Category: Organization

Because it’s January, everyone is in the mood to get their house in order, right?! I know I’m a little late to be getting this out, but we’re not through the winter yet. Cheers to  decluttering and organizing! Did you know the easiest way to organize your stuff is to get rid of most of it? Yes, think about it. How much easier life would be if we didn’t have so much stuff?!

The American dream is to purchase all the things you need or want. Unfortunately, this thought pattern has permeated we as Anabaptists. But just because you have the money to buy something doesn’t mean it’s right to buy it. This quote by Elizabeth Elliot convicted me- Clutter is the evidence of discontent. We become discontent so we keep buying more things we really don’t need.  Soon, we have all this stuff that we don’t know what to do with.  Next, we need an attic or storage unit to store our excess clutter!

Hebrews 13:5 says,  Let your conversation be without covetousness;  and be content with such things as ye have.… 

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 We certainly have heaps more than food and raiment, so why do we struggle to be content??

So let’s talk about what minimalism is not.  You may think its stark, cold walls, no decor, or no comfortable living room furniture. I’m not talking about that. I don’t want my house to look like I moved in yesterday or like I’m moving out next week. I still endorse cozy, homey, and comfortable.

Following are several pointers about what I mean when I talk about minimalism. Most of this information is not original with me:

*Minimalism isn’t something trendy to be in style. It’s simplifying our houses and lives so we are better able to live calm, restful lives.

*Minimalism is not about the exact number of items we have.  It is working to eliminate as many distractions from our lives as possible so we can keep our focus on living in rest and calm, building healthy relationships, and focus on things that truly matter. 

*Our homes should be a “restful haven.” It’s living space, not storage space. 

*Minimalism will look different for each person and their home.

*With minimalism, we will need to consistently be aware and evaluate what is taking our time and space, as well as maintain our progress with daily habits.

*Minimalism is a journey, not a destination to arrive at. We constantly need to stay on top of the clutter that invariably creeps in.

My own journey to minimalism started in earnest around 8 months ago. I say in earnest, because I’ve always been somewhat minimalistic in that I’ve always prioritized staying on top of my house work, hated clutter, and was quick to get rid of things. But I enjoyed decor and had plenty of stuff sitting around and tucked away. Last spring, I began learning more about what it means to minimize.

I didn’t realize every item I own takes up brain space. Thus, the more you get rid of the more brain space you have. And who couldn’t use more of that?! It’s no wonder the sigh of relief we feel after dropping off a box or two at the Goodwill, or even taking out bags of trash that we had no clue were hiding out in our house!

I’m going to talk about 5 areas in my home where I have implemented minimalism.

Kitchen:

*Clear off as much counter space as possible. I realize some kitchens are very limited with counter space and you may need to keep some appliances on top. But if you at all can, put away the mixer, the toaster, the utensil caddy, etc. I didn’t always keep my counters as clear as I do now, but I’ve learned to love the extra space and the clean look! I used to think I didn’t have space for my utensils to be in a drawer. But I kept minimizing, and eventually I realized I could condense a couple things and came up with a drawer for those utensils. Also, you don’t need every little kitchen gadget out there. Use items that can multitask!

* I urge you to go through your cupboards and be intentional in only keeping what you really need! If you think you don’t have enough cabinet space, you may be suprised at the amount of space you can create simply by moving out unused items. And don’t just do this one time. After a couple months, sort through again and reevaluate.  What could you do without? Ask yourself, do I really need 8 serving bowls, 3 or 4 crockpots, or all those miscellaneous utensils that hide out in the drawer and haven’t been used in a year?! Do you need a dozen Tupperware containers? I had a set of square Tupperware containers that were a wedding gift. I never really liked them because they didn’t stack well with my other containers. Finally last summer I realized I am allowed to get rid of them! I haven’t missed them and love the extra space. If you’re not sure about getting rid of something just yet, put it in a box with the date written on it. If you haven’t missed it in 3-6 months, you really don’t need it. For sure you don’t need it if you’ve not used it in the last year!

Granted, there are things such as canning/ gardening supplies or baby items and such that we haven’t used in a year or more. We use common sense with these type of items. Sentimental items that sit in storage year after year are another can of worms that I won’t get into. But yes, you are allowed to get rid of something that was your great grandma’s but doesn’t bring you any joy! 😉

Bedroom:

Here I’m talking about our master bedroom.

* This is a room where I certainly do not allow clutter to pile up. Clear off that dresser. Keep only one or two small pieces of decor on it or something that’s very special to you. Don’t clutter the walls with picture frames or mottos. Maybe one or two. This really does bring a restful appearance to the room. Keep clothes picked up and the bed made. Sweep and dust it regularly. It’s a special haven of rest. We typically don’t allow the children to play in our bedroom.

*We got rid of our bed frame and have a minimalist type of frame. It doesn’t even require a box spring. You simply plop your mattress on top. We absolutely love it. It’s simple to move and there’s no deep dark dungeon under there full of storage containers and hid treasures.

