Confessions Of A Disorganized Organized Clutterbug
As most things go, I'm a pretty organized person. But deep down, lurks a scatter-brained clutterbug.
I keep a planner with a calendar, lists, address book and all the trimmings. So how is it that opening a cabinet in my kitchen is a job for the Corps of Engineers? Too many of this, constantly running out of that, enough junk drawers to supply Inspector Gadget for a lifetime. *sigh*
And what's THAT in the back of the fridge??? eeeeew!
It's time...
Time to take my "organized" self to another level. I'm clearing the clutter and organizing my kitchen! This lens will show you one of the tools I'm using to do it with.
Cover me...I'm going in...
I keep a planner with a calendar, lists, address book and all the trimmings. So how is it that opening a cabinet in my kitchen is a job for the Corps of Engineers? Too many of this, constantly running out of that, enough junk drawers to supply Inspector Gadget for a lifetime. *sigh*
And what's THAT in the back of the fridge??? eeeeew!
It's time...
Time to take my "organized" self to another level. I'm clearing the clutter and organizing my kitchen! This lens will show you one of the tools I'm using to do it with.
Cover me...I'm going in...
What's A Kitchen Binder?
...and why do I want one?
A kitchen binder is a tailor made notebook just for you, your kitchen, your family, your lifestyle and your preferences. The easiest way by far to build one is with a plain old 3 ring binder. Don't worry, we'll get into that.You want one if:
*You're tired of being disorganized in the kitchen.
*You don't know where your coupons are and most of them expire before you can use them.
*You have favorite recipes, recipes to try out, and want to add more but the ones you have are everywhere, including the junk drawer.
*You can never find your grocery list and/or a pen, especially at the same time.
I bet you get the idea and can add a bunch more reasons by now, eh?
Kitchen Poll
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What Do You Put In A Kitchen Binder?
Is It A Secret Recipe?
The contents of your Kitchen Binder are totally up to you, but here some ideas:1. Meal planner forms
2. Grocery lists
3. Once A Month cooking recipes & ideas
4. Information sheets; substitutions, measurements, storage time limits, etc.
5. Price comparison book (pages); I shop at Sam's Club, dollar stores, Big Lots, Sun Harvest and my local grocery store.
6. Homemade recipes; homemade bisquick, shake-n-bake, hot chocolate, etc
7. Homemade concoction recipes (lol); beauty, cleaning, gardening, laundry, pet, etc.
8. Favorite recipes & family recipes.
9. Price Lists/Chart/Book. I recently started to make a price list comparing prices of the items I buy most often. I compare the price at the warehouse club, Wal-Mart, my grocery store and Walgreens, which are the places I shop with coupons most often. It had a few surprises! If you do this, be careful to compare price per ounce or pound.
REAL Help For Organizing Your Kitchen
FlyLady Rocks! FlyLady's book "Sink Reflections" really made a big difference for me. The biggest single revelation? Use a 15 minute timer! You can do anything for 15 minutes!
West Bend Timer, White
Amazon Price: $17.56 (as of 11/28/2009) 
Sidetracked Home Executives(TM): From Pigpen to Paradise
Amazon Price: $10.04 (as of 11/28/2009)
Body Clutter: Love Your Body, Love Yourself
Amazon Price: $10.76 (as of 11/28/2009)
Saving Dinner: The Menus, Recipes, and Shopping Lists to Bring Your Family Back to the Table
Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 11/28/2009)
Starting Your Kitchen Binder
Supplies You'll Need
There are some items that we will need in order to set up our binders. Lets start by making a list of supplies that are useful but not mandatory.1. Binder of the size desired; I'm using a 3 ring, 2 inch capacity binder. I picked one of those with the clear plastic covers in front so I could put some artwork in the front and back. I'll also put a label in the spine.
2. Hole Punch
3. Sheet Protectors; I recommend these to protect your pages from stains in the kitchen!
4. Legal pad, steno pad or other paper for jotting notes on, especially during the time you're setting it up. Or, just some plain lined 3 hole paper in the front of the binder.
5. Pen, pencil, markers, stickers; your preference
6. A pencil pouch; OR a clear zip close pouch that has the holes for the binder. I happened to have one of these already. You can find them at the office supply if you'd rather have one of these. They're usually pretty cheap.
7. A coupon pouch; I keep mine here so I can plan my meals & make my grocery lists.
8. Paper. You can use any kind of paper you want. Swipe some of your kids' school paper; use colored paper to print the final versions...it's all up to you. It's YOUR binder.
HouseWorks, By Cynthia Townley Ewer
Very, Very Good Book!
Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos
Amazon Price: (as of 11/28/2009)
I've read this book front to back and back to front several times now and I keep it on my desk. It's an extremely helpful resource for organizing and I highly recommend it!
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Video Decluttering Help!
I don't know about you, but I do better when I can "see" things. So, here are some decluttering videos for you and me. Hope you like them as much as I do.
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Clutter Busting Blog Posts!
- Cozi Blog - Gifts to Organize the Kitchen | Cozi
- We scoured the articles on Cozi about organizing your home, and came up with five essentials for keeping your kitchen tidy and functional.
- Organizing Your Kitchen for the Holidays « Chic Galleria
- Organizing Your Kitchen for the Holidays. | November 12, 2009. POSTED by. Michelle Lehman. dreamstime_6012674. Here a couple of quick tip on getting your kitchen ready for the holidays. Its a good idea to have your kitchen organized ...
- From The Archives: Displaying Heirloom Recipes
- While organizing a kitchen with a client, she told me some of her recipes were one of the few things she actually had left in her mother's handwriting and how much they meant to her. I would never try to get her to part with them but I ...
- The Pile High Club--how NOT to become a member: Kitchen Organizing ...
- Get Organized! Find the best organizing products, free tips on taming your clutter, an online newsletter, links to organizing websites-- and even get a referral to a Professional Organizer near you. OnlineOrganizing.com -- A world of ...
Featured Organizing With Notebooks Lenses
Notebooks are an excellent way to organize a great many things. Yes, I have lots of notebooks these days. But you know what? I also have less stress! I can find what I need when I need it too! *whew* What A RELIEF that is all by itself!-
Organizing With Binders, A Christmas Planning Notebook
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Yes, my dear little Santa's elves, it's time to start now! You heard me right. There's a world full of reasons to start an organized attack at our Christmas planning. The reviving economy is presenting us with sale upon sale, ripe for t...
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Organizing With Binders, A Bill Paying Notebook
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Are your bills scattered all over the house? Where's your checkbook? Do you know the balance of your savings and checking accounts? What payments are outstanding? Are you trying to get out of debt? What are your monthly bills and how much are they?...
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Organizing With Binders, A Household Notebook
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This was one of the best ideas I ever found on the internet for organizing my home. I keep a planner that I carry with me, and that goes a long way toward helping keep all the details under control. But the addition of a Household Notebook at home wa...
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Tell me about it....
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- BevsPaper BevsPaper Jun 21, 2009 @ 11:43 pm
- This is a great lens!
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- beeobrien beeobrien Sep 24, 2008 @ 9:33 am
- Great idea, but I'd just lose the binder.
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- Senator Senator Sep 24, 2008 @ 1:13 am
- Good stuff! 5 stars and a Digg! Please visit my Best Cruise Lines lens!
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- merx2go merx2go Sep 23, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
- 5 stars lens. I really need that binder, lol.
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- funwithtrains funwithtrains Sep 23, 2008 @ 10:27 am
- Nice lens! 5 stars and a Digg!
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