Some One's in the Kitchen

Over the course of the last few years, I have transformed from stay at home mother to working full time, to having a full time job and an almost full time job to both of those and teaching both cooking and yoga plus all the volunteer work I have always done. Did I mention that I have a special needs son and my mother is moving in with us due to her own special needs? It’s not easy to keep juggling all those balls, but I am really trying hard. My life keeps me hopping, and I need to seriously get back on top of everything to get back to basics. I was issued a challenge the other day. I mentioned that I was working really hard on getting organized, and I was told that it was impossible. There was no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I could possibly get organized, especially with my schedule.


Game on.

Several years ago, some well meaning folks decided to reorganize my kitchen when I was at work. Their intentions were great, but it didn’t work for me. They are not me, and they don’t know how I like things or the “flow” of my kitchen. To be quite honest, despite the whole thought of it being a nice thing-and for some other folks, it may have been greatly appreciated-it was quite traumatic for me. I felt like what I wanted and how I wanted my kitchen wasn’t good enough, and that it needed to be fixed. I know that its probably in my head, and just my insecurities rearing themselves, but I really haven’t “fixed” it back to the way it was either.

That’s going to change. The weather is supposed to be quite miserable and cold this weekend, so after the March for Babies and the Yogi Junior class I teach Saturday, and after church on Sunday, I am taking back my kitchen. It will be mine, all mine again after this weekend. I have big plans for that space.

First is cleaning out the cabinet above my island. It winds up being a dumping ground for homeless things. I am rather frustrated by the fact that it remains like that, despite repeated attempts to keep it cleaned out. When tidying up, I seem to stash and dash, and never get back to it later on. So, that cabinet is the first to meet with my fury. In the next cabinet, I keep my dishes, along with a bottle of Holy Water that my husband swears is expired cough syrup. He is Catholic, and has more of an affinity for it than I do, so it will be his responsibility to find a home for it. Moving along, the next cabinet are for my glasses. We currently are in a plastic tumbler state of life, due to a cat that likes to tip over glasses and break them. I need to adjust the shelves and make the space usable.

In the next cabinet are coffee mugs, and an awful lot of wasted space. The mugs can be moved elsewhere, and that space used more appropriately. I am thinking of moving my pyrex pans there versus where its currently housed. In the next cabinet it is our medicine cabinet. It earned that distinction seven years ago, before we had a medicine cabinet in the Little Man’s bathroom. I need to move the stuff out of there and into that cabinet, since its been virtually empty since our guest left in November. That cabinet would be perfect for my Tupperware containers. Over the stove are my spices, which is prime for me to grab them as I cook.

Next cabinet over contains my mixing bowls. This is actually quite perfect as is, and so it will remain! The cabinet next to that, not so much. It currently houses my baking stuff-mixer, pans, cupcake liners, decorating sugars, and I honestly can’t find anything in there. Something needs to be done with it, stat. The next cabinet is all the Tupperware, which is being moved, so the baking stuff can go there. Finally is the coffee cabinet. Coffee, grinder, all that jazz are currently residing there-which is a great idea, so adding the mugs makes perfect sense. The final top level cabinet is above the fridge, where I have serving platters. Wasted space, but I am too short for anything else to go in there.

The bottom level cabinets are due for some spring cleaning too! I have a cabinet that basically is wasted, which is where my recycling bucket is, but its on the opposite side of the kitchen from the garbage can…so the recyclables go on the counter. That is just high on the ick factor! We can mix our recycling, so its just putting them in the bucket and developing a new habit. In the cabinet next to that, I have some larger appliances, like my griddle and crock pot, that only fit into that cabinet-but again, lots of wasted space. I can do so much better! The cabinet next to that is a corner cabinet, but doesn’t have a lazy Susan like my other two corner cabinets. I currently have my pots and pans in there, but its hard to find things if they wind up in the back, so I need a better system. I think by swapping one of the lazy Susan’s with the pots and pans, I will be making best use of the space. Again, one cabinet has appliances that I use, but not very often, and bakeware that may or may not be used frequently. All of these can best be rearranged to meet my needs.

The one cabinet that I will not be working on is the under the sink cabinet. That will require a separate day (and post!)