Bathroom:

*Is it fun to clean a shower that’s lined full of shampoo and body wash? I don’t find it so. There’s no need to host a dozen products on those shower shelves! Throw away that bottle of shampoo everybody hates. There’s no need for two bottles of the same kind of body wash either. Condense and minimize as much as possible. You will be glad you did when you can scrub that shower in a whizz on Friday morning!

*Do you really use all of those 17 raggedy old towels? Or does everyone go for the 5 thick ones that actually work for drying? Keep only what your family really uses. In our master bathroom we have four towels and nine wash cloths. We reuse towels and I wash twice a week. We have enough but not excess. The company bathroom I obviously keep quite a bit more.

*What about the old toothpaste tubes or ancient creams of some sort hanging out in the back of the drawer? Those whitening strips that you once bought with great intentions only to discover it made your teeth sensitive. Throw it out! Stay on top of that bathroom clutter. Wipe down the sink and toilet every morning. Discipline yourself to put things away after you finish getting dressed and you will enjoy a cleaner space all day.

Wardrobe:

*How many clothes or dresses do we really need? A debatable subject to be sure! I like having enough socks and such that I’m not running low from one washing to the next, but I don’t keep a whole drawer full.  It’s too much unnecessary clutter. Get rid of those worn-out socks and don’t feel guilty. 

*As for dresses, this will also vary.  I hesitate to say a number because that doesn’t mean that’s how many you should have.  It’s what I’ve chosen for myself. I don’t keep dresses hanging in my closet that are worn, stained, or don’t fit. (I keep one old one for dirty work but it’s stuck away up on the shelf.) Get rid of things that are too tight or too loose. I’m not promoting wastefulness but there’s no virtue in keeping it if it’s only filling up closet space. Perhaps I’m not as minimal as I should be but I like variety and I also love sewing. I keep approximately 20ish dresses. (I’m feeling quite exposed here and this may not sound minimal to some of you.) I like about 8ish Sunday ones and plenty for everyday wear. It’s also nice to have plenty of good dresses for trips so that there’s no need to stress about washing every other day.  30-40  dresses is not what I would call minimal, but again, our numbers will vary, and there’s not a perfect number everyone will have!  Keep only dresses/clothes that you really love. It does take discipline to not always be sewing new dresses when one loves to sew and has fabric on hand. I’ve not always done well in this area, but I’m trying to do better.

*Sweaters are another one of my weaknesses. I’m sure I could simplify a little more in this area, but I love color coordinating and variety, so I tend to have plenty. I have short sleeve sweaters I wear in the summer and other cozy, long sleeved ones for winter.  I don’t think you have to get rid of it if you still love it and want to wear it again next season. But if you’ve not worn it in a year, pass it on!  The same idea applies to footwear of which most ladies love! We don’t need 20 pairs of shoes/ boots!

Toys:

*In the past I’ve wished we had an extra room to use as a playroom but I dont mind that anymore. This is my opinion: How will you teach your children contentment when they have a room filled with toys of all manner, toy furniture, and beeping/talking gadgets?

*We have a few toys in the basement, but on our main living area, we keep one medium size basket for toys.  Right now it’s mostly boy toys for Reece. We also have a narrow tote with a few puzzles and blocks in it but it’s up on a closet shelf and we don’t have it out on a regular basis. This helps to keep these things more special. Josie has a few dolls and things in her bedroom downstairs. But only having one basket makes clean up time quite doable. Children get overwhelmed (not to mention mom and dad) if the whole room is littered with toys, game pieces, Legos, and the whole 9 yards. And just a note, if you have a large family, I won’t expect you to only have one basket of toys like we do.

*Minimize your toys! Having an abundance by no means signals happiness. If you have way too many, get rid of half of them. Just see if your children don’t play better next time. Periodically go through the toy box and pitch any broken or silly pieces that aren’t worth keeping. Throw out those games that don’t have all the pieces anymore.  We had an overload of tiny animals. I got so tired of Reece dumping out the whole toy basket, and then we had all these tiny pieces to pick up. One evening I scooped them all up and hid them on a high shelf.  He never missed them and I’ve not regretted it.

*We don’t have battery operated toys in our home. (We’ve had a few here and there but as a whole we don’t keep them around if they’re given a talking teddy bear etc.)  They don’t need play computers to teach them colors and numbers either. How did our grandparents learn their numbers?! It teaches much more creativity when they aren’t exposed to those kinds of toys.  They’ll create their own sounds, whether that’s crowing roosters, roaring lions, tractors, or crying babies. They’ll learn colors and numbers in due time. I love watching creativity come out on their own! We also encourage our children to play outdoors and it’s interesting to see the things they come up with! Of course they also have outdoor toys not mentioned here.

*As for children’s treasures, crafts, or anything they want to keep, use the container concept. Keep a smallish tote for each child for their treasures. When it gets full, they’ll need to go through and dispose of some things in order to make room for more.  The tote is the limit. They don’t need to keep every school book and paper. Perhaps one book from each grade. Often an old art project loses its glamor after its been stored awhile and they won’t mind pitching it. This tote might not be needful until closer to school age. So far Reece doesn’t have one but Josie does.

*Besides their treasure tote, I also have a large tote in storage for both the children to keep things like birthday cards, special blankets, or other keepsakes. This is to last them until they’re adults and leave home.

