How to Organize a Grocery List

​If you are anything like me couponing is a pain to save very little money.  And, forget about trying to plan a meal around sales fliers thanks to those picky little eaters.  A spicy taco casserole?  Not in my household.  An easy way to organize a grocery list to create a calendar of food, similarto a school’s lunch program and rotate favorites throughout the month.  Plus, you will find favored ingredients that you make to introduce new meals.​

Grab a handy calendar  

First, grab a handy calendar online or buy one that is big enough to fill meals for one week.  I usually only go one week ahead of time, because of some ingredients like produce that need to be fresh.  Meals I like to rotate are staples like tacos, spaghetti, chicken quesadillas, fish, pizza and beef stroganoff.  So, start with one month and rotate your favorite meals and keep it to help with meal rotation in subsequent months.​

Create a grocery list

Create that list and stick to it.  Never go grocery shopping without one!  It is best to list out the items while you are at home so you can check what ingredients you already have stocked in your pantry.  Do you really need three tubs of sour cream?  I didn’t think so.  Also, make sure the family puts down items they may want to get at the store.  Once, you leave the house no extra items are to make it into the cart.  If it’s not on the list, then it will be something that can picked for the next trip.​

Hit the grocery store

Let’s go shopping!  The most common thing to leave at home is the kids.  If one parent does the shopping and other watches the kids, it’s like using a coupon.  Kids have a knack for asking for extra items and some cases they try to sneak in goodies in the cart.  Of course, you should always use the saying, ”if it’s not on the list, then put it on next week’s list,”  Here’s to hoping there is a slight memory malfunction and it will be forgotten.  Next important piece of advice, is list out the items according to the aisles from your favorite grocery store and never go down every asile.  This introduces impulse shopping.

I have nothing against people who have time to coupon and can organize those items in a house.  The thing I try to solve is the overabundance of ingredients stored in cupboard and the fridge.  I would rather have bare shelves, then have to find places to store extra grocery items.  You can always go to the store the next week and get more food.

Declutter with the Pomodoro Technique

Never heard of the Pomodoro Technique?  I hadn’t either.  But, it turns out that I have been using something similar to it while I declutter my house.  And, I even wrote about it in my post on how to declutter fast – I just didn’t know that’s what I was doing.  The technique gets rave reviews from the people that have used it.  Let me explain…

History Behind The Technique

It was created by Francesco Cirillo in 1992 because he was having problems studying for his exams in college.  He used a kitchen timer that was shaped like a tomato (Pomodoro is Italian for tomato) and set it for a predetermined amount of time.  He found that he was able to study better and get more done in a shorter period of time.  He slowly kept refining his technique until he had it perfected, then he started teaching it to others.

The Technique

This is going to be my take on the technique as it applies to decluttering.  If you want the official technique, please visit The Pomodoro Technique website.

Here’s what I do.  I have a daily organizer that I use for this because I tend to carry it around everywhere I go.  When I think of something I can write it down.  But, I leave an area on each page for what I intend to declutter that night.  According to the official Pomodoro Technique, you are supposed to decide how many pomodoros, or blocks of twenty-five minutes, something will take.  But, what I tend to do is try to decide what I think I can get done in 30 minutes.  It works good for me this way.  It is essential that you write them down, though – if only to keep yourself focused.   It is definitely harder to not do something if you have it written down.  To me, it seems like disappointing yourself.

So, when I get home from work at the end of the day, and everything is done – supper, baths, daughter to bed, etc.  The first thing I do is make sure I have everything checked off my daily declutter checklist so I can stay current.  Then I get out my list of things I want to get accomplished before I go to bed – my pomodoros.  Pick the first one, set my timer, and off I go.

The time actually goes by really quickly, and it is surprising how much can get accomplished when you plan ahead and have a method for actually carrying out your plan!

Of course, I don’t do it every single day – I’m not a robot.  When I do them though, I typically do more than one pomodoro – in fact, most often I do two.  It does make it seem like I don’t have to do it as often because I simply get more done when I am working, so maybe that’s why I don’t do it every single day.  Plus, my house is getting a little bit more under control these days, so I don’t necessarily need to do it everyday.

If you try this technique, please come back and let me know how it works for you by leaving a comment below.  I’d love to hear!

I hope this tip helps you have focus when you are decluttering as well!

