organizing

Family Photos – How To Keep Them and Not Get Buried In Clutter

Do you delight in having photos of your loved ones? Family photos from graduations, birthdays, weddings, the birth of a new baby, and other special events in life are important. Many of us keep ours online – such as on Facebook – but others prefer having pictures they can print out and hold in their hands or put in a frame to display.

If you are like me, you love to have great photos all around you. Especially when the subjects are members of my family, I’m all about seeing them every day. I have photos in my kitchen, family room, living room, dining room, home office, day-job office. They are everywhere.

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With an ever- growing family, five kids and kids-in-law, 12 grand-kids, 4 great-grands with two more on the way… well, you get the picture. (No pun intended. Well, maybe a little!)

And then we have events! Everyone loves to give us a copy of their “Kodak moments”. Graduations (preschool through master’s degrees), weddings and newborn babes, dance recitals, soccer team photos, the school musical and on and on. And I love it all! But, how do I organize them so that I can still use the tops of my tables? I am a woman in search of answers!

Photo Albums

Wedding albums and baby albums are such a popular item. They are a fundamental part of the milestones of our lives.

Though today’s families have less time to browse through an album, it remains important for us to have one book for our weddings and at least one per baby, as each little one is born into the world.

Even significant anniversaries — the 25th, 50th and so on–truly deserve their own picture book chronicling the special occasion.

Photo albums come in various shapes, sizes and styles. Covers can vary from simple, to cute, to elegant! Some have a sticky surface on each page to which you apply the photo. A clear plastic sheet then covers the page for protection.

Digital Picture Frames

Electronic picture frames are a great solution to time and space. The clear, crisp digital images are deep and rich in color. It becomes more than a picture frame. It’s a part of the decor and a constant reminder of precious loved ones and fond memories.

Some allow you to upload your favorite pictures from any location, online. Others call for a thumb drive – very easy to use. Add more pictures whenever you wish. Switch some out for variety. The best part is that you only need one frame to contain hundreds of pictures, eliminating picture frame clutter.

Collage Picture Frames
There are some very attractive photo frames designed to help those with an abundance of pictures to enjoy. These frames of photo collections can be hung on a wall or exhibited on a table, mantel or desk.

How about a very unique multiple-photo system that looks something like a clothesline! Photos hang at various lengths off of a rod. Creative challenge: make one yourself! See what you can come up with.

Magnetic Picture Frames

Using your refrigerator as a bulletin board? Stop using scotch tape and purchase some magnetic picture frames, instead. They come in various sizes, protect your photos from harm and can easily be re-arranged as new ones arrive. This style is especially nice!

What creative ways do you use to display your family photos in your home or office?

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Enjoy!

Five Tips For Making Your Kitchen More Efficient

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Guest post by Anne Shirley

How efficient do you think your kitchen is? It seems like every home owner has their vision of a dream kitchen, but it can cost a lot of money to make their dreams a reality.

modern kitchen, contemporary kitchen, new kitchen, efficient kitchen

HGTV did a survey on the average cost of kitchen remodeling projects on homes in the United States, and they found that remodeling a 12×12 kitchen space can cost people anywhere from $15,000 to $35,000. If that sounds a little out of your price range, you don’t have to worry. You may think that your kitchen needs to be redone so that you can work more efficiently in it, but it may be your cooking and cleaning methods that need to be changed. If you want to make your kitchen more efficient, follow these simple tips.

Get your supplies together before you start

Are you planning on cooking dinner? Are you ready to take on a big cleaning project in your kitchen. Before you start to do any work your kitchen, gather everything together that you’re going to need. This will make sure that you won’t waste time digging through your fridge, spice cabinet, or cleaning supply closet to find what you need. It also makes sure that you’ll have everything

you need on hand in case you end up making a mess during your project.

Clean as you go

Do you ever wonder how some people can keep their kitchen looking organized right after they cook a large meal? Do you want to know their secret? They don’t wait until they finish cooking to start cleaning up, they start cleaning as soon as they start cooking.

Instead of leaving certain ingredients out after you use them, put them away as soon as you’re done. When something is steaming, frying, baking or sautéing, take some time to start scrubbing your mixing bowls and other cooking utensils. You’ll save a considerable amount of time cleaning up at the end, and you won’t have to dread cleaning mountains of dishes when you’re done.