Other Tips: Reset your house to zero every day. And this simply means tidying up and putting everything back in it’s place. Don’t let clutter pile up to ominous heights. This makes it very depressing and severs hope of ever getting your house under control. People think tidy people are working all the time to keep a neat house. But it’s quite the opposite. Once you stay on top of your house, it’s much easier to maintain! And messy housekeepers are the ones always working. Example:  It’s time for supper but the counters and table are littered with the day’s activities. Instead of starting supper, they first need to clear that off. And who even feels like cooking when there’s a grand disarray and the dishes are stacked yay high?! But when you spend a little time clearing away the lunch mess, and put things away as you use them, you’ll already have a clean space to start supper!

*It takes much discipline to stick with the habits of resetting the house on a daily basis. Make it a habit to wash your dishes after every meal and wipe the counters. This is much easier to do when they’re not filled with clutter. And remember, if you stay after it, it doesn’t take long. Before you go to bed, straighten the couch pillows, put away the magazines, and have your children pick up toys. It feels absolutely amazing to wake up to an orderly house in the morning! I don’t get it perfect every day but this is what I strive for.

*Clutter breeds clutter. If you come home and drop the mail and receipts on the corner counter, you can be sure it won’t be long until more stuff gathers there. Anything simply fits in in that type of congregation!

Something I’ve purged hard on is my decor. I really enjoyed it in the past but as I’ve gotten rid of things, I don’t even miss it. I had a big garage sale last summer that had me amazed at where I had all this stuff in my house! I had lots of other stuff too like dishes, bags, clothes, and toys.

My house is not near as full and busy as it used to be. I find it so refreshing! I’ve also taken alot off my walls. I’ve found the more I purge, the more aware I become of unnecessary items. Don’t get me wrong, I still have decor. But it’s much less than I used to. Things that looked fine to me a year or two ago would now bug me because it’s too full for my liking. A plain wall now looks restful instead of empty.

I used to enjoy shopping but anymore, I’m walking the aisles and saying to myself, I really don’t need that. Where would I put it? I’ve started minimizing going to thrift stores and garage sales too, although I still like these places for buying children’s clothes.

Here’s a few wins that I know my children are catching on to minimizing too! Tuesday Reece told me, I want to get rid of my dresser. It’s too cluttered. I want to get a tiny dresser. Josie was recently given two porcelain dolls that came from an old grandma in the nursing home. She played with one awhile and I mentioned that they’re hardly practical to really play with, but told her the descion is hers. By that evening she said she didn’t want them. On her own, she was ready to get rid of them! Yay!

Recently we moved the China hutch from the kitchen into my office, because I wanted to open up the living room by moving a storage cabinet out of there to where the hutch was. Now Josie informed me a couple times it’s too cluttered with that hutch in my office! I agree, but I don’t have any other option at this point. At least this way I don’t have to look at it all the time like it did in my kitchen! And I was desperate to open up the living room. It’s small to start with but our arrangement made it feel extra small.

Don’t think I have arrived at minimalism. To some, my house is not minimal. But I’m ok with it. There’s still areas in my house that I  want to sort through as I find time. Remember it’s a continual journey that we have to keep working towards because clutter will creep in if we aren’t intentional.

It can feel overwhelming at first. Work at one closet or drawer at a time. Give yourself grace. This clutter didn’t appear in one week and it won’t disappear in a week either! Celebrate the little successes. Can’t you just breathe deeper now when you open that  organized drawer? How good it feels to enter your clean kitchen as you start your day!

It’s getting time for Spring cleaning and organizing, right? Well, if your last month has been as hectic as mine, you didn’t get much of anything accomplished in that department. This ties right in with my silence of late- it’s March and I have only written twice this year!!

The month of February included kitchen renovations, hosting a couple times, planning a Parent’s Banquet for our youth group plus normal life obligations. Now I feel like a panting puppy with its tongue hanging out, catching my breath!

This way of shoe organizing isn’t anything I did recently. We’ve stuck to this method of organizing shoes for years and it works well for us, so I’d like to share it with you.

* We do not wear shoes in our house. This immediately cuts down on a multitude of dirt. A great many years ago I read that people are more susceptible to parasites when wearing shoes in their house. That thought has stuck with me. And struggling with considerable amounts of OCD, germs are a number one phobia.

So think with me, you wear shoes all over the store, into those icky gas stations and over that spit on (and worse!) pavement. Then you come home and walk into your house….. Me thinks I see them germs a squirmin’!

It’s fine if you choose to wear shoes in your house and I’m not trying to disrupt your methods…..Maybe I’m one of the weirdos? Is there someone else like me out there??

* Slip in your shoes as you go out the door. I feel privileged to have a garage entrance, and this is where we keep all our shoes. It’s as simple as slipping into them when we leave and slipping them off when we come home. It’s not a problem for our children, because they don’t know anything different. And the best thing?? We never lose shoes.

