way.  It was almost better than a nap.  Almost.

Empty & Organize

Since organizing items into zones had been working so well in the pantry I decided to implement the same strategy in the fridge.  These zones will be different for everyone depending on the types of foods found in your fridge.  To help determine your zones group like items together as you empty the fridge.  Keep all the salad dressings together, the sauces, the leftovers, etc.  We tend to have five or six types of mustards open at any moment so that is a zone that needed a designated space in our fridge.  Maybe you have a hot sauce obsession.  Whatever it is, make the system work for you.

Trash It

Now that you have everything organized into groups check all you expiry dates.  Now obviously food doesn't immediately turn bad the day after it “expires” but if we are six months past the date on that BBQ sauce and you don’t even remember buying it, let alone opening it, it may be time to say goodbye. Anything moldy or stinky has got to go too, so open those leftovers and be ruthless.

Clean It

Now that you have emptied the entire fridge take a few minutes and give it a serious wipe-down.  Don’t forget the shelves on the door and the fruit and veggie drawers.  Might as well take advantage of the empty fridge and give it a good clean.

Assess

Take a look at the size and height of your food containers, bottles and jars.  The fridge is empty so it’s a great time to move around the glass shelves to accommodate all you food.  Try to envision where everything will go and keep the most used food items in front.  If you’re not sure if something fits try it out.  Adjust the shelf if needed.  Move things around if it’s not working. Try a Lazy Susan or clear fridge bins to help you organize it and make it accessible.  It’s your fridge, make it work for your needs.

Put It Back

Normally I would have you label things at this step, but that may take a few minutes and since it’s your fridge we’re talking about and your items are perishable that doesn't really make sense.  So put all the food back before it spoils .  Try to use temporary labels like post-its with tape to keep your fridge in order until you have more permanent labels.

Label It

I know it’s a bit weird to have labels in your fridge, but without proper direction you won’t know where to put things back or find them after.  What has really worked for us is to label some zones, but not all.  For the most part the food is grouped together by category but there are some items that are just going to have to hang out together because they are all tall or bulky.  So instead of doing a “miscellaneous” label (ie an organizer's nightmare) I left it blank and crossed my fingers that common sense will prevail.  

*** For the labels I used the FreeStyle Script font in MS Word, printed it out on Full Sheet Clear Decals from Avery and then covered the labels with clear Con-Tact shelf liner to make it washable.***

Maintain It

They key to any organizational system is proper maintenance.  Put it back where it is supposed to go. Period. For more on why this is so important click here.

Don’t be afraid to change things up if the system stops working for you.  Habits change, food preferences evolve.  One system won’t work forever, so don’t forget to reassess every once in awhile and shake it up if needed.

Happy Organizing!

Organize Your Home To Cultivate Your Child's Independence

As a parent to two young children I spend a ridiculous amount of time cleaning up after them.  I also spend a lot of time getting things for them.  Snacks, toys, craft supplies; not a day goes by that I don’t hear “Mama! Can you get me my (fill in the sometimes irrational request)?”.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to do things for and with them, but I also want them to be independent and give them the confidence to know they have the capability to do these things on their own.

It’s not just their toys that need to be organized, other areas of your home can contribute to their autonomy as well.

Kitchen  

Keep things at their level:  If you have a spot where you can place their plates, bowls, cutlery, etc that is within their reach, use it.  My kids really like to choose their own forks and spoons, so I always have them in an open bin that they can access within the cupboard or take out easily if they choose to.  We also have very deep cupboards in the kitchen, (this can be challenge, I know) so it’s really important to have the everyday stuff right in the front.  Save the back for the items that you use less frequently.

Having their things accessible means that they can easily help set the table, or get the appropriate piece of cutlery when they need a snack.

Another helpful tool in the kitchen is a water cooler.  We had one for years and it meant that every time my kids yelled that they were thirsty both their cups and water were easily within reach and they could help themselves.  I won’t lie, there were more spills on the floor than I could possibly count, but hey, it’s only water!

It is also incredibly helpful to have a place where their snacks are handy.  If you have a place in your pantry and/or your fridge that has healthy, parent-approved snacks already portioned out you can save yourself a great deal of stress.

Craft Station

We all try to find that balance between getting stuff done with the kids around and not letting them watch too much T.V. Once my kids are home from school they each get to pick one 20 minute show and then the screen goes off (this isn’t a hard and fast rule; I find the later I get into this pregnancy and more exhausted I become, the more this rule gets stretched).  Once the T.V. is off I need to entertain them and since this is generally the time that I am putting dinner together or finishing up my work, they need to play on their own.  For that reason I love having a craft station.  My office and their playroom is a shared space on our main floor.  This is by design.  I do a lot of work from home. Much of it while my kids are home. As a result I need to be close and keep an eye on them.  When I first moved my desk into their playroom my son asked me why. My daughter replied “because mommy likes to be with her children” (cue heart melting).