- J

How to Declutter Your Shopping List – Alice.com Review

I can’t stand going to the store for everyday mundane things like toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, etc. I usually put it off until it is absolutely necessary. What happens then is I end up making a quick trip to pick up that one single item. It is a waste of time, gas in my car, and energy.

Thankfully, I recently came across a service online called Alice that may have solved my shopping list issue.  Their motto is “Everyone Needs an Alice” – in reference to Alice from the Brady Bunch.  Clever!

What exactly is Alice and what can they do for you?

Alice is an online retailer that specializes in everyday, run-of-the-mill products.  Products that we need and use on a daily basis like laundry detergent, bath soap, shampoo, light bulbs, etc.  What makes them unique is their approach to offering these products to you.  When you first sign up for a free account, they ask you a few questions about your household – how many adults, how many children and their ages, and the gender of the members of the house.  Based on those answers, Alice offers a bunch of categories that are tailored for the people that you buy for.

Based on the suggestions (or your own needs), you then go through and select the products you use on a regular basis.  Select the items you use and Alice will suggest an order frequency.  The order frequency is based on how long the average consumer takes to use the product.  Once you have all of your products set, Alice will keep you informed of when you should ‘probably’ reorder by sending you an email reminder.  I love this!

They have just about all of the name brands that I searched for, and the prices are very competitive to what you would find at any major department store.  Best of all – they have FREE shipping!  So, not only do you get to shop from the comfort of your home, they will deliver it to you 100% free.  Order one single item or one-hundred – it doesn’t matter.  Plus, based on my experience, I usually have received my orders within about four days.

Has Alice helped me simplify my life?

They certainly have!  I now keep my entire list of consumable goods loaded in ‘My Products’ on Alice.  In a matter of moments, I can go in and add the items I need by simply dragging its image to my shopping cart.  It simply does not get any easier than this!  Plus, the reminders that Alice sends have been a huge benefit already – not that I like getting tons of email – but that they simply remind me to check my stock.  Then I can login and order it before I’m out.

I will admit that it is kind of a pain that they don’t have everything that I use, so I do occasionally need to run to the store, but they have a very simple form that you can fill out to request items.  They say that they are continually adding new items and once they add your request they will let you know.

All-in-all, I highly recommend checking out their service!  It is free and easy to sign up.  I am confident that if you give it a try, you will throw away your hand written shopping list, just like I have!

As an added bonus, and as an incentive to give it a try, if you use this link to Alice you will receive $10 off once you order $50 worth of product from them.  Essentially, you will get 20% off if you order exactly $50 worth of product.  It’s a great way to try it out and save some money at the same time!  I honestly do not think you will be disappointed.

Another benefit I have reaped from them, is that I get to use the big boxes that they send my products in to put things in while I declutter.  They work perfect as temporary storage if you follow my advice on how to declutter fast.

If you decide to give them a try, please let myself and others know what you think by leaving a comment below!

Happy decluttering!

–J

When and How to Declutter Fast

The most effective way to declutter, is to declutter fast!  The quicker you can get that stuff out of there, the more accomplished you will feel and the less stress you will endure.

I find that the best time for me to start clearing clutter out is right away in the morning.  I am the most motivated and have the most energy when I first get up.  I tend to work on this on Saturday and Sunday mornings because I don’t tend to wake up early enough during the week to accomplish anything meaningful prior to going to work.

Here are my declutter fast tips:

• Make quick decisions on what to do with the item you are holding.  Don’t toil around wondering what you should do with it.  Let it go.
• Pick an area to declutter first and move from there.  Start small, and work small.  Even if it’s a large room, pick a corner, a closet, or a bookshelf and get to work.
• Once the first area is cleared, move on to the next.  Don’t waste any time.
• Use a timer.  Depending on the size of the area, shoot for no more than 30 minutes to get everything cleared out of it.  Starting small like that (and continuing to work small) will keep you seeing those small victories that you need to keep you motivated.  This also will help force you to make those quick decisions.
• Sort the items as you remove them.  Start four separate piles (or boxes):  Trash, Recycle, Re-sell, Donate.
• Maintain the organization you have achieved. Once you have the area cleared of all debris, make sure you develop a daily maintenance plan to ensure that it doesn’t fill back up.

Note: For another proven system on how to declutter fast, check this out.