* Use a hanging shoe organizer to efficiently utilize space. This hosts 8 – 10 pairs or more. Plus, we use an entry bench with 3 drawers and bins. Both the children and me have a small bin to keep shoes in, plus their own set of boots or flip flops that stay out, ready to slip in anytime. The drawers we use for each of our hats, scarves and gloves. A small, 3 drawer plastic organizer is a cheaper option that also works for hats and gloves, which is what we used until we found this bench.

In case you noticed the red thing hanging on the wall, it’s a shoe horn. I know, it’s usually for the oldies but I like it even though I’m not 70! It’s wonderful for getting your heel into any boots or shoes that your finger can’t slide behind. It’s handy for children too! Especially when their shoes are getting snug.

* Store off season footwear somewhere else. We have four metal cabinets in the garage where we store many things. Off season footwear and outerwear are some of them. We try really hard to only keep the most used shoes and boots in the shoe organizer or bins. Also as soon as the children outgrow a pair, it gets put into storage.

* Keep hooks available to hang jackets and coats. We have a line of hooks nearby to hang everyone’s jackets and coats. 4-5 hooks are lower for the children’s convenience.

* Keep your footwear, coats and jackets as close to your main entrance as possible. This really helps with tidiness in the house. You don’t have shoes kicked off anywhere and mysteriously hibernating underneath couches and clothes. You don’t have jackets slung over chairs or dropped in the hallway, because everything has already been slipped off and hung up! (hopefully) My children’s coats do end up on the floor now and then and there’s many times I’m straightening the entrance, but at least it’s out there! We’ve got enough toys and clutter to stumble over already.

I realize this method may not work as well for everyone. It’s a high priority to me, so I would just work with the entrance you have and see if you can’t organize a shoe organization in your home congregation!

I get a great deal of satisfaction in restoring order from chaos. My laundry room is a small narrow room with one gigantic shelf across the whole wall. It’s great having plenty of space for shelving items. But the disorganized mess appears like magic. Just shove it on the shelf, for now. I’ll deal with it later. And just like that, there’s half empty bottles, dust and clutter reigning!

Some weeks ago I was inspired to tackle this room. No, I wasn’t moving around the appliances for a scenery change or anything like that. I changed up the bit of decor in there but mostly, I decluttered the shelf and organized things into tidy, see through organizing boxes. I debated about the see through part, because that can still host a cluttered look. But these are the boxes I found and it was exactly the type I was looking for, so I went with them, despite the see through factor. I thought the gray plastic helped a little, plus, I figured it might just be a good thing to easily see what’s where. I then also opted not to label, despite being a big fan of labeling!

A disclaimer here: Please, don’t think that I have my whole house in meticulous order just because I love and talk about organizing. Much as I enjoy organizing, it has had to slide down the ladder of importance since I became a Mom. Many are the times I glare and despair at the muddle found in various spots of my house! It seems by the time I get one spot organized, there’s 3 or more that beg my attention!

So first off, I removed things from the shelf and wiped it down. Then I sorted through the baskets I had on the shelf, wiped the items, and found new spots for them in my new baskets. The lids are vital! We get an abundance of dust in our house… I’ve finally concluded its simply Nebraska, because I’m not the only lady who notices considerable dust levels in this area. Maybe it’s the gravel roads and massive fields?! Whatever it is, I decided these new baskets must have lids to keep things clean! One swipe of a rag gets the lid clean and no worries on the inside items.

As with any organizing procedure, I’m always amazed at the amount of trash I find. What a clean feeling to rid all that! I also found items to place in my yard sale boxes. It feels like you can take a deep breath and go “aahhh” after you’ve cleaned and purged! It was so rewarding staring at my shelf afterwards!

I don’t really enjoy doing laundry. It’s more like just another job to get over with for another day. But having a neat looking room helps. I would also encourage anyone to keep a laundry day schedule. I find it so luxurious to not worry one bit about laundry on my non-washing laundry days!! I love tackling other bigger projects on those days, when I’m not hampered by bins of soiled garments. I wash clothes Monday and Thursday and then again on Friday. The reason I wash on Thursday is because it helps to not have so much on my cleaning day on Friday. It really does help the overall work load. Also by washing again on Friday it keeps from a mountainous pile up for Monday. But if you have a large household you likely find it best to wash everyday and that’s fine too if you prefer that. Just find a schedule and stick to it.

The black wire basket is easy to grab. I got it to host my laundry soap, baking soda, spot spray, brush etc. On laundry days I have one basket to get down and I have it all at my level, easy to use. The rest of the baskets hold things that I don’t use much on a regular basis.

I like adding baking soda to loads that are extra dirty or smelly. I think it adds extra punch, besides helping stretch my laundry soap. I use a powdered all natural soap. I do not use fabric softener but will often add white vinegar to my load.

I would encourage anyone to switch to nontoxic products! I have been away from chemicals for about ten years now and absolutely cannot handle ‘normal’ laundry soaps, body and cleaning products! These are very toxic products and many laundry soaps have filler in them yet too. More money for them and more junk for you! You need to be pretty picky if you want a truly non toxic product. Many are the companies that claim their products are healthy but I’ve found you must research or read ingredient lists to be sure. Too often they’re not 100% pure, which greatly annoys me!

