Bar Food for Breakfast?

Mornings are hard on most of us. True, there does walk among us a mutant strain of human that actually thrives during the early hours, but for the majority of us, mornings are when our minds and limbs move the slowest. So what can be done to help inject some speed and efficiency into our morning routine? Easy, install a breakfast bar.

“Breakfast bar” is a fancy way of saying “a place in the kitchen where you keep all the stuff you use for your morning meal together in one place.” But we can be fancy too, can’t we? so we’ll stick with BB here.

Pick a spot where you can corral all the items and appliances you use in the morning. If you’re the toasting type, then keep the toaster in your breakfast bar. Coffee drinker? Keep your coffee maker, stirrers, sugars, non-dairy creamers, and a mug. If cereal is your go-to, store boxes in your bar. Pull out a spoon and bowl the night before, so that all you have to handle in the AM is the retrieval and pouring of the milk.

Now, don’t get carried away in your bar-ing and cross the line into cluttering up the counters, heaven forbid. Don’t go putting the entire contents of your pantry out in plain sight and then say “Annie told me to.” But a little station that’s kept neat and helps your day start smoothly? Now that I’ll approve.

Image Credits: HGTV, Honeyandfitz.com, Chris Madden, Martha Stewart

Don’t Be Left Out in the Cold: Organizing Winter Wear

Happy Monday my little lambs. Today I’m over at Lacy’s lovely blog, Simple Surber, discussing how best to organize your winter clothing. Pay her a visit to read the post!

I’ll Show You My List if You Show Me Yours

I don’t know about you all, but I tend to do my shopping at the same couple of stores, and at every store there are items that I regularly purchase- same brand, same flavor, and so on.

With that in mind, here’s a tip to make your life just a little bit easier:

Instead of loitering in aisle 7 racking your brain for what brand of corn flakes your little Charlie prefers, make a grocery list. I’m not talking the kind where you scribble down some indecipherable Hieros on the back of a crumpled receipt. I’m talking about typing out a compiled list of the things you or your family buy on a consistent basis, the food and products you always like to keep stocked in the house.

Group these items by category for easy shopping; produce, cereal, frozen foods, condiments, beverages, cleaning supplies, household items, etc. Perhaps noting things like “frozen nuggets in the bright green bag,” will be helpful, or “navy spaghetti box high up on the shelf.” Any details that will jog your memory and make shopping a breeze are allowed. Leave some lines at the bottom to write in any specialty items you need.

Save the list before printing a copy to hang in the kitchen, and instruct everyone in the household to check off an item when it needs to be replaced. Bring the list with you for easy shopping.

Image Credits: TheClassyGeek.com, Martha Stewart

Chatting with Simplified Bee

Today I am delighted to introduce you all to Cristin of Simplified Bee. Cristin is a professional organizer, interior designer, and busy mom who is amazingly talented at creating beautiful and clutter-free spaces. She shares with us what inspires her work, some of the best organizing tactics, and some very helpful advice. Enjoy!

Your company, Simplified Bee, was created because of the need you saw for “functional interior design.” Can you describe what that is?

While studying interior design at a local college and creating clever ways to keep my kids’ toys orderly, I had an “a-ha” moment to combine the disciplines of interior design and organizing. Thus in January of 2009, I launched Simplified Bee®. I believe that surrounding yourself in beautiful, organized spaces reduces stress, makes you happier and inspires healthier living.

What inspires your design aesthetic and how do you incorporate that into your work or in your own home?

Nature, textiles and color are typical inspiration points for me in design. Currently I am obsessed with textiles and in particular, Eastern hand block printed textiles from designers like John Robshaw. Developed in Asia centuries ago, the tradition of hand block printing continues today despite industrialization and computers. Perhaps it’s the human touch and imperfections in this primitive art form which make block printed textiles so esteemed. Last year I tried my own hand at making a block print tablecloth. I love the way it turned out!

Is there one thing or room that you’ve noticed most people tend to struggle with organizing? Is there a solution that’s worked across the board for this?