My experience has proven that if I spend about 30 minutes clearing a small area, I can spend less than 10 more minutes removing the items from the room completely – assuming they were sorted as they were cleared from the area.  For me, it is especially beneficial if I declutter and organize a few small areas in a row.  This way, I can keep my ‘to go’ piles going until I am finished for the time being.

In just a few short hours you will have cleared a bigger area than you think!  When you get right down to it, it’s quite amazing how much you can get taken care of.  Broken down into three or four half-hour time periods, it doesn’t seem so daunting a task.

While you learn how to declutter your home fast, make sure to place your focus on getting rid of the stuff and not on where you got it, who gave it to you, the events in your life at that time, etc.  When it comes down to it, realize that you probably aren’t going to need these things….ever.  Obviously, if there are things that you use regularly, don’t get rid of them.  You have to be stern with yourself though – trust me, it’s easy to convince yourself to not get rid of something because you don’t think it’s truly clutter.  Most likely it is and that’s why making quick decisions is so important.

Attack the areas with the right mindset – that you want to get the area clean and organized.  With intense focus on your goal, you can easily trust your gut to get rid of the right items while you declutter your home fast.

Try it…I think you will find that if you conduct your own “declutter fast home experiment” you will be pleased by the results.

I hope I have been able to help you learn how to declutter fast!

– J

Daily Decluttering Maintenance Checklist

I have managed to declutter my closets, and my pile of stuff to sell or donate has been dwindling down.  But, I seem to have stalled out somewhat.  Although, I now realize where my downfall lies – my lack of a real plan.  I can plan the small items (my closets, for example), but I started viewing the project in its entirety instead of in small pieces.  I aim to correct that now.

My biggest problem is that I am making progress with getting rid of the junk, but I am not keeping up with the daily maintenance items.  It seems that I have a one track mind.  My kitchen drives me crazy when it starts to get messy.  So, I created a checklist of things that I need to accomplish every single day to maintain the solitude there.

I have been using the checklist for about a week and I am impressed at how it keeps me on track!  It seems silly that something as simple as that can keep you focused.  But, it works.

I am offering my ‘Daily Home Maintenance Checklist’ here for free.  Download it at the bottom of this post, if you would like.  Print it out and hang it on the refrigerator.  Make sure you look at it prior to going to bed for the night and have everything checked off.  It’s amazing how keeping up with these few things really reduces the amount of daily stress in the household.

My aim is to not only set myself on a plan of action, but to possibly pass along a little inspiration for decluttering a house that anybody can follow.  In the near future I will be creating more of these checklists – and combining them – to produce an action plan that will have me decluttering with a vengeance.  After I test the checklists out, I will post my results and share them.

Here is the free checklist:  Daily Checklist

Happy Decluttering!

– J

Taming Your Closet Organizer

Good home walk in closet design becomes essential when you have a walk-in closet.  If you don’t have a plan for how to deal with all the stuff that ends up there, you will find yourself in a mess.  The best closet organizers are only as good as the implementation of them.  By that I mean, you could spend thousands of dollars on a closet organization system, and still end up with a cluttered mess.

How then do you make the best use of your closet space?  You think logically.  Make sure the things you use (or wear) the most often are easily accessible.

• Group similar items together.  For instance, your work clothes should be together with your other work clothes and not intermingled with weekend clothes.  I tend to keep my jeans folded on a shelf together, while my work pants are hanging together below my work shirts.  If need be, you should install an adjustable closet rod below your shirts to hang your pants on.  The idea is, if it’s a Monday morning, I don’t want to have to fumble through my t-shirts trying to seek out a shirt to wear to work.  Same for pants.
• Keep trinkets and loose change to one spot.  Use small organizer boxes to keep the little items from landing on the shelf itself.  And make sure to have a jar or something similar for loose change.
• Place items you seldom use on the higher shelves.  I keep extra blankets on the top shelf in my closet organizer.  I try to keep the top shelf as clear as I can because it has gotten out of control before.  I have plastic storage boxes that I keep my child’s school work in, and place them up there as well.  One for each year – she’s young so I only have a few so far.
• Use wicker baskets for small clothing items.  Socks, under garments, etc.  Small lined wicker baskets are perfect if you don’t already have drawers built into the organizer.
• Keep the floor clear.  The floor of a walk-in closet is not made for things to pile up, especially dirty clothes.  You will find that if your floor is messy, you probably won’t even want to enter the closet.