The place I get my laundry soap does not ship otherwise I would share their info. Charlie’s Soap is a powdered, good clean brand that’s available in some grocery stores or Amazon. I have used it with good results. Another one I would very highly recommend is the Branch Basics Company. You get one bottle of liquid concentrate and then dilute it to different levels for laundry, cleaning or hand soap! I love it especially for cleaning! They also have a powder called Oxygen Boost that is great for adding in to loads of laundry as well as for cleaning use. This company is set up for self serve online ordering.

I beg your pardon for running off on a bunny trail…. I was only chasing those dust bunnies! This was about organizing and I got sidetracked about non toxic products! Can you forgive me? It simply came out because it’s one of those things I’m passionate about. Thank you for still reading!!😍 I hope you were inspired to tackle one of “those” spots we all have somewhere!

Do you enjoy grocery shopping? It’s not my favorite thing, but as Moms we get used to it whether we like it or not. Maybe your one of those people who orders your groceries online and just drives to pick them up. If that’s you, read no further. This is for those of us who still would rather do our own in person shopping. Here’s a number of things that help make the shopping experience more enjoyable.

1) Shop as early in the day as possible. There’s less shoppers. The store is better stocked. You have more energy. And in the Summer, it’s not as hot to be in town. Maybe I’m a bit odd but I detest shopping in the hottest part of the day! It takes an hour in the store; you get out to load the groceries and the car is just beatin’ hot, my energy levels are nearly depleted, the children are cranky and I’m fast getting there myself. I find it much more manageable to go in the morning because not only are you shopping for a whole cart of groceries, there’s the loading up, the unloading and the putting away once you get home. If I’m tired before I start out I will certainly be out of steam before the groceries are put away! It takes time, but I also like to wash and prep some of my produce items right away, before refrigerating them. Then their ready for eating/making salad at a moment’s grab.

Neither do I recommend shopping on Friday or Saturday. Those are the busiest days for most people to do their shopping, and I prefer not being one of them. It simply adds to the stress of shopping when the aisles are clogged with humans and their carts! There are times I need to pick up a few things on those days but if at all possible I do my main shopping on another day of the week.

2) Organize your list according to the store’s layout. You know your most frequented grocery store quite well. Ahead of time, set up your list as to what aisles/section you’ll be in first as you walk into the store. This saves definite steps, but I still find myself retracing now and then, which always distresses me considerably. I shop most often at Walmart or Aldi. For Walmart, this is how my list runs. I enter the produce section first; therefore all my fruits and vegetables are written on the top left hand part of my sheet of paper. Items like Mayo, salad dressings and vinegar are written a bit further down the list, the baking items further down, and dairy items at the bottom because they’re at the back of the store. Frozen items are at the top right hand corner. I get those last, but don’t want them forgotten way down at the bottom of the list.

Fill in anything as best you can, as you think of your store’s layout. You may need to reorganize your grocery list just before you go shopping, rather than taking the list that has everything jotted down in order of remembering it. Is this making sense or confusing you more? By the way, forget long, thin note pads for grocery lists. Unless, perhaps, your shopping for a one person household! I have a big, spiral tablet that flips open at the top. It gives me ample space, plus, I have something hard to write on as I shop. It’s of utmost importance to cross off each item as I place it in my cart. If I only have a sheet of paper, I’m like trying to hold my paper on the cart handle, scribbling out my purchases…..It just doesn’t work well!

3) Write non-household items at a different spot on your list. I like being able to see at a glance what I need that may be in the Health and Beauty section or clothing etc. Then I can target those items first or last, whichever works out most conveniently. It also helps eliminate the wasted steps of being in the furthest section of the store from where the next item on your list is located.

4) Take coolers along to keep your perishable items cold. If you live ten minutes from your favorite store, this would be nonsense. That’s not the case for me. Besides keeping things chill, I also like how coolers help keep things organized! When you get home, you already know where all those refrigerator items are, and you can get those purchases put away immediately. I really really like to have coolers along for when I shop at Aldi! I still use my own bags there but sometimes I’ll just go straight out to the vehicle and bag/load everything right there. Cold items stack better if there not already bagged. And you can easily see what’s what when your ready to transfer everything to your refrigerator. Using coolers also offers stability to the congregation of back sliding groceries. Explanation- I despise having groceries sliding hither and yon in the back of our Yukon as I brake and make turns driving around town! Think rolling watermelon. With these heavy coolers, you can place them in front of the other bags and make a wall so you don’t have that “backsliding” going on.

5) Don’t rush through the store, even though you may be in a hurry. Several reasons here. If I’m threatening the speed limit of indoor shopping, I’m shopping too fast! Sometimes I need to force myself to just slow down! Quite likely I’ll roar right past an item I needed, or then miss something I would have noticed if I was taking a bit more time. Also, people will be much more likely to stop us to ask a question about our dress or faith if they sense an unhurried spirit in us. It also helps me to remember to reach out to others where I can, if I’m not zooming around.