Their craft station is a rolling Ikea cart in between two tables.  Everything is in clear bins that they can open and close on their own.  I also keep a supply of blank paper, coloring books, play-doh and stickers.  One of the tricks I use is to not have everything accessible to them all the time.  I have more supplies stashed away.  I don’t keep everything out, I rotate and restock as needed.  Too much of a good thing isn't actually a good thing. The result is a space that works for all of us, with constructive play time and work happening together.

Toys

I cannot overstate how important it is to keep their toys organized and to a minimum.  The less there is, the better they play with what they have and the more they can use their imaginations.  I’ve seen it with my children and with countless clients whose playrooms I have reorganized.  Kids play better with less. Period.  If you don’t want to just get rid of all their toys (which is completely understandable) try having a rotating stock and only keep a few things out at a time.  

In terms of organizing their play area, the same guidelines apply.  Have things at their level, in bins or baskets that they can open on their own. You can use pictograms if necessary, and please, please, please take a few minutes to explain the system to them.  Sit down and show them how you have organized their toys. Explain to them where to find everything and that they need to clean up and put away one set of toys before they are allowed to move on to the next.  I’m not saying this is a foolproof system. They are kids, and won’t always clean up when they're done. But you certainly can’t expect them to know what to do if you don’t explain. Encourage them and then reinforce the positive things they do.

I want my kids to become helpful and contributing members of society and I don’t think that by doing everything for them I am fostering that kind of independence.  I think it is important to take away as many roadblocks as possible that sit in the path of the little tasks your are asking of them (you are not going to get your kid to grab their favorite puzzle without your help if you’ve placed it on a completely inaccessible shelf). You should have things organized in a predictable way that makes sense to them.  Grouping like items together, having easy to open bins and easily identifiable contents, are just a few of the ways to accomplish this. I’m not guaranteeing instant success and that your child will suddenly do everything on their own, but these are great first steps towards their autonomy.

Happy Organizing!

The Most Important Organizing Step (That Almost Everyone Forgets)

As seen on Huffington Post

I’m sure you've seen  lists all over your feeds claiming to get you organized in just a few simple steps.  Hey, I’ve written the process I go through to organize a space as well (shameless link to my past blog here!).  Let’s face it, lists read well.  People like them and if you throw in some pretty images they’re super-pinnable.  But lately I’ve begun noticing the missing link in all of those posts (mine included), the last step that is so important but doesn’t always make the cut. “Put it back!”

I can often be heard saying that there is no magic wand to wave when it comes to organizing.  It’s not a well kept secret that some of us have neglected to share.  Like anything else, it requires work.  No matter how fabulous an organization system you have set up, it isn’t going to maintain itself.  That super cute new closet system you just installed isn’t going to look quite so pretty a week in if you keep leaving your clothes all over the floor.  

This “put it back” step is something that everyone struggles with.  I’ve had tell myself to take a deep breath in front of clients after I’ve seen all the hard work they’ve done crumble.  I’m guilty of it too, sometimes I’m just too tired, too busy or, let’s face it, too lazy to put something back.  We all have our moments but they need to be just that.  Moments.  Our default reaction after we have taken something out and used it can’t be to just leave it.  All of those little things we leave throughout the day or week can add up to overwhelm fast.

Obviously this is all easier said than done but here are a few tips to help you crush this step.

Make it Pretty

I’m going to use the same concept as “if you look good, you feel good” for this one.  If you have built a beautiful system to keep you organized, both in looks and function you’ll be more likely to maintain it.  So go ahead and line those drawers that no one but you sees with beautiful paper. Splurge on getting new hangers so they are all the same. Make pretty little labels for all of your things even if you don’t need them.  The better it looks the more likely you will be to keep it that way.

Follow the One Minute Rule

I’ve quoted her before, but it works.  Gretchen Rubin urges us that if we have a task that takes less than one minute to just push ourselves to do it. In our fast paced life of list-making and prioritizing this rule takes away the self doubt.  If you stop to think about it you’ll be dead in the water, you’ll spend your time thinking about the other things you could or should do with that minute.  So put the dish away, replace the toilet paper, hang the dress back up, file that paper.  It’s a great way to keep up without feeling like you put too much effort or time in.

Make it a Habit

There are tons of ways to make something a habit or routine.  Just Google it (when you’re done reading this of course) and find the way that works for you.  Sometimes we need to just do something everyday to make it happen.  If you get into the habit of dealing with your mail as you get it instead leaving it in a pile near the door pretty soon you won’t have to think about it, it will become second nature.

Just Do It

Sometimes you just need to force yourself to do something.  It isn't fun.  There are no neat little tricks.  You just have to do it.  There are tasks that aren’t enjoyable and just plain suck but they still need to get done.  So take a breath and pull up your big-girl panties (or boy panties, I guess I’m kind of gender stereotyping who is most likely to read this) and just get it done..

Good Luck & Happy Organizing!