All By Myself

I have a confession to make: I hate cleaning the house with an audience. It probably goes back to my childhood, being told by my Grama that I missed a spot. I just like to do it & be left alone.
Many years ago, I checked a book out of my local library called "Do I Dust or Vacuum First". It was all about home organization and cleaning. A certain big man thought it was both hilarious and sad that I had to read a book on something that came naturally to most women.
Apparently when they were handing out cleaning skills, I must have been off reading a book or hiking a trail or doing basically anything else but waiting in line. Cleaning doesn't come naturally to me apparently.
After all, I had to read a book to learn.
I do know that I don't particularly enjoy having people watch me clean. Its as if they are scoring me, because that's what my Grama used to do. I could have done a bang up job & shed be like the Russian ice skating judge, finding flaws.
I also like listening to my music. Loud. It helps motivate me and keep me positive. I like using my choice of cleaning products. I don't like chemically smelling products, they turn my stomach and actually make me light headed.
My system of cleaning has also been the subject of ridicule over the years. I subscribe to the fly lady system, which I discovered on the Martha Stewart boards when I was planning my wedding. My favorite part is setting the timer for 15 minutes, because you can do anything for that length of time. It's helped me overcome that overwhelmed feeling when approaching a big task. I know that when that timer goes off, I can walk away for 15 minutes and regroup or keep going.
Then there is the matter of perception. I guess there are times that I think things are clean and organized, but others don't. There is nothing like spending an hour busting your butt to do something to be greeted with a "really? You call that clean?" nothing like popping your balloon.
Working full time, plus working more than part time at church as well as teaching eats into my time. When I was at home, up to five years ago, I was able to do a lot more. Detailed cleaning-like the grout-was done more frequently, just because I had both the time and energy. Now, sometimes it's a struggle to keep up with the maintenance stuff, like cleaning up after dinner or sweeping my kitchen floor. I do my best, but there are times when I'd rather take a nap or read a book than scrubbing the bath tub. Don't get me wrong, the cleaning still gets done, it's just on my schedule than anyone else's.
Currently in my cleaning toolbox I have:
Swifter wet & dry for the tile floors
Swifter duster
Just a note on the swifter stuff: the cleaning people in my building at work use them.
Wood for good furniture polish (I love this smell!)
Method bathroom cleaner
Mrs. Meyers lemon verbena counter top spray
Bon ami scrubbing powder
Mr Clean magic eraser

If you are like me, you probably need some help to learn how to clean. My original manual is no longer in print, but there are other options out there. One is the Fly Lady's book, Sink Reflections. I love her system, but everything in her book is on her website, for free.
There are a lot of blogs that feature great tips and ideas. One is I Heart Organizing (http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/?m=1). Another is Organized Mom (http://www.organizedmom.net/category/blog/). I also read
House of Smiths http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/?m=1
Simple Mom http://simplemom.net/
Blue Eyed Bride http://blueeyedbride.com/
And Life as A Mom
http://lifeasmom.com/
These blogs are all inspiring for me to keep at the cleaning and organizing to have a happy home.

Lose Control

Ever have a lightbulb moment?
For me, it's when there is a burst of true clarity. Its when what's on my mind resolves itself or I can see a resolution coming.
I've been tired for a long time. It's not a lack of sleep tired, it's a lack of inspiration tired. Its the tightness in my back and neck that nothing can relieve tired. This exhaustion comes from being ground down and spit out on a daily basis and just not gluing myself back together.
This weekend, my plan is to make myself whole again. I need to reinsert my backbone and be firm in what I want and just go for it.
First and foremost, I am reinstituting my control journal. It's a very simple concept that completely guides my life and home. I stopped using one a while back, because I didnt think I needed one anymore. I thought I had it going on, and well no one else I know was using one.
Obviously, I was wrong.

My control journal consists of different sections:
*to do lists
*master plan
*motivation
*menus/master grocery list
*fitness & health
*finances
*tab for each of us for things coming up/involved with
*quick reference

The to do lists are my daily routines, the master to do list, holiday planning and the like. I am not a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal. I like checking off my to do list everyday.

My master plan are our family goals. What do we want to accomplish in the next 6 months? Year? For example, my son wants to compete in the Washington pavilion science fair and play tennis. I want to finish my book and try zumba. It's a section to hope, wish and dream.

My motivation section is a collection of quotes and pictures that inspire me. There are a few Biblical passages, family pictures, pictures of what my house can look like, etc.

My menu section is based on my theme nights: meatless Monday, taco Tuesday, take out at home, garbage night, breakfast for dinner, sunday dinner, international night-this way I know what we are going to have and when. It makes it easier to go grocery shopping AND stick to my healthy eating plan. I need this to keep my sanity. Other people may not need to formally write it out, and G-d bless them-but I do. I need to plan my week-day-whatever, which helps me eat healthier.

Fitness & health covers a list of medicines (vitamins too!) we are taking. I have a cheat sheet of home remedies in there, as well as an inventory of the medicine cabinet. I have my workout routines listed, as well as my yoga asanas. It just makes life easier for me to not have to keep it all in my head.

Finances are just that: bills, investments and contributions. I have a monthly checklist of bills, and I like crossing them off when I pay them. It also helps me budget for the holidays, birthdays and vacations. I like to know what's going on, and I can plan ahead.