Those are all pretty basic ideas, but they work.  If you keep your closet systems free of debris and stick to your organization plan for it, your mornings will run much more smoothly.

If your closet organizer is already cluttered, make sure you set aside some time and organize the closet space first, then re-visit this article to refresh yourself on keeping it that way.

– J

Using Organizer Boxes

Organizer boxes are the handiest item you can have on hand when you are decluttering your home. If you think of using them in a fashion similar to the way most people use a box organizer for a silver wear drawer, you can see the definite benefit to them.

Small organizer boxes are obviously the most beneficial for smaller items – think ‘junk drawer’ – but I personally have one in my closet. I use it to put all of the little trinkets that I don’t know what to do with – such as old (non-valuable) coins, USB thumb drives, etc. – basically, all of the little things that would go in my pockets but that I don’t want to carry day-in and day-out. I have another organizer box that I have on a shelf near my front door. I use that particular organizer box for throwing my daily items in, such as my car keys, work security entrance badge, a container with small bandages for quick access, and a few other random items that I might need on a day-to-day basis. I find this organizer box the most beneficial to me and it prevents items from ending up on my kitchen table.

Small storage boxes can be made of many different types of materials. Since I have one on the shelf in my closet organization system, I wanted one that looked relatively nice and would sort of match the look of the system, so I have a bamboo box in there. Bamboo closet organizer boxes definitely add a touch of class to it. What I didn’t want was a neon green box (or similar) that would be an eye-sore. Although, the neon green plastic organizer boxes would have their place as well…possibly a child’s or teenager’s room.

These types of boxes shouldn’t take the place of storage boxes. They are to be used for only small items and should be cleaned out every few months. To declutter my house, I need to make sure that these boxes don’t become a mess with the items that might otherwise be laying around on tables. If the items are in the organizer boxes for too long, they are dealt with appropriately.

– J

Decorative Storage Boxes are the Key to Getting Organized!

Decorative storage boxes can add style AND functionality

Decorative Storage Boxes Can Make A House A Home!

Are you ready to organize your personal belongings or work area and get rid of all the clutter that surrounds your daily life? If so, there are many great closet design ideas that can help assist you in removing all that clutter, which can no doubt make all of us feel a bit on edge and unorganized. Clutter can also cause us to be late and add unnecessary stress to our daily lives – but if you can get a grip on how to organize everything you need in a simple, personable and unique way, life will be much more pleasant! Whether you need to tidy up your closet, linen cabinet, entertainment area, office or kitchen, there are a variety of very nice decorative storage boxes that can fit your needs perfectly. Once done, you will have more time to enjoy your family, spend time with friends, or catch up on that project you had
lost in your mess six months ago. All you need to do is set aside a day to dedicate yourself to cleaning up, come up with a vision with your preferred style and colors and from there it’s both easy and fun. You’ll be well on your way!

What Do You Pick And Where Do You Go To Get Storage Boxes?

To some this is the easy part, but to others it may be a quite daunting task. However, depending on your preferred style, your choices abound. For those that like to treasure hunt there are estate and yard sales to discover, while for others, retail outlets are more convenient. Then there’s always the luxury of online shopping if you’d like to stay out of the traffic jams while enjoying your favorite beverage. If you’re a bit crafty though, or know someone who is, you may consider making your own wooden storage bins. You can then either leave them au’natural, stain them with either soft pastels or rich winter tones, or brighten them with your favorite colors. You will soon realize that coordinating your belongings by color saves a lot of time. So when you have to rush with kids or have a deadline at work, you can feel more rested knowing just where to go to get what you need in a hurry.

When it comes to children’s rooms, storage boxes are a must. We all know that kids collect a lot of fun things, but their room can look like it was turned upside down in a matter of minutes, especially when they have friends over! If you arrange all of their toys into storage boxes however, you can allow them one box at a time. This way, they must clean up and put away one before being given another. It is very important to teach kids things like this while they’re still young, as they will begin to feel proud and accomplished that they have pleased you by being able to keep their room clean. Remember, if you provide your child the tools to get organized and teach them the rules of how this new routine works, you will both be less stressed and have more time to share with each other. When they see that you do the same thing in other areas of your home, you are teaching by example – so be a good example and start getting organized. Make it a family fun day and celebrate with ice cream sundaes when you’re all done! If it’s for your office, you can always make this “chore” into an office party with a creative and competitive twist that everyone can benefit from. You’re friends and family will love you even more!

