This week, we're going to  continue organizing in the kitchen by focusing on the refrigerator.  If you have been following my previous blogs, you understand the general process of organizing.  The first step is to take everything out.  Just like organizing the pantry, throw away expired food.  Then wipe all the shelves squeaky clean.   You may also want to readjust the shelves in a more practical way.  

My secret to keeping the refrigerator organized?  Group like items together and give them a home.  Clear plastic bins are great for keeping like food items together such as cheeses, snacks or sandwich makings.  If you have older kids that pack their lunches, you can keep lunch items together in a bin so kids can easily see what their choices are.  

Use clear food storage containers for leftovers.  I prefer square containers rather than round.  Keep leftovers on the same shelf.  Clean out the frig once a week prior to going to the grocery store.  This way you know what you've got and what you need to restock.  

You can use the same technique for the freezer.  Put all of your frozen vegetables or other like items together into bins.  

As with any other organizing project, keep frequently used items closest to the front and lesser used items in the back.  

Most of this month, I have concentrated on organizing different areas of the kitchen.  We spend so much of our lives there.  We not only cook in the kitchen but it's usually the spot where friends and family gather to socialize.   I hope you are on your way to having the organized kitchen that you want to show off and feel proud of.  

The next two blog posts will cover meal planning and grocery shopping.  What would you like to read about in future blog posts?  I would love to hear from you!

As a Professional Organizer, one of the most common requests from clients is pantry organizing.   Most of us are in our pantry several times a day so if it's disorganized our stress level increases each time we attempt to access the pantry.  How many of us have had a can drop on our foot because we can't easily reach the item we need.  An added bonus to having an organized pantry?  You'll save money because you will be able to see what you have rather than make duplicate purchases.  

The first step to organizing the pantry is to take EVERYTHING out- Yes I know you've heard me say that before in previous blog posts.  As you take all the food out, group like items together such as canned goods, cereal, food packets, chips, baking items, etc. You may want to sort the canned goods further into vegetables, soups, etc.

Be sure to check expiration dates and toss those items past their date.  Donate to a local Food Pantry unopened items that you know you will not be using soon.  Some things get pushed to the back so decide what you will use in the near future.  

Don't forget the spices.  If you're not sure about the freshness of a particular spice, take the lid off and see if it still has a fresh, strong scent.  If not, toss.  If you find duplicates, keep the freshest bottle and toss the others.  Spices can be organized alphabetically or by how you use them.  You may want to group all of your baking spices together, etc.  

Wipe the shelves clean and add or replace shelf paper or liner.

Time to put the food back in!  Remember, keep like items together.  I like to put the canned goods at eye level.  If you have the height between shelves, a tiered shelf organizer is nice because you can see the back cans so much easier.   Small plastic bins or baskets are nice for food packets.  Larger baskets work well to keep chips together and upright.  I keep all my vinegar and oils on a plastic turntable.  I can quickly see what I need as I spin the turntable and it's easy to clean the drips of oil.  Follow this link to see the turntable and other pantry organizing containers.  http://www.organizedatoz.com/Shelf-Organizers-s/46.htm

Put items you want the kids to be able to reach at their level.  You may want to put small appliances or paper goods on the very top shelf.  Generally, you want items that you frequently use in the space that's easiest to access.  Put lesser used items on harder to reach shelves.

It's best to keep flour, sugar and other dry good in sealed, stackable, clear containers.  Be sure to label.  Powdered sugar looks a lot like flour.  Some people label the shelves with the general food group so all family members can contribute to keeping the pantry organized.  

You're done!  Your pantry should be clean, categorized and organized!  I  hope it makes you smile the next time you reach for that box of cereal or can of tomatoes.  

I'm feeling a bit under the weather this week so when I went to take some cold medicine, I was thankful to have an organized medicine cabinet.  I opened the cabinet where I keep all the medication and found exactly what I was looking for.  When you're sick, the last thing you feel like doing is going through bottle after bottle to find what you need.  Or worse, having a sick child who needs medicine in the middle of the night only to find that you're out of what you need.  Organizing your medicine cabinet should be another quick organizing project and the next time you or a family member have an ache or a pain, you will be able to quickly find the medicine you need to feel better.

• First, take all the medicine bottles out of the cabinet and properly dispose of any expired medicines.  Most medicines can be safely thrown in the garbage but should be mixed with coffee grounds or kitty litter to make it less desirable for children and animals.  Please see the FDA website for any questions you have regarding safe drug disposal.  http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm101653.htm  Another option for safe medication disposal is The National Prescription Drug Take-back day scheduled for April 28th, 2012.  
  
• Sort the remaining medicine into categories such as vitamins, cough and cold medicine, children's medicines, prescriptions, etc.  Sort into categories that make sense for you and your family.
• Determine what size container or plastic baskets that are needed for each category.  Plastic baskets can be purchased at any discount store, dollar stores or maybe you already have containers.  Be sure to label each container with the designated category so you can quickly grab the basket you need.
• Wipe the shelf and syrup bottles before returning them to the cabinet.  Sometimes children't medicines and cough syrup leave a sticky residue.

As a note:  Medicines should not be stored in the bathroom or other high humidity areas of the house.  I keep mine in the kitchen.

I would LOVE to hear your ideas for organizing medicines.  Please leave your comments below.

__Generally the toughest drawer to organize will be the junk drawer that every kitchen
has, but if you follow the steps lined out in my earlier blog about cleaning out your
purse, then it should be simple. Miscellaneous things seem to find their way into the
junk drawer and not find their way out. This should be a relatively quick project. If you
don’t have 15 minutes to set aside for this task, maybe you can multi-task and start organizing the junk drawer as you’re
cooking dinner.  Just follow the
same five steps below that I outlined to organize purses and backpacks.

1) Empty everything out of the drawer.

2) Throw out trash - if there’s an unknown object that’s been in the junk drawer for
awhile, it’s probably safe to throw it out.

3) Clean - Wipe out the empty drawer. It’s much nicer to start with a freshly cleaned area.

4) Sort - Group like items together and

5) Put back in an organized way. I like the junk drawer organizers like the one they sell
at The Container Store.   http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10000671&N=&Ntt=junk+drawer+organizer

In the blog last week, I mentioned that receipts should be kept in a dedicated file or envelope.  But what receipts should you keep and what is the easiest way to organize them?

In general, receipts for groceries and toiletries don't need to be kept.  Receipts for clothing and other household items until the receipt expires.  Some products offer warranties and in this case the receipt should be kept for the lifetime of the warranty.  Receipts for expensive items such as electronics, furniture, jewelry, etc. should be kept as long as you own the item.

Some options for filing your receipts include an expandable file, a coupon holder or an index card box.  Some people scan their receipts so they have a copy on their computer then shred the original.  Choose the method or container that's easiest for you.  Below are the five steps to keep your coupons organized.

STEP 1 - Designate an easily accessible spot to store receipts.

STEP 2 -  Determine categories - The categories will be different for everyone.  Examples of receipt categories that may work for you are home improvement, business expenses, medical, entertainment, clothing and household, car repair, electronics, etc.  

STEP 3 -  Label individual sections with the categories.  This is key so that all family members can easily add their receipts to the proper section of the file.

STEP 4  Maintain - Go through each month to throw/shred expired receipts.  

STEP 5  Each time you get a receipt, file it in the appropriate section of the file.