get your recipes organized

Get Clutter Free in 30-Days

With these easy Quick Tip solutions to simplify your life and organize your home, you'll see less clutter each and every day. We are done (this is Day Thirty) but if you didn’t join us in the month long challenge, don’t worry… the wonderful thing about this challenge is that it’s a ‘personal’ challenge. You are competing with only yourself and you can go at your own pace. The idea is to learn new skills or improve old ones to help you get in the habit of staying clutter free on a regular basis – that way things don’t get overwhelming and out of hand! It's NEVER to late to get started, check out the whole series on the ‘Get Clutter-Free’ page.

Day Thirty: Get Your Recipes Organized

Do you love to cook? Do you LOVE a great recipe? But do you have recipes scattered everywhere… in purchased cookbooks, in hand-me-down cookbooks, in index files, in three ring notebooks, in files on the computer... It can be maddening to try to locate a treasured recipe when you are getting ready to prepare a meal… and you just don’t know where to find that great beloved {fill-in the blank} recipe of Aunt So-n-So’s. I have to let you in on a little secret, about 10 years ago I entered all my favorite recipes on a Word Template that I created on my computer. Now all of them are filed away on my hard drive (and on a USB drive – I learned my lesson the hard way on this one). Each time I run across a new recipe that is a WINNER, I just fill-in the template with the title, category, origination, ingredients, directions, a great finished dish photo and “ta-da” – I know where to find it the next time I want to prepare it! I divided my computer cookbook into category sections that most of my recipes tend to fall into: Appetizer, Dips, & Beverages; Soup, Salad, & Relishes; Entrees & Sides; Sweets; and Misc. (You can decide what categories your recipes easily fall in).

So for this last challenge… I got to thinking about what would happen if you were to start organizing recipes and I came up with some ways to streamline the hunt for that beloved recipe you know you have somewhere.

Problem: Finding a Recipe

Solution: Mark the page. The next time you're browsing and see a recipe that makes your mouth water, slip on a Book Dart ($10 for 100). Made of paper-thin metal, it does the job attractively and won't fall off, wrinkle the page, or leave a mark. Book Darts come in bronze, silver, and brass, so you can color-code to distinguish recipes you have tried from those you haven't, or entrées from appetizers. Or place markers for favorites at the top of the page and mark others on the side.

Solution: Make an index. On an index card, write the recipe title (or a name you're more likely to remember), the book or magazine issue it's in, and the page number. File the cards alphabetically in a recipe box, dividing it into sections like Appetizer, Dips, Beverages; Soup, Salad, Relishes; Entrees & Sides; Sweets; Misc.

Problem: Locating a Cookbook

Solution: Make a kitchen book nook. Nothing personalizes a kitchen like a row of cookbooks arrayed on a shelf or in a hutch. Keep a chair or a stool nearby so you have a place to sit and peruse. Avoid placing books on open shelves where they’re exposed to humidity and grease, namely over or next to the stove or over the refrigerator. Use bookends to keep books from slumping and bindings from breaking.

Problem: Cataloguing Cookbooks  

Solution: Organize books to match your style. Your system should reflect your tastes. It may make sense to alphabetize one section by author, create another section for themes (barbecue, dessert), and a third section by geography. If you are big on world cuisines start with those from your region, then move along the shelf in a logical direction from California to New York, down to South America, across to Europe, then to Africa, and so on. Another shelf could follow a trail from the beginning of the day (breakfast), then to middle of day (lunch - sandwiches, snacks) and on to end of day (appetizers and main events). Whatever works best for you.

Problem: Keeping Track of Clipped Recipes

Solution: Create a filing system. Sort recipes in labeled folders and keep them in a file drawer or in an open-sided magazine storage box on the bookshelf. If you prefer, set up a three-ring binder with tab dividers and plastic page protectors for both full sheets (for pages from a magazine) and divided sheets (for three-by-five-inch recipe cards). Start simply, with just a few sections (Special Occasions, Favorites, and Recipes to Try). Because Recipes to Try can easily turn into Recipes Clipped for Some Unknown Reason, keep this section from getting out of hand by adapting the rule of wardrobe control: Every time you add a recipe, eliminate one you have yet to try.

Solution: Buy a ready-made system. Two binders with lots of organizing tools are the C.R. Gibson Bon Appétit Deluxe Kitchen Binder ($35) and the Gallery Leather Recipe Organizer ($32).

