Organizing Made Easy

Hello Everyone!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and everyone arrived to and from safely.
Did anyone do the black Thursday and Friday shopping? This gal doesn't, in fact, I only did once in my life with my sister in law and mother in law. Note on forehead...sit in food court and read book. Don't ever do this again. And, I didn't!

 

Now this post is about organizing, but one has to tap into Black Friday. The concept is great for the retailers, personally the day I went, it was like watching mice running around chasing the last piece of cheese, hence the rat race. People totally unconscious of anything going on around them. I think they call that a mental ward. As you know by now I am not big on Black Friday and now Thursday.
But, that's me, my own personal ways.
 

 I just enjoy family and sitting the remaining time knitting or crocheting. Yes, I have many projects going at one time. Like this sweater I started in the fall of 2011 making it with lion brand wool ease, in grey heather. It will be just at mid calf in length with quarter length sleeves. Perfect for just a bit of cool weather. Another is this one I showed you here a couple times, then ripping it out to become a heavy sweater jacket.

 

 

And before I forget, wow! I stumbled across a blog I just am head over heels in love with it!
Cozy Things. Just about the most creative person with yarn I have found in my google search. Just amazing, if you haven't heard of the blog, pop over and check it out. It's worth the peek.

 

Unlike this...now this is a before, door closed in organizing skills made easy. I gave a bit of thought this year to painting them, yet since they are solid wood I just can't bear covering them. I do plan on cleaning them with Murphy's oil soap soon. The kitchen is painted off white around the cabinets. Across the room is a wall of wanes coating and molding with a lovely medium green that has a hit of yellow ochre mixed with a touch of black, giving it warm tones. As you can see the wood has a bit of a light golden or what designers would say are yellow under stones.

 

 

Now this photograph is with the door open. Did you ever think you'd be doing things your mother did when you were young? Well, if you don't, get ready because it does happen to everyone.

I use to watch my mother empty plastic food containers (only certain ones) wash them and put them in the cupboard. I'd sit there thinking mother come on just go buy them, after all they didn't coordinate.

Yet as I watched I learned a very valuable lesson, as I started getting older, and of course, living out of my truck for a week, helped me see it.

 

 

This is the only cabinet in my kitchen that holds everything I need to make dinner and store it. I am a visual person so things have to constantly be in one spot, if not, well let's just say I won't know it's there for months.

I am by far not an organized person, and for me it works. It takes the stress off of having everything in it's perfect little place. I really don't care if you like it or not when you open the door. I live here... I

could care less if your not impressed. After all whoever stops by doesn't pay any of my bills.

 

 

 

The two white mugs on the second shelf are for the microwave, came with lids for cooking soup. They also are great cereal bowls or any other purpose they serve. On the first shelf see those clear plastic containers piled up...well that's what my mother did and boy was she right. I can pre-make salads, store left overs and all they cost me was the initial price of what came in them. Picking the mulberries off my tree snap on the lid, walla.

 Oh, and they are great for growing lettuce in the house all winter long.

All you have to have is a grow light bulb, stick it in any lamp, toss in organic potting soil a few lettuce seeds snap on the lid and watch it grow. Take a pair of scissors clip it off and it keeps growing. Another money saver! Now I save the clear ones only because I am a visual person. Do you know what kind of person you are? Once you do the stress is over.

All I can tell you is this one cupboard has all I need for any meal. If I cook I only use cast iron skillets that I don't wash, simply wipe them out and your good to go. They must be seasoned the first time and can go from stove top to oven. What's better than that! Well, not this....

 

 

Last Christmas my son and his wife bought me this knowing I am visual. They also bought one themselves. Have you noticed the dust, what is the point if I have to keep wiping it off! These are the most annoying gadgets on the market. They collect dust like a magnet to a fridge, plus who uses all the spices when you live alone. I currently use it as a battery catch all, used batteries that still have a bit of life for my flash light. People don't realize when a camera says replace your batteries or it shutsdown, does not mean the batteries are completely used.
 

 Frugal gal here! For those who wonder, I am not frugal because I hoard money I live on a budget, just as you get older you realize all these gadgets are just annoying. Who wants to clean them let alone store them. Like food processors, bread machines, and list could go on...if you can use the hands God gave you like your mother and hers before her,  then you don't need the gadgets. Doing things by hand is relaxing much like gardening. Give me a bowl, a wooden spoon and a counter, I'm good.

 

Organizing, I say it's a waste of time. If you have time to organize your wound tightly and that means your stressed out keeping it that way. Now don't get me wrong, I don't like cluttered, but, there is a huge difference. I have a room designed especially for all my projects while I am doing them, and it's often cluttered. It's great because I can just shut the door and go back in when I am ready to spent time on the projects just open the door walla!

 

And if I know your going to visit, I am not going out of my way to dust, vacuum, hide things, etc. My father always said, " a home is meant to be lived in and if it's clean all the time your not living." A visit from a family member, or friend, is just what it is about the time spend with the person who stopped by. After loosing my home, like those in Storm Sandy there is one thing you know for sure...a house is only a structure that only takes seconds to disappear, a home...are the people who weather the times with you and your children around you.

Organizing can wait forever, it will be there long after your gone. But life, it's only one time, that's all you get. Enjoy it!
 

<3 Pamela