Organizing kid’s spaces can be a struggle for many of my clients. Whenever possible I recommend floor to ceiling shelving to help maximize storage and balance the space visually. To corral toys and add a pop of color, I recommend stylish baskets or bins- they keep the space clutter-free and make it easier to maintain. I also recommend keeping favorite age appropriate toys within reach and on lower shelves to accommodate little ones.

What inspires you to be productive when all you want to do is stay in bed?

My kids. Their endless energy and creativity is contagious.

What one thing or area are you most proud of how you organize?

In my own home, I’m most proud of the way my linen closet functions and feels. I am a bin and basket girl, so it works for me.

What one thing or area in your house is most in need of organization?

Between you and me, my office closet needs help. It’s on my list of goals for 2012.

Favorite piece of advice of wisdom to pass on to others?

Clutter is visually exhausting. Purge often. Keep and display only what you love. If you don’t use it, sell or donate it. I have a rule in my house that if a new toy, pair of shoes or piece of clothing enters the house, an unused similar item is donated, recycled, or trashed depending on condition. Involving your kids through the decision-making process can teach them important life lessons about determining what’s valued and what’s taking up space.

What is your definition of either beauty, organization or simplicity?

I don’t have a good definition for all three words, but being organized in and of itself isn’t necessarily simple or beautiful. How we organize (order, placement, etc) dictates the beauty and simplicity of a space. Study nature and great interior design for direction and inspiration.

Many thanks to Cristin for her insightful and inspiring responses!

*all image credits: Cristin Bisbee Priest/ Simplified Bee

Live Simply All-Star: Cubbies

Seems to me we had it right in Kindergarten, after all. Cubbies are an optimal solution for keeping things looking neat. These bad boys work for just about anything- shoes, clothes, kitchen accoutrements, binders, baskets, toys and more. Here’s why: shelves can seem expansive and overwhelming; How to stack? How to style? How to arrange on such vast domestic terrain?

The genius of cubbies is that they are contained. They ask us only to concentrate on one harmless square at a time. Yet each cubby feels like a little display case, which means cubbies inherently push us in the direction of making our knicknacks look nice.

See for yourself:

Image Credits: The Coveteur, Pottery Barn, bhg.com x3, seemeeverywhere.com

Monday’s Meditation

I used to be deathly afraid of spiders. Now I kill them with ease. So what changed? Not my fear of spiders, as it turns out. No, what happened instead was that my desire to be rid of them finally overcame my fear.

Over time, the leading voice in my head changed. Before the voice that spoke loudest said, “I am so afraid of this spider that I will simply work around it or pretend it isn’t there.” Now there is a much more assured and confident voice that says, “I want this spider the hell out of my shower.” And so, with the bravery of one going into battle, and two-dozen wads of Kleenex, I obliterate the thing.

I encourage you to view my feelings towards spiders as a metaphor for your feelings towards your mess. Ok, so the fear of it, the being overwhelmed by it, that may never go away. But I am hoping that you eventually reach a point when your desire to be rid of your clutter overcomes your fear.

Image credit: La Dolca Vita 

Rinse Cycle; Synch Cycle

Laundry. To some the word represents all the hope and happiness in the world, an act full of possibility for fresh beginnings. For others, laundry is a word so vile that they would go to unfathomable lengths to avoid it; the Voldemort of housework, for these tortured souls, laundry is known most commonly as the “taskwhichshallnotbenamed.”

Here are some tips for both types:

The goal is to make the laundry process as simple as possible, so that the only thing standing between you and clean laundry is your actual will to press “start” on the washing machine. Separating clothing from the get-go is key. This is accomplished most easily if you have three laundry baskets– one for colors, one for whites, and one for dry cleaning.

Better still if the dry cleaning basket has a removable bag, thereby simplifying the transport process.

