Reusing Plastic Containers

Many restaurants put take-out food in rather sturdy plastic containers. In my opinion these are much better than styrofoam containers because they are recyclable and, often, reusable. I've actually found these containers to be sturdier and more useful than containers I've bought in stores. The next time you bring home take-out in a plastic container try and reuse it. You'll save money on tupperware and help the environment at the same time.

Gift Lists

I have two notebooks that keep me gift-organized. These are not specific to the holiday season, but include any gift-giving time throughout the year. In addition to the actual notebooks I keep the same information on spreadsheets because who doesn't love a handy spreadsheet? :)

• Gift Notebook 1 - I keep gift ideas in this notebook. I have a different name on each page and any time I come up with a gift idea I write it down. When I actually give one of the gifts on a person's page I cross it off. This is great for friends and relatives who I don't see very often. I like gifts to be both meaningful and practical, so sometimes coming up with ideas can be tough!
• Gift Notebook 2 - I keep gifts I've given in this notebook. Each time I give a gift I write down the date, what the gift was and who I gave it to. (See how the spreadsheet can come in handy?)
  

I'm sure many of you have similar systems, but I just thought I would share mine. I'll save my thoughts on gift-giving being overrun by money-making corporations for another time!

Painting

A quick tip about painting:

The next time you paint a room in your house, don't just save the extra paint in the original cans in your basement or garage. Fill a small jar or similar container with a small amount of the paint. Don't forget to label it! If the wall gets scratched or damaged in some way you can quickly touch it up without having to open large paint cans.

I also find it useful to keep a log of when rooms are painted and the exact shade of paint used to paint them. This can really come in handy in the long run!

Grocery Shopping

I have found that the best way to remember everything that I need at the grocery store is to keep an ongoing list in my kitchen. This list isn't just a piece of paper that I write items on. I use a typed and laminated grocery list. I have it divided by category (produce, frozen, condiments, etc) with the items I most commonly buy listed, along with blank spaces for less commonly bought items. Next to each item is a check box. As I run out of any ingredient in my kitchen I immediately put a check next to that item on the grocery list. This is a very effective way of keeping my kitchen stocked. As I do my menu planning I use the list in the same way and check off any ingredients necessary.

Menu Planning

Very few people I know do regular menu planning, but for me this has been a routine for quite some time. Menu planning helps in so many ways - fast meal preparation, easier grocery shopping, more food variety, better time management. Over the years I've used several different methods for planning meals. Here are a few to get you started:

• Food Type - Think about the types of food your family eats on a regular basis and organize them into one day each week. You can do this by the main food in each meal or the ethnic variety. For example, as a vegetarian I might choose beans on Monday, pasta on Tuesday, soy meat on Wednesday, etc. The ethnic variety might be Mexican on Monday, Italian on Tuesday, Greek on Wednesday, etc. Using the Food Type planning system you don't have to plan out entire meals ahead of time - just the general outline.
• Weekly - Planning a weekly menu is good if you go grocery shopping weekly. Plan your menu out the night before you go grocery shopping. Be specific about each day's meal and the ingredients you will need. After you plan your menu write down all the ingredients (including amounts) on a list. Look through your pantry and cross off the ingredients you already have. What remains is your grocery list.
• By Cook - If more than one person in your house cooks dinners you can divide each week up ahead of time. Each person can plan their own meals and be prepared for the nights they will be cooking.
  

Book Organization

Whether you have dozens of books or hundreds, the more organized you are with them the easier they are to find. I don't suggest using someone else's exact organizational system. The best thing you can do for yourself is to sit down and think about how book organization might work best in your household. Here are a few things to consider:

• Do you have bookshelves spread throughout your home or all in one location?
• Do you have books that you reference frequently?
• Do you have children who can only reach books at a certain height?
• Do you have older or treasured books you want to protect from sun or heat damage?
• Do you have books that are too large for your regular bookshelves?

Keep the answers to those questions in your mind as you plan how to organize your books. Decide how you would like to organize your books - alphabetically, by topic, by size, by age-appropriateness, etc. Then decide which shelves you would like to hold each category. You may want to be creative with larger books (propping them next to shelves or stacking them on top.) Here's a peek into the organizational system I use for my family:

• Books are divided into categories by topic. Various shelves around the house are assigned topics. Some are logical (such as cookbooks in the kitchen) and some are more random.
• Categories are divided by size. This is a personal preference - I like how the books look on the shelves when they match in size.
• Sub-categories are alphabetized by author and placed on the shelves.
• I like to arrange series, boxed sets, and favorites on or above shelves in artful ways.
• I have a small shelf just for older and favored books, which I keep away from any sunlit windows and heat vents.
• "Coffee table books" or others that people might browse through are shelved where we sit with company when they visit.
• Dictionaries and other reference books are grouped together on a shelf that is easy for everyone to access.
• I don't pack books away. I figure if they're worth owning they're worth keeping out to read again and again.
  

