RSSMix.com Mix ID 93674

undercounter lighting

Arguably, the kitchen is the heart of the home. We cook there, eat there (hopefully as a family), entertain there, chat at the table, do homework, and any number of other family-related things. A disorganized kitchen discourages us from doing the above; we don’t want to cook and eating will likely then take place in front of the TV. We don’t want to entertain others or sit and chat because the clutter distracts us and makes us feel ashamed of not keeping things in better order. So lets get to it!

Please understand that this room CANNOT be done in one day or in one chunk of time. Im willing to bet it took more than one day for your kitchen to look the way it does-so it will take more than one day to un-do it. Be patient and attack these different tasks in small chunks of time-small steps! You’ll find that as each one is done that youll be motivated to do another and another. And then when its all done, youll not want to mess it up, and so be motivated to keep it organized! Oh happy day!

1) Unload your dishwasher. If your dishwasher is full of clean dishes and not put away, you wont have a place to put your dirty dishes as you clean up. If you don’t have a dishwasher, take a look at your sink. If youve got clean dishes in your dish rack, put them away now. Then move your dish rack to the counter and put an empty dishpan under the sink. You’ll see why as we keep going. 2) Take a look at your countertops. Are they piled high with papers, dishes (dirty), and appliances (some you havent used in weeks or months)? Are they stained (underneath the stuff on them)? Lets clear off one countertop at a time. Pick your smallest one and clear everything off. Put it on a table or other surface where you can go through the things. Put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher (or dishpan under your sink), go through the papers (junk mail = trash can, bills go to the study, etc.). Put the other miscellaneous things youve found in separate piles to be schlepped to the appropriate rooms where they belong. Then look at the naked countertop. Take a cleaner of your choice (I love the Lysol disinfecting wipes, but you could use a spray cleaner, a bleach cleaner, or simple window cleaner) and a rag and start wiping from back to front. Sweep the crumbs in to the garbage can. Now put only the things which are *necessary* back on the counter. That means no excess paperwork, no hairbows, etc. If you need space for a coffee maker or other small appliance, you now have it!

3) Move to the next counter and repeat the same steps as above.

In Part Two of Organizing Your Kitchen, well take a look at the next round of steps to create a kitchen youre proud of!

undercounter lighting

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:15:20 -0500

Arguably, the kitchen is the heart of the home. We cook there, eat there (hopefully as a family), entertain there, chat at the table, do homework, and any number of other family-related things. A disorganized kitchen discourages us from doing the above; we dont want to cook and eating will likely then take place in front of the TV. We dont want to entertain others or sit and chat because the clutter distracts us and makes us feel ashamed of not keeping things in better order. So lets get to it! Please understand that this room CANNOT be done in one day or in one chunk of time. Im willing to bet it took more than one day for your kitchen to look the way it does-so it will take more than one day to un-do it. Be patient and attack these different tasks in small chunks of time-small steps! Youll find that as each one is done that youll be motivated to do another and another. And then when its all done, youll not want to mess it up, and so be motivated to keep it organized! Oh happy day! 1) Unload your dishwasher. If your dishwasher is full of clean dishes and not put away, you wont have a place to put your dirty dishes as you clean up. If you dont have a dishwasher, take a look at your sink. If youve got clean dishes in your dish rack, put them away now. Then move your dish rack to the counter and put an empty dishpan under the sink. Youll see why as we keep going. 2) Take a look at your countertops. Are they piled high with papers, dishes (dirty), and appliances (some you havent used in weeks or months)? Are they stained (underneath the stuff on them)? Lets clear off one countertop at a time. Pick your smallest one and clear everything off. Put it on a table or other surface where you can go through the things. Put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher (or dishpan under your sink), go through the papers (junk mail = trash can, bills go to the study, etc.). Put the other miscellaneous things youve found in separate piles to be schlepped to the appropriate rooms where they belong. Then look at the naked countertop. Take a cleaner of your choice (I love the Lysol disinfecting wipes, but you could use a spray cleaner, a bleach cleaner, or simple window cleaner) and a rag and start wiping from back to front. Sweep the crumbs in to the garbage can. Now put only the things which are *necessary* back on the counter. That means no excess paperwork, no hairbows, etc. If you need space for a coffee maker or other small appliance, you now have it! 3) Move to the next counter and repeat the same steps as above. In Part Two of Organizing Your Kitchen, well take a look at the next round of steps to create a kitchen youre proud of!