Fitness buffs or chronically over-sweaty people take note: very sweaty clothes thrown into a dirty laundry basket can make for a smelly hamper, an unpleasant soggy experience when handling the load, and even mold, depending on how long you wait to do the wash. Nix this grossness by making it a habit to hang wet garments on the edge of the basket, allowing them to air dry overnight. The next day, push the dried clothes into the basket, and replace with that day’s gear.

A few more items on my laundry list:

• Make sure you have a place to hang-dry delicates.
• Keep a small garbage can directly next to the dryer for immediate disposal of lint (unless you plan on collecting it to build a puppet or… whatever you would do with a whole bunch of lint).
• Place a small dish of some kind by the washer as a place to collect random items pulled out of pockets pre-wash.

If you are a lover of laundry, then attending to it when necessary should be no problem. If you are a loather, however, I advise designating one day a week as Laundry Day. Make a commitment to uphold that most sacred day each week by running a load whether you feel like it or not. I promise you that the more you keep up with it, the less overwhelming a task it will seem.

Image Credits: Life123.com, Bhg.com, housetohome, blog.purehome.com, Martha Stewart, Bhg.com

Cabinet Cure: Organizing the Medicine Cabinet

If your aspirin tablets have sprouted roots, your creams have congealed into jello, and your band-aids have pealed themselves out of their wrappers, it’s time to show your medicine cabinet some serious love. The good news is that this is a totally tackle-able organizing project. Allow me to break it down for you:

Start by taking everything out and evaluating the bathroom booty. Expired medications are first to go. For information on safe practices of medication disposal, you can refer to the FDA‘s guidelines. Ancient products should also be tossed. Pay special attention to the smell and appearance of these guys. Anything that smells off, or that’s turned a different color from the time you purchased it gets the heave ho. If you look closely, many cosmetics actually have a symbol printed on their label that says the number of months they last.

Now it’s time to decide what’s missing; it’s wise to keep products on-hand that treat fever and pain, cuts and burns, digestive problems, and allergies. When you feel your cabinet collection is well-rounded, group the items into categories that make sense to you: first aid, face and body, makeup, etc.

Wipe down the shelves before restocking. Place items used most frequently on the shelf easiest to reach, and allocate higher shelves for those things that are seldom-used, or that should be kept out of reach of little hands. Note that medications don’t belong in the club. Pills are fussy and don’t like humidity, which naturally our showers love.

Now comes the time when you stand back and admire the beauty you have created:

Image credits: Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, Real Simple, Eddie Ross

Operation Consolidation: De-Cluttering Your Book & Magazine Collection

I know there are many of us out there (myself included) that like to save magazine issues, cookbooks, and other publications. We probably do so not because we covet the entire bound collection, but rather because of a few choice pages that make our hearts go a ‘pitter patter.’ The only problem is that these items tend to stack up. And up. And up. Until our shelves are sagging under the great weight, and we can’t even get to the pages we liked in the first place.

For any of you hoarding such a prized stash, or should I say ‘stack,’ here’s a helpful hint: Grab the best, ditch the rest. By this I mean, physically remove (yes, that means rip out) the pages that contain your favorite recipe/ handbag/ poem. Then feel free to either recycle or donate the rest of the matter.

I know this might sound like a wild proposition, but I don’t think you should feel obligated to preserve the original source collection. Your secret weapon recipe for Peach French Toast will still be just as legendary if removed from its spot in the issue of Gourmet Magazine, circa 1995. And even better: by freeing it from other less signficant neighboring pages, you have the ability to place it in the company of other equally adored notes.

I suggest one of three methods. A binder with plastic sleeves works well to collect and protect loose pages.

A large sketch book can also be used; simply glue in your pages for a kind of custom-made book.

The third option, for the tech savvy, is to scan the respective pages onto your computer. Recipes can also then be uploaded to an online cataloging system such as BigOven, or Evernote.

So that’s my pitch. What do you think?

Image credits: Martha Stewart, moxiefabworld.com, evernote.com

Monday’s Meditation

Wishing you a wonderful, stress-free start to the week.

Image credit: Harper’s Bazaar