6) Be courteous and wear a smile. To be honest, there’s times I’m shopping and feel grouchy. I force myself to still smile and act pleasant. Sometimes I feel a little better by the time I’m finished, because I acted cheerful, even though I didn’t feel like it. We are Christ’s witnesses and we ought to portray His Spirit to the world around us. Also, there’s plenty of rude people already and if we are followers of Christ, we ought to act like it. Using “excuse me,” “pardon me,” or “Thank you,” freely. It does take patience when there’s an elderly person on their scooter, stopped exactly where we need that canister of oatmeal. Instead of stewing, we can offer to reach something for them if they need help. And hello, someday we may be the old lady on the scooter. It also takes patience when the check out lines are full. But it’s considerate to let someone else with only a few items go ahead of you, when you have a bulging cart. I like to do that frequently because I simply enjoy making someone else’s day just a wee bit better. And sometimes, the same favor is returned to me when I’m the one with five items! I always appreciate that too. Not saying you have to keep doing that all day or you’d never get home! But remember to practice the Golden Rule.

Do you love or hate a daily planner? Do you make a lot of lists or keep track of schedules and appointments on a nearby calendar? Or what is your method for keeping your head together, besides the skull our heads come packaged with?

I am a paper type of gal and always have loved notebooks, pens and pencils. Sticky notes too are a favorite for me! I make lists with company menus, lists of ‘forget nots’ before trips and even keep sticky notes and a pencil in my nightstand for those times I think of something I must do or add to the grocery list or who knows what it may be! But if it’s on paper, I rest much better than trying to remember mentally! So of course I love planners and have used one for years!

There’s a wide variety out there to choose from and even several designed by Mennonite ladies, which one of those is what I use. I personally don’t like one that’s too overwhelming. The one I have really enjoyed for the past 7 years is The Time Keeper by Starla Kreider. The cover is always gorgeous which is inspiring! It’s spiral bound which is a must for me so it lays flat or can be flipped to one side. It has monthly tabs to easily locate the correct month. It has a monthly calendar page where you can jot down events and appointments, with a narrow section beside that to jot down monthly projects.

I love the way the weekly sheet is laid out! It begins with Monday and ends with Sunday, and I like that, because to me, the week feels like it starts Monday. On the opposite side of the page, is space for each day’s menu, plus a large space for your ‘to do’ list. There’s lots of extra space in the back of the Planner for notes and a gift idea section. There’s perforated shopping lists too, which I have yet to become organized enough to use them efficiently! I also love the ‘planning ahead’ section in the back with a small space beside each month of the next year. You can scribble in the dates of a far off reunion or vacation or whatever. I use it especially toward the end of the year before I switch over to the next year’s planner. Here are pictures of The Time Keeper.

I find it so helpful to use a planner on a regular basis. It helps much to just free up my mind! I like to write down the simple, normal duties on a regular basis. Monday’s list is usually, wash, cleanup house, and then it varies from week to week. But if you consistently do laundry or cleaning on a certain day, consistently write it down. Sometimes I also choose to do the ironing and mending on Monday. Or if I want to sew on Tuesday, then on Monday I also try to cut out the dresses etc and prepare for sewing already on Monday. Then Tuesday, I feel ready to start as soon as my morning duties are completed.

If I’m going to town on a certain day, that’s what I write for that day and usually not much else. It kinda soaks up a good portion of the day, especially with children. And then also till you get the groceries put away, naps and make supper. On Fridays it usually looks like, wash, clean. Sometimes I do break down the ‘clean’ into smaller jobs, such as clean bathrooms, mop, dust. Otherwise, it feels like your really getting something done, but you’ve still not completed all the cleaning and thus there’s nothing to cross off yet for all the effort! Crossing off completed jobs is a big thing in my mind!

Even just writing down small jobs such as writing a letter or getting a card off in the mail, or placing a call-in or online order helps to get those things accomplished! When there’s a day that doesn’t look as busy, try making a note for a few smaller jobs like those and see how good it feels to get that done! When I near the end of one week, I usually have an idea of what the next week is looking like. That’s helpful for when my husband or someone asks, what do you have going next week? Could you help with…? Mentally I think of my planner and what the week looks like. If it’s not full of urgent pressing things, then I feel I can plan around that event and make it suit.

When I think of jobs I would like to do but can’t right now, I like to page ahead in my planner and make a note of those jobs several weeks or a month or more out. It saves my mind, and yet keeps me from forgetting entirely! (keeping a list of ‘running’ jobs on a sticky note is helpful, because you can keep moving the whole list to the following weeks, if you aren’t able to get the projects completed) And yet it’s there for a reminder when time does allow to work on some of those jobs.

I also love a planner for keeping track of my turn on church schedules. As soon as I get a new list, I go to my planner and write it down in the week that I’m on for Sunday host, or cleaning church, or taking a meal for someone and so on. I still highlight our name on the list, but again, this way I can forget about it, knowing I’ll be reminded as I get closer to that week.

If your not a paper type of person, that’s fine. Maybe you make notes on your phone for reminders and that works too. I hate using my phone for reminders but that’s because I’m not techy enough! (I have already out of desperation). But I like my paper that doesn’t disappear or refuse to cooperate!

