Kitchen Clutter

Sometimes I am slow. I mean that often I am late in finding wonderful resources. After all I am still kind of new at the blogging world, but I have finally found my new favorite place, The Nest. It is kin to The Knot which helped me find the greatest photographers in the world for my wedding. So I have been visiting the The Nest and found a wonderful article on the best organization helpers for the Kitchen.

{ courtesy of thenest.com, Ikea's Grundtal Wall Organizer Collection }

Here The Nest gives you its 10 Kitchen Storage Solutions for under $25. It can only get better from here.

© The Simple Wife

Jewelry Organization

{ All my pretties }

My jewels were homeless. They couldn't find a suitable place to rest. Because I'm a fan of all things big and obnoxious when it comes to accessories jewelry boxes wouldn't work, pocket organizers weren't big enough, and the necklace trees were too flimsy. Atlas I came up with my own version:

I took a regular cork board and covered it with this cute fabric scrap I had left over and painted the frame. Then for hanging my earrings I put ribbon in rows attached with push pins. Now my earrings don't tangle and I can easily survey my options. For my necklaces I put cup hooks along the bottom of the board. Now my long chains are crinkle-free! Container Store eat your heart out!

{ And room to grow... }

© The Simple Wife

Need It!

{ Courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com }

Lately I have been stuck in a rut. I feel like everything is in need of repair. My living room is boring, my closets need CPR, and I am never caught up on laundry. What ever shall I do? OrganizedHome.com to the RESCUE!!!! Here is their 2009 New Year's Cleaning Grand Plan. A 14 week plan to get your home in tip top shape for the New Year. I will begin it... NOW!!!

© The Simple Wife

Resolution Update

Step 1 of the 'Big Goal of '09' was to get more organized. So I began with our filing system. I went through old bills and statements and purged the old and out-dated and re-filed them in folders with printed labels. Much neater and more efficient. 

Check out this site to help you determine when to discard different types of paperwork.

Also, I found this awesome book on Amazon that has been a wonderful help with ideas for getting the house in order. It has tips on everything from how to fold a fitted sheet, to Green alternative cleaners, to a whole list of the treatments for different laundry stains. A must read for any housewife, or OCD organizer!

{ by Cynthia Towney, around $12 new on Amazon }

Product Description
America's leading housekeeping expert shows you how to de-clutter, organize, and clean your home, with easy-to-remember tips for every job, from keeping your bathroom clean and doing the laundry to sorting out paperwork and organizing the family photo album. Where there is hope, there is help. You can win the chore wars!

• Author, founder, and editor of the top-ranked website OrganizedHome.com
• Introduces easy-to-remember tips for organizing the home
• Step-by-step photographs throughout show how easy it is to reach your goal

© The Simple Wife

A Stress Free Christmas?

I didn't think such a thing could exist? With all the traveling, shopping, wrapping, and decorating, how could one possibly survive without a little stress? If there is way, believe me, I NEED to know it. It all goes with my life plan of living the easiest life possible. So I did what everyone these days does- I Googled. I found this amazing site, Organized Christmas, which gives tips on everything from gift giving rules, to decorating on a budget, to printer friendly spending guides.

I focused on the Simplify Your Holidays: 10 Ideas for a Stress-Free Holiday Season. Here is what they suggest:

• Prune the to-do list. Ask, “If I don’t do this, what will happen?”***

• Cut the gift list. Limit gifts to children only, draw names, or organize a gift exchange.

• Wrap as you go. Sticky notes will help you keep track of gift contents.

• Buy, don’t bake. Who needs long hours in front of a hot stove?

• Call, don’t send cards. Reach out and touch someone … the easy way.

• Scale back décor. Substitute a simple door wreath for outdoor lighting, a tabletop tree for the over-the-top tannenbaum.

• Cut the clean-a-thon. Focus cleaning attention on kitchen and public rooms; private areas can slide til season’s end.

• Downsize dishwashing. Hand-washing fine china is nobody’s idea of a good time. Simpler still: paper plates!

• Finger food, not feast. A smorgasboard of tasty tidbits is easier on the cook and kinder to the waistline than a sit-down dinner.

• Stay home! Cuddling down close to the hearth beats holiday travel any day.

*** I really love this one! Seriously, this should be your motto for anything!!

They also have a wonderful database of tons of lists you can print out including a week-by-week Christmas Countdown that helps you get ready for all the craziness.

The Gift Idea Sheet is very helpful for those who are always hard to buy for. You could use it during the year to record ideas you come across.

The Baking List will help you remember which neighbor likes chocolate cookies and which likes sugar cookies!

I'll have to let you know if this helps alleviate any of my holiday stress!

© The Simple Wife