Problem: Parting With Cookbooks

Solution: Keep recipes; toss books. The computer is a cookbook hoarder’s best friend. No matter how much you love a book, you probably use only a handful of its recipes, so why not scan the ones you love and file them electronically? (Or photocopy them and file in a binder.) Give the books to a food-loving friend, or donate them to a thrift shop or your local library.

Solution: Make an online cookbook. Use the Internet to find as well as store recipes. For instance, I have heard wonderful things about a recipe site called Just a Pinch. I also enjoy perusing Foodnetwork.com and Bonappetit.com for delicious recipes. When you find a recipe you like, print it out; if the dish was a hit, keep the recipe in a binder. You might also investigate recipe-keeping software that offers additional features.

Solution: Download a Recipe Software Program. Why give cookbooks a lot of space in your house when you have so much more room on your hard drive? That’s the reasoning behind downloadable software such as Cook’n ($80) and BigOven (Free). Like free websites with online cookbooks, both come with plenty of recipes and let you paste in your own from other sites. In addition to sorting recipes, these programs do other tricks: adjusting for different numbers of servings; offering nutritional information; creating menu plans; and, in the case of Cook’n, generating shopping lists organized by aisle. help via

Your Assignment for Day Thirty:

This is our last day on The 30 Day Challenge to Get Clutter Free. Did you enjoy it?
Would you like to see more Challenges? … if so, let me know on what topic?

I thought for our last challenge… I would offer you a treat to add to your organized recipes! This is so easy (basically, the only kind of recipes I make as you are probably starting to figure out) and this is very hearty and yummy.

ENJOY… GOOD LUCK… AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME IN OUR FIRST CHALLENGE

 

OLD FASHION BEAN SOUP

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry navy beans (soak overnight)
• 2 qts water
• 1 lb meaty ham bone or pieces
• Salt to taste
• 5 whole peppercorns or ½ tsp pepper
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• ½ C chopped celery leaves
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• ¾ tsp thyme

Directions

Place all ingredients (except beans) in Dutch oven and bring to boil.  Simmer until vegetables are tender (20 minutes). Add beans, cover and cook on low for 1 hour. Add water as needed to keep ingredients covered.

get your taxes organized

Get Clutter Free in 30-Days

With these easy Quick Tip solutions to simplify your life and organize your home, you'll see less clutter each and every day.  We are almost done but if you haven’t joined us yet, don’t worry… the great thing about this challenge is that it’s a ‘personal’ challenge. You are competing with only yourself and you can go at your own pace.  The idea is to learn new skills or improve old ones to help you get in the habit of staying clutter free on a regular basis – that way things don’t get overwhelming and out of hand!  It's NEVER to late to get started, check out the whole series on the ‘Get Clutter-Free’ page.

Day Twenty Nine: Get Your Taxes Organized

We only have a couple days left to talk about ORGANIZATION and I thought I just can’t finish this series up without helping you will the biggest step in ORGANIZATION… TAXES. By now, you’ve most likely received your W-2s, 1099s, and other tax-related statements for 2011. So today’s Challenge is getting organized for tax time. If you’re like most people, the thought of preparing your tax return is stressful! One of the best ways to make taxes far less taxing is to get organized.

Get Organized Now

Don’t put it off until the evening of April 14^th! Get organized now, and preparing your taxes will be much less daunting.

A little organization goes a long way. Having a designated place to put your tax-related paperwork and receipts will save you headaches and stress because you won’t need to waste time at the eleventh hour searching hither and yon for a lost W-2. It will also help you maximize your deductions since it will reduce the chances of misplacing receipts for deductible expenses.

It can also save you money if you use a professional tax preparer. Tax preparers and CPAs usually charge by the hour, so the better organized your paperwork is, the more efficiently they can prepare your return.

You Need a System

Getting organized starts with having a place to put your paperwork. Even if you have a simple financial life, you need at least a two-drawer filing cabinet to organize your financial documents. This filing cabinet is a one-stop location for all your important financial paperwork such as bank statements, mortgage statements, property tax records, retirement plan statements, and brokerage statements. Put it in a place that makes it easily accessible.

And, if you’ve managed to avoid filing all together up until now, you’ll also need some supplies: Get a box of manila file folders and a box of hanging file folders.