I find using a planner also helps that I don’t just aimlessly go in circles forgetting what I really wanted to accomplish that day. It still feels like that sometimes and for sure, there are days I don’t get everything done I wrote down! (That’s why I use pencils!) And I need to be ok with that! Interruptions are the normal aren’t they?! Its also nice to just block off a day to just ‘take it a lil easier’. Jerald frequently chides me that I ought to just relax a bit more. And it sure helps if I plan ahead for that, or otherwise, I can think, “oh hey I’d have time to do this, and this and this! And before I know it, I get all involved in something that I never even planned to do! (I hate procrastination!) But I’m a bit too much the opposite! If it helps me out tomorrow, why not do it today?! Moderation in all things.

Have you been inspired to try a Planner this next year? Choose a style you like and give it a try! (You can purchase the Time Keeper here).

I will be giving away this Time Keeper planner! If you would like to be entered for the drawing send an email to jeraldsflower@gmail.com with your name and address by Sunday, December 6. (If you receive my blog via email do not reply to this post but instead send me a separate email).

Happy planning!

Is your fridge a place of peace or chaos? Probably it’s a place of piece. A piece of this and a piece of that. I don’t like clutter inside or out of my fridge. First, we’ll talk about the inside.

Refrigerators are such a necessity in our kitchens yet so easy to just plop stuff inside and shut the door to clutter. After all, who enjoys cleaning out the refrigerator?! A long time ago when I was a girl at home, my mom and I had a brainstorm to start a business of cleaning out refrigerators for people! Lol! It never materialized of course. It’s not my favorite job and since I detest clutter, I strive to maintain my fridge, instead of having a complete clean out a few times a year.

Having designated spots for regular items is a big help! It’s rather a no brainer to keep small items such as syrups, salad dressings, jams and condiments in the door shelves. I keep a small basket on the second shelf for eggs. It’s very handy to have them out of the carton and just reach in and grab the amount I need. Or if I need a bunch, the whole basket comes out.

A good investment for me has been two clear organizing boxes that I bought at TJ Max years ago. I always keep the largest one on the second shelf for my vegetables. I like to wash and prep my veggies, put them in bags and into this veggie bin. It holds a lot because I can pile it high. When I want to fix a salad I grab the whole container and have all I need in one swift load! Besides, I love having my veggies prepped before hand! Although it does take time when I get home from the store. If I have excess vegetables, I keep extras in one of the fridge drawers until I’m ready to wash them and place in the vegetable bin.

I keep a second clear box in the first fridge drawer for apples, lemons or other bigger fruits. (I keep it in the drawer only because I barely have enough room for a second box on a shelf) Small fruits like grapes or blueberries get washed and placed in a bowl and just set on the shelf. I like to put a paper towel or small cloth in the bottom of the bowl to absorb the excess water and moisture. I keep a basket or bowl on the bar for fruits that don’t need refrigerated. The other picture is just washed produce. I like how pretty and colorful it looks! We eat a lot of fresh foods, so that is why I keep talking about my fruits and vegetables.

I like to keep my fridge drawers categorized too. Besides my fruit bin in the first drawer, I keep cheese, bacon grease, leftover frosting or other small, not often used items. The other two drawers are for extras when I get home from shopping. I place things in there like, extra butter or milk, extra vegetables, sour cream, yogurt and such. In the winter when we have citrus fruits, I keep a drawer just for that.

Now for the shelves. I like to keep leftovers on the top or second shelf but I admit it doesn’t always stay like that. The bottom shelf I keep for taller items like milk or drink pitchers.

My fridge still can get messy! But I find it’s better to stay on top of things; wiping up lil spills or smears immediately and keeping tabs on those leftovers so they don’t rot, way back in the boonys of refrigerization! Two more clarifications. When I get company, my fridge gets full and cluttered and normal requirements get banned, because there’s extra food and I need to manage to fit it all in somehow, because I don’t have a second fridge! Also, I know we don’t have a large family where there’s way more food and people in the kitchen, and where things don’t stay as mom would like it to stay! That would make a big difference I’m sure, but maybe this can still give you ideas on organizing that big cold box!

Now for the outside. My fridge does not have a magnetic front so that keeps things off for sure! I love the clean look of nothing on the front! I do have some things on the sides, but it’s not my main place to keep pictures of friends or lists or reminders.

My white board I like to jot down those little jobs or reminders. Very handy and it can easily be erased once completed. I hate cluttery papers, notes and lists all over my fridge. I put many tips, some recipes I like to keep handy or lists inside my cabinet doors. This is also where I tape up my two month menu calendar. It’s wonderful because it’s not a constant eyesore to me, yet conveniently accessible because I’m always opening the cabinet doors for dishes! If it’s a list I want to make sure I notice more, such as Sunday host schedule, I tape it inside a door that gets opened ALOT. And I highlight our name, but for safety purposes, I still write it in my planner by the date we’re on to host! Most of the other church related lists, I tape on the inside of the office door, which is right off the kitchen. On the outside of that door, is where I put up the pictures of friends and family. I love this set up. It’s easy for people to look at the pictures when we get company and then the inside of the door hides all those lists, but handy to look at when needed!

This is the office door of pictures on the outside and two of my inside cabinet doors. Do you see how cluttered that door on the left is?! It could use a cleaning up I know! But it doesn’t bother me near as much with it being hid from view.

