Get Organized: 5 Low-cost Ways to Organize Your Kitchen Now

As the saying goes, the kitchen is the heart of the home. But your kitchen can also be the heap of the home if you let clutter pile up!

Here are 5 easy, low-cost ways to organize your kitchen now:

(1) Edit your counter space.

It's so easy to put most of your appliances on the counter top. It's totally understandable - you get quick access whenever you need something.

The problem? Most of us are true conformists to the 80/20 rule; 80% of what we keep, we never use. And that includes 80% of what's on your counter!

So look at what's on top of your counters and ask yourself...does this really need to be in my kitchen? If not, then it probably doesn't really need to be in your house at all.

(2) Out with the old to make room for the new.

You wouldn't really eat stale crackers, would you? Then why are they in your kitchen? Get them - and all other expired or outdated foods - out of your cabinets, pantries, fridges, and freezers.

Of course, food isn't the only thing that might have worn out its welcome. Donate any cookbooks or kitchen gadgets that haven't been used in 1-2 years or more. Scrutinize any freebies you've nabbed recently, like sports squeeze bottles and koozies. Truth be told, you didn't really need them in the first place, and you likely don't really need them now.

(3) Divide and conquer.

Think about how you use your kitchen when you're making dinner. Separate your kitchen into distinct quadrants based on your kitchen habits (i.e. cooking, preparing, cleaning, storing) and then organize utensils accordingly.

(4) Think outside-the-box...or in this case, outside the kitchen.

The kitchen is a high-traffic area, and often times, stuff will find its way into the vicinity. Designate a bin or basket for items that should not be in the kitchen. At the end of each day, have an assigned family member fill the container with the non-kitchen items and carry them back to the room where they belong.

In addition, bulk foods purchases and items like china - which are used sparingly or only a few times a year - can be stored elsewhere in your home to free up more space in the kitchen.

(5) Turn your paper piling into paper filing.

I don't know about you, but mail and other paperwork seem to multiply and take over my counter if I don't take care of it immediately! One solution: hang large envelopes and label one per family member. Use these containers to distribute papers, mail, messages, etc. Another idea? Store take-out menus in a file folder and tuck the folder away in a drawer near the phone or inside the phone book.


© 2010 Clutterbugs, LLC

Would you like to use this article in your e-zine or on your website or blog? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Carmen Coker is a professional organizer who helps individuals find the motivation and know-how to get organized and stay organized. To learn how to save money, create more space, and manage your time through organization, claim your "FREE Tip Kit: 10+ Pages of Tips and Tools to Help You Get Organized — Finally!" at www.OrganizeClutterbugs.com

Get Organized: Do You Feed Your Clutter?

There is a story about an old Cherokee who was teaching his grandchildren about life.

He said to them: "A battle is raging inside me...it is a terrible fight between two wolves.

"One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

"The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The old man fixed the children with a firm stare. "This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win the battle?"

The old Cherokee replied: "The one you feed."

Now, you may be thinking - Nice story. But what does this have to do with organizing and finding balance?

Well, it got me thinking of a different take on this story. And it goes something like this...

I have a battle raging inside of me, and it is a terrible fight between two wolves.

One wolf represents clutter, and all the things that come with it like chaos, stress, frustration, loss, pain, wastefulness, hassles, and ineffectiveness.

The other stands for order, and all the things that come with it like clarity, peace, gain, pleasure, usefulness, waste-lessness, ease, and efficiency.

This same fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person, too.

Which wolf will win, you ask? The one that you feed.


© 2010 Clutterbugs, LLC

Would you like to use this article in your e-zine or on your website or blog? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Carmen Coker is a professional organizer who helps individuals find the motivation and know-how to get organized and stay organized. To learn how to save money, create more space, and manage your time through organization, claim your "FREE Tip Kit: 10+ Pages of Tips and Tools to Help You Get Organized — Finally!" at www.OrganizeClutterbugs.com

Get Organized: Finding the Motivation to Start

In my "former life," before becoming a professional organizer, I was in the military for about 6 years. Let's just say there are lots of things I remember about boot camp and most of them unpleasant.

Running in combat boots.

Getting yelled at.

Doing push-ups until I collapsed.

Getting yelled at.

Woken up in the middle of the night for inspections.

Getting yelled at.

30 second showers.

And, yup...you guessed it! Getting yelled at some more.

I recall thinking at one point, Why am I putting up with 6 weeks of this?

While all my friends were enjoying summer vacations, I was being subjected to unwanted rules, impossible orders, minimal sleep, nasty food, physical fitness ad nauseam - all topped off with copious amounts of shouting.

But then I remembered how much I wanted to be in the military and serve my country, and I realized that 6 weeks of training would only make me a stronger, better soldier. The end justifies the means, if you will.

And I could be miserable during the whole ordeal or I could make the most of it...it was totally up to me.

I realize that for some of you out there, getting organized may be just about as fun as boot camp. But in this day in age, when life keeps getting crazier and crazier, you can't afford not to be organized!

Dr. Wayne Dyer, the "father of motivation," once said, "Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice." Isn't that so true?

I could have been miserable through boot camp, but instead I tried to motivate myself as much as possible, keeping the end in sight. And the same goes for organizing...

If you know you have to get organized, you can choose to procrastinate, and your disorganization will just cause you more frustration. (Not to mention lost time, money, and resources!)

Or you can choose to get motivated, get organized, and truly know the freedom that comes with it. It's always your choice...

© 2010 Clutterbugs, LLC

Would you like to use this article in your e-zine or on your website or blog? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Carmen Coker is a professional organizer who helps individuals find the motivation and know-how to get organized and stay organized. To learn how to save money, create more space, and manage your time through organization, claim your "FREE Tip Kit: 10+ Pages of Tips and Tools to Help You Get Organized — Finally!" at www.OrganizeClutterbugs.com

Get Organized: How to Simplify Anything

S.I.M.P.L.I.F.Y

It's something which we all aspire to do. But it's one of those things that is often easier said than done, especially in today's fast-paced world.

Not only do we have to deal with the outside factors that the world throws at us, we also have to deal with inside factors as well - namely, ourselves.

In general, human beings are inclined to over-do everything. We over-commit, over-schedule, over-analyze, over-achieve, and over-complicate (just to name a few). And all of these, in turn, lead to over-whelm.

So herein lies the million dollar question: how do you live simply?

And the answer: make conscious choices to do so.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness, once explained his philosophy on simplicity as "...seeing less so I can see more, doing less so I can do more, acquiring less so I can have more."

Hmmmm....

Let's rewind and read that one more time.

- SEEING LESS so I can SEE MORE.

- DOING LESS so I can DO MORE.

- ACQUIRING LESS so I can HAVE MORE.

Let me ask you - do you tend to complicate your life by seeing more, doing more, and acquiring more than necessary?

If so, your challenge for this week (and hopefully for long-term as well) is to simplify something.

- If you're tempted to buy something, think twice. Is this item going to truly add value to your life?

- If you're tempted to do something, think twice. Is this task essential to your goals?

- If you're tempted to look at something, think twice. Is this visual going to distract from your productivity?

From this point on...when you are tempted, err on the side of simplicity! Making conscious choices to do so will bring positive change into your life in a BIG way.

© 2010 Clutterbugs, LLC

Would you like to use this article in your e-zine or on your website or blog? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Carmen Coker is a professional organizer who helps individuals find the motivation and know-how to get organized and stay organized. To learn how to save money, create more space, and manage your time through organization, claim your "FREE Tip Kit: 10+ Pages of Tips and Tools to Help You Get Organized — Finally!" at www.OrganizeClutterbugs.com