under cabinet lighting

under cabinet fluorescent lighting

flourescent lighting

fluorescent lighting

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:13:57 -0500

Do you shudder when you think of people coming over to visit unannounced? Do you panic when you get a message on your answering machine that family is coming-and they left 4 hours ago (and its a 5 hour trip)? Do you try to clean before your cleaning lady comes? Can you not afford a cleaning lady and try to do it yourself, ending up discouraged, frustrated, and thinking its just impossible? The real key here is to take it a step at a time. Take it at your own pace. This IS a fight that you CAN and WILL win! You will have to commit to having less stuff if your home and letting go of the sacred-cows youve hung on to for all these years (but please note that these cows havent lifted a finger to help you get organized or clean-they only collect dust and take up space!). This isnt having Clean Sweep come to your home and do the work for you-its all *your* work. Don't worry. It can all be done in a few minutes each day. Yes, you, too can occupy a relatively clean environment as long as you relax and let go of "it's-got-to-be-perfect-itis". Ready for step one? Good. We're going to declutter first - set a timer and put on some energizing music to get you going. Decide that you're only going to declutter for 15 minutes in one certain room. Then if you want to work longer, say, another round of 15 minutes, you can. But you don't have to. This helps you get motivated, even when you feel like cleaning is the last thing you'd want to tackle. Yep- psyche yourself out. Go from room to room one day, just decluttering - 15 minutes in each room. Some rooms might take only five minutes - there's a good feeling! Others might take 30 minutes before you can walk through the room without tripping over something. It'll all average out. Then on day two, go back to your first room and surface clean. Wipe off counters, sinks, flat surfaces. Then spot vacuum. If there's a stain on the kitchen floor, spot clean that baby. Day three, pick another room. Day four, still another. If youre so motivated one day and get on a roll, surface clean two rooms. After youve decluttered, were going to take fifteen minutes a day and do some deeper cleaning in each room. You know, vacuuming thoroughly, dusting, swatting away cobwebs, etc. Now, if you just repeat this simple schedule, you've got a house that would at least make the grade on a pass-fail system. That takes a load off your mind and alleviates stress in your family relationships. Remember, its better to do a little each day and get the job done, than to stress out in an embarrassingly cluttered environment because youre too overwhelmed to even start. Go ahead - set that timer!

under cabinet lighting

led under cabinet lighting

undercounter lighting

under cabinet lighting

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:12:20 -0500

Even the most frugal person I know will occasionally splurge on an item that will help her keep more organized. Here are some of my favorite organizational tools for the home. 1) Lazy Susan Thanks to the soul who invented this little item! They're cheap, and help keep spices, bottles, and condiments neatly arranged and at your fingertips. Use them in the pantry, in cabinets, on the kitchen table - they're absolutely life savers when it comes to staying organized. 2) Plastic Basket for Lids Plastic containers - a double edged sword! One the one hand they keep me organized and save tons of time in the kitchen, especially. But searching through ten thousand lids that don't fit can drive a person nutty. I use a plastic basket for all my lids so they're in one spot when I go looking. 3) A Triple Swing-out Towel Holder Put these under your kitchen and bathroom sinks to save space and keep your sink area uncluttered. Use it to hold towels, cleaning rags, trash bags, etc. 4) Place a few strong adhesive hooks in the laundry room - these can be used for hanging coats, clothes, etc. Hooks are great to hang up mops, brooms and other cleaning supplies, too. 5) Plastic Baggies with Zipper Locks How did our ancestors survive without them? Baggies are perfect to store small toys, puzzle pieces, and any little items that go together in one spot. The two-gallon sized ones are my favorite. 6) A Labeler These don't have to be expensive to work. And having containers and shelf spaces labeled is a great way to help children keep their items organized, as well as yourself. Do yourself a favor - use a labeler for a week, and you'll wonder hoe you ever lived without one. 7) A Compartment Tray for Your Junk Drawer Occasionally, I actually open my junk drawer to search for something! Having miscellaneous items in little compartments of the tray will save you time and frustration when you go searching. 8) A TV Remote Holder How much time have you wasted looking for this little item? Make or purchase a holder for your remote, or put velcro on the back and stick it someplace near the couch. 9) Laundry Sorting Bin Less than ten bucks, these bins help keep your dirty laundry organized, so that when you're ready to wash the whites, they're all in the same spot. No more digging through a giant hamper to find the right clothes! This makes laundry time so much simpler! 10) Two-tiered Spice Racks These cabinet organizers save time and hassle in the kitchen. How many times have you searched for the oregano - behind the cinnamon, no - the nutmeg...Wait -where was the nutmeg? You get the idea. These items are by no means all the great organizing tools out there, but they're my choices for time saving and hassle free living!

under cabinet lighting

flourescent lighting

fluorescent lighting