Keep It Simple

Use one portion of your filing cabinet for taxes. Label a manila folder something creative and catchy like “2011 Taxes.” Gather together the tax documents you’ve received, such as W-2s, 1099s, and mortgage interest statements and drop them in this folder. If they’re buried on your desk or scattered on your dining room table right now, go gather them up and put them in this folder.

You’ll also want to put receipts for deductible items such as charitable contributions, investment-related expenses, medical expenses, and tax preparation software in this folder. Don’t forget to put your property tax bill in the folder too. If you have a lot of receipts, put them in a large envelope also labeled something creative and catchy like “2011 Receipts.” Then, put the envelope in the manila folder. If you have receipts that fall into different tax categories, such as charitable contributions and rental real estate, use a separate labeled envelope for each category. An accordion-style check organizer also works well for organizing receipts in different categories.

Next, label one of your hanging file folders “2011 Taxes” and put your “2011 Taxes” manila folder in this hanging file folder.

And while you’re at it, set up your system for this year too. Create a hanging file folder and a manila folder labeled “2012 Taxes” and put them in your filing cabinet. Now you have a place to put your tax-related paperwork and receipts for deductible expenses for this year as you get them.

And there you go! After you’ve done this, you’ll feel much, much better. You’ll breathe a little more deeply and you’ll notice the birds sing a little more sweetly. And if you use an accountant to prepare your taxes, you’ll find that they’re a little sweeter too after you impress them with your organized paperwork.

Your Assignment for Day Twenty Nine:

Come on… it’s the end of January and you KNOW you have all the paperwork (somewhere). It’s time to get it together and be ready for the trip to the CPA. Put all the paperwork together and call your accountant to set up an appointment.  You can set the meeting up for a month or so out, but get it on the calendar.  Set yourself a deadline so you can stick to it!

Day Thirty is tomorrow – what will it be?

GOOD LUCK!

30-day challenge: a reward for completion of week four

CONGRATULATIONS!

After the completion of another successful week of getting organized, it's time to pamper yourself with another wonderful treat. I usually assign a Challenge on the last day of the week but… since we went shopping yesterday and shopping can really take it out of you (wink)… I am going to give you a day of rest to just sit and enjoy the following treat.
I wish I could prepare this for you; first, because it would be a relaxing treat made just for you and second, because I LOVE to eat this treat…. yum! We would sit down with a great frozen margarita and chat about our week... but alas, we can only visit via internet. So, please leave me a comment or email me and let me hear about your week of organization!  Now, on to the reward - another yummy (and easy) treat.

BLACK EYED PEA SALSA

Ingredients

• 15 oz can black eyed peas, rinse and drained
• 1 medium red pepper, finely diced
• 2 T white or green onion, finely chopped
• 1 T parsley flakes
• 1 T cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp jalapeno chilies, chopped 
• 2 T oil
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix ingredients together well, cover and marinate overnight.
Serve with tortilla chips (I prefer Xochitl Salted Tortilla Chips).

Please let me know what you think of the recipe!

Again, CONGRATULATIONS!

shop 'til you drop

Get Clutter Free in 30-Days

With these easy Quick Tip solutions to simplify your life and organize your home, you'll see less clutter each and every day.  We are almost done but if you haven’t joined us yet, don’t worry… the great thing about this challenge is that it’s a ‘personal’ challenge. You are competing with only yourself and you can go at your own pace.  The idea is to learn new skills or improve old ones to help you get in the habit of staying clutter free on a regular basis – that way things don’t get overwhelming and out of hand!  It's NEVER to late to get started, check out the whole series on the ‘Get Clutter-Free’ page.

Day Twenty Seven: Shop 'til You Drop

Sounds like fun, huh?

A lot of you have been contacting me with questions on ‘where’ to get organizational products to help you in your home.  My answer is start at “The Container Store”.  If you are like me and am a bit on the compulsive side… The Container Store makes you feel like a kid in a candy store. (Find a location near you.)  Ok, they aren’t a sponsor for my blog (…yet) and I am not getting any kind of ‘kick-back’ on this… I just LOVE the store. (Maybe if they see this blog – they will want to start a discussion! Will you help spread the word for me?)

Today let’s go shopping online and pick out some really great organizational items. 

