Marilyn Bohn | Creative Organizer

Let’s organize our kitchens so we don’t have any accidents this summer.

•Keep smoke alarms connected and replace the batteries every six months. I know it is pesky to hear the smoke alarm go off when you burn the pie and smokes comes from the oven, but keep them connected anyway.
•Use one plug per socket, and never use an adapter to connect a three-prong plug with a two prong socket. (I am guilty of doing this).
•Replace appliances that have frayed cords.
•Store matches and lighters where children can’t get them.
•Keep candles at least three feet from flammable items, such as curtains. Never leave a candle burning when you aren’t in the room.
•Keep hazardous items, such as cleaners, medicines and vitamins out of the reach of young children.
•Never leave cooking food unattended.
•Use a non skid backing or rug liner on rugs.
•Clean up spills immediately.
•Turn pot handles away from the edge of the stove.

By using our common sense and being aware of the little things we can have a safe kitchen. Do you remember a time you practiced safety in your kitchen and averted an accident?

When I was at the Professional Organizers Conference this year I was given a product called Gryptonite Super Gripper. It sounds like something from a Superman movie.

I brought home my nifty gadget and put it in my pantry. I was trying to open a jar and since I got tile on my floor I can no longer hit the lid of a jar on my floor to open it. Then I remembered my super gripper. I have tried jar openers before and they don’t always work. I used my gryptonite (I like saying that word) and said out loud “I am a believer”. Then I laughed and realized this was true. The lid loosened so easy without any effort at all on my part.

This nifty gadget comes with an owner’s manual. There are over 18 and counting other uses. There is even a troubleshooting guide for problems around the home and solutions to solving them. How fun is that?

Do you have a super doper tool you can’t live without and how do you use it?

Do you have problems with plastic lids in your kitchen? I swear they have taken over the kitchens of America. When you need a particular size for a bowl they are nowhere to be found. You have taken the time to match the bowl with the lid so you think all is great in plastic land, but no it doesn’t end there. Somehow that lid makes itself scarce just when you need it or is always falling out of the cupboard.

I suggest the following action and solution:

•Do match the bowls to the lids, any leftover lids put in a plastic bag and place them where you know where to find them (a shelf, cupboard, drawer) and if there is no bowl needing a lid in two days recycle all of those orphan lids, do not keep them. The reason for keeping them for two days is because there may be a bowl hiding in another room, in the fridge or in the dishwasher.
•If you have more bowls than lids then either recycle the bowl or use it for a cat/dog dish.
•It does not work to keep the lids on the bowl it belongs to—I have never met a kitchen yet that is large enough for that ‘luxury’. And besides what a pain to have to take a lid off every time you want to use a bowl.
•Placing the lid under the bowl it goes to only works in special occasions, and it takes up more space in the cupboard when stacking the bowls—which is what you have to do.
•The Solution: Place the lids in a separate plastic container. They are then easy to reach and are contained and aren’t falling out of the cupboard every time it is opened. Everyone is happy. If you have extra drawer space they can be put in a drawer, even then it is best to have them in containers or they become l jumbled.

What solution have you used for containing your plastic lids in your kitchen?

As I was unloading the dishwasher this morning I got a bee in my bonnet to organize the silverware drawer. As you may know one of my specialties is organizing small spaces. As you can see by this picture it is a small space. The one other drawer I have in my kitchen is only four inches wide.

I took out all the silverware and washed the tray. I would like one of those nice mesh trays but I have never found one small enough to fit this drawer. I got rid of a few extra things I never use that were living in the back of the drawer. Everything fits better now. The divider part in the back I kept things I use often, measuring spoons, grapefruit knife, and can openers. (I allow myself two because I lost one once and I only had one at that time. It was awful trying to open a can of evaporated milk without an opener). Behind the tray is the scoop I use for cookies, a garlic press, and grater along with a few other miscellaneous items.
The knives are at the side and I know it is a bad place, but it is my only place for them and it works for us. Someday I will buy a nice set of knives and have them in a block on my small kitchen counter. And they will even be sharp. Ahh, what a day that will be.

Next week I will be doing a series of blogs on office organizing. What is your biggest challenge in your office, I will be answering questions.

Oh, today is the last day to enter the drawing to win the scrapbook-book. (Read all about it on my June 2 blog).

I had so much fun Friday morning. I came home from walking and decided to organize my little pantry. What an eye opener this was. It was already organized, but with a little tweaking it is even better. I know in a few months it will need tweaking again. That is a good thing as it reminds me what I have. As a professional organizer I am always organizing kitchens for other women and it was fun to follow my own advise as I took everything out and then put it all back together–only better.

One thing I did that I haven’t done before with this cupboard was to make a list of everything that is on each shelf. The contents at the back of the lower shelves can’t be seen when I’m not down on the floor looking for something. I found cereal and pie filling I didn’t know I had. Now my list is taped inside the cupboard at eye level and I will know what I have. As I use things I will cross them off. I’ll let you know how that theory works. (It is a good theory).

I then moved on to my other cupboards, fridge and lastly I cleaned my stove top. I didn’t have a lot of things out of place or that I had to get rid of but by putting some things in different places and using containers for a few things I made the whole kitchen look better and I feel so good about it. I want to just go and open cupboards and look at how nice they look. (Isn’t that silly?)

