Posts by Jill Annis | Simply Organized
Essential Kitchen Organizing Tool #2
Unclutter your pantry, kitchen cabinets and drawers with bins. Bins are especially useful for holding a group of like items together. These are 2 bins in my pantry which contain snack foods. We love carbs! This is a photo of my odds and ends drawer in my kitchen.…
Read MoreEssential Kitchen Organizing Tool #1
Your kitchen is probably the most used room of your house. Let’s make it your favorite and most organized room of your house with some simple and inexpensive organizing tools. While organizing client’s kitchens, I have found 4 simple organizing products that may be just what your kitchen needs to improve it’s function and allow…
Read More3 things to do before climbing into bed
Are you tired of waking up and discovering the dish and kitchen fairy missed your home…again!? Are your counters so cluttered that you can barely find your coffee maker? Maybe you don’t bother to find it and end up spending more money on another cup from a local coffee shop. Picture waking up to a…
Read MoreWhat’s for dinner?
Does the question what’s for dinner automatically make you feel a bit anxious? Take a few moments to plan out your meals for the week and you will no longer have to stress over what to make for dinner, make last minute trips to the grocery store, or spend money on take out meals. The…
Read MoreOrganize your spices so you are able to find them
Okay….I have a confession to make. My spices are alphabetized. This is a photo of my spices in my pantry. Before you call me a freak, obsessed or just plain nuts, notice that my spices are loosely alphabetized:) There are 3 containers, each filled with spices from a segement of the alphabet. The first…
Read MoreWhat’s in your pantry?
If your answer to “what’s in your pantry?” is “I have no idea” and “I usually have trouble finding what I’m looking for” then I think a little pantry TLC is in order. Set aside an hour of your time and get ready for a pantry purge. 1. Gather the following supplies: trash and recycling…
Read MoreShred it and forget it
Do you own a paper shredder? Every house should have one unless you are willing to tear your personal papers into itsy bitsy pieces or burn your papers. Identity theft is very real. Once your identity is stolen, it’s difficult and costly to restore your credit and reputation. I’d like to help you protect your…
Read MoreSomething I treasure
I am a sentimental person but there isn’t a whole lot of “stuff” I’m attached to or have trouble getting rid of. This advent calendar, called a Jesse Tree, is something that I will always treasure. The felt pieces represent different people or stories from the bible. Every day, during the month of December, we…
Read MoreMake a decision
Your house fills up with stuff, your calendar fills up with commitments, and your papers pile up waiting for the next action. Deferred decisions, lack of decisions, and procrastination are all causes of clutter. Start making decisions and you will discover a solution for clutter, piles, and too much stuff. Purchasing decisions: Before you…
Read MoreGift ideas that save money
Is your gift budget tight this year or most years? Budget conscious gifts can be very meaningful and won’t leave you with a large credit card balance in January. Here are some suggestions that will save you money on gifts. Homemade items. Do you knit, sew, bake, cook, make cards? Re-gift items. Have you received…
Read MoreShop at home
A trip to the store may not be necessary. Check the nooks and crannies of your home before spending money on the following items. Disposable paper goods: holiday napkins, paper plates, cups, utensils. Baking supplies: cookie sprinkles, cookie cutters, food coloring, cupcake wrappers and other common ingredients. Christmas cards Wrapping supplies: paper, boxes, tissue paper…
Read MoreSimplify gift wrapping
I have always envied those who have the gift wrapping gene because I still haven’t mastered creasing corners neatly or curling ribbon. Whether you are an amazing wrapper or are challenged like me, I have some suggestions to simplify gift wrapping that will also save you time. Gift bags and tissue paper are a…
Read MoreOrganize for Christmas/Hanukah gift shopping
Are you wasting time running from store to store trying to find gifts for everyone on your list? Shopping without a plan or a list may lead to overspending on impulse purchases and will also require more time. So how do you create a plan that will save you time, money and frustration? Before you…
Read MoreOrganize for holiday baking and cooking
Do you enjoy creating holiday treats or hosting holiday dinners or parties? Personally this isn’t my idea of fun (I’d rather eat than cook) but I do find it more enjoyable if I’m prepared and organized. Here are some suggestions that will help you prepare yourself and your kitchen for holiday baking and cooking. Clear…
Read MoreOrganize for Thanksgiving Dinner
Are you hosting Thanksgiving Dinner? Are you overwhelmed and feeling panicked? Eliminate the overwhelm by tacking one or two tasks a day and you will be ready, not stressed. More importantly ASK for help from your family. 1. Write out your menu and delegate parts of the meal to guests, unless you love to cook…
Read MoreDaily pick-up
Tripping over clutter or having it glaring at you as you get out of bed probably isn’t the finest way to start the day. What if you started your day without a having to face dirty dishes in every room, tripping over assorted shoes, feeling toys squished under your bare feet, and clothing draped over…
Read MorePut it back where you found it
Having trouble staying organized? Ever wonder why your house seems to fall out of order shortly after you restored order? Let me ask you this….after you are finished using something, do you put it away? If your answer is NO! it’s time to make a change that will change your life…seriously. Instead of just leaving…
Read MoreOne in, one out rule
Now that you have a donation station, it’s time to put it to good use. When you purchase and item, find something to donate and put it in one of your donation station container. Better yet, if you seriously need to un-stuff your home, donate 2-3 items for every item you acquire. It’s called…
Read MoreDonation Station
Every home should have a donation station. A box, bag or other container to hold the items you want to pass on to your favorite charity. Label your container “donate” and set in a location that is accessible to all your household members. We have our bags in our basement laundry room. This station provides…
Read MoreJust for today…
Organization requires changing your habits and routines. Have you ever heard the expression, “if you do what you have always done you will get what you have always gotten?” Do you want to develop better organizing habits but it just seems too hard and too overwhelming to change the way you do things? I’d like…
Read MoreOrganize for a walk, run, swim, or a bike ride.
We have a large, sometimes obnoxious, yellow lab named Cleo. Cleo needs a daily walk to mellow her out. I also require a daily walk to mellow out. Sometimes a few of my friends and their dogs come along. If you are a dog walker you are well aware that dogs usually need to stop,…
Read MoreIs your garage clean enough to eat in it?
I would not call this garage your every day sort of garage. In fact it’s no longer used as a garage, it’s now a 50’s diner and a fun space for entertaining. They went above and beyond organizing their garage! We happened upon this garage during our road trip to Maine in 2006. Our car…
Read MoreGarage Organizing Tip: Garage Shelving
I’ve emphasized using your garage walls to their fullest potentials in my garage blog posts. This includes installing shelves to maximize vertical storage space. Our shelves are attached to the walls; free standing, sturdy shelves are another option. There are also storage racks that hang from the ceiling. www.Saferacks.com The shelves in our garage hold…
Read MoreGarage Tips: Storage Containers
Labeled storage containers keep a category of like things together. Items stored in containers on a shelf or in a cabinet will be easy to find and accessible. Think outside of the organizing box when choosing containers. I have used the following to contain items in my garage or in client’s garages. Laundry Baskets: toys,…
Read MoreGarage Organizing Tip: Garage Hooks
Make friends with these rubber/plastic coated garage hooks. They are sturdy. They are functional. They are economical. They are available in a variety of and shapes that allow you to hang just about anything. We’ve used hooks for ladders, bikes, tools, weed wacker, extension cord, a fertilizer spreader, and chairs. Hooks + Stud = very…
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