First up is elfa®: This is The Container Store’s best-selling modular shelving and drawer system that can be customized to your needs and your space to help you get organized. It can be used in any room of the home, including a closet, office, garage or pantry. Right now, they are having a great sale too! (ssssshhhhhhhh, this is stepping over the line a bit for me – because my company sells Rubbermaid Built-in components. So if you live close enough to buy locally from The Weinmeister Company in Atlanta – ignore this part, ok? LOL) 

 

Solo Hooks and Clips (pkg of 3 - $5.99 ea): Do your scarves, belts and gloves feel like they just don't fit in with the rest of your closet? These can help. They're specifically designed to hold a wide range of accessories that otherwise defy space-efficient organization. They're perfect for not only holding scarves, belts, gloves and shawls in the closet, but also for hang-drying delicates and swimwear.
Hanger Hamper ($7.99 ea): Empty hangers take up precious room on a closet rod and create a tangled mess when gathered in a pile. Hanger Hamper solves the problem neatly by collecting wire or plastic hangers so you can take them to the laundry room or dry cleaner for recycling. Best of all, it helps save some of the millions of hangers that go into landfills every year. It's collapsible so it won't take up extra space when empty. 
  Wide Accessory Hoop ($3.99 ea): Do your scarves, long necklaces and belts feel like they just don't fit in with the rest of your closet? The Wide Accessory Loop can help. It's specifically designed to hold a wide range of accessories that otherwise defy space-efficient organization too. It's perfect for holding scarves, belts and shawls.
Stair Crunch Can by Umbra® ($12.99 ea): Designed to sit on a flight of stairs to collect items to be taken up or down all in one neat, convenient spot, the Stair Crunch Can by umbra can be used to hold laundry, toys, shoes, books or odds and ends. It helps consolidate clutter, reducing your trips upstairs and down. When not in use, it "crunches" down to mere inches for convenient storage.  
Stockholm Pencil Cup ($7.99 ea): This has a divided interior so it's easy to sort pencils, pens and highlighters. It perfectly coordinates with the entire Synchronicity Stockholm collection. 
Receipt Wallet (SALE $3.99 ea, reg $4.99): This is the perfect portable filing system to add style to your business papers or home project. This compact carrying file has it all. It organizes important documents like paperwork, receipts or bills. The six interior file pockets cascade down and the slim design allows for easy transport and storage.  
6 gallon Stack & Carry ($9.99 ea): These help you recycle, even in tight spaces. The containers can fit under a counter, desk or inside a pantry. Once full, it's easy to carry to a bigger bin or empty into a recycling bag. It's perfect for apartments, offices, dorms and classrooms.  
Moso Bamboo Charcoal Sachets ($9.99 ea): This great little sachet clears the air with a clear conscience.  They're a naturally safe solution to remove odors, bacteria, pollutants, allergens, mold and mildew from enclosed areas. Use them in cars, trucks, closets, offices, boats and RVs and the air in those spaces will be completely neutralized in about a month. You'll have pure air without the need for chemicals or artificial scents because these sachets are completely fragrance free and non-toxic. 

Ok, this is just a little sample to wet your appetite on products to help you Get Clutter Free. 

Your Assignment for Day Twenty Seven:

You are going to love me for this one! 
Find an area in your home (coat closet, laundry room, office, etc) that has lots of ‘little’ items that need help getting organized and … ready… go SHOPPING to find some products to help in the organization!

GOOD LUCK!

storage solutions

Get Clutter Free in 30-Days

With these easy Quick Tip solutions to simplify your life and organize your home, you'll see less clutter each and every day.  It's NEVER to late to start! We are almost there – How are you feeling? 

How did you do on yesterday's assignment?

The amount of stuff in your attic, closets and garage may seem overwhelming now. But if you organize it well,  you’ll be able to put your hands on whatever you need when you need it. I am going to offer you some ideas for storage solutions to help you conquer clutter in any room in your home. If you have the space to store things properly, most likely clutter will not happen.

Cruise antique stores, flea markets and salvage shops for storage containers large and small. Kitchen, hardware and office supply stores will also have dozens of storage solutions. And don’t forget to shop in your own home, where great pieces may lurk in your attic, basement or spare bedroom. Any item with drawers, shelves or divided space is a candidate for creative storage.

Day Twenty Six: Organizing with Storage Solutions

Below are some ideas to get your started:

 

Armoires

Look in antique stores for the walnut and mahogany wardrobes from the 1920s and 1930s, which are just as roomy as the faux-French ones of today and significantly cheaper. Or visit an unfinished furniture store and pick up a unit that suits your needs. An armoire can house not only clothes but a TV, a work station for hobbies, a computer or a compact home office.