Adopt a menu

Some people like to plan out their menu for the week, and others will plan their meals for an entire month. Regardless of how you want to space out the time, make sure that plan a menu. Planning what you’re going to eat ahead of time makes cooking so much easier. You’ll know exactly what you need to have, and you won’t have to spend time thinking about what you’re going to cook.

Organize your shelves properly

Organization skills don’t just help you at work, they can help you make your kitchen much more efficient. If you want to improve the efficiency of your kitchen without having to spend a lot of money, you’ll notice a big difference if you place common kitchen appliances and tools around the areas where they’re the most likely to be used. Instead of keeping your pots and pans in separate cabinet across the room, move them to the cabinets around your stove and oven. Move your spice cabinet closer to your food preparation area so that you’ll have everything you need close by when you start cooking.

Replace old appliances

This may sound like a no-brainer, but some people will use their ovens, microwaves, and blenders until they start to fall apart. If you feel like your kitchen could be more efficient, it’s possible that you could need newer appliances. Once you have to double your usual microwave cooking times, look for a new microwave. Stop using the oven that came with your house, and look the best double wallovens your money can buy. Since you’re going to be buying new appliances, try to see if you can find environmentally friendly models to use. Your kitchen will be more efficient, and you’ll be able to use electricity and gas efficiently as well.

Ann Shirley is a freelance writer from that enjoys reading and writing about various topics. In her free time she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen by trying new recipes and baking cookies for her fiancé and friends. She currently lives in New York with her fiance and her beloved Maine Coon cat.

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Photo Credits:

Gorgeous Kitchen by SWIMPHOTO on Flickr Creative Commons

Cleaning Supplies by Scotchan on Freedigital Photos

Ridding Your Home of PAPER CLUTTER!

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Paper, paper PAPER!!!! Overrun by paper? Yikes! It’s everywhere.

What is the greatest pile of paper that you struggle with?

Coupons ?

Greeting Cards ?

Important Mail ?

Junk Mail ?

Legal Documents ?

Magazines ?

Newspapers ?

Office “paper stuff” ?

Photos ?

Receipts ?

We all will have different cures for the same problem. What do you do with all that unwanted paper? I have come up with some solutions of my own that kind of do the job for me. As they say, “it’s a work in progress.”

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Coupons–I’ve given up on them. I only cut the ones I absolutely know I will use. Nothing on speculation. Speculation leads to piles of expired coupons that never get used. The few that I do use are kept in my wallet and “spent” as soon as possible.

Greeting Cards— again, I’m not a saver of cards. I am, however, big on my grandkids’ artwork. Their masterpieces are hung on my office wall. ♥

Important Mail–for me, this would be “bills.” (I now do Publisher’s Clearinghouse paper-free, online.) I have an expanding file to stash my current bills. On “bill paying day” I pull it out along with my checkbook and calculator and get to work!

Junk Mail–the name tells the story. “JUNK” goes in the garbage can before it can land on the counter or table! Do not let it stay! There are services where you can opt out of unwanted catalogs and other junk mail. Catalog Choice is a good place to start.

Legal Documents: this would include copies of your annual tax returns, wills, title to your car, birth certificates. You might use a safe, filing cabinet or flat file. I love file boxes but, for ultra important paperwork, label it well so that no one mindlessly disposes of it!

Isn’t this pretty? Black and White Scroll Pattern File Box

Magazines: magazine clutter has been a serious problem in my home. I love magazines and have several subscriptions. Since I don’t have time to “read” them (browse?) soon as they arrive, they pile up.

I have used them for decorating purposes on coffee tables, but then they all have to be moved when I clean the table. So, trays became a solution. They move easily for dusting but trays need to be cleaned, too.

That’s when I made an amazing discovery. I could donate them! My local public library has a “magazine room.” People bring their lightly used magazines in as a donation. Others read them there or buy them for 5 cents each. Guilt is gone! I can keep my magazines long as I want, then drop them at the library and let THEM deal with the clutter! What a perfect solution.

Family Photos: putting them in albums is great but what if you have too many pictures and not enough time? Have a photo party! Invite family or friends to join you for some tasty snacks and everyone start sorting. You can set up albums by years, eras, special events (like graduations, weddings, vacations, babies, etc) or subjects. It make take more than one party but I have found some of the best conversation takes place when you are doing something together. It’s fun!

So, how do you manage YOUR paper clutter?

Enjoy!