We each have a tab so things we need to plan for-school projects, practices, meetings are all in there. There aren't any excuses, we don't miss deadlines and life is good.

The quick reference section is a listing of birthdays, phone numbers, account numbers, passwords and all the things I don't need to commit to memory.

I need to keep my sanity, and my control journal is my brain.

We Belong Together

At the heart of it all, I really am organized. In fact, I can be downright anal sometimes. My problem is the lack of consistency. I get everything organized, it's keeping it up that I struggle with.
I could give a thousand different excuses why it happens, but they all point back to me just being tired. I've dealt with chronic exhaustion. Sleep issues have plagued me for years. I've dealt with chronic anemia. My diet and exercise regimen has been spotty at best.
So, what does this mean for getting organized? Actually, a lot. If you arent taking care of yourself, chances are you aren't taking of everything else.
If you wake up tired everyday and cant get out of bed, chances are your sleep quality isn't good. Keep track of your sleep for a week and see if there's a pattern. Talk to your doctor too; some medications can cause sleep issues. You may have apnea or another medical issue that a sleep study may help.
If there isn't an underlying medical issue, look at what happens before bed. Are you too caffeinated or stressed too sleep? Too hot or cold? You actually need to start planning for bed by 5 or 6 at night.
Get to know your body's rhythms.
What works for me is a cup of sleepy time tea, some gentle yoga and spending time in prayer. If I'm really stressed, I journal.
If you are waking up ready to face the day, you are more likely to keep up with everything else.
Make sure you are drinking adequate water-if you are dehydrated, you feel tired and blah. Do you go into a food coma after dinner? Then what you're eating might not be in your best interest. Plus exercise is so important. Even 15 minutes a day can make a difference.
Getting organized means more than cleaning your cabinets out. Taking care of yourself and taking care of your home belong together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNVppzEqUmM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Don't let go

Welcome to 2012! The holidays are winding down, it's almost time to go back to school and work. It's also my time to put things back in order again (and in some cases, for the first time)
In years past, I've gone gung ho and made my house look like something Martha Stewart would approve.
For a day or two.
The problem was there wasn't any plan in place to maintain it.
So it's the start of a new year, and another chance to work on making my home into what I want and need it to be: a sanctuary and oasis from the craziness of the world.
Step one: get started.
Step two: don't let go, and keep going.

Coventry Carol

I love to bake year round, but Christmas cookies are a particular passion. I start baking when the grand plan kicks off this week, and I usually make at least 2 dozen of each type of cookie (some for now, some to freeze for the holidays)The only thing is with the thumbprints, I don't add the jelly until I defrost them.
I tend to putter and mumble about finding the time to bake, but I am usually successful at dragging SOMETHING off the schedule and making time/space for the cookie baking time. The only issue I have is not eating them as I bake, which is wrecking as much havoc on my diet as a green beret penetrating enemy lines!

Thumbprint cookies

Round balls

Pizzelles

Fudge

Chocolate bliss

PB cups

Making a List, Checking it Twice

The first part of the Holiday Grand Plan is making your list and checking it (at least) twice. I am a list making kind of gal, this really is my favorite part of the grand plan. Unfortunately, the list making does not always translate into the list doing, but that’s ok. It’s a template for our holiday season, not a battle plan with strict adherence.

 

Some of the lists I make include:

 

• Christmas cards
•  
• Gift lists
•  
• Menu planning
•  
• Crafting to do
•  
• Baking planner
•  
• Freezer inventory
•  
• Party planning

Back to School Again

I need to keep my sanity in the mornings. One way to do that is to start the night before. I set up the coffee maker.
 I pack lunches. I make sure what needs to go with us the next day is by the door.

 We have a launch pad by the door to the garage, so we are able to have everything there, at the ready

.

All we have to do is add lunches and we are out the door.

I struggle with disorganization to begin with. Asperger’s is not exactly known as a disorder characterized by super organized people…so we are quite the pair!

By getting everything done the night before, it elminates that running around like a chicken trying to escape col. Sanders.

in the closet

In the Closet




I love fashion and clothes. It’s a big part of my life. My closet reflects that. As time goes on, I have been trying to figure out a way to manage my closet and keep it organized. What I have found that works for me, is I put together my outfits for the week every weekend: everything-lingerie, accessories, etc. It makes getting ready in the morning so much easier. I have 2 sets of outfits: work and play.

In order to do this, I have to keep my closet organized. I have my shoes in plastic shoeboxes on the floor. I now have my scarves and purses in baskets on the shelves in there, so I can see what I have and what goes with what. It makes a huge difference rather than the closet exploding on me.


The closet is divided into quadrants: casual and professional; summer and winter. There is some overlap between the 4, but its ok because I can usually find what I am looking for. It also has allowed me to see what I own, and make good use of it.



Its allowed me to go from fashion failure to a rock star diva.