 

Metro Shelving

This heavy-duty chrome wire shelving, often used in restaurant kitchens, provides strong, industrial-looking open storage anywhere. Stack with tools, towels and supplies in the laundry room; plastic toy bins in a child’s room; and cookware and bulk food in the kitchen, pantry or utility room.

   Baskets

Wicker or wood, open or lidded, large or small, baskets offer storage solutions for every room in the house. Search out the unusual and beautiful to create a beautiful textural display. Stash rolled towels and bathroom supplies, blankets near the couch or fireplace; use for toy storage, shoes at the front door and classy organizers for shelves of all sizes.

 

Pocket Wall Files

Great not just for the office but also in the kitchen to hold frequently used recipes, takeout menus and receipts. Use in a child’s room to keep homework and other school papers organized and easy to access.

 

Pegs and Hooks

Available in many styles and in wood, chrome, iron and more. Useful alone and below mirrors or shelves. Remove towel bars and install hooks along a bathroom wall to hang enough towels for everyone. Great for kids’ rooms so they can hang up jackets and sweaters “all by myself.” Pair with a storage bench in the mudroom or entryway.

 

Bulletin Boards

Think big: Cover the back of a door or a wide stretch of wall with cork, tautly stretched canvas or foam-core panels wrapped in felt. Notes, invitations, photos and all sorts of other miscellaneous that would jumble a drawer become a colorful collage when organized on a handsome bulletin board.

 

Ladders

Lean a bamboo ladder against a bedroom wall to display a collection of quilts or scarves. Lay planks across the steps of a painted stepladder in the family room and form shelves for books and magazines.

 

Piano Benches

Even if you don’t own a piano, a reclaimed bench works well in an entryway (with gloves, hats and scarves beneath the hinged lid) or as extra seating in a pinch at party time. Hide magazines, placemats and more inside.

 

Paint Cans

Buy new paint cans from the hardware store and cover in fabric or wrapping paper. Standing upright, fill with anything from kitchen utensils to garden tools to art supplies. Turned on their sides, cans stack into a pyramid to store mail, jewelry, crayons, shells, seed packets and so on…. even store flip-flops at the beach! 

 

Old Pie Safes

The pierced-tin or wire-mesh fronts that once made these cabinets perfect for cooling pies make them ideal storage pieces for towels and soaps in bathrooms, rustic nightstands or as a corner bar in the living room.

 

Vintage Suitcases

These nostalgic mementos not only look sophisticated, but store projects, photo albums and other stuff, and stack into charming occasional and bedside tables.

   Old Trunks

Though not as easily portable as baskets and suitcases, military or camp trunks provide great storage for extra blankets and quilts in a guest room, a spot to sit in an entryway and stash books within, or in a rear entryway to hold sports equipment, extension cords or boots or bulk supplies. Top one with a large tray to make it work as a coffee or side table.

 

Salvaged Kitchen Cabinets

Appealingly low-priced at salvage shops, no-longer-loved cabinets become instant storage at floor level or higher in a laundry room or workshop. Or remove doors, repaint the cabinet interiors and use as cubbyholes.

 

Retail Fixtures

Fixtures that once displayed shirts or sweaters for sale are worth searching for, both in salvage shops and at going-out-of-business sales (“Everything must go! Even the fixtures!”).

 

File Cabinets

Too useful to limit to storing papers, file cabinets can hold caps, gloves and scarves in an entryway, t-shirts or sweaters in a bedroom, or board games and puzzles in a family room. Look for oak pieces in antique shops. Or spray paint a metal model a bright color. Make sure the drawers open and close easily and that locks are disabled so you’re not stuck without a key.

 

Fabric-Covered Boxes

Whether you cover them yourself or buy them already clad, sturdy boxes covered with linen, chintz, denim or silk will organize everything from CDs to old love letters with a stylish note. Buy plenty—just one or two can look like an afterthought, but three, five, seven or more (an odd number makes a better arrangement) become a design statement.

 

Glossy Gift Boxes (I just LOVE this)

A row of Tiffany-turquoise or Hermès-orange boxes makes a bright display stacked on open shelves while offering labeled homes for documents or bills you need to save, photographs or office supplies.

 

Garbage Cans

Buy small galvanized garbage cans with lids to serve as stylish out-of-sight storage for large essentials: laundry detergent, pet food, toys, sporting goods, rain boots—even recyclables and kitchen compost.