–J

Decorating Your Living Space With Shelves

Style Without The Clutter

What can be more attractive, yet more functional to a living space than a set of shelves! Shelves range so widely in size, shape, and function, that one should take plenty of time to decide which set will most meet the current need. A local search can be augmented with an online one, just to get a good idea of what is really out there among the numerous possibilities.

A special note for all stand-alone shelving: In an earthquake active area, any large piece of furniture adjacent to a wall should be earthquake mounted. These mounts, consisting of adhesive Velcro straps that also use screws, can be purchased at any home center in the area.

Traditional Shelving

The shelving with which we are all familiar is, of course, book shelves, decorative wall shelves, or divider shelves.  The simplest shelf assembly consists of plywood boards with bricks or cinder blocks to determine shelf spacing, depth, width, and height. In their original form, these shelves are not attractive but fulfill their purpose. Many college students or persons on a strict budget spruce them up with adhesive shelf paper, or spray paint both shelves and blocks and add little decorations or knickknacks for the cinder block holes. Plywood used should be no less than one inch thick. These shelves can be as long, wide, or tall as you need them, with as few or as many shelves as you need. They can be secured against a wall, or they can stand perpendicular to the wall, acting as a divider. People use them for books on the bottom, with lighter objects on top. When assembling this set, do not skimp on cinder block reinforcements.  Also, remember when adding knickknacks to the cinder blocks – LESS IS MORE – don’t fill every available spot or you’ll be starting from the beginning with decluttering in a few years.

If floor space is scarce, the bracketed wall shelves may be a solution. They consist of vertical strip mounts that screw into the wall the approximate length of the shelves. Support braces for the shelves are fitted into slots along the mounts to adjust shelf height. However, if you use these as book shelves, you should invest in bookends.

For sturdy use in the garage or basement, there are metal, fiberglass and PVC shelves that do not need to be attractive, but are functional, to hold tools, boxes, etc. An easy, mobile set of open backed shelves can be purchased that snap together. Spacing is not adjustable, but the number of shelves is.  Decorative storage shelves can be installed in these areas too, just in case you have your storage areas looking nice.

Decorative Shelves

This is where the choosing becomes fun. There are so many shapes, sizes and materials from which to choose. For example, a single wooden quarter-round corner shelf and brace installed at the right height can serve as an end table when furniture is close to a wall, or telephone table in a vestibule. Small glass or wooden shelves can be attractively staggered to display special objects, and have either straight or curved edges.  Decorative corner shelves are a nice addition to any room, as well.  Just remember to keep the clutter to a minimum and don’t overload them with knickknacks.

Floating Shelves

These unique and fascinating items can be used to hold many things. The secret of the floating look is the mounting, or cleat, which is first attached to the wall, then slides and snaps into the hollow floating shelf. These units give a clean, attractive look to any room.

Whatever the decision, know that the shelves used will maximize your floor space and organize your storage.

–J

What About My Linen Closet?

I’ve been busy the last couple of days getting items ready for sale on eBay.  But, I did manage to get a hold on my linen closet.

Linen closets have a tendency to become the catch-all for towels, blankets, table cloths, etc.  I know mine was bursting at the seams.  The last time I put something in there, I had to push.  Not anymore.  My linen closet is now organized very nicely.

When decluttering and organizing your linen closet, try to keep in mind the different items that absolutely need to be there and get rid of the rest.  My daughter is young, so I moved the items that she might need to get access to so they are within her reach.  This includes bath towels, face towels, tissues, toilet paper, and small blankets.

Now I know why I kept this bag!

Other items, such as a queen size bedding set that is not currently being used, were completely removed from the closet.  And, there were some blanket sets that I had when my daughter was a toddler, that are going to be either sold or donated – I haven’t decided yet.

After removing everything from the closet and cleaning/dusting it, I neatly folded and put the items that are staying there back in.  The end result is a much more purposed linen closet that looks better and is definitely more functional.  My daughter immediately commented that she didn’t have to ask me for help when she needs her bath items.  Job done.

I am pleased with the outcome, and I know you can be to.  Just remember the decluttering tips I posted a few days ago.  One thing less to clutter my space.

Happy Decluttering!

– J