One thing I did find that didn’t belong was a quart size bottle that vitamins had come in and my daughter had saved for over three years. I took the label off and gave it to her so she can buy those vitamins if she ever wants them again. She agreed this was a better solution; the bottle did not need to live on a shelf.

What surprises have you found when organizing your cupboards?

I found some chocolate chips in the freezer last night and decided to make cookies. I had all the ingredients but not my favorite recipe. It is a source of irritation that my recipes are not at my finger tips. My daughter has taken them to make a family recipe book so I can’t find them when I want them. She began three years ago and I know it is a huge undertaking and she is very busy but I want them back. I am working on learning patience.

Here are two nifty solutions on how to mark recipes so you can find them in a recipe book:

•Mark the page with markers such as the small flag post-it-notes or use colored paper clips. Each color could represent a different category. Or use book darts made of paper-thin metal that come in different colors. (www.bookdarts.com)

•I love the idea of making my own index in the book. On the front pages that are blank in the book I write the name of the recipe and the page number it is on. This saves me time having to look at the table of contents every time and as you know as a professional organizer I am all about time management. It is in my blood. You would think after years of using the same recipe I would have the page numbered, but I don’t.

Hopefully sometime this year I can tell you that I have my recipes back and in better condition than when they left my cupboard. I’ll let you know.

How do you mark your favorite recipes in your cook books?

I came home from walking the other morning and I was starving. I thought eggs in a blanket sounded good but I need cornbread to make them.

When I got my container down with my measuring cups I found I was avoiding the green measuring cups. I even picked up the 1/3 of a cup which I needed and put it back in the container. Bam, the light came on just like in the comics. I was avoiding the green cups because I don’t like them anymore. I realized it was time to get rid of them because:

1.I didn’t like them anymore
2.They didn’t make me happy to use them
3.I avoided using them
4.They were just taking up space which was clutter in my cupboard

This is a good rule of thumb to follow if you have things you are keeping that you don’t like, don’t use, and it doesn’t light you up; donate the item to charity or toss if it is not fit to be used anymore.

Quick Recipe for Eggs in a Blanket:
In a frying pan (spray with a non stick vegetable spray or add 1 to 1½ T. olive oil)
Put in ½ cup salsa (no need to measure, use as much as you like) and with a spoon make a little nest
Crack 2 eggs (more if you want) into the center of the nest
Crumble cornbread all around on top (I make my cornbread in muffin tins and freeze them so I can take one out at a time to use).
Sprinkle on top 2 T cheese of choice
Put a lid on the pan and cook on medium until done.

Yummy and quick. There is a ‘real’ recipe for this but it involves cutting up tomatoes, peppers and onions so I do it the fast way. Do you have a quick breakfast recipe you would like to share?

Elvis reportedly ate it with bananas, smashed between two slices of fried bread. E.T. was entranced by an artificially flavored candy version. However you serve it, peanut butter is loved by people ― and perhaps aliens ― everywhere.
But this classic spread poses a sticky situation for those striving to be green and clean. Polish off a jar and you’re left with a messy container that seems like it might take more of Earth’s resources to clean than are saved in the recycling process.
Patrick Gonzalez a scientist with the Conservancy’s Climate Change Program and an avid recycler, answers: “Your first step is to check with your local recycling program and find out if they require items to be washed.
Some recycling programs do not ask you to wash containers, so you can conserve water and energy by depositing your containers unwashed. These programs likely send their glass and plastic to facilities that rinse the containers before processing. Recycling plants cannot fabricate high-quality products from glass or plastic material that contain too much food or other organic matter.
But many cities ― including my current home of Washington, D.C. ― do ask residents to wash containers before placing them out for collection. They ask people to wash for two reasons. First, to avoid sanitation problems with rats and other vermin. Second, some recycling facilities do not rinse glass and plastic before processing.
You can efficiently wash your containers by adding a small amount of water and shaking the container to rinse the interior. This will use less water than rinsing the container under a running faucet. You can even easily wash that peanut butter jar: Place some water and a bit of dish soap in the jar, close it with the lid, shake it, then let the jar sit overnight. Most of the peanut butter will eventually dissolve”.
I thought this was an interesting question about washing out peanut butter jars. I just put it in the dishwasher with my other dishes. Our small acts of recycling will save energy reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help conserve nature. We have recycled for years in our home and I just found out this week I can get curb side recycling from a local company until our city approves it. They take everything where our city doesn’t. To read more about the earth, conservancy and recycling go to: http://www.nature.org/
Do you have a favorite recycling story? How long have you been recycling? Do you have any tips for recycling?

By now you may think I am a basket case, but I’m not. I actually have a few more to share with you and how I use them.

A basket or some other kind of container is a must to be kept near the telephone for pens and note pads, if you don’t have a message board. Your family is soon trained to leave the pen or pencil in the basket and you never have to hunt for one when you are taking a message again.

My daughter brought this back from Africa. The shape is unique and it holds my collection of sand dollars I picked up off the beach at Ocean Shores in Washington. I love sea shells.

A stair basket is nice as it is a great place to put things that need to go down stairs. It is like a post office on the stairs.

Here is another basket from Africa. I like all things quilt related and this is a nice way to keep pillows and little stuffed, quilted things contained and decorative at the same time.

Baskets have so many uses and are attractive. Strategically placed around the home they can hold this and that and keep all things organized.

What is your organizing secret you have used baskets for?