 

Your Assignment for Day Twenty Six:

If you can’t bare to get rid of ‘it’, but need to put it away… try some of these great new storage solutions for your home

 

GOOD LUCK!

 

organizing your crafts

Get Clutter Free in 30-Days

With these easy Quick Tip solutions to simplify your life and organize your home, you'll see less clutter each and every day.  It's NEVER to late to start! We are almost there – Day Thirty!!! How are you feeling?  Getting organized can be a BIG job but so satisfying.

How did you do on yesterday's assignment?

When my children were young – I was a HUGE crafter… everything from cross-stitch to Christmas ornaments. We would sit around the table and spend a couple hours, having fun – creating - being together!  I loved that time but as the children grew older and I started working outside the home… crafting seemed to fall farther down the list.  I do miss it and if I could have a BIG dream come true, it would be to have this great craft armoire by Martha Stewart.  I saw this wonderful segment on her Hallmark Show and FELL IN LOVE… seriously, it is to die for! Like I said, I am not much of a crafter anymore, so I thought I would hand this one Challenge over to Ms. Stewart. (I know she can handle it!)

This project comes directly from MarthaStewart.com

ENJOY!

 

Day Twenty Five: Organizing Your Craft Work Space

Most people don't have the space to set aside an entire room for craft projects, but a smaller, well-organized spot can serve your purpose almost as well. Martha demonstrates how to create a "room" in an armoire or closet to provide convenient storage for craft tools and supplies.

Converting an armoire that already contains shelves involves very little carpentry work. Martha removes one shelf of her large antique country armoire to accommodate a row of magazine holders, taking advantage of the extra space left above the holders by attaching a row of small drawers to the bottom of the shelf above. (see right side of cabinet) The small drawers contain Velcro, raffia, twine, and similar frequently accessed supplies; Martha indicates the contents of each one with a Brother P-Touch label. Since each drawer contains a small hole that functions as a handle, the end of a piece of twine can be drawn out the hole as if from a dispenser.

On another shelf, Martha places a similar set of prefabricated wooden drawers (these particular drawers were purchased at Ikea). (see left side of cabinet) They come in natural-colored wood, so before organizing her armoire, Martha painted them a pretty shade of green. The drawers are removable, so she will be able to pull out and carry an entire drawer to the place where she's working on a project.

On the shelf below the small drawers, Martha inserts a large roll of white butcher's paper. The paper is inexpensive, and you can rip off exactly as much as you need for a project. It's also handy for protecting your work surface - and wonderful to have on hand as drawing paper for kids.

Martha gets the most from recessed corner shelf space with several small lazy Susans, using single-level lazy Susans for tall bottles and jars and two-tiered ones for smaller containers. (see right side of cabinet)

No space in the armoire goes unused, including the insides of the doors. (I am sorry that the photo does not include these great ideas) A cafe-curtain rod stores rolls of ribbon; a stainless-steel wall organizer, sold as a wall-mounted magazine holder, holds rolls of paper. A metal ruler and a self-healing mat, invaluable for protecting surfaces when you're using a utility knife, hang on C-hooks on the inside of one door. On the opposite side, Martha screwed in two eye hooks and strung a wire between them to hold an oversized pad of sketching paper. (Before mounting anything on your door, check to see that the hinges are strong and well attached.)

Martha protects the bottoms of the drawers in the armoire with sheets of galvanized steel (most home centers will cut sheet metal to your specifications). She organizes the drawers with galvanized bins and wooden crates, each of which contains a specific category of items such as kids' paint supplies, a flower-arranging kit, or safety goggles and masks. The top-right drawer is reserved for gift-wrapping supplies, like rolls of paper, tape, scissors, and ribbon. A small box within the drawer holds scraps of beautiful paper and ribbon that can be recycled into gift tags, greeting cards, and other small items.

Your Assignment for Day Twenty Five:

If you are a Crafter, were a Crafter, and plan to be a Crafter, collect ALL your crafting materials in one area and make a plan on how to organize them. The ideal place would be an armoire like Martha’s, but you can start small with maybe a rolling plastic file cabinet. The point is to get the supplies organized in one location so that working on crafts will be more fun and less stress!

Pottery Barn and Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

 

Martha Stewart IS the Queen of Organization (Ok, I know I said I was…but, whatever!) She has so much help out there on the market… Here is a GREAT Organization Book on Amazon. Com.  Click here to take a peak inside the book.