I want to tell you how fun it is to organize kitchen spaces and what I have found to work for me. It may not be feasible for everyone but hopefully it will give you some ideas to inspire your own organization!

Now, I know we’re not all blessed with pantries. I never had one till we moved to this house and so having one feels luxurious! I know the frustration of conglomerated heaps of bags and cans and boxes! I would try to categorize somewhat, but that too can be difficult if you don’t have much space. One major thing that helps me is to utilize baskets in my pantry! You can use baskets/bins anywhere you have some room to store groceries. It’s ok if you need to store some things in a bedroom closet or another unusual place! Big totes would be especially helpful in that case. Find what works for you and your house.

These baskets help to keep items in their proper place rather than congregating all over the shelves. It still bothers me that they’re not all the same color but when I was buying them, I was unsure how many I would need and then later I could not find this aqua color. But I remind myself the baskets still work, even though it doesn’t look as nice as having them all identical!🤪 I found these at Walmart, but have seen them at Target also. Decide what you would like to put together in each basket and then label it. Yes, add labels! I know you know what’s in there, but when others in your household are looking for something, it helps to be able to say, “it’s in the drink basket” etc. Plus I think it looks nice too. I had chalk labels but I saw it was not practical because the writing rubbed off too easy. So I put practical above pretty and went with plain white labels. They stick well and the writing stands out heaps better and doesn’t get brushed off. ( but as you can see, I’m still using some on my pantry containers…. I still like the looks on there and just put up with the rubbing off! )😜 And just a side note here on labeling, masking tape also works beautifully to label jars and containers! I keep a roll in my kitchen just to label foods. It sticks well, but peels off easily without sticky residue left behind, and you can write on it with a permanent marker. Especially freezer items or jars of pizza sauce, salsa, and ketchup that someone may have a hard time deciphering which is which. I give credit to my mother- in-law for that tip on masking tape when I was newly married.😉

Now back to my pantry. I don’t store an excessive amount of extras like say cream of mushroom soup. Some people like to buy that by the case. Well, in that case, you might want to store most of that elsewhere and only keep a half dozen or so in your pantry to save on space. I personally don’t like to use a lot of that because it has MSG and other additives. So that’s why I can store my boughten canned items in two baskets. I also keep my can opener right there by the cans.

My most problematic area is the floor space of my pantry. It’s all too easy to plop bags of stuff in there and shut the door. I try to only allow that if it’s temporary. Like, if I’m going to be using a lot of it in the next few days, or if I simply don’t have the time to put things in their designated spots as soon as I get home with groceries. But the next day or as soon as I can, I try to put things away respectably. I’ve learned that large baskets help so much to control the chaotic prone atmosphere. I keep extra things in the baskets like flour, sugars, oatmeal etc. I like how I can fill up my flour or oatmeal containers, and if it’s the last I have of it, it gives me time to buy more before I’m completely out.

Also, having some margin is a must! How fun is it to pull off the cracker container and three others come crashing down in the process?! If I have to pull off the pretzel container and reach behind the chip container to pull out the crackers, and thus knocking another one over with my elbow, there will definitely be an occurrence of loud sighs from this Mama! You can’t expect things to stay neat if there’s absolutely no extra room. Allow a little extra space so everyone and everything can breathe a bit better!😅 And then when your family is eating supper and someone yells, “where’s more ketchup?!” you can calmly reply, “in the middle basket on the third shelf”.

Another area I want to tell you about is my container cabinet. I struggled a long while to keep it easily accessible, yet neat. I looked on Pinterest for ideas, but most of those did not work for me. Then, in one of my organizing streaks, I had this extra basket and was looking how I could use it. Its a bit taller so I turned it on it’s side and stacked my lids in it. So far it’s been a hit with me! I could finally keep them easy to reach without the others going whooshing down on the shelf as soon as I pulled out one lid! This also helped so that I could better stack my containers in each other, rather than storing the lids on the containers.

The turquoise basket I keep for my disposable containers like cool whip and yogurt. It keeps them together and when I need one, I pull out the basket to retrieve the item, then shove it back in. Works like a drawer. There’s no lids or containers sailing to the floor to get attention! (so I imagine their thoughts 😂) My rule is, once this basket is full, I pitch any extra containers because I don’t like clutter! But when I start getting a little low, then I save them again. I do not appreciate towering stacks of cool whip and yogurt and cottage cheese containers! But if you do, then by all means keep your stacks!

We do not use the toaster a whole lot so it doesn’t merit sitting on my counter. But neither do I want a big “awgishick” (for those who don’t know PA Dutch, a big hassle) when I do want to use it. I use my blender a lot more, so it sits up front. When I want the toaster, there’s room to push the blender to the side, pull the toaster up front, on the tea towel, and get it out. It’s on the towel so it slides better, plus it catches those crumbs that make cabinets cleaning so necessary at times! Occasionally, give that tea towel a good shake and be rid of those crumbs in a jiff!

Whenever I get done straightening up a closet or cabinets, there’s such a huge sigh of relief and feeling of accomplishment! Now, head to Walmart and buy a few baskets for yourself!