Crates

When it comes to small closets, limited storage space, and oddly shaped rooms I've found that a great way to get optimum storage is by using crates. Over time I have invested in a number of wooden crates. (Many crafts stores sell these and the larger chains like Hobby Lobby and Michael's usually have sales on all wood products once or twice a year.) They're rectangular so you can stack them vertically or horizontally. You can slide them under coffee tables for basket-like storage or stack them in rows or columns to create instant shelves. The wooden ones are especially nice because if you want to attach them together in a semi-permanent fashion nails and/or wood glue should do the trick. You can also paint them, which is a nice way to blend them into your space. I'm also a fan of wooden corner crates, which don't offer a lot of shelving space but do round off the edges of your crate shelves, giving them a more fluid look. Oh, and did I mention the usefulness of these crates if you ever have to move with them? Just grab the handles and go!

Plastic Bag Dispensers

A quick tip about storing plastic bags: Save your old tissue boxes and fill them with plastic bags. Instant bag dispensers! I use both small and large sizes of tissue boxes and leave them near the small garbage cans and the litterbox. Very useful and no more messy plastic bag drawer, cupboard, bag, whatever.

Photo Organization

If you're like me you have piles of photos just waiting to be sorted. If you're like me you have trouble deciding how to sort them - albums, boxes, scrapbooks, frames? Here's how I like to go about sorting my photos:

• Boxes - As soon as photos are developed I try to put them in labeled photo boxes. I have five main boxes: Family, Friends, Events, Vacations and Miscellaneous. A set of photos from a birthday party, for example, would go directly into the Events box. A set of various photos would quickly be sorted into the appropriate boxes. Some judgement calls will apply - do you put the family reunion photos in the Family box or the Event box? Don't take too much time to make these decisions - this is just a rudimentary sorting to make future organization easier.
• Albums - Set aside an afternoon once or twice a year to take the photos from your boxes and put them into albums. Have your albums ready in advance and make sure you know what type of photos you'll be putting in each album. You may want to organize specific albums first, such as "Grand Canyon Vacation." You'll clearly know which photos go in these albums. Save the general albums for last. If you have family albums that you try to keep updated, just pull your favorites from the Family box.
• Scrapbooks - If you're a true scrapbooker this post isn't for you. This is for anyone who likes the look of scrapbooks but doesn't spend the time picking out just the right photo for each page. If you want a scrapbook for each of your children, for example, write each of their names on a manilla envelope. As you sort through your photo boxes select the photos that might be scrapbook-worthy and put them in the appropriate envelopes. As you come across paper or other scrapbook decorations that fit each child's personality, stick them in the appropriate envelope. Sit down one day, empty the envelope, and, voila, you're ready to scrapbook!
• Frames - This is an obvious one. As you go through your boxes have any available frames next to you. As you find photos that you want to display, find an appropriate frames and put them in.
  

This is just my method of sorting photos I've had developed. Digital photo organization is a story for another day...

Moving Tip: Preparing for a Move

Anyone who knows me well (or knows me at all!) realizes that I'm a little obsessed in the organization department. One of the ways this has come in handy has been in moving. Here are a few tips that have helped me:

• Post-Its - A few sticky notes go a long way. Use them to temporarily label all cabinets, drawers, shelves and other storage places in a new house. This makes unpacking go very quickly and can help the first few days in a new house when you don't quite remember where you put everything. I think this works especially well in the kitchen.
• Measuring Tape - Nothing is more frustrating than finding out the shelf you knew would fit between those two windows is actually half an inch too wide. Measure all the walls in your new home the first chance you have. As you pack your furniture you can quickly measure questionable pieces and consult your notes on the wall measurements. This will save you so much time when moving in!
• Save Your Mail - During the few weeks before you move save all of your mail, including catalogs. Keep them together in a folder or envelope. Take time one day to contact all of the places you've received mail from - this way you'll be less likely to forget to change your address with all the necessary contacts.

You'll find my moving tips sorted under both "Moving" and "Organization." Hope they help you out!